Classic Tea Party

Classic Tea Party Birthday

I've been researching for months, inspiration for my own Petite Celebrationsparties.  One of my favorites that captures the feeling perfectly is this sweetTea Party birthday from Such Pretty Things.  Jessica designed this tea party with all the classic details - pretty dainty desserts, petite floral prints, lacy doilies, and a soft feminine color palette.

She also had some fun crafts for the girls to do.  They decorated party hats and strung candy and cookie bracelets.  Jessica made homemade cookies to string, but I think the store-bought flower cookies with the hole in the middle would work just as well.  I love this tea party, and can't wait to book my own Petite Celebrations version!

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A Classic Tea Party

'Shabby Chic' Style Birthday Design

A Botanical Garden Birthday Party

Vintage Butterfly Party

Cupcake Butter Mints

Cupcake Butter Mints

I had very nearly forgotten about butter mints until Kristan (lover of all things sparkly, and most certainly acookbook queen) made some for a virtual baby shower last week.  I decided to take another look at my own recipe for butter mints and give it a complete makeover.

Butter mints have always been standard shower fare here in the south. Although innocent looking, they are unapologetically sweet and best taken in small doses. Eating one is like taking a strait shot of minty buttercream icing.

I rarely get to eat these tiny treats, aside from showers and family parties.  When I sampled one from this batch I wasn't prepared for the flavor-triggered time warp.  Memories came flooding back of happy times and celebration.  I love when that happens.

 Instead of the usual flat discs or fancy molds, I re-imagined them into tiny fairy-sized cupcakes.  I think they'd be so cute for a little girls (or big girls) tea party.

Cupcake Butter Mints
Makes 30-40 candy cupcakes                                                                                     [click to print]

Special Equipment: 

• Small plastic candy mold, such as a mini peanut butter cup mold or other mold that would make a good cupcake bottom shape

• Piping bag fitted with a small closed star tip

  
Candy: 
1/2 cup butter softened
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp whipping cream plus 1- 1/2 for thinning batter
1/2 tsp mint oil - such as LorAnn (my favorite flavoring oils)
2-3 drops liquid green food coloring
Granulated sugar for rolling candy pieces in
Nonpareils for decorating

Directions: 
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter well.  Gradually add powdered sugar.  Mixture will be very dry.  When combined, add whipping cream and mint oil and mix again.  The mixture should become smooth and pliable - almost like play-doh.

Divide the candy dough in half.  Return half the dough to mixer and add green food coloring; mix again and cover the candy with plastic wrap.  Set aside.

Pinch off small pieces of white (uncolored) candy and roll in granulated sugar.  Press into candy molds and remove.  Place molded candy on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Repeat process until all candy has been used.  Let candies stand uncovered for 30 minutes.

While waiting for the white candies to dry, remove plastic wrap from green candy portion and mix on low speed in stand mixer. Add 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp whipping cream until candy is of piping consistency. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with star tip.  Pipe green candy on top of cupcake bottoms and sprinkle with nonpareils.

Allow mini cupcake candies to air dry for 1 hour.  After 1 hour drape a large tea towel over them and let them stand overnight.  The next day cupcake butter mints should be dry to the touch.  Display them on reception tables or package them in decorative bags.  Can be frozen for 3 months.

Note: Fruit flavored oils could also be used with this recipe for a "butter cream candy" instead of "butter mint candy". 

For a version made with cream cheese, you can find Kristan's recipe here.

Sweet Tea Party

Sophisticated Tea Party!

I love the idea of doing a tea party - young or old! Especially for those that don't like do drink too much ;o) I think it would be a great reason to have your girlfriends over (or your little one's girlfriends) without needing a holiday or birthday!

Of course you need tea sandwiches! Everything looks better on a tiered tray topped with fresh flowers! Even egg salad or cucumber sandwiches - inexpensive and oh so yummy! Source and recipe (curried chicken salad)

How about this sweet little detail? Tie a creamer or tea cup to the end of your tablecloth! Not only a great touch, but also practical if you are outside - it'll keep it from blowing! Source

Serve blooming teas in clear glasses or teapots - they are so beautiful to watch "bloom" and taste fantastic too! Source

How beautiful would these bottles be to serve water or ice tea in?  Use a stencil or piece of lace, then stipple paint or glass etching to create a really beautiful, unique look!  Source found via attentiontodetail blog

Homemade lavender sachets would make the perfect favor! They look beautiful tied off in a little ribbon.  If you aren't up to sewing, just find muslin bags to fill with the fresh lavender. Source and tutorial

(I've shown these before...but thought it was worth showing again for this theme!) I came up with these cookies for my boss's bday.  I cut out a tea bag shape out of wax paper and used to cut out shortbread cookie dough.  I used a round frosting tip to cut a hole at the top of each.  Baked, dipped in chocolate then threaded real thread thru and cut out paper and stamped a cupcake on each side to look like a tag.  I thought they would make a great choice to serve at this theme, too!

Lovely Ladies Tea Party

SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2010

Lovely Ladies' High Tea Party Ideas

I love idea behind this lovely ladies' High Tea Party!  I was so thrilled to help two of the hostesses, Debbie and Lisha, and equally excited to see all of the pictures from the event.  Put on your party hat, and enjoy these wonderful inspiration photos!

Tea Party Theme and Tablescapes
Some of the ladies at Debbie and Lisha's church decided to host a tea party, and each hostess signed up to decorate her own table however she wanted.  This created an eclectic mix of themes, including hot pink Parisian, cool blue China, Easter pastel, and sweet Victorian to highlight a few. I can only image how fun it must have been to walk around and look at all the details on each tablescape.

 

Many of the ladies used tea sets that have been in their families for generations, which adds such a special touch. I know Debbie and Lisha had a great time shopping and collecting vintage pieces for the event at antique parlors, as well.

Having a rack of assorted gloves available for the ladies to wear if they choose is such a perfect detail.  So cute!

Tea Party Menu
I love the way the tea party food was handled for this event, too.  Each hostess brought one or two baked goods or tea party sandwiches to place in the church's kitchen before the event.  Then the hostesses brought their serving pieces into the kitchen to "shop" for any of the goodies they wanted to include on their table.  This is such a great way to have a variety of party food without having to prepare a million items yourself.  Each table had a slightly different assortment of goodies, too, so I'm sure that gave everyone extra incentive to mingle.

Tea Party Decorations
Many of the hostesses used serving pieces, tablecloths, and centerpieces that they already owned.  I think this could be such a great budget party theme for a bridal tea party or baby shower because the only splurges would be food and flowers.  Since each table has it's own theme, you don't have to worry about having the right pieces to coordinate a whole room, just enough for an individual table.

Belly Feathers designed tea party supplies especially for Debbie and Lisha's tables including flower place cards, a "Tea Time" party banner, and some really special tea party favors.

For the tea bag favors, I placed personalized tea bags with a heart tag into little envelopes that said "Until our next Tea Time".  I loved how they turned out!

Thank you so much for sharing, Debbie and Lisha!  I loved seeing all of the unique tea party tables and the fun idea for sharing refreshments.  This was truly an event with lots of attention to detail and has given me so many ideas and inspiration for future events.

Featured Handmade Items
by Belly Feathers
Tea Time Party Banner
Tea Party Favors with Personalized Tea Bags
Flower Place Cards 

Rainbow Party

http://go.tipjunkie.com/go/sp/163/dawnypoo.blogspot.com/2011/02/unicorns-rainbows-and-ribbon.html

http://go.tipjunkie.com/sp/213/oneprimchick.blogspot.com/2011/02/rag-garland-st-pattys-style.html

http://go.tipjunkie.com/go/sp/127/www.yourhomebasedmom.com/lucky-leprechaun-cookie-bark/

Bignets

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/delicious-ideas/Delicious-Ideas-RecipeDetail.aspx?recipe_id=121320&cm_mmc=social-_-twitter-_-tweet-_-

Sugar Baskets

http://pizzazzerie.com/parties/holidays/sugar-baskets-for-easter/