A Tea Party to Help Drive Away Winter and Talk Style

Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.

Henry James 

The Weather outside was frightful, 

But luckily, I had planned something quite delightful: A Style Statement Tea Party!

While I was making a lavender blueberry tea loaf and buttermilk and blackberry scones, I sent Barry out with one mission: find me yellow and pink tulips!  If Spring refuses to come to the Maritimes, we will just have to force it, like one would force a paper white or amaryllis bulb in time for Christmas...

As a Wendy aside, even as I am looking at the delightful tea table below, I am thinking of how wonderful it would be if the walls were pink or a pale blue.... hmm.. remember that pink post?  Can't you just see it?

Well anyway, four girlfriends came over to spend the afternoon with me for our inaugural tea time soiree.  We missed our friend Colleen, who was gummed up with life stuff, and were all dying to meet Mary's sister-in-law, Cathy, who unfortunately had to cancel.  Next time Cathy!

I set the table with all kind of tea table frippery:

 

The tea loaf:

You know, I haven't made a tea loaf in a long time, and think I will do so again really soon!

Some of the teacups my mother used to set out for her bridge and IODE meetings in the 60s, 70s and 80s:

I didn't use a fancy tablecloth on the table, since we were going to be doing a "craft" after we ate and talked...

A close-up of our Queen:

 

 

and of course the MacLeod teacup had to come out (even if my family spells it McLeod...)

 

 

 

I personally adore a teacup where the pattern is inside the cup as well, don't you?

 

Scones served on Wedgewood, anyone?  Thanks Mom for choosing lovely china when you got married...

Teapots a-ready, since Chez Wendy offers a variety of teas, though for this party, King Cole Tea and Christmas in Paris seemed the crowd favourites:

The centerpiece was my homage to spring, little vases of tulips, my diptyque candle, a silvery Eiffel tower and wee teacups:

And doll's china under a couple of the vases on the table:

In the beginning, we sat around and chatted about life, including next weekend's dinner party at Mary's house, which in honour of the Spring Solstice will involve outdoor activities and the burning of sock and which I hope she will post about in her wonderful blog!

And we discussed a possible group road trip to check out the soon-to-be-reopened Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews.  We may have discussed husbands, but what is said at the tea party, stays at the tea party...

Then we discussed our style statements, and helped a couple of folks who were still struggling with finding their second word.  Lots of good discussion and debate and it was quite interesting, as we have all know one another for a long time so we could perhaps be more objective than the person themselves. 

Thanks to a brainwave by Mary in advance, we did collages of our words, which was fun and not something you usually sit around and do with your friends!  There is something satisfying about cutting and pasting and using stickers.  I am convinced that everyone should be doing this kind of thing more often, as it really is quite fun!


I had my trusty scissors, box o'markers, stickers, some Bristol board at the ready, and Mary and I had collected magazines to be hacked up:

And then we got to work:

Martine - Classic-Elemental - on the left, already trying to figure out where closest Williams-Sonoma is and has just discovered Town and Country magazine, which I think I will get her a subscription to for her birthday

Dawn - our classic-timeless, who always look perfect, and Elaine our Earthy-Rustic!

Elaine had no trouble with her words - have never met anyone who knew themselves better than Elaine - old soul!

Mary - AKA judy dench - who is genuine innovative!

Mart doesn't have her eyes closed for this picture - she is dreaming of copper pots from Williams-Sonoma....

When everyone was done we brushed them with clear Elmer's glue to have them set and then dried them with a hairdryer.


And voila, each one different, each one special!

Wendy's (creative-nostalgic)

elaine's

Mary's

Martine's - she and I both had champagne on ours - that's why we love each other!

Dawn's - it is clear Martine and Dawn love blue!

My husband, hidden away in the basement, said he couldn't get over all the talking, talking, talking and all the laughter.  Sometimes it is just a wonderful thing to sit around and talk and giggle and discuss things we might not otherwise talk about. 

I think I like this tea party concept.  I could see doing this again in the summer or fall, but maybe having a different topic or activity.  Kind of a salon thing...  Maybe we could solve the world's problems next time (though we did discuss where that missing airplane is...)  Maybe next time there will be champagne at the end and the husbands can join us afterwards for takeout pizza... hmmm - I am seeing a plan here... what do you think, ladies?

So thank you to all of my wonderful friends for an amazing afternoon of conversation and camaraderie!  See you for the sock burning next weekend!

 Hope you enjoyed sharing the afternoon with us!  Stay safe out there!

When you have nobody you can make a cup of tea for, when nobody needs you, that's when I think life is over.

Audrey Hepburn