parties – Karla's Cottage

Hand painted seasonal banners for Good Juju

cottage, Good JuJu, holiday decor, parties

By Karla Nathan / August 27, 2025

The banners are hung!

Yes, multiple banners! The original one in this photo stays where it is, right behind the new ones that are hung on a pulley system so they can be lowered and switched.

For now, it’s Haunted Cottage for September and October First Fridays.

Painted onto the backside of the Haunted Cottage is a Christmas Cottage.

All I have to do is roll it down with the simple pulleys, flip it over and haul it back up.

It’s tempting to paint a whole slew of these canvases and switch them up continuously. This Halloween/xmas one will do me til January, and I can go right back to my original one if I want to. That would be the practical thing to do…………….

Once Upon an Easter

celebrations, Food and Drink, friends, guncles, holiday decor, parties, Travel, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / April 18, 2019

Jenn Hayslip’s bunny bash was every bit as special as I knew it would be.

It was great to catch up with old friends…

Meet some new friends…

Learn some entertaining tricks..

Attend a tea party with my baby bro…

Make Eastery foofiness in fun classes…

Eat wonderful food in fancy settings with fun people…

Teach a class…

Go to an Easter egg hunt…

Play dress up…

Eat more great food…

And more…

I even got to decorate an Easter tree and do some other sprucing up before things started.

Thank you, Jenn, it was lovely!

Sprucing up in the Studio for my Galentines

bird song art event, cottage, holiday decor, housework, parties, studio tour, Valentine's Day

By Karla Nathan / February 3, 2019

While getting ready for A Lovebird's Song, I did a full on, happy new year, delve into the corners, serious cleaning.

I even washed and changed the curtains.

And rearranged some of the storage cabinets.

I went so far as to take everything off the tops of the furniture pieces, wipe it all down, and rearrange them too.

Originally, I was going to box up things to get them out of the way, and just set out some Valentine decorations.

But I got started on cleaning and just couldn't stop. I didn't even fill a single box of stuff to get things out of the way, I took care of each item by putting them away properly or getting rid of things I didn't want.

I even dusted branches on the ceiling. That is a rare occurrence.

(or should I say, a singular one?)

Afterwards, it felt so fresh and bright, I was pretty happy with myself.

The studio is basically just a workroom most of the year, and gets neglected when I am busy crafting.

I should invite people over more often, maybe I'd keep it tidier.

Because I sure am enjoying having it detailed!

Although, I have to admit, I was beyond exhausted when the party ended. I threw myself into prepping and cleaning for days ahead, then had an emergency with an icy driveway that had me spreading numerous, 40lb bags of salt on it, out there in the dark, cold, night before everyone arrived the next day.

And of course, I didn't have my trusty sidekicks, Terry and Guncle Randy to ease the labor load while I was teaching the projects.

And each year, I do get a teensy bit older…. That is a very hard one to admit. But I was feeling it!

Still, I adore doing these classes, even if I am a worn out, old lady when they end.

An evening at a grand masked ball

celebrations, family, parties, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / November 3, 2015

This was not just a Halloween party.

This was something on a whole different scale.

Like nothing I'd ever been to before. (and honestly, even if I it was possible to get invited to another masquerade, and that seems unlikely since this was such a once in a lifetime experience, I don't think it could come close to matching this wowzer of a party)

Because this one was planned by my sister-in-law, Terry, who is a hostess to beat all. (And who also designed, created, and stitched this fetching,Phoenix gown)

She and her husband are a fun loving, generous couple who understand the art of entertaining.

The party was held at La Caille, a fairy tale, dream come true. You enter through iron gates and drive up a long, winding path lined with twinkle lit trees, to arrive at a French inspired castle in the woods.

Even before you open the door to the grand entry way, you know you're somewhere wonderful.

I channeled my inner Sugarwings and pretended to be a princess as I glided up the stairs. (well, I think I might have kinda clod hopped up in my heels, since they were making some clunking noises as I tried unsuccessfully to walk up the steps semi gracefully in them). If my grand fairy had been there, she could have spent hours just daydreaming and playing make believe on this magnificent stairway.

It was easy to feel like royalty walking into the party. The guests were dressed to the hilt and you could feel the excitement.

Here is our host again, this time with Kate Winslet!!!!!

At least in my mind that is who this was.

I only knew the people there that were relatives, and everyone was masked, so I just guessed at identities of the rest of the guests. Plus, it was such a fancy party, I just assumed that all of those glamorous people that I didn't know were stars or queens or billionaire yachting types.

Yet, I didn't feel like a rube myself at all. Terry and Dale are such a lovable couple, they made everyone feel right at home, welcomed, and ready for fun even in the most luxurious of locations.

Although, somewhere toward the end of the night, I realized that one of my sheer, tulle slips had been wadded up under the top half of my dress all evening.

(What every gal wants when she is all dressed up is an extra layer of poofy padding around the waist, right?)

Sugarwings was excited about me getting to go to this event, and found this pretty, lace mask for me while shopping with her mommy. It was special to me that I had a gift from my girls to carry. I added a stick to it and some embellishments to go along with my black bird dress.

My husband, on the other hand, wore a 59 cent, plastic mask, since he isn't much of a costume type. Neither is his brother. But they both looked handsome toasting their sis for her extraordinary party.

There was a buffet set up with a lot of choices for dinner. Here is my plate of deliciousness.

We had an assortment of mini cheesecakes and other dainty treats for dessert too.

Plus glass pumpkins filled with Halloween candy, Godiva, and Ghirardelli chocolates on each table.

Here is Terry's son, the Mad Hatter showing off some goodies he got from the dessert table.

Throughout the night, there was dancing. My husband even danced to my Halloween favorite, The Monster Mash with me. And slow danced to Micheal Buble singing about what a marvelous night it was for a moon dance.

I agreed with Michael.

Terry was fairy godmother to many of the guests, creating their costumes as well as hers. She designed the pattern for this Tardis gown for her daughter-in-law from a photo found online.

And Holly out evil-queened Regina in this Once Upon a Time inspired gown. Oh my gosh, I wish you could see the deluxe details in this!!!!!!!!!!

Terry covered a luxe purple fabric with black lace to create the look. And the day before the bash, she was figuring out how to make a ruff stand up on the jacket. No looking at youtube videos, using a pattern, she just winged it and came up with an ideal plan.

We were asked to come in formal attire with a mask, costumes welcomed, but nothing gorey. I'm always thrilled to have a reason to be witchy, so when I found the black bird dress on clearance at the Victoria Trading Co. outlet store, I knew it was just what I wanted.

The shoes are from Goodwill and spray painted to be sparkly. Since I have Fred Flintstone feet and shoes are always too narrow, I'm pleased when I find pre-broken in ones to wear at the Goodwill. These low heels were comfy all night long.

I am thinking about cutting the dress off to become a sundress later on, since I don't have a lot of occasions to wear a long gown. Well, maybe I do, with Sugarwings and Dewdrop around, we LOVE excuses to dress up. I might keep it as is, just to play in.

Now, if I could just get my Handsome Husband to slip into that tuxedo more often…. yum

The party was amazing, and the best part? It was also a mini family reunion for us and we got to spend an evening with my mother-in-law, Joan as well as the whole next day hanging out with people we love.

I even got to meet a brand spanking new nephew when Terry's daughter and son-in-law brought their little ones over to the house. There was football to be played, Eric's specialty pizza, and a World Series game too.

And I got to see trick or treaters! I haven't had one at my home in 20 years (except family members) but at Terry's neighborhood, we had so many I felt at one point like I was being overwhelmed by the mob at the front door.

Very cute and a lot of fun to see, though.

It was a beautiful weekend topped off with family fun. My husband was in heaven with a chance to play football with nieces and nephews, I got to catch up on family gossip, eat lots of chocolate, and attend this formal ball.

I can't thank Terry and Dale enough for their hospitality.

I'll leave you with a few more photos from this venue and of the dreamy evening I spent there.

Fare thee well to the renfest for the season

Dew Drop, fairies, family, parties, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / October 28, 2015

When I got off the airplane from my trip to Georgia to see my buddies, I went directly to the Renfest to see my grandfairies. They were there with some family members to see their daddy at work. And Dewdrop had just returned from her time with her Mommy out East, so I was really missing that lil cutey.

I know I've said it before, but I think that the addition of the Mermaid Lagoon to the festival is a giant improvement. We sure love that area.

And this time, there was a merperson plopped into the water fountain near the entrance too.

And of course, there are fairies galore. My girls always recognize Fay Royalty and are quick with a curtsy.

We have our favorite places to visit, we can't go without spending time in the Children's Realm and seeing the wizard.

As a matter of fact, it would be easy to spend the whole time just in this area for the shows, playground, and crafts. (all free)

We like the dancing too. Whether with the sprites around the maypole or with the royal family.

Where else can you sing at the top of your lungs to "What do you do with a drunken sailor" and dance a jig with Cinderella and her prince?

And be surrounded by pretty gypsies?

Or go for a camel ride?

We also met Rapunzel.

It was a bit surreal to be in Georgia with best friends, enjoying coffee on the wraparound porch of Suzanne's farm house that morning, then a few short hours later being surrounded by mermaids and princesses.

But, what a magical time!

An Arabella Cinderella Farewell Teaparty

cottage, Dew Drop, family, Food and Drink, parties, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / August 31, 2015

We've had a nice, long visit with our tiniest fairy girl.

But now, she is headed East to be with her momma. We've squeezed in lots of snuggles and hugs before it was time for her to leave.

Sugarwings thought it would be a good idea to throw her a going away party, so we planned a tea to send her off with a toast.

Usually, Sugarwings helps set the table with me, but this was scheduled for right after school to combine after school snacktime with the festivities. I had the table set and waiting when they got home, to save time. If we delay after school treats too long, they interfere with dinner appetites.

But of course, this girl had to do some rearranging to improve my set up.

Dewdrop had been admiring some vintage dresses that I had hanging in the studio, and I kept promising her that she could wear them, but we never seemed to get around to it.

It dawned on me, that if I didn't pull those dresses down and let her try them on, they might not fit her when she came back again in a few weeks, those little ones do not stay little forever.

A vintage gown was chosen for Sugarwings too, but she preferred one of her own princess dresses. Both girls wanted to wear some of the jewelry I had out in the studio and chose some sparkling necklaces to try on. Dewdrop went with a floral hat from the studio too.

When the bigger girls got off the school bus from Jr. and Sr. high schools, they were good sports and joined in to toast our little sweetie. Can you tell by the look on her face that she appreciated our efforts and loved her party? That is one happy, kiddo.

We have recently discovered how delicious basil flowers are. I have always picked them off to make the basil plants last longer, and sometimes fill a vase with the blooming stems. Dewdrop likes to pick them out of the vase on the dining room table to eat during dinner, so I sprinkled some over our heart shaped watermelon slices for the party (made with a cookie cutter).

We also served blackberries and cupcakes along with the tea. All the dishes are mismatched and mostly from garage sales, and when set out on a floral table cloth, they feel special. Not so special that I get upset when one breaks. We had a creamer casualty, but it had only cost a quarter, so that didn't matter much. I want the grand fairies to enjoy nice things, had be used to handling them, not be afraid to use the pretty pieces.

We are all going to miss our silly, funny, little goofball and will be looking forward to planning a return party for her when it is time for her to come back.

A bounty of blossoms

bird song art event, flowers, Food and Drink, parties, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / June 26, 2015

If Beth and I look slightly delirious with joy, it is because we most certainly were. And Sugarwings was here to capture the moment.

We had a very good reason to be soooooo happy. Our pal, Carol had posted a photo years ago of some beautiful, gorgeous, dreamy, scrumptious, silk flowers and it was one of those pictures that stayed with me. Then, for some crazy reason, but lucky for me, she posted that she was selling them all! In one big, giant lump of unbelievable beauty.

Beth messaged me when she saw it, and I had a little stab of jealousy, but then was happy for my friend. Then, she said she was waffling and I asked it if would help to split it.

Yep! She shared the bounty! And I contacted Carol before the treasures were scooped up and we missed out.

Carol lives just down the road, and dropped it in the mail box, by Priority, that afternoon. The next day, Beth and Sugarwings were here for craft day and the box arrived. Perfect flowers and perfect timing!

See why we squealed??? This is new, old stock. Never used. Here is how Carol described them on her blog. And she also says she has more goods to sell in the next couple months, so if you are wanting some very special things, keep an eye out for what she'll be offering!!

Over the Summer, I’m going to be offering for sale a select few of my very special and very vintage stash of goods.

To start will be my collection of Vintage Millinery Flowers and Trims that I’ve kept tucked away for several years. This amazing old store stock, is from the Emery, Bird, Thayer Department Store of Kansas City, Missouri. Handmade of vintage fabrics, ribbons and some velvets including many flat appliqués and trims in gorgeous muted shades of color. A few still have the original EBT sale tags. There are over 100 pieces to this collection, some range from very delicate petite to large size flowers and trims. If you’re a collector or crafter of vintage millinery, you know how rare it is to find a grouping of embellishments such as these.

There was bag after bag after bag of these beauties in our box of delights. Plus some cool trims. They were easy to share, too. We opened one bag at a time, and between the, "Oh my gosh, look at this one" and the "Oooh"s and "Oh my goodness"es, we managed to take turns picking out what we wanted, one piece at a time, till the piles were gone.

Then, we found a bag that had slipped off the table and landed on the floor, and the squealing resumed.

Sugarwings took a thousand or so photos, which took her away from her own work, but she was having fun watching the old ladies be silly.

She wasn't allowed to touch our blooms. She was deep into her own Project Runway style creations and had a tad of paint and glitter on her hands.

Earlier, we'd hosted a Birthday Luncheon for Beth and Angie, with Sugarwings as my co-hostess. She decorated all the cupcakes, and set the table using her favorite trick. Here is what she does-

Make an a-okay sign with both hands.

Notice that the left hand looks like a "b"

The right hand looks like a "d"

The "b" stands for bread plate and goes to the left, the "d" stands for drink and goes to the right.

That is a quick way for a kid to learn about where things go at a table setting, and she enjoys doing it so much, she makes the a-okay sign each time she sets the items down, even though, she already knows where to put them.

The day was so much fun. And while I am supposed to be getting caught up after Birdsong, and trying to put the studio and garage back to normal, while also selling leftover kits (first offered to sponsors and past attendees, soon to the rest of our friends), it was nice to have a day just to laugh. All day long. And that is what we did.

Sugarwings was glad I didn't have the studio back to normal yet. I still had the big tables up, her small ones weren't back out yet, and the larger ones were still covered in paper.

Instead of doing a project on the table, she made the paper covered table her actual piece. It was a fashion themed day for her, and she had previously drawn dozens of gowns in chalk on the patio, side walks and breezeway floors, for us to take a walk through her "fashion museum".

Then, the table cover became a full length ball gown, covered in red glitter and embellished with sparkling tape.

Afterwards, she cut it out, and we hung it up in the studio. I love to see her creativity run amok. She was into this for hours.

My project for craft day was working on Lesa's kit. I'd already made one of them, and someone gave me their kit to finish, and I was happy to do it, I love these little birds. And again, perfect timing for the flowers to arrive, just when I needed them to make this special birdie, extra, extra special!

Thank you for parting with the blossoms, Carol, and thank you, Beth for sharing with me.

All of Lesa's kits are sold now. I have a couple of Lori's and I made quite a few extras of my own. I'll be marketing them as soon as all the Birdsong Peeps have had a chance to get first pick at them. So please do check back if you are interested in one. I'll also have some posts about Birdsong coming up soon.

A Fabulous Craft Day Bachelor Party

family, guncles, parties, Travel, vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / November 5, 2014

Our Sister Trip to sprinkle Daddy's ashes also included a bachelor party for the guncles. They live in Jacksonville, but were getting married the next week in New Hampshire. Our fab friend, Karen, has a home in Mt. Dora, which in my mind was about halfway from where we were staying in Sarasota.

In real life, it was a THREE HOUR DRIVE. And when gettting stuck in traffic on the way home, it was a FOUR HOUR DRIVE.

Still, the day in Mt. Dora was well worth the time in the car, (although I think I would have preferred a sleep over instead of doing it all in one day.)

We got to meet Queen Satine, one of the most delicate and delightful ladies I've ever known.

And experience the loveliness that is Karen's Kozy Kottage.

Not to mention a sneak peek at her new studio in downtown Mt. Dora.

Where prettiness abounds.

I was touched to see her little pink fairy from Birdsong sitting on a shelf there.

And a fabulously embellished angel on the wall that she made from a mini how-to that I did when I was visiting her another time.

Of course, everything about Karen is Fabulous. Just like Guncle Randy. When they get together, fabulousness starts emitting from them like shining bits of fire from a 4th of July sparkler.

The bachelor party wasn't a typical one. Instead of a wild party with cocktails and exotic dancers, we had a craft day.

We were working on wedding decor for the big event coming up.

These large wooden letters are for Randy and Kevin, we painted them metallic and covered them with moss.

Here is one as it was on the mantel at the wedding. We also found the perfect, old hat filled with fall colored velvet leaves and blooms, and took it apart to add a few pieces from it to the letters.

Guncle Randy found the hat on our jaunt downtown to do a little shopping at one of Mt. Dora's cute boutiques. What luck, it was just what those letters needed. And we had plenty of millinery blooms from it to use in our journals too.

My gift for the guncles was an album/journal for Randy to fill with wedding mementos. And I came across the perfect sheet music to use as backgrounds too. Here are a couple of them.

After the wedding, we had another craft day, and I used one to make this for their album.

The craft day bachelor party also included making a garland for the mantel at the wedding, and centerpieces, that I showed you before, here.

Plus home made goodies from Karen's pal and our new friend, Julie. She even made us jams and apple butter to take home.

Thanks, Karen, for the lovely day! And thanks, Julie for the lovely treats!

What a year, wowzers!

cottage, Dew Drop, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, guncles, magazine pictures or articles, Nathan Family Fairy Food Forest, parties, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / January 1, 2014

For 2014's shiny new beginning, I thought I'd look back at 2013's biggest events for me, and show you some of my favorite photos.

Sugarwings starting first grade was major stepping stone in our lives last year.

In my mind, I always picture her like this. Darn the calendar! The pages flip too fast.

I think the biggest event of 2013 for Dewdrop was the day she received this "fincess" dress. She has hardly taken it off since October.

(we love that she calls 'princess' 'fincess', because her brother is named, Fin)

Of course, starting a sustainable food forest with a fairy playground on our land was a HUGE move.

When it was in full bloom, and veggies were popping up everywhere, it was the prettiest garden I've ever seen. And to know that this is only the first year, of a lifetime plan, fills me with excitement.

The year began with a longed for trip to Hawaii with my husband's sister, Terry and her husband. It was the first of many visits with her. I had a GREAT year of trips and visits with family and friends.

Wow, I'd say it was a record setting year for sistering. My sisters came here to see me twice, and I went to Indy to see them.

I got to visit darling Guncles, seeing my little bro, Randy FOUR times.

Starting with the pure fabulousness of going to Karen Hillman's Cozy Cottage to teach a class as a surprise birthday gift for her friend.

I got to introduce Fabulous Karen to Fabulous Randy, and it all led to a Fabulous Black Velvet Christmas party in Jacksonville.

And seriously, I probably didn't say the word fabulous enough, that word was written just for Karen and Randy. It should never be used to describe anything else, it belongs to them.

I saw Terry again in California when I taught at Kim's Enchanted Affaire, where I met up with good friends that I love like family too.

Painting the mural for the event was a biggie, I loved working on it so much, that I really put myself into it, and every day that I painted was like a little trip to a fairy tale forest. After the workshop, Kim mailed it back to me and it is now chopped up and stapled in the fairy girls' room

Before it was sliced up, I also used it at Birdsong 3.

Which was another big highlight of my year. Oh my, sooooo many nice people came to play at the cottage. I can't wait for BS4. Yep, 4, I can't believe it is coming up. I'd better get to planning, huh?

After the CA trip, I went to Disneyland with Terry. Then, for the Hippy Chick's college graduation, we took her and Sugarwings to Disneyworld in Florida. It was a Disney-rific year.

But I have to say that one of the best things I did all year, or maybe in the last ten years, was to take a summer off to be with the kids.

We went to zoos, parks, carnivals, boating, beaches, all sort of things.

We played dress up.

We blew bubbles.

We had craft days. Lots of craft days.

We invented a new game, called "Hoppity Hearts". It is a bit like Hopscotch without the boring squares.

Summer spilled over into fall, and we kept on playing. We saw the Renfest twice.

Even Uncle Ryan came along, just two weeks after his heart attack. His illness was the bad spot of the year, but I have to say, it brought us closer together.

I also got to see good friends again in October on a trip to Georgia. (and yes, that same shirt I'm wearing has been in three other of these photos,I'm surprised it isn't in more. Looks like I got as much use from that shirt as I did from the Enchanted Forest mural)

It was also a year of parties and more classes. I had a small, Valentine workshop in the studio.

And then another group of friends came by for a Christmas ornament making workshop.

I was in a few publications too. My Tiffany's mural from Kim's Affaire at Tiffany's the year before was in Mingle. I wasn't named as the artist, but I still think it counts, don't you?

And it was so special to me to see my Birdsong projects in Jewelry Affaire. I was in that one earlier in the year for another project too.

Fifi came out to shoot my cottage for Romantic Country.

And my pal, Carol was here to shoot the studio for Where Women Create.

I must have made hundreds of little birdcages prepping for two classes and an online class I have offered.

And I even did some redos on the house this year. I made new slip covers for the sofa and pillows for the bedroom. Spiffed up, repainted, rearranged rooms, and recovered a wall.

Yep, 2013 was one for the record books.

No wonder I'm tired…

Theatre Lawrence, Shrek the Musical

Dew Drop, fairies, family, parties

By Karla Nathan / December 13, 2013

Nope, that isn't a Christmas Elf, it's Princess Fiona.

We went to see Shrek the Musical at our community theater and of course, I thought it would be a good idea if we all got Shrekked up a bit.

My husband, surprisingly, already owned this bilious green shirt. And Dewdrop only wants to wear her pink gown all the time, but did agree to have a green skirt over it. I found a $3 top at Goodwill for myself, but went to 5 stores before I could find something just right for Sugarwings.

And I think that her leafy, green dress from Kohls is a perfect balance of princess and ogre, with the green leggings and shirt underneath to keep warm. It was only 6 degrees out that night, and I was glad that boots were suitable for the girls instead of princess shoes, or they'd have frozen their toesies.

The theater itself was warm and cozy. It is a brand new building, and something our town should be very proud of.

The show was cute as can be, as entertaining for a 3 year old as it was for a 50 year old. Well, 55, to be honest.

Afterwards, the cast came out to visit, and Sugarwings was thrilled to see Mama Bear and the Sugarplum fairy up close. Dewdrop was down for the count though. By the time the show had ended, she was snoring away in my lap with her own sugarplums dancing in her head.

For this little one, the highlight of the evening was getting to meet a real princess.

And dancing on the stage with the cast to the last song. Which I tried to stop her from doing, not realizing that all the kids were invited. We have this tradition in the movie theater, that when the show ends and everyone else starts to file out the door, we all go down to the very front of the room right by the screen, and dance to the credits.

While Sugarwings is always mesmerized by a movie, unspent energy builds up and accumulates in her tiny body while watching the show. So, we let her blow some of it off before loading her in the car.

And when I saw her take off for the stage at the end of Shrek, I didn't realize it was by invitation, I thought she was just doing what she does at the movies and figured she was going to add herself into the plot!

I'm glad they let the kiddos do this, what fun for them to be right in the middle of all the fairy tale characters. She had such a good time dancing with the Ugly Duckling, that all the photos were a blur, she was putting everything into the dance, with gusto.

My dear friend, Jen Unekis, was the featured artist, and her work was hanging in the lobby. There was an opening night reception for her, and it added to the festivities.

Here are some more photos of our visit with Shrek at the play. I am thinking I should get season tickets, this was such a wonderful family night out!

Cheers!