I had no idea that a ladies tea party would be such a wonderful theme to get amazing friends together.  In Consumerism, Ikea, and Tea Cups I share my overwhelming experience shopping for tea cups just for the party.  Although a bit excessive to purchase 18 stackable tea cups, they worked out perfectly as I had about 15 guests.  I am very content having them now since monthly tea parties have been requested from all my friends, and my husband and I have hardly any glasses since they all broke.

Preparing for the party was mainly doing more spring cleaning which I’m still enjoying the results of.  I kept the food simple by creating a salad bar with red leaf lettuce, shredded red cabbage and carrots, raisins, garbanzo beans, and sunflower seeds with a raspberry vinigarette and tahini dressing.  (Sorry I have no pictures of the salad bar since I was still completing it as my guests arrived and completely forgot!)  I also had a table with sliced mango, animal crackers, bread and hummus, vegan blueberry muffins, and vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  I would love to say that I baked the bread, muffins, and cookies myself but they were all store bought.  Friends brought strawberries, vegan banana and zucchini bread, raw cacao and goji berry treats, and melon.  It was an amazing spread not to mention four types of tea.

I purchased biodegradable plates and utensils.  One of my goals this year was to begin composting in our apartment, yet I have much more research to do.  I reused the fancy fabric napkins from my wedding a.k.a cute bandanas which we use everyday instead of paper napkins or paper towels.  Almost all of the food was organically grown and everything was vegan.

I hadn’t seen many of my friends since a few birthday parties in January, and one or two I hadn’t seen since last summer.  We all seem to be on the grind most of the time and traveling so this simple gathering meant a lot to everyone who was able to come.  It was a wonderful feeling to host a party for all the ladies who I’ve shared so many memorable and hilarious moments.

You really don’t need a reason to celebrate.  Plus the balance of work and play is very important for good health, peace of mind, and simply enjoying the present moment!

(Images by Dawn Michelle)

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