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Mary Whitfill The Patriot Ledger

PEMBROKE It was all glitter, tule and tiaras at the Pembroke Country Club on Saturday as local princess flocked to a tea party in support of the Boston Childrens Hospital.

The Princess Tea Party sold over $2,000 in tickets for the hospital while young girls danced, sung and did crafts with their favorite Disney Princesses.

We just want to have fun, said 9-year-old Reily McKenna of Bridgewater.

Fifty girls under the age of 10 showed up in their best frilly outfits and spent time with Anna, Elsa, Ariel, Merida, Jasmine and Moana, the newest Disney princess.

The participants first sat down to tea, then transitioned to crafts where they were able to paint tea cups, make beaded bracelets, color and decorate Valentines with Anna from Frozen.

"She loves the princesses and its just a fabulous idea, said Andrea Marchildon of Hingham who brought her 3-year-old daughter Alana to the event.

In addition to the array of characters, Miss Massachusetts Alissa Musto donned her own princess dress and led activities for the kids.

"Im the goodwill ambassador for our Childrens Hospital here in Boston, Musto said. I was so excited when I heard about this, I love it.

Isla Callow, 8, of Bridgewater painted her tea cup pink while her mom looked on. For the Callows, the Boston Childrens Hospital holds a special place in their hearts.

"When she had just turned 4, she fell off her bike at home and mangled her arm. She had to have reconstructive surgery and rods put in her arm, Jenny Callow said. The people were amazing and so good to us and to her. We spent a lot of time there, but the staff was incredible.

The fundraiser was hosted by DIY Dreams to Reality, an entertainment company started by Rebecca Roberts and Christina Robertson. The women have each been affected by Boston Childrens hospital and decided it was time to give back.

"Weve been asked to do so many fundraisers and theyve gone so well, but we havent had a direct connection to any of them, Robertson said. We wanted to do something personal.

After a corrective spinal surgery at Boston Childrens when she was just three months old, Robertson is now able to live a happy and healthy life as a mother of two. Her nephew, Sebastian, has a similar story.

Sebastian was born unresponsive two years ago due to a rare umbilical cord prolapse. After being rushed to Boston Childrens, he was treated and now lives a normal life with his family in Avon.

"They saved me, Robertson said simply. They have all these great programs in between treatments where they do crafts and activities, so our fundraiser will go directly to benefit that.

Robertsons business partner and cousin, Roberts, lost her younger sister 30 years ago when she was born with a heart defect. Despite the tragic ending, Roberts said she knows the people at Boston Childrens made all the right moves.

"Patricia spent almost everyday at Childrens until she died when she was two, she said. It was always a great place for siblings and we felt taken care of.

Mary Whitfill may be reached at mwhitfill@ledger.com.

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Princess tea party benefits Boston Children's Hospital - The Patriot Ledger

If you think high tea and womens lavish hats are out of fashion, you may want to reconsider. Princess Kate Middletons fashion statement fascinators more commonly known as headpieces as well as the high teas featured in high end restaurants and hotels throughout England are as popular as ever.

The good news is that you dont need to travel across the pond to participate in this grand gesture of civilization. Mark your calendars for the return of Matildas Tea from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 11, at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morris Township.

At this annual tea, bring your favorite young person and explore the art of millinery, or hat making. Youll be amazed as you learn about the fashion of proper young ladies at the turn of the previous century. Discover how the former resident, Matilda Frelinghuysen, dressed to play in the gardens of the grand Whippany Farm, now The Frelinghuysen Arboretum.

Attendees will also learn that the bigger-is-better hat craze of the early 20th century launched the environmental movement of today. Begin the day by creating your very own hat from feathers, beads, tulle, and sparkles to wear and take home.

Delight in a light tea and an illustrated talk about the history of womens head dressings. This program is designed for both the young and young-at-heart. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. The cost is $25 per person. This program is appropriate for adults and children ages 6 and older. For more information and to register, visit arboretumfriends.org or call (973) 326-7603.

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Matilda's Tea Party returns to arboretum on March 11 - New Jersey Hills

Donald Trump represents a grave threat to liberal democratic values. On Capitol Hill, Republicans are falling in line and some moderate Democrats have signaled a willingness to cut deals. But ordinary Americans have the power to resist. We know this is true because we have seen local, grassroots organizing take hold before.

Eight years ago, two of us worked as congressional staffers and the other in immigrant rights organizing. President Obama had takenoffice with large Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress and seemed poised to enact many of our shared priorities. Another force was taking shape, however, that would eventually bring federal policymaking to a halt.

The tea party protests began early in 2009, as small groups of conservative activists organized against government intervention in the housing and financial markets. By summer, they had grown into a formidable opposition movement, flooding congressional offices with angry letters, emails and calls. Enabled by a media that thrives on conflict, these minority voices soon dominated the national discourse.

When members of Congress retreated to their districts for what should have been an uneventful summer of little league games and pancake breakfasts, tea party activists awaited them. Two of us worked for Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), who was mobbed in an Austin parking lot by protesters carrying Revolutionary War battle flags and signs denouncing socialized healthcare. Their simple chant, which would soon become familiar, was, just say no.

The tea party organized for the 2010 midterms, targeting both Republicans and moderate Democrats. By the time the dust had settled, Democrats had lost their large majorities in Congress and, with their lost seats, any hope of realizing a bold progressive agenda.

Although their policy ideas were destructive, the tea party demonstrated that a small group of activists can take on a newly elected president with a majority in Congress and win.

Now its our turn.

We learned two key lessons from the tea partys success.

First, they organized locally, focusing on members of Congress in their home states and districts, pushing them to use every available tool legislation, letters, public statements, media interviews to oppose Obamas every move.

Under Trump, similar efforts will be just as important in the blue districts of California as anywhere else. By keeping relentless, local pressure on progressive members of Congress, we can embolden them to stand firm. We can remind them that making nice with an administration built on racism, authoritarianism and corruption is not bipartisanship its collusion.

The second lesson we learned from the tea party is that we need to play defense. The movements members understood that if they tried to choose among competing conservative priorities, their coalition would fracture. Rather than putting forward plans to stimulate the economy or to improve the healthcare system, they chose to just say no. The tea party kept its movement strong, broad and unified by concentrating relentlessly on opposition.

Loud, localized resistance is already proving effective against the new GOP regime.

On the first day of the new Congress, Republicans moved to hamstring the Office of Congressional Ethics. Within 24 hours, activists had taken the fight to the home district office of Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte (R-Va.), who had led the effort, demanding a meeting and posting video of their visit on social media.

They took the just say no approach, and it worked.

Republicans swift retreat affirmed that every constituents voice across every state, in every district, red or blue will be vital to expose and block what we expect will be an aggressive attempt to remake government in Trumps image.

To stand united in opposition is not about abandoning a positive vision for the future. Progressives should continue working to develop policy ideas. But for the next two years, at least, we cant set the agenda, we can only respond to it.

If the tea partys approach could stop President Obama, it can stop President Trump.Unlike his predecessor, Trump lost the popular vote, and has no mandate. He also has slimmer majorities in Congress than Democrats had eight years ago.

Americans against Trump are in the majority. If we want to resist his agenda, we have to do it together, and we have to start now. You can find like-minded people through a website we started,Indivisible, or start your own group. Meet in person. Tell your member of Congress to represent you, not Donald Trump. Together we can win.

Gonzalo Martnez de Vedia, Jeremy Haileand Sarah Dohl are contributors to "Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda."

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How to stop Trump: Lessons from the tea party - Los Angeles Times

Anglophenias gal about townMaude Garrett checked in with all the biggest stars from movies and TV as we gear up for awards season. Where did she find all these fab folks? At the 2017 BAFTA Tea Party, of course.

The kickoff party was presented byBBC America and GREAT, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.

Anglophenia ditched the usual awards season questions andwent straight to the gut, asking celebs like Ron Howard, Jane Seymour, and John Lithgow, What does real happiness mean to you?

The answers areso heartfelt and honest, it definitely gives insight into how thesemega stars think and what they appreciate. And, of course, there are some responses that are fun and funny, like that ofThe Night Of star Riz Ahmed who is over-the-moon happy when he finds REM, and This is Us star Justin Hartleywho is happiest after jumping into agood fitting pair of jeans (totes agreed).

The video is jam-packed with some of your favorite stars:

And why wouldnt they be in such good spirits? The BAFTA Tea Party is such a #happyplace. Even so, Maude took a moment for peeps on the red carpet to whinge a bit, asking them about the workthat goes into awards season.

The Crown star Claire Foy had a cute answer, with this being her first time taking part.Dirk Gentlys Max Landis, Lily Collins (Rules Dont Apply) and Keegan-Michael Key(Keanu) didnt hold back either:

Dirk Gently star Hannah Marksis happiest with her dogs. Shes on the same page as us: happiest when surrounded by animalswhich will be the casewhenPlanet Earth IIpremieres on BBC America on February 18.

We can have more than one #happyplace, right? Wed like to add one to the list

Our new #happyplaceis hearing Riz Ahmed pronounce L.A. as Los Ang-ee-leese in the above clip.

What does real happiness mean to you?

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EXCLUSIVE: Stars at the 2017 BAFTA Tea Party Define #RealHappiness - Anglophenia

After Barack Obama won the White House in 2008, the tea party was born. It was a mixed blessing for the Republican Party, providing much-needed enthusiasm while also instilling fear in Republicans to toe the ideological line.

The result was a GOP that won elections but became rigid, polarized and more bottom-up than top-down. The tea party eventually came to connote Republicans' move toward the political extreme, but it has clearlymade an impact.

The question is, now that a Republican is returning to the White House, will a similar movement spring up on the Democratic side? It has been asked plenty in recent weeks, including by Vice, the GuardianandSalon.

Some might say it already has, given Bernie Sanders's success in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. But new data from the Brookings Institution suggests a rising tide of progressivism has yet to registerwhere it arguably matters most: in congressional primaries. And in fact, it might have even taken a step back last year.

A quick history lesson: House and Senate primaries are where the tea party made its real impact, putting the fear of God into Republican incumbents and candidates worried about their own political futures and getting primaried. By knocking off just a few incumbents and establishment Republicans in 2010 and a few more in 2012, the tea party forced every Republican member to look over their shoulders. The vast majority of them had no worries about losing the general election in their safe districts, so foreclosing a primary challenge was really theironly political survival concern.

To this point, though, liberals just haven't rallied the troops for a similar effort. As the Brookings reports show, progressives are defeating fewer establishment candidates, and the voters who turn out for contested primaries just aren't as conducive to a tea party-esque effort to redirect the Democratic Party toward the political left.

A few charts tell the tale.

First is the simple fact that fewer progressives seem to be running. Brookings took on the Herculean task of categorizing every single 2016 primary candidate by whether they were more establishment-oriented or more conservative/tea party or progressive.

On the Democratic side, less than 30 percent of candidates fit the progressive label, while about half were establishment. It was reversed on the GOP side, with only about one-quarter being establishment and nearly 6 in 10 being either conservative or liberal.

This is a subjective study, of course, but even accounting for that subjectivity, there doesn't seem to be a cadre of progressive candidates stepping forward to pick up the torch Sanders has lit. At least not yet.

Next is the success rate. The only two House Democrats who lost congressional primaries in 2016 were both scandal-plagued ones, owing their losses to their own personal problems and not their ideologies. The progressive tea party, in other words, is still awaiting its first scalp the one that will send a message to other Democratic incumbents to worry about their own primaries.

And if you look at progressive candidates writ large both incumbents and challengers their win percentage actually dropped between 2014 (67.9 percent) and 2016 (52 percent). Again, subjective, but a big shift.

There's also the fact that Democratic primary challenges just seem to be less effective. Brookings calculated the average margin of victory in contested primaries for GOP incumbents versus Democratic ones. And Republicans won, on average, by a narrower margin (about 52 points) than Democrats (about 64 points).

Republicans were also more likely to be challenged in the first place, with just 49 percent facing uncontested primaries, versus 61 percent of Democrats. So fewer Democratic challenges and less successful ones.

Given all that, it's worth asking whether progressives even have a shot at making this happen at making their presence felt throughout the party in congressional primaries. And there's reason for skepticism on that count.

A separate new Brookings report features unprecedented data from Edison Research, the national exit pollster, which conducted exit polls on congressional primaries explicitly for Brookings. What it found is that Democratic electorates are less ideologically tilted toward the extreme and less interested in political purity.

In 2016, 78 percent of voters in competitive Republican primaries said they were more conservative than most general election voters in their districts. On the Democratic side, the number saying they were more liberal was just 67 percent. And 27 percent of Democratic primary voters actually said they were more conservative than their districts.

Similarly, while 42 percent of GOP primary voters said shares my values was the candidate quality that mattered the most, just 28 percent of Democratic primary voters said the same. Democrats were more interested in having the right experience and empathy.

These are all key markers when it comes to the success of ideologically spurred primary challenges.

All of this, of course, is in the past. And Sanders really got off the ground perhaps too late for a real progressive wave to hit Democratic primaries in the 2016 election. Maybe it'll pick up now that Donald Trump is in the White House.

But the above data comes even as the tea party is in decline, and it doesn't suggest a Democratic primary electorate that is clamoring for similar primary challenges. We'll just have to see.

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Can Bernie Sanders backers launch a Democratic tea party? Here's the big hurdle. - Washington Post