Tea Party!

Mom--on her 70th Birthday.

My Mom turned a milestone birthday this year and since she moved away from me when I was just still a kid (well, I was married with a baby), but I was YOUNG! I have never been able to 'do' anything for her birthday and decided this would be the year. And having a tea party seemed like a fun thing to do. And it was! And with the help of some dear friends, it was a beautiful party that all my Mom's friends enjoyed. I took lots of pictures and even got the mini scrapbook done, now that should be a record!

As each lady arrived, I took her picture, complete with hats and gloves (per the invitation). It was so much fun. One lady said she just didn't have any fancy gloves, so were her surgical gloves okay? What a hoot! My type of humor indeed. In fact, I really wanted to do a little skit with me and a friend where she is 'advising' me the do's and don't's for a 'proper' tea party. It would include me with rubber gloves, a ball cap, tennis shoes, toilet paper streamer hanging out my mis-matched outfit and wanting to serve 'fancy' bologna sandwiches, with the crusts cut off, of course! It didn't work out as one of my friends had to leave town (she helped fix some food) and the other came in the night before. (she helped doing last minute preparations and cleaned up and most important--She POURED!--I guess that used to be really important back when tea parties were in vogue--so I'm told!) So, no skit--but it would have been funny! A partial view of the food table..I served: Honey Almond Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Pimento Cheese on Rye, Lemon Poppy Mini Muffins, Mini Eclairs with Custard, Shrimp Tartlets (courtesy of Martha), Radish Sandwiches, Key Lime Mousse in Chocolate Cups, Whipping Cream Poundcake (another Martha delicacy!), Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, Lemon Curd Tarts and Norwegian Sweets..oh and English Breakfast Tea. Were they a happy bunch, or what? what a fun day getting to meet some of Mom's friends and honoring my Mom on her special day. Happy Birthday Mom.
For favors, I took card stock, folded it into thirds and made a 3D triangle--on the inside I suspended the coolest pyramid silk teabags that were Vanilla Caramel Truffle flavored. Believe it or not, they were made by Lipton and I found them at Wal Mart!