I'm doing a tea party tutorial series on my Instagram account, @ashtyn_newbold_author. Come follow along! Today's topic is what to wear to your tea party. 

Have you ever wanted to throw a tea party? Or do you have one to attend this spring or summer and you want something cute, bright, and affordable to wear? If you don't have one to attend, I suggest you throw one. They are so fun! I found a few cute dress options for GREAT prices. These do sell out quickly, but Shein.com has many similar dresses to these. I'm sure you'll be able to find something pretty in no time. The quality is surprisingly good for the price, and the shipping didn't take as long as I expected (under two weeks). I've made more orders from Shein than I care to admit, but I can honestly tell you I'm rarely disappointed! Haha. It's a great place to shop, especially for statement items you only see yourself wearing a few times. These dresses, however, were all amazing, and I will be wearing them all summer!

This one is just $29 and so lacy and pretty! It has a Victorian look to it. It sort of reminds me of the ballgown Margaret Hale wears in the BBC North and South. 
us.shein.com/Contrast-Lace-Dobby-Mesh-Dress-p-1145226-cat-1727.html

This one comes in several different color options and is only $18! 
us.shein.com/Ditsy-Floral-Tie-Front-Ruffle-Hem-Milkmaid-Dress-p-1137249-cat-1727.html

The embroidered flowers on this one are lovely and the color is so vibrant.  $21
us.shein.com/Floral-Embroidery-Butterfly-Sleeve-Ruffle-Hem-Dress-p-2014046-cat-1727.html

I love this wrap dress! It is a little lower cut in the front (at least on me) than it appears on the website, so keep that in mind! $21
us.shein.com/Ditsy-Floral-Print-V-neck-Ruffle-Hem-Dress-p-2063856-cat-1727.html

This one might be my favorite for a tea party. It comes to the floor on my 5'4" frame and it's just so feminine and summery. It comes in several colors! $20
us.shein.com/Frill-Trim-Shirred-Ditsy-Floral-Flounce-Hem-Belted-Dress-p-1025328-cat-1727.html

I love this one! The pattern is so cute and I love how it looks over a short-sleeved white tee. Just $17 and comes in several colors!
us.shein.com/Ditsy-Floral-Self-Tie-Cami-Dress-p-2231617-cat-1727.html

This one sold out already, but here's a similar one for $18!
us.shein.com/Ruffle-Hem-Ditsy-Floral-Print-Dress-p-1981935-cat-1727.html?scici=Search~~EditSearch~~1~~ditsy_20floral_20green_20dress~~~~0~~0

Or you can just wear your Regency attire ;) Sew a costume, order one on etsy, or check your local theater to see if they have any for rent!

This summer I am so honored and excited to be part of the Entangled Inheritance series with some fabulous authors. Heather Chapman's book, A Provision for Love already released, and it is absolutely amazing. Sally Britton's book, His Unexpected Heiress, is launching in July, and Rebecca Connolly's book, The Rivals of Rosennor Hall, is coming in August. I'm having so much fun writing my story, An Unwelcome Suitor. It will be releasing in September.

Everything about this series has been amazing. The authors I get to work with are so kind, funny, and talented. One of the most fun parts of the process so far was the photoshoot for our book covers! It was important to us to have original, beautiful photos for our covers, so we got to work planning a photoshoot. 

A few months ago, Heather recruited her amazing photographer friend, Amanda Conley to take the photos and design our covers. She did an amazing job. We got to work renting costumes, sewing costumes, and getting creative. Heather used her hidden milliner skills to make two awesome bonnets (read more about that on her website here). Amanda ordered some props--gloves, a fan, and the best of all, a parasol that was about six inches in diameter that was advertised to be much bigger. We all laughed over that one, and obviously couldn't use it in the photos. I wish we had snapped a pic of it though! I recruited some of my beautiful, helpful friends and cousins to be models, which makes these covers even more special. I never thought I would get to see my cousin on my book! I'll be revealing the cover for my book soon. It's perfect!

I cleared out my apartment so Amanda would have room to shoot, and the models showed up to get their hair styled.

Amanda was able to get lots of great shots with a variety of costumes and hairstyles for this series and for future books!

I even got to dress up like a regency character. It was more fun than I thought it would be :) 

It was such a fun day, and thanks to Amanda, we now have four beautiful, unique covers for our series. 

Have you seen the gorgeous cover of the first book in the series yet?
A Provision for Love, featuring one of my cousins. :)

Here's a first look at Sally Britton's cover for His Unexpected Heiress, which is available for preorder, releasing in July. This cover features my awesome friend and neighbor.

I can't wait to show you the other two covers. You are going to love them! There's nothing like a beautiful package for a beautiful story, and beautiful stories is what we authors strive to create. Right now, I'm going to get back to work on my writing for An Unwelcome Suitor. I'll share more about the plot and other teasers as the release date gets closer. I hope you'll follow this series throughout the summer and enjoy seeing our characters work through the hilarious chaos of their troublesome inheritances and find love along the way. 

And be sure to keep an eye out for one character that makes an appearance in all four books!