tea party day!

yay!  bienvenidos a la fiesta!  i'm glad you could make it.  please come in, make yourself comfortable, and enjoy looking around.  there are some name tags on the corner table, feel free to write your name and/or blog name so we can recognize you faster.  next, check out the huge buffet table covered in goodies from around the world, the tea bar brimming with freshly steeped tea in a every flavor imaginable and an array of cups, saucers, and tea pots both old and new.  take your cup of tea and sip it while browsing through the tea-themed gallery or sit down and chat with some of the other guests.

i've already enjoyed my first cup of tea:

i decided to go for a simple, but colorful outfit for the day, including my favorite big red resin beaded necklace.  for the evening portion of the party, i plan to go fancy...in my most comfortable floor length black gown and bright pink candy earrings:

i decided to drink out of my brand new bright orange tea cup and blue-striped saucer but i also brought along my collection of vintage cups and saucers:

 

it looks like some of them have already been used.  i think between all of us we will be able to drink tea all day and never have to reuse a cup!

i also set up some place settings  and flower arrangements for those of you who prefer to sit while you mingle:

my food contributions are sweet, sweet, and more sweet. some yummy fruit tarts, mini-chocolate layer cakes, and for those coming to the tea party in the morning, some just baked chocolate croissants:

and my sister decided to bake us all a cake and bring some pretty moroccan tea glasses:

my mom brought some wonderful tea sandwiches and her famous banana chocolate chip muffins.  i better slow down, i'm already getting a stomach ache!

don't forget to to let me know once you've posted.  i don't want to miss anyone.  and also send my your address for favors.  if you're brave i'd still love to see some photos of you!

i'm off to mingle with all of the other ladies who made it (from australia, bulgaria, canada, denmark, ecuador, england, france, germany, holland, israel, japan, norway, portugal, scotland, and from all over the united states):

julie with her girls and some freshly-picked lemons

louise and her collection of international tea ware

paula sharing little stories and facts and who was smart enought to bring her camera

divine seating and lovely gracia

vanessa brimming with sparkles and lace

an incredibly cute drawing and miss denitsa

whimsical vintage cups and saucer (but no chai!) arrived with tiel

veronica and some argentinean mate

a beautiful watercolor, yorkshire teacakes and sweet lila

britt-arnhild shares stories and golden tea cups

corey and her antique adventures

cute kitties and a rainbow hammock arrived with djbebe

some vintage goodness, coffee, and phyllis

sarah and the cute little waitress, eliza

a tea party picnic with jill

janet in her wellies brings spiced apple tea and wine (i love that we now have wine and coffee to go with the tea!)

ashley in a bathrobe

paula2 with her tea, or is it coffee?, cup and saucer

beautiful roses and a great teapot came with lovely lisa

dear shari brings tom, abigail, fancy tea cups, and more

and abigail brought freesias, in the way only abigail can

lemon ricotta biscuits and peppermint lattes and marsha

alex and her sweet mismatched teapot

sabine and friends and cupcakes

owls and smiles with jillypickle

more cupcakes (one can never have too many!) and donuts arrive with wendy

loonytick brings lady grey tea and cornbread

denise and mmmm...bubble tea

lisa-gabrielle and a whole gaggle of little friends

an animated photo! and tatjana

super busy ellia relaxes with chai

more owly goodness with sarah2

vintage fiestaware came with kristin

vanilla chai and jane

shash brought laughs

genevieve and a lovely white-haired couple

egg salad tea sandwiches came with stephanie s

and black spice chai with gina

taryn drinks tea the persian way

emily likes her tea cups EXTRA large

babelfish wears polka dots

a polaroid catches jerusha's fun

yay! yah brought an extra special cupcake

amisha with stories and darjeeling tea from darjeeling

jordan, my love, shares a poem

pretty drawings from marieke

la vie arty and her orange and almond cake

a beatrix potter cup and bowl are being used by cute nancy

mariyarn and swan-shaped biscuits

anastasia brought polka dot tea (i love polka dots!)

chamomile (manzanilla) tea and stories of childhood with monica

geek+nerd in her pajamas

renee made it just in time

and don't forget christy

tricia just made it

as did tracy

and rebecca

thanks for coming!  be sure to check back as this list will continue to grow! (from now on new guests will be added to the bottom of the list to make it easier for those of you who are coming and going.)

Comments

[julie]

hello gorgeous, you look wonderful - in both outfits - and what a spread!!!
Thank you so much for the invitation..and your vintage collection is absolutely AMAZING!!! I couldnt pick a better host for this lovely tea party! xxx

[phyllis]

How embarrassing, I'm always one of the first people at a party...and I don't like my outfit. But everything here looks yummy! I want to send you a thank you note but can't get your email address to pop up so I'll need it later.

[Tiel S-K]

It is perfect. Perfect host and perfect setting.

you have created a lovely day and I am so glad that I have been able to be apart of it.

Love that resin necklace!

Thank you for having me.

[willzmom]

Wow, I came to the party kind of late. If I had known about the party earlier I would have had my hair and nails done. I love the tea cups, and the food looks delicious. What a sweet idea.

[tongue in cheek]

Thank you for hosting such a fun and creative tea time! Around the world in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea!
You are a doll, and the way your eyes sparkle, like I said a doll!!

Thank you for such fun!!

[sarah]

i wasn't quite sure how this was going to work, but it is soooo fabulous. thank you so much for organising it and making such a big effort; you look beautiful!

[constance]

Thanks for the invitation via Corey. I immediately dressed for the occasion in my favorite hat, and new pink and brown gloves that I received for Christmas. Nice guests at your party. A splendid way to spend a Friday morning! Such fun.

[blair]

Look at how adorable you are Risa! What a fabulous idea. With my sick daughter, I'm not so sure I can pull my tea post together (I'll let you know if I do), but looks like you're in lovely company already. Enjoy!

[ashley g]

This is going to be the most fun I have all week! Everyone looks fantastic :) Great great great idea!!

[ambika]

Tho I'm not a tea party participant, I just have to say I love that red necklace. The size of the beads is magnificent.

[Veronica TM]

You look so cute, Risa! What a wonderful party! Thank you again for the invitation, so much fun! Kisses to the best hostess.

[paula]

What a great party. I hope you'll all visit my little tea room. I put out my best china just for you !

[loonytick]

Here I am! The bad day blues almost kept me away, but I made it after all and it turned out to be the perfect pick me up. Thanks so much for hosting it!

[Sarah]

Hi there! - Here's what a Ditz I am seriously, I forgot about the whole time difference thing so I checked your blog earlier and thought...hmmm no tea party? what's going on...?and then, as Im about to leave work for the day, there you are!! :-) Anyway, just wanted to say hi- I am new to blog land but I came across your page yesterday and loved it. And i think the tea party is a really cute idea. Does a glass of wine in the pub later count as joining in....or is it an alcohol free party? ;-)Have a great day
Ditz xx

[Vanessa]

You are gorgeous my dear. My My, what hospitality...Oh delightful I do say. just delightful...

[wendy]

I so love the fancy outfit!!!
I brought some sweet treats
http://girlingreen.com/lists-life/risas-tea-party/

[amisha]

this is so lovely... what a beautiful spread! and you look very cute with the big orange mug :)

[jillypickle]

hey, i recognize that cupcake cake! becky's the bomb. and you look tooooooo flippin' cute in these pics! wish i were having tea with you in the non-virtual world...

xoxo

[shari]

hi risa!

what a smashing tea party this is!! love both of your outfits. you are the cutest. thanks so much for hosting the party! i've been so excited about visiting everyone today. xoxo shari ps: where's jordan? i hope he will pop in to say hello!

[Briana]

You are so lovely and gorgeous and fabulous... I can't stand it!

Drinking chamomile (sans camera) in Santa Fe and think of you (all).

mwah!

[sabine Brandt]

Hi Risa,
We just arrived, so good to be around good friends in blogland. Looks like you all having a good time, lots of good cakes and tea.

Peace Sabine

[Angelique]

Excellent! A few of my customers e-mailed me about your virtual tea party. I raise my cup and pinky to all of you!

[Alex]

Thank you so much for the invitation, Risa, what a lovely way to get together!

[Abigail]

Hello Risa! Thank you for organising such a wondeful Party!...you look gorgeous in your photo's - love your cup!!

Shari invited me along to the party too - and we are having a lovely time ;)

http://abigailpercy.blogspot.com/2007/01/time-for-tea.html

..happy weekend! xox

[Denise]

I love all the vintage tea cups. Oh and the table looks beautiful and so does all the wonderful tea treats...