Dressed-to-a-Tea.....

"If your tongue trips over 'oolong' and there's no place for your spoon,

If you end up with your cookie on your knee
If dainty conversation leaves you speechless far too soon,
You need some help surviving Ladies' Tea."

From the book, "Afternoon Tea at Pittock Mansion" Quote by Haddyr Leigh

This weeks challenge in Gracious Hospitality's blog-a-thon is Dressed-to-a-Tea. We are to share ideas for dressing up for afternoon tea. Is your favorite tea-time outfit a silk caftan, flannel jammies, or a dress with proper hat and gloves? Do you enjoy wearing tea prints to tea? Or do you prefer something more elegant? Lace and ruffles? A feathered hat? Long pink gloves? Satins and silks? Cotton comfort? Jeans and a t-shirt you say? That's OK - share it all !

Pictures of you in your tea time costume are welcome! But, if you are not brave enough to share a picture of "you", simply share something you think would be FUN to wear to tea. Remember, a tea can be anything from a formal afternoon tea - to tea in the park with a friend. It's whatever it means to you! Just for fun, go here to find out How to Dress for Tea.

I am really a casual tea kind of girl. Most of the teas I host are very intimate gatherings of just close friends and we have a come as you are policy, nothing fancy. I have to say that a typical tea outfit for me would include denim, linen, and lace. I would choose my favorite pair of dark washed jeans from Old Navy. Everybody needs a fabulous fitting pair of jeans and for me it is the flirt! And I would pair them with a favorite gauzy white top with detailing of cotton crochet lace inserts and a row of white pearl buttons, layering it over a white tank top.A casual wedge with sisal detailing would be my shoe of choice.These are borrowed from darling daughter's closet. They have a bit of a summery feel and would grace my feet as pretty raspberry colored polished toes peeped out!If I decided to wear a hat it would be my favorite beach hat left unadorned save its gauze like scarf and jaunty bow.However, if the mood struck me I might add a splash of faded color by pinning on this vintage velvet flower that has aged and mellowed to a very soft peachy pink.

For jewelry I'd simply have to go with pearls, after all, a Southern girl has got to have her pearls! I'd choose the earrings that were a Christmas gift from my husband. I'd wear the ring I got in Hawaii, where we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, with its blue and white pearls and delicate gold plumeria leaves that twine around the tiny pearls, and a necklace I had made in Hawaii from a pearl I dug out of an oyster.

There I'd be, outfitted for a casual and comfortable tea! While I have indeed attended formal teas and dressed and acted appropriately I really do prefer intimate casual gatherings without all the fussy rules of deportment, pinky pointing, and civility of conversation in a well modulated voice. My gal pals and I like to laugh and often it bursts forth with spontaneity and a bit louder than polite society deems proper. AND (insert gasp here!) we actually like to lick the last delectable bite of whatever we happen to be savoring off of our fingers rather than sigh and politely cast away that very last scrumptious taste on our napkins! Sometimes we even exit the tea table, kick off our shoes, and sink down on the sofa or a comfy chair, feet curled up under us as we wile away the afternoon, (with frequent trips back to the table, which is not proper to make a pig of ones self in polite society!), sharing our hearts and lives. We might not have done it right, but, oh, we experienced it well! What would be served at this comfy casual tea? How about Raspberry Tea, either hot or iced garnished with fresh mint served in a cup with a raspberry tint and rings of roses like this one from the Royal Albert collection sold here. This fine bone china cup and saucer has English grace and elegance to its design as well as a sense of timelessness and romantic fantasy. These qualities are reflected through its delicate floral decoration, its feminine colors, and its gentle flowing curves. This is where we would keep our civility in comfy casual tea! The menu would consist of Raspberry Cream Cupcakes, or Lemon Poppyseed Muffins or if you prefer a traditional scone with Raspberry Butter and Chocolate Raspberry Truffles! The picture below is of raspberry muffins, if you prefer you can bake them from a quick mix instead of making the cupcakes and then just make the filling, slicing , filling, and eating them, or slathering them with homemade raspberry butter, yum!

Were I to indulge in a fantasy tea, it would most certainly be held on the shore of the sea. The gown I would choose to wear was designed and sewn by Jaime of elyseREUBEN Coutour Gowns and is pictured below. (Since this is my fantasy tea, I'll take that figure to go right along with the gown!) I love the soft aqua color that is reminiscent of the clear aqua water off the coast of Florida. The filmy frothy over lay of sheer fabric give this simple gown an ethereal quality and would be befitting for any mermaid to leave her enchanted home of the deep and sip and stroll along the edge of the sea for a sunset tea! (Shameless plug here folks, Jaime happens to be my cousin and I am so proud of her work!)

No shoes will be worn with this gossamer gown as sand in your slippers is to unromantic! Only bare feet with pearly pale shell pink painted toes will be present and oh so much more pleasant for strolling in the sand, sipping by the sea, and dipping toes in the briny foam.
As the ocean breeze can get quite cool in the evening, I would take along my favorite wrap to ward off the chill. It is a soft, off white cashmere shawl with a simple fringe on the ends.To keep the shawl fastened against the breeze I would pin it with this vintage floral shaped broach. The broach is studded with the palest of aqua rhinestones that match the color of the gown and sports a large faux pearl center.Like the beautiful young model pictured wearing the gown above, I too will wear my hair up with a few loose trendils curling down. I'd adorn my up swept curls with a mermaid crown by pinning shells and pearls at the base of my gathered curls. Well, let me show you, like this:
(Yes, that is me and my very real hair, please excuse the gray, there is no gray hair in this fantasy!) And, of course, my jewels of choice will once again be pearls!For this tea I would keep it light and airy serving a honey lemon tea from an antique cup and saucer like the one pictured below that I found here.
This unique teacup and saucer has a nautical motif - the saucer is in the shape of a half-shell and the teacup appears to be a shell on the bottom half! The top of the cup is finished with a pretty floral painting and gold edging.

The menu will consist of Fresh Cubed Fruit with Honey and Lemon Dressing, Quick Lemon Crisp Cookies, and a delectable piece of chocolate to finish things off nicely! (OK Pam, I know you are reading this and shaking your head. I know, I don't like chocolate! This is my fantasy tea in this fantasy I like it or at least the sound of consuming it after a spot of tea!)
Honey Lemon Dressing for fresh fruit:
1/4 cup honey to 2 TBS lemon juice per 6 servings
Whisk together ingredients and drizzle over fruit that has been placed in dessert cups.
Garnish with fresh mint if desired.

For Quick Lemon Crisp Cookies, go here. You can also top these cookies with a glaze, which consists of powdered sugar, a bit of milk, and a dash of lemon flavoring. While glaze is still wet, you can garnish the cookies with a tiny bit of fresh grated lemon zest, yum!
I picture myself strolling along the edge of the briny deep swaddled in my shawl, gown swishing around my feet as I glide along sipping my tea and occasionally dipping my toes in the foamy edge. The feel of the sand beneath my feet is cold, wet, and wonderful! My stroll is set the music of the moody sea, lapping waves on the shoreline, an occasional punctuation in the air of the cry of a solitary gull, and the crescendo of waves against the rocks. The crescendo sends up a salty sea spray that glitters at dusk like diamonds dripping and dropping onto the sand. The air is fragranced with salt and brine and breeze that speaks of far away places from which it has traveled. My walk is aimless and my mind and emotions are set free as I drink the vast beauty of the fathomless deep that lies before me and the expanse of sky above me.

I feel very small standing there on the edge of the deep, sandwiched between ocean and sky. My mind fills with the thought that this is where He says he cast my sins, into the depths of the sea, a place I cannot reach, and He remembers them no more. My heart fills with the wonder of it all, the depth of His forgiveness, the bigness of his mercy, and the vastness of His love. I stand there truly feeling like a pearl of great price, His treasure beyond measure, comforted that He is so very big and I am so very small, for I know He is watching over me. The sun has set as I retrace my steps and pack away my fantasy tea. Thank you for joining me!

I realize I bent the rules a bit with this challenge but to be quite honest I found my dressing habits to be a bit boring so I thought you might be distracted from me keeping it real with a few pretty cups and yummy recipes. I did think about taking a field trip to a local vintage clothing store in the old part of downtown and taking photos but time is of the essence this week and a field trip did not fit into my plans nor did scouring the web for the perfect tea outfit. I'm off to see how lovely everyone else is dressed for tea!

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

P.S. For details and to sign up for my 100th post give away go here!