summers in paris: Mad Hatter Tea Party

With the release of the new Alice in Wonderland movie; I'm reminded of the Mad Hatter Tea Party! Which would also be my favorite ride at Disney World. And I'm also reminded of my friend Lindsey's bridal luncheon, which was a fabulous tea party in Chapel Hill, NC and how much I loved that. I love drinking tea and it does feel kind of elegant and refined; like you should have your pinky pointed out and talking in a british accent...so I'm on a mission to host a tea party sometime in the near future for my girlfriends. In the meantime, here are some ideas for hosting your own "Mad Hatter Tea Party"!

1) Elegant Table Setting & Decorating flowers are a good touch and an brighten up any table setting. create a relaxing setting

2) Tea Party Treats scones and sweet treats to compliment your tea or something like these delish cucumber mint tea sandwiches
Ingredients
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, rinsed, spun dry, and chopped fine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons cream cheese
6 slices of whole-wheat bread
a 3-inch length of seedless cucumber, cut into thin slices
Prep
In a small bowl combine the mint, the butter, and the cream cheese and stir the mixture until it is combined well. Spread the bread slices with the butter mixture, top 3 of them with the cucumber, distributing the cucumber evenly and seasoning it with salt, and top the cucumber with the remaining bread slices. Cut off and discard the crusts and cut each sandwich diagonally into quarters.

3) The Teapot use a china teapot or silver to serve your tea: They actually have very cute ceramic teapots these days that would be alot less expensive

4) Tea Choices this is really up to the host. Just have choices! Tea is a personal preference, so make sure you offer something for everyone; from lemon to earl grey...there are tons to choose from. You can also choose to go with the tea bags or actual tea leaves (which are fun, but a little messy and require extra tea utensils)

5) Tea Party Attire something sweet and feminine is perfect for a tea party. I absolutely love this little floral dress from Stella McCartney = tea party ready!