Tea Parties

Each year I give one to three tea parties...sometimes for my local community center, my church, or for friends. I love to decorate the table with a theme...

I'm the short one, center.

Sometimes I'll ask for the ladies to tell me what their favorite flower is and then try to match a cup or plate from my collection to match that flower. At the tea, I ask the ladies to share a story about that flower and why it's special to them with the group...and this has led to some wonderful stories over the years.

This past year I chose a theme of nests and birds. I asked each lady to bring something they treasure with them to share a story about that item with the group. It was a marvelous tea party.

And next month, my newest theme is Gems of the Heart. Each lady is asked to bring a letter of appreciation to someone that they wouldn't otherwise have thanked...perhaps the cashier at the grocery store who told you that you had given her $20 too much, or your daughter-in-law for being a wonderful mother to your grandchildren, etc. The letters can be written anonymously if preferred. And we will share the letters at the tea party and, I hope, decorate the envelopes with tea themed rubber stamps and stickers. I'll be serving Harney's Bangkok Green, Stash Peach , either Golden Moon Vanilla Jasmine or Jasmine Pearls and an herbal Mamasita from Blessed Botanicals.

This blog thing is nice because these are details that only other tea lovers might find interesting.

Lastly, here is my dream tea cottage. It appeared in a magazine, but I don't remember which one. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have afternoon tea there? Hasta luego friends.