Setting up for Tea

I am thinking its nearly time for a tea party again!

While the summer flowes are blooming and its mild enough to either sit outside or at least with the top of the Dutch door open, I should invite some friends over and serve up some hot, liquid gold, strawberry cake and halibut mousse croissant sandwiches!

Tea Party Set Up

Here are photos from Sunday's tea party - of course I was unable to snap any photos once people arrived because I was too busy brewing tea, answering the door and directing people to the food table! Besides, I am not sure everyone wants their photo posted online for all to see. ;)

I was busy Thursday and Friday cleaning house and baking. I made fairy cakes, jam cookies, fudge, lemon-lime cookies, cherry coconut macaroons, smoked salmon and halibut sandwiches on mini croissants, egg salad sandwiches and a plate or cheese and sliced fruit.

Teas included Scottish breakfast, English breakfast, York Black, Jasmine and Early Grey. I had around 19 people show up and it was so exciting - so many guests brought me flowers or plants I was overwhelmed. The hydrangeas and roses I bought from the Met Market on Queen Anne Hill were also beautiful!

I do not have the hutch finished yet but I did get the base painted white so that I could stack the topper on it and use it for the party - I can't wait to get the whole thing done because it really made a lot of room with the two pieces stacked on one wall. I made a small sign for the hutch to let people know it was a "work in progress".
Tea cups were stacked inside on the first tier while plates and napkins were below. Tea pots/sugar/cream/honey was lined up on the sideboard while the food was laid out on the table. I made small tags for each tea pot so people knew what tea they were drinking.

Most people arrived right at 2 PM and most were gone by 5 PM except for a few friends who I invited to sit awhile in front of the fire and chat by candlelight. It was cozy and relaxing. I hope everyone had fun - I sure enjoyed hosting the tea!

Teapots

My collection is growing. I added a couple this winter. I originally had only the Royal Copenhagen Blue Flowers teapot but then found a cute one on eBay for $3.99 from Nepal - not sure if it's food safe so I will use it for decoration only. Then the white one from TJ Maxx for $7.99, and the Blue Onion one also from TJ Maxx for $12.99. The older blue flow teapot came as a gift from my 80 year Norwegian neighbor who said her mother once owned it. These will all be put to use in February when I have my tea party. For now I love how they look on the sideboard. Eventually they will all live in the hutch, when it's finished being painted and gold leafed.