alice in wonderland basket

I was commissioned to make a gift basket for one of the teachers at my daughter's school who recently had a death in her family.  I was asked to incorporate tea, wine, and flowers- all of her favorite things.  I found inspiration from the mother/daughter "Alice in Wonderland" themed tea party that the teachers had organized at school last week.  I found an over sized b&w tea cup with a picture of Alice on it and put a red rose plant inside.  I tucked in a silver spoon (garden marker) with "rose garden" stamped on it.  After some searching I was able to find a bottle of wine from CA that had a "queen of hearts" label.  Since they don't sell it here in Connecticut. I had to have it shipped. I think it was worth it!  I wrapped some ginger peach tea and chocolate biscotti and added tags that read "drink me" and "eat me."  I also put some tiny stuffed mice in for her "Cheshire cat."  To finish it off I stuck in a pink flamingo and wrapped it all in cellophane.  I attached a card in the shape of a crown and wrote "queen of" and inside the word "our" and four red hearts representing the four people who were giving this basket to their friend. This was a very fun basket to make and I hope that it brought some comfort to the recipient knowing that she is the queen of all of our hearts.

queen of our hearts

This is the gift I am giving my mom today. Since we are having tea together I got her a tea cup and filled it with some fun items representing why she is so special.
The tea cup is for her warmth.
The tiny box of tissues for her strength (and also because every time you sneeze at her house she jumps up and grabs a box of tissues for you)!
The bag of candy for her sweetness. (three muskateers, to be exact, since she helps me with my three muskateers)
Some notecards for her thoughtfulness and  because she writes the BEST thank you notes.
And a heart tea strainer becaue she is the queen of our hearts!

tea with the queen

After reading this book and watching the Royal Wedding a few days ago I felt it only appropriate to plan a Royal Tea Party for my mom (our queen) for Mother's Day.   I decided we needed a fancy invitation for such an occasion so I headed to Michaels to see what I could find.  I bought white cards in the shape of a crown and the small purple crown clips.  My daughter helped me add some fancy glitter to the invitation and we put it in a box to make it extra special.  I made reservations for high tea for Sunday and am already looking forward to it!  Stay tuned for her tea themed gift which I will share later in the week.  Do you have anything fun planned for Mother's Day?

Happy St. Pat-TEA's Day!

If you have been following my blog for a while you know that my husband comes from Ireland.  He is the real deal, "right off the boat" as they say.  So every year I try and make St. Patrick's Day extra special for him and our children.  Last year we gave out Irish Coffee and this is what I came up with for this year, a bag of Irish Breakfast Tea and a Bailey's flavored sugar cookie that I purchased at a local bakery.  I made a little homemade tag for the tea with the message: "Happy St. Pat-TEA's Day" and put it in a glassine envelope. I got the inspiration and wording from here.  Thanks, Alexis!

"tea"rrific teacher

The teachers from my daughter's school threw a mother/child tea party last week. To thank them for all of their effort I made them these petite sugar cookies. I have had these tea themed cookie cutters for ages and have always wanted to use them for something. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. I originally made five cookies- the spoon, teapot, cup, cream pitcher and sugar bowl- but, then couldn't figure out a way to package all of them in a cute way. So, I used these three cookies and put them in a clear pillow box with purple shred and polka dot ribbon. I attached a tag that said "I think you are a "tea"rrific teacher!" This would also make a darling favor for a tea party or a fun gift idea for teacher appreciation week.

tea time

(photo courtesy of the Shelbourne Dublin)
If you have ever been to someones house in Ireland I am confident that you were offered a cup of tea. And, even if you said no, they would have told you "oh go on" until you politely obliged. Tea is a major part of the Irish culture. The kettle is always on and Irish people definitely have a favorite type. My husband will only drink Barry's, preferably from the red box. Whenever I am in Dublin I love to go to the Shelbourne for high tea, located right on St. Stephens Green. My 5 sister-in-law's brought me there for the first time eight years ago and I have been hooked ever since. My husband and I even considered having our wedding reception there but decided the country was a better fit for the style and feel we wanted. But, I did have my bridesmaids tea there before our wedding! I hope that if you ever have a chance to visit Dublin, Ireland that you will stop by the Shelbourne for an afternoon cup of tea and that you will love it as much as I do.

Below is a description of the tea room from the hotel's website, which can be found here:

Lord Mayor's Lounge
"Timeless elegance in a luxurious setting, the lounge offers the perfect opportunity for quiet discussions and deep thoughts, all enjoyed around the aroma of the freshest whole leaf tea. Famous for serving Dublin's only true Afternoon Tea experience. "


Doesn't that sound inviting? I have not been back since The Shelbourne was bought by Marriott, but I am heading to Ireland in May and will certainly have to make a stop there to check it out.