Birthday Photos!!!

"V's Birthday Party

This is quite a day. It was one of our first sales and we were so excited. This beautiful little lady was treated for her birthday to a wonderful Belle dress up dress for her birthday. Her mom bought the dress and other accessories, and received a free gift from us, to help make it special. We were so delighted to have her also provide us with a few photos so that we could share them with others. She was entered into the costume drawing, but unfortunately didn't win.


We do free costume drawings for every child whose family provides us pictures of the dress. We love it if we can use the image on our site also.

We have begun to provide birthday party ideas, sites that can help you like custom invitations, as well as we sell customized candy bars with your child's name on it, party favors for pirates, princesses, gold miners, fairies, and cowboys/cowgirls. They are all affordable. We are also providing new real gold in burlap sacks. Another wonderful party favor is our fairy tea set - and our fairy or princess dolls and fairy or princess coin purses.

New Arrivals - They are FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

Well, we have been sewing, tying, tearing, and crying trying to create a new item for our store. We found it. We are now able to make flower petal skirts that are lined or have beautiful waistbands that don't itch. I can recall buying one for my daughter (that she of course had me wear with her when we played "fairies". It down right itched. My goal was to find a way to make it not itch.

Our new designs we think work. We have several "test cases" (pictures coming soon) of my daughter, another 2-year-old, and a 4-year-old in the neighbhorhood trying these outfits out so that we will see durability of our boutique quality handmade tutus and floral skirts.

Give us your feedback. The thing I really like is that you can WASH it - preferably by hand but if it ends up in the washing maching - that is fine. It will last.

Halloween Boutique Quality Costume

My mom used to make my costumes as a little girl, and I loved it. I can remember waiting until the day before Halloween to find out what costume I would dress up in. These costumes would last forever. Now, if anyone is my age - the alternative was the thin plastic mask and think plastic "dress" you could buy at Walgreens (at the same time you could buy Keds over the bins in the freezer section".

I wanted to do the same for my daughter. I found a way to do it - we opened a store and I revisited my sewing machine and surger. I even learned how to make tutus, by hand. I also found some other master seamstresses that make some amazing dress up costumes.

This year, my daughter was a ladybug. It was a huge favorite at the Halloween Fall Festival and Halloween Costume Contest. She was by far the cutest thing in the world.

We (my husband, our daughter, and I) went trick-or-treating late. We are not big candy people, but we wanted her to get the experience (she is a toddler). So, what we did was to take her to a safe neighborhood, where there are lots of large home close together. We wore all of the really bright neon necklaces and ran from home to home. She was so much fun. All she kept saying was, "Momy, I want more trick or treat" (thinking that candy was actually trick or treating".

She would select her own candy choices at the door, others would give her 4-5 pieces of candy, people took pictures of her at their door. It was really charming. Memories to be had and savored.

Events It's a Party Let's wear hats! will be attending

We are searching for events to attend and found some great ones. Please come visit us at:

2009 Virginia Rennassaince Fair - Lake Anna Winery, Virginia

2009 Maryland Faerie Festival, MD

2009 Medieval Fantasiesco - Gloucester, MD

Please visit our website to see more information on the upcoming events and additional charity events we will be attending or hosting (http://www.itsapartyletswearhats.com/)

#1 Wholesale & Retail Boutique Quality and High End Quality Boys and Girls Costumes, Dress Up, and Dresses

It's a Party...Let's wear hats!!! is your #1 international wholesale and retail supplier of boutique quality and high end quality girls and boys dress up costumes.

We have had such a huge growth in our items that we have decided to go into wholesale. We only sell our own items and don't resell others at a wholesale rate. Our new collection includes tinkerbelle, Fairy dresses, princess dresses, fairy wings, and fairy and princess tiaras and crowns. We also have wands that are handmade.

Our main retail site of boutique quality costumes is at: http://www.itsapartyletswearhats.com/

Our whoelsale site of boutique quality dress up dresses is: http://itsapartyletswearhats.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=113&zenid=04c2a47f3d7489349e14ee3f295381a2

Here are a few of our items.

Virginia Rennassaince Fair Fairy

We tried it. We took our daughter, my mother, and my father (a magician) to the 2008 Virginia Rennassaince Fair to see what it was like. It was amazing - and HOT!! The events were so much fun. Granted, my daughter was pretty young to enjoy the older events (the knight crowning, learning how to make items), but she did love the royal dogs, the magic shows, the singers, and the wandering minstrels.

She was dressed in one of our boutique quality costumes and a random hat. It was so warm that she had to have a hat on her head. She got all kinds of attention and even free wands from vendors who fell in love with her. The dress was so light and airy that it didn't get into her way, it fit her beautifully, and she was very proud.

I will find an image to upload that does not include her face, so you can see it. We are a bit protective of her and her privacy. However, the image here is the one we have on the website (http://www.itsapartyletswearhats.com) or (http://itsapartyletswearhats.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=111)

Trunk of Dreams

My husband and I were thinking the other day...we started our business so that our daughter would have high quality and high end dress up costumes to play with. I got tired of buying things that would break and not last. We figured, buy or make high quality boutique quality dress up items for our daughter, her friends, and others who want it.

What we ended up was that we have tons of wonderful tutus (handmade no less) and dress up items (also handmade) that my daughter "borrows". Let me clarify - whatever she "borrows" - she keeps. We don't return them to the inventory. She randomly goes into the inventory - picks out what she wants and wears them non-stop. She has 7-8 items that she loves and dresses all day long.

What we were laughing about was that her "birth box" that she was sent home from the hospital with was now her dress up trunk. Now it was filled with princess and fairy dresses, wings, wands, crowns, posie wands, and ribbon garlands. We affectionately called it her "trunk of dreams".

It is so much fun to watch her face light up and search madly for her "Cinderella shoes" or her "princess skirt". No matter where we take her, heads turn.

Our custom tutus can be seen at It's a party...Let's wear hats!! at: http://www.itsapartyletswearhats.com or http://itsapartyletswearhats.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=55&zenid=8231fa53b06071aa19af869f2bd08238

Mom Friendly Dress Up Costumes

Mom Friendly Fairy Dress Up Costumes

Boutique Quality

I have to laugh. We have a 2 year old and we allow her to test out all of our handmade boutique quality costumes. We took her to the mall today (see picture below). We had the greatest time and little children couldn't stop saying "look at the princess". She would walk around saying "I'm a fairy princess". My philosophy is that - you can only play once in your life - have fun. I'm no fashion plate so if she is dressed in a costume when we go outside - it is fine.

She tumbled and climbed and stomped all over the play area and there was no damage to the dress. Now, the katsup ended up on her belly and I just tossed it into the washer and all is good. I love what we make and sell. They are so mom friendly.

She was dressed in our Rennessaince Fairy Dress (below) at http://www.itsapartyletswearhats.com/.

What is a theme party and what is just a party?

I know this sounds horrible, but there is a big difference. There is a party with cake, streamers, invitations and favors and then there is a theme party which can be anything from:

• Pirate hats



• Pirate favor bags/treasure chests (doubloons, eye patches, pirate bandannas, pirate stickers)



• Pirate decorations (pirate balloons, colored balloons)



• Custom pirate invitations



• Pirate crafts (building a pirate treasure box or pirate ship)



• Plates/flatware in the same colors



• and more in the theme.

Then you can go even further and make all the activities about pirates, have a story about pirates, have a pirate ship built and a true pirate show up to your house to tell stories and entertain the children. Your cake could be Blackbeard's Blackberry Cake and have a theme like Pirate Bryan's Raiding Ship.

This may sound like overkill to an adult, but children won't forget it and other parents will wonder how you found the time. I used to do all of this for families so that they didn't have to worry about it, but now I found another source for comprehensive party planning and they ship it all to you. They even give you recipes, a whole day's activities, etc. Who is it? It's A Party...LETS WEAR HATS!!! at http://www.itsapartyletswearhats.com/ .

I found other party suppliers but not true comprehensive planners and events that include everything and that is why they started their company.

What is an Organic Craft vs. a Camp Craft vs. a Craft?

Well, I know it sounds like hype. Aren't they all the same thing but one is wrapped in leaves and another in leather. Actually no, there really is a difference. What is it?

• An Organic Craft is typically one that is collected from nature, teaches about nature directly, or one that reflects nature. At It's a Party...LETS WEAR HATS!!! at www.ItsAPartyLetsWearHats.com they actually use environmental educational books and find crafts from nature. Yes, they find acorns, leaves, sand etc that are all reclaimed from the earth and put them together so you can do acorn people, leaf rubbings, learning how to plant trees, caring for bugs, etc. None of these crafts will be purchased or manufactured. You will however be able to do them over and over again because you should be able to find the same items in nature. They provide samples and excellent directions, so they are easy to follow also. There is a whole environmental party with recycled goods, games, etc to enjoy there as well!!



• A Camp Craft is one that you might remember from summer camp, boy/girl scouts or indian cubs. These include items like lanyard keychains, tooling/stamping leather to make belts and purses, mosaic molds, headdresses, woodwork, and big beading necklaces. These are the type of items that are usually bought commercially and have an old-time remaniscence. It's A Party...LETS WEAR HATS!!! at www.itsapartyletswearhats.com actually has a whole party around this theme. They include camp hats, camp t-shirts, camp dining trays, activities, songs, and menus for this theme. Think about it!!



• A Craft is a general term for any other types of crafts. At It's a Party...LETS WEAR HATS!!! at www.ItsAPartyLetsWearHats.com these can range from a kit for 6 children where you are exploring something scientifically, making perfume, painting your own tea set and building boats to delicate beading for necklaces/bracelets, sand art, wood work, and painting or decorating items. You can choose these items as part of any party package, or buy them al a carte. It is up to you!

Does anyone actually rent children's costumes?

What ever happened to rental for children's costumes? I went to the local costume rental for a large Victorian Tea Party we were asked to throw and found they rented only adult costumes. The only children's dress-up items were for purchase and were really unsatisfactory. They were poorly constructed, easily torn, inexpensive materials, and often had cut hems rather than sewn. I tried to find gorgeous hats and all I found were paper or inexpensive hats - I wanted Kentucky Derby type hats for little girls and their moms. I quickly found that I would not locate them unless they were made for me.

Maybe I am too picky, but I want a dress that is hemmed and not surged. Something that won't tear if my daughter runs into a table. Wouldn't it be nice if it would last for several dress-up times?

I finally found a great resource...It's a Party...LET'S WEAR HATS at http://www.itsapartyletswearhats.com/. They have the most beautiful boutique quality costumes I have seen. I have even contacted them to have custom made costumes for various parties and have never been dissatisfied. For my Victorian Tea Party I had them made some amazing bonnets for 35 children and their mothers - they even matched.

I believe that they work with professional designers, or maybe they are professional designers, but everything I have purchased through them has been amazing!

Let me know if there are other rental sites for children's costumes...I would love to know them.

How to Pick a Children's Event or Party Planner or Company for Supplies & Costumes

I know this sounds like it would be simple, but it's not. Are you tired of shopping around town and finding things that everyone else has, or items that will break. How about running out of ideas. We've all been there.

So, you want a new idea, truly quality items that are unique...you search the web and still can't find it. You might want to visit and try It's a Party...LET'S WEAR HATS!!! (http://www.itsapartyletswearhats.com/). They actually customize items and parties for you. It is like hiring a party planner but they ship everything to you. Every child receives a gorgeous decorative box. You will also receive activities, customized recipes (they will walk you through if you have questions), really unique crafts, boutique quality dress-up items (purchase or rental), hats, unique favor bags, and more.

So, what have I found are keys to purchasing or selecting a company?

1. Someone with a contact phone number not just an email address. If you need something you want to talk to someone not wait for an email back.


2. Someone with a return policy. If you are unhappy, they should still do everything they can to help you out.


3. Flexibility for the party you want. If they have all cookie-cutter parties how can you account for a joint boy/girl party? What if your child wants an event that is for Pigs Flying? If they can't customize it for you - then what will you do?


4. Good reputation. How will you find this? The best is to ask others. Often you won't find too much feedback online (just because there are a lot of posts about a company doesn't mean they are good). However, if they offer PayPal or credit card payment you will be in better shape. They might even provide testimonials.


5. Comprehensive service. Do they provide menus, activities, ideas, planning guides, costumes?


6. Variations on paying. Do they accept PayPal? That will cover both you and the company but it also means that they have gone through a check on banking.


7. Someone with experience. How do you find this out? Well, if they are comprehensive, have unique ideas, and flexibility and you can talk to them on the phone - you can find out if you are talking to a teenager with a job or a professional planner.

The big thing for you is...do you want a comprehensive plan for a party or do you want some good items and you pull them together yourself? It's a Party...LET'S WEAR HATS!!! at http://www.itsapartyletswearhats.com/ provides the choices for complete party prepared for you, a customized personal shopping event planner, and al a carte purchases. You can't lose.