Sunday

Welcome To My Tea Party!

I have been giving tea parties for several years and it's my most favorite of entertaining. Due to family medical problems I'm sharing the tablescape of a tea party I had last year. I enjoy creating my centerpieces from things I have on hand. I seldom ever use just a vase of fresh flowers as a centerpiece. To me that is too easy! I enjoy the challenge of shopping around the house for just the right things to put together for a unique centerpiece. These centerpieces become a conversational piece as my guests always want to hear about how the idea for each centerpiece came about. I usually like to have a theme for my tea parties and whatever the theme is becomes the subject for a centerpiece to be the highlight of the theme.

This centerpiece evolved from using my Old Country Roses china. I didn't have a theme for the party. It was a reunion party for some long-time friends I have known for 35 years. Since I couldn't come up with an appropriate theme, I started looking around for what to use. I had just purchased two OCR hatboxes at an outlet mall. These boxes are what the plates are shipped in, they sell them for $7 and $5 each! The rim on the lid has the words Old Country Roses around it, but I covered the rim with a ribbon. The ribbon was about 1/8 of an inch too short and I remedied that with using a clip-on vintage earring in that spot! Perfect!A ribbon runner was used under the hatbox. Mostly vintage items were used in and around the hatbox: scarf, pearls, crocheted gloves, a small perfume bottle, small beaded purse, a figurine from my childhood, a yellow rose hankie, a pair of tiny crocheted baby shoes, a small oval frame with a photo of my grandmother when she was 16 years old. A small crystal dish held two pairs of 1928 vintage-look earrings that I used to tell an interesting story about. Two candles in the shape of vintage shoes filled with pink and yellow roses completed the vignette.
Some of the details of the tea party: A burgundy tablecloth was used to compliment my Old Country Roses china. The centerpiece was a chintz OCR hatbox vignette of vintage things in and around it. The hatbox was atop a ribbon table runner, vintage crocheted gloves, pearls, and a wine colored scarf overflowed out from under the lid of the hat box. A small oval picture frame holding a picture of my grandmother at age 16, a small beaded purse, a figurine, a perfume bottle, hankie, vintage earrings, and tiny crocheted baby shoes surrounded the hatbox. Two candles in the shape of vintage shoes filled with roses were on each side of the hatbox.Gold leafed chargers, white paper doilies, were topped with Old Country Roses plates. Floral OCR napkins were tied with red velvet roses. Food on OCR three-tiered servers, yellow depression glass, and platters decorated with fabric ribbons intertwined.

Menu: Orange Chicken salad in phyllo cups; Aunt Thelma's Cucumber sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, and pimento cheese sandwiches. Lemon scones, lemon curd, strawberry bread with cream cheese mixed with strawberry preserves; lemon bread, cold veggie pizza; Sausage pinwheels; Russian tea cakes; and mini surprise filled pound cakes. I also made butter pats into shapes of roses.

We read "Of Teacups and Friends" by Linda gaither. I told about the Earring story. We looked at pictures of past parties in photo albums and some copied recipes.

This is the lemon curd recipe I use, it is very easy, just takes six minutes in the microwave.
Lemon Curd

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh or frozen lemon juice
3 eggs,
1 stick butter, melted

Melt butter, let cool slightly. In a glass bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar and lemon juice to eggs, stir, then add the melted butter and mix well.Microwave 3 minutes, remove and stir with wisk. Microwave 3 more minutes, wisk. Repeat if necessary. Don't forget that mixture will thicken when it cools. Recipe from Magnolia & Ivy Tea Room cookbook

For other recipes, contact me.

I hope you enjoyed my tea party as much as I did! Please leave a comment!

Thank you!

Katherine

30 comments:

Susan said...

What love and fun you put into your tea parties!!!
Susan

Sharon said...

Beautiful tea party, love all your decorations and the menu. Stop by mine if you have time.

~Becca~Bluebird Rose said...

Katherine, your tea party is just beautiful! I enjoyed reading about how you come up with your lovely centerpieces......
Everything is gorgeous!
Thank you for sharing, and please do stop by my blog for my tea party too!
:)

Anonymous said...

What an enchanting table you have set for us. I love the burgundy, the deep richness to the setting is wonderful...

Unknown said...

Such a beautiful table set for tea, and I love the centerpiece. Thank you for the recipe and thank you for tea. Stop by my place later for tea. Karen

Lydia said...

Loved your party. Be sure to come and see mine and also Lillibeth's at www.thepleasanttimes.blogspot.com

Jill Monroe said...

You know, you have given me a whole new perspective on centerpieces. What a wonderful idea! Thanks for sharing.

Hope all is feeling better soon!

Scrappy Moments said...

beautiful Tea Party, Thank You for sharing and I LOVE that Centerpiece :)

Angie
http://www.scrapnmomsmoments.blogspot.com/

Lallee said...

Katherine, I always think of you as the queen of tea parties. The details show how you think of and honor your guests. And I can speak from personal experience how special your tea parties are after you surprised me with one of for just the two of us. Thank you my friend.

Francie...The Scented Cottage Studio said...

How creative and beautiful! but you must tell us the earring story...

Praying for good health to find it's way where needed.

(( ))

Anne said...

Oh my goodness. How lovely to stop by and see your beautiful tea. The "What If...Women" are so delighted to make your acquaintance. Thanks kindly for having us.

Tina Leavy said...

so very pretty.

Natasha Burns said...

How clever of you to create such personal and unqiue centre pieces!! You are inspiring!

THanks for stopping by my tea party. As for the meringue/macaroon biscuits, if I made them I would be more than happy to share the recipe but they were bought from a lovely bakery I'm afraid!!!

Stephanie ~ Angelic Accents said...

What a lovely tea you had! The centerpiece is absolutely adorable. I love all the vintage elements you used to tie it all together. Your OCR pieces are lovely. Please come visit my tea party if you get the chance.

Stephanie
Angelic Accents

Sweet Remembrance said...

I love your tea party!
Thanks for joining us today...
Priscilla

Anonymous said...

Kathy what a gorgeous, rich, romantic tea. The burgundy sets off your beloved yellow rose so well. Thank you for the wonderful recipes!
Nikki

Anonymous said...

Thank you for having such a beautiful tea party and sharing your very creative ideas. What fun!

Anonymous said...

So beautiful!!!! I love your burgundy with your Old country rose dishes. I love how you shop the house for a centerpiece. Just so lovely, thanks for sharing!

Janet

Joyce at Salisburys Corner said...

this looks wonderful thankyou

nannykim said...

love the plates!

Paula said...

What a lovely tea! Thank you so much for sharing!

Angel Heart Designs said...

Hi! Katherine, Just love your yellow roses! It is one of my favorites! Love your Country Rose dishes for your lovely tea party! Thank you for visiting mine too!

Anonymous said...

A lovely vintage tea! Beautiful!

Donetta said...

Just lovely the jewel tones of your tea were a wash in beauty. Thanks for the hospitality.

Lori said...

Your table setting and tea party is beautiful. Wish I could join you.

Celestina Marie said...

I have so enjoyed visiting your lovely blog and tea party. The menu is divine. Nice to meet another NSTP member. See you again soon.
Celestina

Meadow Street said...

What a beautiful table setting! Very well done. I must try the lemon curd recipe. I must bookmark your blog.

~~Deby said...

oh my goodness...what a beautiful TEA party...so elegant...I hope to participate next time...love the pics...
Deby

Dawn-Hydrangea Home said...

Such a pretty tea party! Love your table decorations too. Thanks for coming over to my tea party!

Southern Lady's Vintage said...

Your presentation is just beautiful! I love Old Country Roses china too and wish I had a set! Hope everyone is feeling better!
Barbara