DATE: Friday, May 2, 1997                   TAG: 9704300235

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 16   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY CAROLE O'KEEFFE, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   85 lines

CHESAPEAKE BUSINESS CATERS TO FANS OF VICTORIAN TEA PARTIES FOR CHILDREN - AND GROWNUPS - WHO WANT TO WEAR THE FINERY, IT'S JUST THEIR CUP OF TEA.

Way out in the country on the third floor of a house built before the Civil War, little girls gather to put on Victorian gowns, fancy shoes, antique jewelry, hats and gloves, and share tea, sandwiches and a birthday cake with seven of their very best friends. Pinkies up!

It's somewhat of an anachronism, but more than a small cut above the modern-day, fast-food restaurant birthday party.

It costs $150 for the two-hour party, which actually begins two weeks ahead of time with invitations, and ends with individual and group photos of the girls in their costumes, holding parasols in one hand and American Girls dolls with coordinating gowns in the crook of the other arm.

In between, the girls not only dress up and eat, but they make a lacy scented sachet for their pajama drawer, have a scavenger hunt for prizes, present the birthday girl with her gifts and have a story reading.

``The worst part is when they have to take the clothes back off,'' said Linda Hawkins, who owns the house and runs the parties along with her helper, Cheryl Scholtes.

Foods include dainty tea sandwiches, apple slices and carrot sticks, nuts and pretzels, and a catered birthday cake. Usually lemonade is sipped from teacups.

Each birthday girl gets to take home a miniature silver-plated tea set, which includes the pot, sugar bowl and creamer, and a tray. Prizes for game winners include jewelry and candies. Each group is read the book, ``King Bidgood's in the Bathtub,'' a short Victorian-era tale.

It's essential that people who want to have the birthday in the cozy room on the third floor of the old house call at least two weeks ahead of the chosen date. Hawkins and Scholtes send out the invitations as part of the package.

Recipients of the invitations are requested to reply right away to the parents of the birthday girl.

Parties are usually held on weekends, but Hawkins said other arrangements can be made if necessary. Most weekends there are three to five parties.

Not all, but most of the parties are for birthdays. In one recent exception, Hawkins helped a couple celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary with more than 30 friends.

Girls of any age are invited to have birthday parties at the house. Teen-age girls get, as an added bonus, glamour-type photos of themselves in their regalia. The gowns are adjustable, thanks to Scholtes, who is a seamstress. She has altered the dresses by inserting ribbons and cords, which can be tightened or loosened as needed. One particular dress fits from a size 3 to a 16.

Boys are not excluded. If they come and are interested in dressing up, there are such clothes as tuxedos and cowboy outfits for them to change into.

Several young girls were on hand recently to display their choices in gowns and accessories. Some of them had been to a party in the house. The others said they would like to attend either on their birthday or as a guest. Adrianne Carpenter had her 6th birthday party with Hawkins and Scholtes.

Kristen Webber, also 6, attended the party for Carpenter, as did Maura O'Docharty.

Three older girls, Ashley Smith, Rebecca Midgette and Jennifer Webber enjoyed the dressing up and were in no hurry to leave after eating snacks. They continued primping and trying on different period accessories.

``This is pretty stuff, just beautiful,'' said Webber, 12. She plans to ask if a Victorian birthday tea party might be in her future.

Most of the costumes come from area thrift shops. Some are old prom dresses. Alterations are done by Scholtes. Small flat and high-heel shoes are bought at discount department stores. Some of the jewelry is authentically antique from the shops on the first floor.

The 10-room house was bought originally as a business from which to sell antiques. It is called The Plantation Shops. Hawkins has her antiques for sale on the first floor. The second-floor selections belong to several dealers who rent space to sell antiques.

About six months after opening the antiques business, Hawkins began holding the Victorian parties in the attic. MEMO: For reservations, call 546-9737, at least two weeks in advance.

Address: Victorian AtticTea Parties, 1030 S. Centerville Tpk., Great

Bridge, Chesapeake, VA, 23322. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by CAROL O'KEEFFE

Enjoying the gowns at Victorian AtticTea Parties are: front row from

left, Kristen Webber, Maura O'Docharty and Adrianne Carpenter; and

back row from left, Jennifer Webber, Ashley Smith and Rebecca

Midgette.

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