FANCY TEA PARTY  Little daughters love nothing more than to dress up and play hostess to a gaggle of giggling girlfriends. Throw them an affair to be proud of with these thrifty, fun, and simple tips. This party is intended to be 2 hours long. 1. Invite 3-6 girls. For an invitation, buy a plastic tea set at a thrift store. Then in a box filled very daintily with tissue paper, fake flowers, and sequins, send one vessel of the tea set to each invitee. inside the cup, which is inside the box, tape a piece of shiny paper with the party details on it, time, date, location. Also remind the little ladies to wear frilly frocks and bands of flowers on their heads, and to bring 1 gourmet tea bag and their best lady-like manners.  2. Get your pipsqueak prepared! help shop for an elegant, romantic gown to impress her ladies with at the party. teach the proper way to set a table, to pour tea, to greet guests. Pick out and shop for fancy party cakes and snacks to have the birthday girl cut and serve all by herself.  3.Your daughter can help with party planning and prep! Both of you should take time to sit down and work out the little details calmly, but also to work a little. For the right atmosphere for a fancy tea party, clear a large room of furniture except a couple of comfy chairs around a big table (don't forget a dainty tablecloth, perhaps portraying princesses and knights or pretty flowers. pick one up cheap anywhere or paint it yourself!). in the middle of the table, secure a tall vase full of fresh, sweet smelling flowers, or an array of candles complimented by sprigs of ivy and hollyberries. a centerpiece should be there, and it should have class. A few traditional balloons and streamers, some soothing music playing in the background, and elegant garlands and swags here and there...all touches you can add efficiently and inexpensively.  4. The big day is here! get your child into her proper garb and do her hair up prettily. get into the spirit yourself with a lacey dress or fancy frock saved up for a special occasion. then check on your party room, (so wonderfully decorated!) and lay out some finger platters beforehand. welcome guests when they arrive, or rather, let your daughter do it. the party's just getting started!  5.collect up the gourmet tea bags plus the tea you provided and get set for making the cups and cups of this beverage. after the hostess has set the table elegantly, serve the drink safely lukewarm and watch over the pouring carefully. while drinking tea, let the kids girl talk, and later serve little tea sandwiches. some popular spreads are cucumbers and cream cheese, peanut butter and salted cashews, and ham and lettuce-leaf. after eating, drinking, and girl talking is done, play a dainty game of cards. it can be something similar but fun, like "skip-bo" or "uno" too. next on the activity list is a lesson in balance. to be real ladies, one must have straight posture. let the girls try balancing lightweight books on their heads..it will improve their postures and be a ton of laughs! more party perks are nail painting, hairstyling, and make up messing, done by girl to girls!  The guests and hostess will have fun being real grown up and fancy, and you'll have a simple, cheap, and delightful party behind you!