For Ava.
This weekend, we will begin a tradition.
Come this Saturday, August the twenty-second, we will hold Ava’s Tea Party.
Even though our plans for this year are tiny…really just some simple tea cakes and a pretty frock for Ivy, I am excited to be doing this. I want it to be the start of something really special..an annual tradition for our family. A time to remember and a place to be thankful.
But I want this not just for us… My hope is that all of you reading this also take a moment on August 22 to share a cupcake, or a pink milk, or maybe just a cuddle with your own loved ones..For Ava. If you’re able to extend to a little tea party, that would make my heart sing. To imagine people taking time out of their day to do nothing more than love and cherish and laugh with friends and family..Just to really stop and be thankful for the gift that is a normal, happy day.. This, I would love.
Sheye xx
ps. If you do decide to participate, I would dearly love to see a photo :)
Ava’s Tea Party Invitation available from Belle & Boo.
Sounds like a wonderful idea. :) I will definately love on Si (boy I nanny) and maybe we can think up a boy thing that is similar to the tea! I was also thinking about my friends whose 19th month old granddaughter, Gwen, was hit and killed by a guy driving while on Meth. This was six years ago….but what I wanted to share was how they recieved a non-floral arrangement that had this really pretty green plant and some rocks. Well they decided to put the plant in the ground (they made their yard into a garden for Gwen…and bring her flowers into the house when they bloom) and this plant grew and grew and this “plant” was a tree! Now they have this wonderful tree of life in Gwen’s garden and it’s really just a bit of wonderful in something that was such a tragedy. They now have a grandson who is 2 years old and he has brought such healing for them. Gwen will always have her place but Cole is there now too.
p.s. I love Ava’s hair in this picture and that same look she always had….. a simple sweet look but with such wonder and thoughts in her eyes! :)
I will for sure be thinking of you and your family, and espesially Ava on this day.
I love your blog, and I love the fact that you are sharing so much of your self and your family, and the way you keep Ava`s memories alive for us and your family.
I wish you and your family all the best
Tanja
What an amazing idea!
I am going to surprise my girls with a tea party on Saturday. They are going to love it, and I cannot wait to see their faces! :))
What a truely wonderful & Beautyfull idea, Sheye! I will make gingerbread dinosaurs & teds {for the twins, of course} & we will sit under the walnut tree & drink chai tea & milo milk :))
i have to go to my 20yo twin boys football final sheye, but i will take along a very beautiful pink cupcake for afternoon tea with the thermos of coffee and sing to ava xxx
Oh Sheye…what an amazing idea. Even if it is only me and my two littles, we are going to have cupcakes and pink milk this weekend!! And I will devote 100% of myself to them…cherishing how fleeting childhood truly is. Thanks for the reminder. You are on my mind and in my heart tonight.
Oh, what a beautiful and meaningful way to celebrate Ava’s birthday. I would love to have a little teaparty with my two girls to remember your princess. They will be so excited and I am too just thinking about it, and will definitely hold them tight and be thankful for all the wonder they bring us every day. Much love to you all for your very special day!
I totally just ordered some invites for the future!! I guess that is what you do when you are wide awake at 3:00 AM? Who cares…they are perfect in every way and will mean something special when I do use them!! Thanks so much Sheye!
My eyes are welling up Sheye… she is just so beautiful :(
My girl isn’t home on Saturday, so our celebration for Ava will be on Monday…. she’s always in my heart though. Every single day.
X
Sheye, my little girl and I will make cupcakes with pink icing, blow up pink balloons and make a sparkly pink princess crown all while honouring your Super Princess, Ava. You and your family are not far from my thoughts.
We love a good tea party in this house, and love pink milk even more. Ruby, Clary and I will raise a glass of pink milk on Saturday, and make a toast for Ava.
oh, and I totally have to get my dirty little mitts on some of those sweet invitations.
I have twin daughters that share Ava’s birthday. They will turn 3 this Saturday. Last year we had a Dora party for their 2nd and I made sure to send up wonderful thoughts to Ava as we celebrated. This year the theme will be everything princess and I am sure Ava would love it. We will have a princess cake, decorations, and pretty princess gowns and tiaras for the girls. It will be a great day to celebrate our wonderful daughters and the great blessings they bring to our lives(thanks for always reminding us to appreciate those little moments) but we will also be honouring Ava, the truly beautiful Super Princess. You and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers!
My girls will be delighted to share pink treats on Saturday. Just for Ava. Hugs.
sweet sheye. such a delightful idea. the way you and your family honor your little girl touches my heart in so many ways. my little annie has been loving tea parties as of late and we will definitely have a pink inspired tea party on saturday to honor the beauty that is ava. xo
What a beautiful idea for a beautiful little girl.
She’s just so beautiful!
We would surely celebrate Ava with cupcakes and pink milk!
[...] One more reason to celebrate life. Every day, every minute. Over whining toddlers, broken plates, dirty windows, and even molded cheese. And this Saturday, I plan to celebrate it a little extra. [...]
What a lovely way to celebrate your beauty full one. We will celebrate and share our love, our time and our laughter with each other. Thinking of you. xx
Oh Sheye, what a wonderful idea! Unfortunately, here in Brazil we don’t have those beautiful pink cupcakes… but I’ll think of something else, something pink and beautiful to celebrate Miss Ava’s birthday right here!
p.s. her picture, just gorgeous, as always.
xx
ah … so you are going to make this a difficult adventure for me … huh?
ok … ok … i accept the challenge.
we will FIND a way to enjoy sips of pink milk amidst the tents and the lake and the rocks and the pine trees of the north shore.
but we might not have access to a tea set. we’ll see.
beautiful idea … we wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Sheye…what an amazing idea! We will celebrate from CA and send you pictures. My mind
is swirling with all the different things we can do to celebrate Ava! Thinking of you.
Much love…..erica
xoxo
this is way too adorable.
I’ll be sure to take a couple of moments that day, and do something special.
you have an amazing soul. because or despite all of it. just amazing.
I know I have only just stumbled upon your blog, but it has made such an impact on my life already to see pictures of and posts about Ava. You know every time I see your sweet Ava’s face, I look at my children and imagine life without them…without even one of them. Ava makes me more and more thankful for my girls every day. She reminds me what a blessing every child is and how often I take for granted that mine are with me. I will definitely be snuggling with my girls this Saturday and remembering Ava.
Responding to your RSVP – will be delighted to partake,
Will share photos,
With much love,
Annika and Vanessa (and probably some gate-crashing boys) xxx
http://www.vanessatuau.blogspot.com
I will definitely find a way to celebrate Ava on Saturday!
Oh my gosh that sounds like an amazing idea. I think I should ask my friend Shea to join in to, I know she’d love too. It would be amazing to have a tea party in honor of Ava, and I’d love to take pictures of it and send it to you. We could even buy pink baloons… its a really good idea, Sheye. You can celebrate her birthday! People all around the world can!
Such a beautiful idea…my daughter will turn three on August 29th…this Saturday is her birthday party. We will all make sure to think of Ava amongst the twirling, pink whirlwinds of litte girls and pink cupcakes. You, your sweet Ava and your family are in my thoughts and in my heart.
We will most definitely have a tea party with our son on the 22nd, and honor your sweet lil girl. Truly your blog has inspired me; it has changed me, not only as a mother, but as an artist as well. Your words are raw, and real, and beautiful. Cupcakes and all; we will be sharing love and thinking of Ava.
xoxoxoxoxo
even though my girls are now 9 & 8 , we will have a tea party in honor of your beautiful Ava.I can’t wait now to do that for my girls and for your Ava!
Thank you for reminding me to slow down!
That photo is STUNNING!
Tara
Wow Sheye, Ava looks soooo “RESPLENDISSANTE”! the sweet gaze and the sunlight in her hair.
My girls and I have been preparing for a little photo shoot in celebration of Ava’s birthday, now you’ve made me take it a step forward, my head is racing with these ideas you’ve mentioned, we will definitely be having a tea party, sharing the pictures, but most of all, remembering, embracing and appreciating moments together.
Much love to you and yours,
Vanessa, Lissandra & Brianna
please consider this my rsvp! this is such a sweet idea…i’ve had ava’s birthday noted in my planner for some time and was planning to send her up pink balloons but i believe pink cupcakes are definitely in order too!
Such a beautiful idea. We will have pink cupcakes with sprinkles in her honor.
What a lovely tradition! I’m having a portrait session for my sisters on Saturday – I’ll see if I can work this in!
*i.e. have a tea party in honour of ava during the session :)
Sheye, on Saturday I will be attending the most wonderful of tea parties – an English country garden wedding, and we will be eating cupcakes – I’m making 100 cupcakes in carrot cake, chocolate and strawberry flavours and I will be sure to share a pink one with my daughter to remember yours by.
We accept with pleasure! Oh what fun we will have-and I shall send some pics your way-they wont be any good but you will get the drift!!
I purchased a tea set for Lily not long after I discovered your blog, and it has made sure we took the time to savour the moments we have together.
It is Oscars birthday next Saturday the 29th and he will be turning 6 too just like Miss Ava-we will light a speical pink candle just for herxx
But of COURSE we’ll have a tea party. With much love and many HUGS,
Rach :o)
I’ll have my 2-year old grandson on Saturday and what a lovely idea! My 9-year-old and I will take him to the park and have a tea party in honor of beautiful, Ava.
sheye, you inspire me. you inspire me to be a better person to me and to my family and to society. you are one amazing person.
oh you are so.
vicki
my daughters are 17 and 13 and they love cupcakes especially pink ones. so for sure we’ll be baking, enjoying, and thinking of beautiful Ava.
Dear Sheye,
I never met you or your gorgeous SuperPrincess, Ava, but in her honor I knew I needed to do something. I am busy on what would be her 6th, so since I cannot have tea party in her honor and memory, I decided to make this instead.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAQvmhynztc
I hope that this video will bring you some form of comfort, but mostly, I hope it will let you know that she is never forgotten. Since I read of her on her memorial webpage, I never forgot her. Her face, her Princess ways, or her angelic beauty. She will never be forgotten, and I know that so many people might repeat that over and over but its so very true. I have never commented on your website either, just read it alone silently, but I decided to make that video in loving memory of your precious.
I hope you enjoy the video and share it with anyone who’d like to read and remember her, not just on her special day, but every day.
Happy 6th Birthday, SuperPrincess.
I know some people may be suprised to hear this but Bali has a gorgeous tea room and serves high tea and pink cup cakes. I often take the girls and we celebrated coco’s 9th birthday this year with 10 noisy friends. Soooo we shall be off to Biku this Saturday afternoon and we will remember your gorgeous girl and enjoy our time together. What a wonderful idea and gift. Thank you Sheye.
Lots of love to you
Saffron x
Lacey and I will have a little tea party to honour all things Ava, and send whispers up to heaven. xx
cupcakes are sam and max’s favourite things to help me cook. usually they are blue, or green, but I’m sure they’ll be ok with pink, for this very special occasion.
thinking of you sheye, enjoy your tea party hon xx
Aww. my heart goes out. Aug 22 is my daughter Ella’s birthday. She is turning 5.We are celebrating with pancakes, candles, and pink. She doesn’t eat cake so panCAkes are being used. We will send our love your way.
On the 22nd, I’ll be away camping, but i have a little pin with…a pink cupcake on it! I’ll make sure to wear it, but even if I forget to, i WILL remember ava <3
Oh Sheye, how perfect. We will be celebrating Ella’s 4th birthday on the 22nd. (her actual birthday is the 24th) I will be sure to remember Ava during the celebration…and will have a bite of cake in her honor.
Love,
Linda
Sheye, I stumbled across your beautiful website through a series of links yesterday. I was mesmerized as I read your stories. I almost forgot I was at work! ;) I went home and shared your story with my husband. We have a similar living situation as you had, with grandparents living right next door and could picture your very story in reality. My heart aches for you. I will be thinking of you, your family and beautiful Ava this weekend.
wonderful, beautiful, amazing idea. we will be celebrating right along with you…
much love.
jules xo
I will certainly be thinking of your family and sweet Ava.. and I think maybe my daughter and I will have a little tea party ourselves, what a wonderful idea
My princess and I will be celebrating Ava’s birthday with cupcakes and pink milk, all the way from Canada. Would not miss this for anything. Always in my heart your darling Ava.
I would be honored to participate. I think of you and your family often – and on the 22nd – We will raise our tiny pink tea cups in a toast to your sweet sweet angel.
thinking of you –
xoxo – darcie
My Daughter Erin Loves Tea Parties, I think that if Ava was Alive they would have so much fun together they are exactly the same love being a princess and tea parties, I will make cup cakes and celebrate.
Thank you for the idea Ava will never be forgotten.
Elda
We would love to join in on the celebration of Ava’s life and loves! My mothers birthday is on Sunday and she is the most amazing mother so I am sure Ava would have had the same kind and caring HEART that she has. We will set aside a time tomorrow to celbrate! Now I am wishing I had purchased that pink and white polka dot tea set that I have had my eye on for ages now, it would have been perfect! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET SWEET AVA!
Cupcakes. Check.
Pink milk. Check.
Tea set. Check.
Love. Check.
Family. Check.
I think we’re ready.
Happy Birthday Ava.
Pink milk sounds utterly divine…a tea party in England will be had for Ava! xo-Lindsay
Dearest Sheye, we will celebrate Ava’s special day and hope our love and thoughts reach you.
Love k8
I´ll attend to Ava´s special day, we´ll celebrate her special super pink tea party in Argentina, lots of love.
Thought of you yesterday as I made my (gasp!) first trip to Anthropologie! It’s only 1/2 hour away, but I just never go in that direction. My 8 year old daughter Gaby and I had a lovely time browsing the store, and she came upon some ornate tea cups on sale that we just had to pick up for our girls’ tea time. We plan to celebrate your superprincess on this special day. Sherri XO
Sheye, my sweet princess, natty(natalie), turned two on Sunday. When contemplating how to celebrate, your superprincess Ava and her beautiful artwork created by Bell and Boo came to mind. We decided on a tea party! I’m a fellow photographer, so I’ve posted few of the images on my photoblog, here is a link if you’d like to take a peek. http://www.mistymichellephotography.com/2009/08/natty-in-wonderland/
Thanks so much for your heartbreaking honesty Sheye. So many of us are thinking of you and your Ava.
misty
[...] are invited to have a tea party in her [...]
we had tea in fancy cups and thought of your family.
http://www.racheldevine.com/blog/2009/08/21/for-ava/
http://beautifuljourneycalledlife.typepad.com/blog/
my little one and I celebrated Ava’s birthday with our own tea party. :)
What a wonderful idea – and a beautiful celebration. My heart aches for you… and that has me treasure every moment I have. Thank you for being an inspiration.
August 22 is also my daughter’s birthday. She will be turning 11. I’ve told her and my 13 year old all about you and Ava and Ivy…How loved they both are and how their mums love reminds me of myself and how much I love them the same way. Unconditionally. They have lit their own candles for Ava and even shed some tears with me. They know that remembering is important… I asked my Lilian if she wouldn’t mind to share her special day with Ava by sending her some love in the form of pink balloons up to heaven. She agreed. So funny you’d mention tea though. It’s her favorite drink! We will definitely celebrate this day, in the girliest of girly fashion and toast to the forever Superprincess. My love to you and Crayton and the children, Sheye. Forever.
Dear Sheye and family, we will keep Ava in our mind today. A tea party is probably not possible, but I will give both my kids an extra cuddle. Best greetings from Belgium
Dear Sheye,
My son and daughter and I had a pretend tea party with pink tick tock biscuits. We talked about Ava and how the tea party was a reminder of her as she loved them. Thank you for sharing with us.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicolehastings/3844854532/
Oh honey, we have celebrated Ava’s birthday every year since she left & will alwyas continue to do so.
Love you
Lea x
Sheye, Lily and I will have a pink cupcake, a hug, a kiss and a little prayer for you and Ava today.
Me and my family took some time to remember Ava today too
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emelia1502/3844773797/
I’ve been thinking of her and you.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/necilbug/3845590552/
I spent a wonderful saturday morning with my god-daughter (nearly 3yrs), we sang and danced and enjoyed a pink tea-time… http://www.flickr.com/photos/racheldonovan/3845125209/
Oh gosh this is oh so magical for the deliciously perfect Super Princess…I love this tradition.
Keren
xx
What a precious tradition. I was ashamed of myself to realize that I never do these kinds of things with my daughters “just because.” When I was out buying pink balloons and cupcakes, everyone assumed it was for a special occasion or birthday. I loves shaking my head and saying ” No, its just because.” And I want to do more and more “just because” occasions. Thank you for sharing your life, grief, hope, pain and joy on this journey. I had just had my first little girl when you lost your first little girl. I remember it. I cried with you from Germany. I cry with you from Phoenix, now. My heart aches at the mere thought of the kind of grief you have walked with these 2 years. I hope seeing the many accounts and pictures of world wide tea parties today will fill your heart and life with a little more joy and peace on this journey. The full account will be on http://www.xanga.com/johnandchels soon but for now, you can see the fun we had at our tea party on my facebook album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=113434&id=500301764 Thank you for inspiring us and challenging us to live life more fully with our loved ones.
Ava makes me stop, and hug, and hold, and be thankful for the “now” that I have every day. I pray for her, and I pray for your family, and I thank God that I found Ava to help me to remember to do that. To REALLY with my whole heart and head, do that.
Happy Birthday Ava. XOXOXOXOXO
Happy Birthday Ava. We came to your party today and celebrated your life. We did not know you at all, but your spirit is so apparent through your Mom’s words about you. Thank you for always reminding me to stop and remember how special every moment in life is.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vietnamlucy/3847291038/in/pool-eyecandyactions
We celebrated today with a beautiful tea party in honor of Ava. A candle was glowing in her memory and my daughter wore her angel wings so Ava knew the tea party was for her. Happy Birthday, sweet Ava
Warmly,
Danielle
http://daniellelavisphotography.com/blog/
I’m in love with a superprincess I never knew.
“Elizabeth, I’m going to be happy in these pictures. Ava gets to sing ALL. DAY. LONG. … with the ANGELS!!!!!!” -Lucy, 6
Picture:
http://elizabethpetteyphotography.blogspot.com/
[...] ventured out tonight to honor a superprincess. I am sure many of you do, but if you don’t know her story, you can read more about ava [...]
Our thoughts were with all of you today. We also had a tea party in her honor….happy birthday sweet girl. http://www.lifeinmotionphotography.com/photoblog/?p=2899
yes , will take the next plain across the ocean and drop in for a good cup of tea.
will take some hours.
oh, I am too late . The tea festival was yesterday
maybe next year
all the best
What a beautiful idea Sheye…you just have such wonderful ways of keeping Ava’s memory alive…take care friend,
l
We held a special tea party to celebrate your Ava. I posted pics on my blog for you. I hope you had a beautiful day…
http://www.studiobloomphotography.com/blog
This is such a wonderful idea. I’m a day late on this but I will definitely in her honor have some tea.
Another beautiful way to remember. Thank you for sharing these pieces of yourself with us.
http://heatherlynnephoto.blogspot.com/2009/08/avas-tea-party.html
Happy Birthday Sweet Ava.
It was a great tea party. Just for Ava. He lit a candle and though of her.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leah_cullen/3848874001/
What a wonderful idea. Very special.
Happy Heavenly Birthday to Ava! I am sorry I missed the date, but interesting enough my daughter Lily and I have organised a tea party for her 7th birthday in a few weeks in September. So we will have a cupcake and a pink milk for Ava :)
Happy Birthday to Ava! Your blog is one of my favorites and has inspired me in my cake decorating pursuits. Interestingly enough, Ava and My sweet sister share a birthday. I made her an alice in wonderland themed cake (she’s 20, lol). I don’t have any children but I love my sisters like they were my own. You are a strong person and you inspire me to be strong too! Best wishes for you and yours.
I wish I would of known! I am marking it down on my calendar and will have a tea party next year in her honor!
Dear Sheye…just stumbled upon your website today. Thank you for sharing Ava with Mothers around the world…I have bookmarked your website and will be celebrating Ava with my daughter in the next tea party. Sweet, beautiful Ava, thank you for reminding me how precious life is…and for teaching me to appreciate the little things…
what a beautiful little wonder.i will think of you this august 22th missy Ava.much love to you and your family xo <3
Rest in Peace SuperPrincess Ava ~XxxxX~ <333333