The Tea Party

As I mentioned before, my sweet mama bear gave me the most precious of gifts for my 30th birthday. She held a tea party in my honor and gathered all the dear women in my life to help me celebrate. It was delightful. I was beaming the entire afternoon, soaking it all in. My mom planned the perfect party -- from the mouth-watering menu to the beautiful table settings to the fun games and the charming atmosphere. It was the picturesque tea party that women dream about -- the kind of tea party where you want to stay and linger all day long. And there's no way I can even begin to do it justice in this little blog post. But I will try to capture some of the highlights for you.

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After everyone arrived, the first game we played was called, "If Teacups Could Talk." When my mom sent out the invitations, she included some instructions for this game. She asked everyone to, "Please bring a teacup that has a story to tell. Wrap the teacup carefully and place it in a box. Write down why your teacup is special. Put your note in the box with the teacup. Put the box in a bag so no one will know it is yours. When you arrive, give your bag to Margaret."

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We all gathered our chairs in a circle. My mom placed all the boxes on the floor in the middle of our circle. One by one, we went around the room, and each person selected a box, held up the teacup for everyone to see, and read the note tucked inside. Then that person had to guess who's teacup it was. At the end of the game, we all shared who's teacup really belonged to who. It was SO MUCH FUN! And everyone got really creative with their descriptions. Here were a few of my favorites:

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"I may be plain, but I know I am also beautiful. I have been passed down from grandmother to granddaughter. In my former home, I knew I was loved because I was used everyday -- sometimes multiple times a day. In my new home, I'm still pretty sure I am loved but it's harder to tell because I've been wrapped up in newspaper and put in the closet for months. But used or unused, wrapped or unwrapped, I am a simple, beautiful teacup."

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"This teacup sat on a shelf in my bedroom when I was a little girl. I was never allowed to touch it. It was also displayed in my mother's room when she was a little girl. She wasn't allowed to touch it either."

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"This teacup was part of my childhood tea set ... circa 1985."

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"I may not be fancy, but I am useful. I spend more nights huddled fireside with close friends, enjoying intimate conversations than I do at fancy tea parties. I know all your secrets."

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"I do not have a special teacup. And this is not a special teapot. It sits on my kitchen counter, and I collect my change in it." (that one was from my hilarious Aunt Mary Jean)

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Next, we played a little trivia game. My mom typed up a short narrative on the history of tea parties (including tidbits about the Red Hat Society), and she also had a section that outlined the different kinds of tea. She read the pages out loud, and the rest of us tried to remember all the details. After lunch, she asked ten questions about the passage, and we all had to write down our answers. My sister, Amy, has a brilliant memory and she answered every single question correctly! We were all amazed.

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The third game we played was after the soup course during lunch. My mom had eight different herb plants that we had to try and identify, working in teams of two. I did pretty well ... I guessed six out of eight correctly. :) She had several easy ones like basil and rosemary, but she also threw in a couple tricky ones like marjoram. And the wonderful thing about this game was that the plants also doubled as centerpieces. She wrapped each pot in a white doily and mixed in some African Violets. The table looked lovely. She said she was going for a "winter table decor with the hope of spring." :) Perfect for a January tea party. She also incorporated some snowflake tea candles to add a bit of twinkle.

The one thing my friends are still talking about is the delicious food. My mom put together the most incredible menu -- a leisurely four-course meal that stretched late into the afternoon as we all savored each and every bite.

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This is what we had for lunch:

First Course

Warm Pineapple Scones with Devonshire Cream

Honey Vanilla Chamomile Tea

Second Course

Tomato Basil Bisque Soup

Rosemary Wafers and Babybel Cheese Rounds

Peachy Iced Tea

Third Course

Black Forrest Ham Quiche

Smoked Turkey and Blue Cheese Herb Mustard on Rye

Sweet Potato Puffs

Zucchini Tea Bread

Chocolate Dried Fruit Medley

Dill Cucumbers and Mini Pearl Tomatoes

Cranberry Broccoli Salad

Fourth Course

Creme de Cacao Angel Food Cake

Chai Latte

I can't even imagine how much time it must have taken her to make all that food. She is an amazing woman. And here are a few more table shots. My mom set up two different tables -- one smaller card table in the living room and the larger table in the dining room.

All the beautiful dishes were from my grandmother's wedding china.

And look these adorable table linens! This table cloth was hand-sewn by my grandma, and the little teapot pocket held a matching hand-embroidered napkin. So pretty!

My mom wanted to create a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, so instead of a formal attire, she encouraged everyone to dress casually, wearing their own little bit of "'fancy" such as accessories, jewelry, or scarves.

I love this woman. I love her to the clear blue moon. I am a blessed, blessed girl to have such an incredible, loving, thoughtful mama.

A nod to all things girly, dainty, and pretty ... it was the perfect afternoon. And the perfect way to celebrate my 30th birthday. Thanks, mom!