A Tea Party

Instead of being sensible and taking a nap, I am blogging because, well, I haven't blogged in a while.
And let's face it. Once I lay down, I am not going to wake up until 9:30.

So a few months back I thought about having a tea party. I've always wanted to throw one and I had these unused teacups at home collecting dust. I wrote some of my ideas and my menu on a napkin (like all great planners do) and left it at that. With everything that has happened this year with work and my dad being sick, I was not super motivated.

Well, a few weeks later I found out my co worker and friend was leaving Texas for Missouri. :(
Now my tea party had purpose. I was motivated! A tea party was the perfect send off for her.

Tea party invites 

Menu:

Appetizer

-Canapes with Garlic Herb Cream Cheese and Avocado

Finger Sandwiches

-Cucumber Sandwiches with Whipped Cream Cheese

-Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Crème Fraîche

-Chicken Salad Croissant

Desserts

-Lemon Pistachio Tart

-Blueberry Scones

-Madeleines

Tea

-Strawberry Rose Champagne & Peach Tea

Drink

-Pineapple & Orange Punch with Raspberries

Place of Honor

I had fun making the bunting and flowers.

The food.

I'm glad I bought these cute dessert plates from anthro!



I made madeleines for the first time and overcooked them. I must attempt them again.

Love this pic!

 I am in love with this tea from Teavana.

The guest of honor, Ari.

Ari drank the most tea! Haha, a true Brit.

I love candids!

 Taking another photo after Alyshia's beauty tip. :)

We surprised Ari with teacups and a tea book from anthro! Thanks to Caitlin for the idea!

Ari, trying to guess who got her what teacup.

 I so want to get that tea party book!

Relaxing (most likely in food comas) in my tiny apt.

Host gift from Ari. Thanks friend!

It was my first time hosting a tea party and I think it was a success! Even though it was hard work, it was worth seeing Ari's surprise and everyone enjoying the food. 

Thank you to all who helped and came! 

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To my friend:

So I am not great with words, spoken words at least. I do better on paper so I am "writing" my piece about you.

Ari, I have been blessed to have known you for 5 years. You are one of the funniest, craziest people I know. When Ari walks in the room, you know it. I'm really glad we've gotten closer this year and really sad you're leaving. But I know there are such great things ahead for you and Mark.

Remember the Susan G. Komen? And when you made me get up in the middle of the night to go to the porta potties? :)  And when you had a panic attack and I had to pray for you? Always know that wherever you are, I will be praying for you and thinking of you. You won't be forgotten!

You have helped me so much this year when I was down or discouraged. Your words of encouragement meant more than you will ever know. Coming from a great teacher like you, it made me feel more confident as a teacher. 

It definitely will not be the same without you at work. 

Let's make these last few weeks count! 

The long haul

Today was such nice patio weather. I went to lunch (Patrizio's) with a friend and we ate outside. I wish every day in Texas was like today, but of course, this is a rare occurrence.

Yesterday I went to the Antique Mall in Plano, cash in hand. Last time I went, I didn't know it was cash only, so I was excited to return to see what I could find. Nowadays, going to thrift and antique shops are becoming more popular (probably because of cost). Here are some interesting things I spotted:

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets! Look at all those TOMS!

Haha.

The glasses reminded me of The Capitol, in the Hunger Games. I'm sure Effie would approve.

An antique Underwood. Unfortunately some of the keys didn't seem to function.

I saw some cool metal signs there too. Of course, Wizard of Oz caught my eye!

 For my brother in law who's a Batman fanatic.

And for my coffee loving friends :)

If you plan to visit your local antique mall, carve out a few hours for yourself. I was there for 3 and a 1/2 hours. When I was checking out, the store owner said, "You're still here?!" Haha.

Anyway, here are my antique finds!

Now, some of you may be wondering, why a typewriter? I'm not sure myself. But I could not pass it up. I probably spent half of those 3.5 hours circling the store, trying to decide whether or not I should get it. I love writing. When I was little, I used to write at least one poem a day. I would sing songs and write them down, or write in my little diary about my day. I just remember as a child reading and writing a LOT. Reading flourished my imagination, and writing helped put my thoughts out there. It was always easier for me to write what I thought/felt than speak. I want to try to type more of my poems and even possibly write a story this summer using my typewriter. Someone said they rarely got writer's block with a typewriter. I hope so.
It seems in working condition, although, I think I may need a new ink ribbon.

The teacup was a rare find. I try to only get teacups made from England, especially Royal Albert. Sadly, I didn't find the matching saucer, so I am on a hunt for that. It's called "Lady Carlyle" and it was $4.50. I love the details on the cup! So far this is my third teacup. I'll need at least 5 more if I want to host a tea party!


I'll end with a recipe I learned about from one of my favorite shows, Psych. If you have not seen this, you are missing out! It is hilarious and the dynamic between the two main characters is amazing. I finally got my friend to watch this show because we basically do the same thing they do: kill the conversation until there's nothing left. :) It's called Cuatro Queso Dos Fritos. It is twice fried. It has cheese. It quite possibly is bad for you. But it is delicious.
I pretty much followed the recipe here and I took her advice of using panko instead of regular bread crumbs.
I also took the skin off the potatoes; I thought it would have a better texture that way. Oh, and make sure you sprinkle kosher salt on the potatoes before you stuff it with cheese. This step is crucial before you stick your potatoes with toothpicks.

Oh, and make your friends come to you. It doesn't travel well. :)

Now I need to prepare myself for the long haul; 12 more weeks of school. 56 potential school days. Let's see if I make it!