{adult tea parties : way better than when you were a kid!}

just be aware : this post is very foto-heavy! 🙂

hope you had a nice holiday weekend!  welcome september!!

———

so, i had a little tea party with some girlfriends last week… and it was just so charming…

my favourite quote from the day was from my friend mary who said, “i didn’t even know that could happen!”  i also overheard my friend noel say, “this is WAY better than when you were a kid!”

😉

it truly was a magical day! and my camera was there to document the entire event.  the guest of honour?!  my mom :

judi.

a few months ago, while unpacking some storage stuff, i found this beautiful china set – almost completely intact.  as it turns out, it was my mama’s.  i had been keeping it stored with her stuff ever since she passed away.  now 20 years later, i decided to dust if off, sparkle it up, and honour her life by having a party for her on her birthday – august 21st.

she would’ve been 60 years old!

the china was worth having a party alone – just gorgeous!

and so practical, too! how adorable is the teacup plate?!  i can’t handle it… 😉 SO my mom’s style, too!

5 of my soul-sisters joined me at a table set outside of my friend mary’s house, under a perfect blanket of soft clouds, with the warmth of the summer sun just behind it.

although i was celebrating my mom’s birthday and she was sort of the inspiration for the tea party since it was her china, i also felt inspired by some of my girlfriends, by femininity.  i am slowly building a small network of amazing women in my life, and it feels good.  i believe it’s important to use our voices, to support each other, to lift each other up in our power as individual women… especially in today’s world.  i want to women to feel empowered, myself included, and i really feel that was the message my mom wanted me to get, as well… so i was soaking up all that feminine energy all day long!!!

the whole thing was a gift, it was just beautiful…

my mom as a kid – i bet she had tea parties then, too! 🙂

i put a picture on the table to share with some of my friends who had never met her or even seen her pretty face…

everyone contributed!  my friend erin made this outstanding peach/blueberry cake that was OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICIOUS!!!!!

i ate 3 slices! 🙂

just look at this :

– fig and goat cheese tea sandwiches

– cherry tomato, garden basil, mozzarella on a stick

– cucumber cream cheese tea sandwiches w/ some fancy salt on top

cherry almond scones, fresh mixed green salad, fresh black mission figs, gorgeous cherry tomatoes…

along with mimosas, blush wine, and 3 kinds of tea including an iced floral blend with brunch…

a shrine for mama and some fotos i found of her…

the hostess with the mostess – yours truly.

the party wouldn’t have happened without you, mar-bar! 😉

just perfect!

love how her hat did this, right?!

*sssssssip*

my spread…

i was completely enamored… all day!

“the bar”

lookin’ just like my mama here…

feelin’ really proud to be her daughter, too!  love this shot my friend jes captured – how perfect is the composition with my mom’s foto in the background?!  so special.

my girls.  SO MUCH LOVE!  {thanks for capturing the pic, J!}

can’t wait to do it again!!!

Tags: adult tea parties, audrey michelle, blogging, eating, editorial photography, empowering women, empowerment, energy, events, feminine energy, femininity, food and foto, food photography, girl power, life, lifestyle, love, parties, photography, soul sisters, special events, tea, tea parties, women