The Cultivated Cottage: August 2013

Perfect time of year for a lovely summer tea isn't it? That was the idea when we decided to do something special for my Grandmother's birthday. And what could be better than a vintage inspired tea party?!

While we knew the decor would be one of the most important factors in setting the mood of the party, the food mattered the most! If you ask me, a nice cup of tea and a good scone make a tea party! For our menu, we provided a plain sugared scone, chopped fruit, whipped cream, rolled sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, and mini quiche. You can find some of the recipes I used on my Tea Party Pinterest board.

While we wanted the tea to be beautiful and elegant, not everyone owns all the things one would need for a formal tea party. Let alone a party of over fifteen people! So for our tea, we didn't worry about matching everything just so, or having the "right" dishware to put food items in. At the end of the day, a gravy boat can double as a sugar dish as needed! It's all about using what you have and focusing on making the day special. And psst! That cute little teapot above? It's totally holding creamer.

One of my favorite decorating motto's is "Use what you have." My chalkboard in the photo above? Endless uses. Wipe away the previous drawing or quote and you have a fresh surface! The basket that says "Tea" along the side? Before the party it was a leopard print castoff. A little spray paint and some chalkboard paint, and voilá! New life as a cute tea caddy. My Mother and I are American Girl doll collectors and so some of our dolls made an appearance on the sideboard. The doll sized tea set was mine growing up, isn't it sweet? It fit our theme perfectly. Oh and the banner above the window? I found the gift tags in the dollar section at Michael's and strung them on a thin ribbon. It made a cute little pendant banner!

Most of the items are family heirlooms, or items my Mother has collected over the years. A few items though were thrifted and a couple new pieces were bought especially for the party. One area we found lacking was teapots! While my Mother had a lovely collection of different patterned cups, there wasn't a teapot to be found! The one shown here was found at Pier 1, as well as the pearl cluster napkin rings.

The lovely table runner was made by my Mother, as my Grandmother's birthday present. Not only was it a nice way to give her something that would remind her of our lovely tea party, but by using it during the party itself, it added to the tablescape and everyone was able to admire it.