After some deliberation, my sons decided to have a Star Wars Cantina Tea Party for their joint birthday celebration. Though I suppose 2-year-old Finn didn’t have too much to do with it, since any party that involves cake is a good party as far as he’s concerned.

We asked everyone to bring a favorite stuffed animal or doll to be an “alien” in the cantina. Then we made doll-sized tables and chairs using Anna Wulick’s patterns for cardboard doll furniture. (Click the “cardboard doll furniture” link from that page to download the instructions.)

Thank you, Anna! Crafters should check out her awesome blog and her February appearance on Martha Stewart! (We know Anna, can you tell?)

Of course, making 12 cardboard chairs–one for each of the kids to paint and take home–sounds easy if you plan to do it over the course of a few months. And then your weekends are eaten up by your small, wildly energetic boys, equally bouncy husband, business, rehearsals and—-opps. I left all the chair-making for the week before the party, and then one of the boys was home sick. One of our friends came over the night before the party and helped us finish up the chairs and decorate. Connor *loved* the $4 Star Wars tablecloth more than Mom’s entire cardboard toy-sized cantina. Of course. Laugh. So that’s what I’ve been doing instead of growing the business the last month.