Swap and Tea Party 2013

We have just had three public holidays very close together.  Heroes Day this year fell on a Sunday, so the Monday became the official holiday.
Then May 1st, May Day, or Labour Day here, was my day for my annual Swap and Tea Party.
I came up with the idea for a Swap Meet several years ago, when my girlfriends and I kept on sharing no longer needed items throughout the year. We mostly exchanged plants, but we always seemed to have other items lying around the house that would be helpful to someone else.
After my yearly spring cleaning, invariably there is a big box of stuff to give away.
Hence the creation of the Swap was born. I didn't just want it to be about swapping, so I added the element of a tea party to the event, and decided on a date that was meaningful.
May 1st is a day for the workers, so instead of working, we party instead.
I have the best girlfriends in the world, and we are really like one big happy family.  I never had any sisters, but my girlfriends are the best "sisters" in the world. We share friendship, hardships, joy, grief, loyalties and faith. We really care and look out for each other.
My home is the venue for the evening, and we have a rollicking time....a real hen party.

The ball starts a-rolling when I send out the invitation six weeks in advance to give everyone the chance to start gathering items to bring along to the swap. You should bring at least five items, but of course we all always have more than five items that are no longer needed lying around.
Some girls drop their items off days before the event.  Everyone chips in with food and beverages as well.
I however like to bake most of the goodies, since it gives me a chance to try out new recipes using my friends as guinea pigs....really, they don't mind.

The invitation

Baked goodies - Miniature Carrot Cupcakes, Savoury Cornbread, Peach Cobbler, Banana Bread, Cheese sandwiches, Cucumber sandwiches, Conkies

Almond cheesecake marshmallow bars

Sorrel juice, Mango juice and a combo juice punch

To get started, numbers are placed into a container and passed around until everyone has a number. That is how the turns are allocated for each round.  If I pull number 2,  I would be second in line to choose an item.  Everyone chooses according to their numbers drawn for that round.  The numbers are then replaced in the container, shaken vigorously and passed around to pull new numbers for the next consecutive round.
We had several rounds, all interspersed with lots of laughter.
If perhaps some one had their eye on a particular item and they pulled a high number, thus losing the opportunity to choose the item before someone else did, we would exchange and barter some of our items as well.

Items galore to choose from

Plants - Gerberas and passion fruit vines

My stash - Large colander, lovely embroidered blouse, much needed optical mouse, two instrumental cds, green shopping bag for my farmers market trips and a triangular decorative candle holder.

After tea, and with the swap finished, is when the real chatting begins. Any topic under the sun is fodder for our intense conversations. The opinions expressed can be controversial, but respected none the less.
I always learn so much, and the camaraderie that we all share is priceless. 
I must admit that it's very hard to be a hostess and a photographer too, I almost did not remember that I needed to take photos to share, I was having such a lovely time.

Another wonderful evening with my girlfriends...a memory to treasure.