Tea Party Baby Shower.

Sorry for the brief absence on the blog, my time last week was fully absorbed in planning a baby shower for my friend Michelle. I was inspired by the quirky garden tea party in movie Alice in Wonderland. I wanted to recreate something just as whimsical and fun in my own backyard.

From the tents to the lanterns, to the dessert plates and cake stands, most everything I either had, or borrowed. The mismatched theme worked perfectly.

I had lots of help from Susanne who came armed with additional teacups, décor and the most beautiful gold flatware I had ever seen. Sisters Jennifer and Anne tapped into their endless supply of creativity by stringing paper lanterns on the tents and around the yard.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw Chelsea’s greenhouse picnic post on her blog, {frolic!}, and was so inspired. The fresh, green, outdoor theme wasn’t the only thing that caught my eye. Oh, the delicious food!

I decided to create my own rendition of English Cucumber Sandwiches. I used a goat cheese herb spread and Rosemary Olive Oil Bread. (Recipes for all food to be posted this week.)

We snacked on Almond Scones with homemade strawberry jam (which were also used as favors).

Indulged with mini Vanilla Cupcakes with fresh Strawberry Frosting:

Instead of tea, I used Chocolate Pot de Creme in the tea cups. Who wants a hot drink when you can eat chocolate instead? My husband helped make this rich, decedent dessert. Not only did he help me with the food, my sweet husband also lent a hand in set up (and of course, all these lovely, lovely photos).

Another friend, Myleka, arranged adorable pink and yellow flowers (all from my yard!) into glass jars and bottles of different sizes. Her delicate bouquets made me see the bounty of my garden in a different light. We didn’t spend a dime on the flowers.

Last but not least, was our activity. Instead of the usual baby shower games, I wanted to get a little crafty. The talented Cindy Ferguson taught us about the delicate art of paper-cutting and we each did our own little Alice in Wonderland Scherenschnitte.

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