Tag Archives: china

How to Decorate for a Fiji Inspired Tea Party

Posted on by

Pamper your girlfriends with a Fiji Vacation inspired Tea Party complete with exotic fruit teas, pomegranate and bird of paradise centerpieces, spicy curry wraps, banana scones and a relaxing foot massage.

A Fiji Vacation Tea Party should be evocative of soft breezes, large nodding flowers and the sweet formal politeness of tea service at an ocean side hotel. Remember that Fiji was a British colony for years, so it is time to get out your most formal china, crispest white tablecloths and finely crafted silver. You will be contrasting the prim and proper with exotic curries, grass mats and sheer netting thrown over a cabana.

This type of tea party is best thrown out doors in the middle of the summer when the heat is reminiscent of the sensual weather of the South Pacific. A canopy erected in the back yard and draped with filmy mosquito netting and bright batik fabrics (in crimson, orange and dark blue) serves nicely as a make shift cabana. Throw some silk pillows on some grass mats in a corner of the cabana to encourage your guests to take of their shoes and relax.

To make them feel special, hire a manicurist to do their nails or toe nails or even better yet hire one of your kids to give each guest a foot massage. Imagine their delight when they open an invitation that includes a foot massage on the menu. The invitation could read “Free Your Mind and Soul At My Fiji Vacation Tea Party.” Or “You Are Invited to Vacation For An Afternoon At My Fiji Tea Party.” Also ask all of your guests to wear white to get into the Colonial spirit of the party.

Of course no Menu for a Fiji Tea Party would be complete without a generous selection of finger foods as the indigenous populations of Fiji eat with their hands. This menu for your Fiji Vacation Tea Party is based on authentic Fiji dishes and colonial twists on sweet on such Fiji food staples as potatoes, coconut, pineapple cassava, tapioca, shrimp and goat.

Burning coconut or pineapple incense would bring a nice ambience to the atmosphere as would music featuring Hawaiian guitars or soothing New Age music that features ocean waves on the sound track. Another nice touch would be to present each guest with an orchid or other exotic flower to tuck behind their ear as a party favor. A parting gift could be a little bottle of coconut or crème de cacao lotion from the Body Shop or sticks of coconut incense. After the sun goes down, freestanding bamboo lamps to add to the ambience.

How to Decorate for a Sweet 16 Victorian Party

Posted on by

The ideal number of girls to invite to a Sweet 16 Tea Party is of course 16. There are tons of Sweet Sixteen party ideas out there, but the classic tea party is probably the most romantic and also the most intimate. The format for this party is based on a proper Victorian tea party with lots of angels, fairies and cherubs as themes. If you want this party to have a bit of a dramatic edge you can ask your guests to wear “Angel’s Wings.”

Another idea would be to ask each girl to wear a tiara and phrase the Sweet Sixteen Invitation as “Have Tea With The Queen of Sweet Sixteen.” Otherwise you could phrase your Sweet Sixteen invitation like this “You are invited to My Sweet Sixteen Party. Dress: Big Hats, Victorian Dresses, White. Gloves.”

Also on your Sweet Sixteen invitation you will want to include the Menu, which is modeled after a proper British tea.Of all of the Sweet Sixteen Tea Party ideas, the Victorian inspired party is one of the easiest to realize. Using lace tablecloths with pink or floral linens and china can easily achieve the prim and look of the Victorian era. The china can be pure white, but a floral china or silver tea set suits this party perfectly. Botanical illustrations of flowers, dragonflies and bees are also symbols of the Victorian era. For each guest, you will need a teacup and saucer, dessert plate, silverware, napkin and placemat (a lace doily would be an elegant touch.)

As this party is going to include a lot of finger foods, make sure you have lots of platters, lazy susans and three tiered platters upon which you will serve your tea sandwiches and little cakes. A serving cart also lends a genteel quality to the scene.

This is also a good occasion to make use of any crystal that you have such as ornate crystal sugar bowls or platters. You can also dangle crystals in the windows and angel or fairy shaped placards from chandeliers and balustrades. To create even more atmosphere, filter any light coming through the windows by hanging sheer curtains and play music by the favorite composers of the Victorian which included Mendelssohn and Strauss.

As far as flowers go, the more old fashioned the better. Pink and white roses are a good choice as well as African violets, peonies and bleeding hearts. English Ivy (fake or real) can be entwined around balustrades and around the edges of the ceiling. In fact a small potted African violet or a pot of English Ivy is the perfect party favor for these girls to take home. You could also put a packet of seeds for growing herbs in their pockets as they leave. A particularly elegant gift would be a small ornate picture frame with your daughter’s picture in it.