Time for a Tea Party

I love a good tea party. Ever since I was young, this was always what I wanted to do for my birthday. Rent a room out for a disco? No thanks. A cinema trip and a McDonalds? No again. I loved having people round for tea and cake, nothing has changed there. Any excuse for afternoon tea and I am all over it! I threw a little tea party recently; trying to make the most of the last of this weather, and had a lot of fun.

With GBBO hitting our TV screens recently, it inspired me to get a little gathering together and host a little tea party with a few sweet treats. I could have probably made some cakes myself but I was strapped for time. If I get some more free time next time I will definitely be getting my bake on and hoping my guests love whatever crazy concoction I make! (on second thoughts, maybe I should stick to buying them).

I absolutely love the beautiful party ware from Talking Tables. With a mix of products from two of their ranges; Truly Alice and Truly Scrumptious, they perfectly fit my tea party theme. Everything is such good quality and I'm so impressed with it all; in particular, the bunting and garland - so cute.

I can't decide which bunting is cuter - the lampshade garland or the floral fabric bunting?

How gorgeous are these paper cups and straws?! The pretty napkins are almost too cute to use, just look at the detail on them.

The BEST cake of them all. Coffee cake!

I love these cute Party Picks, they would be great for canapes.

These Cake domes make a perfect addition to any tea party, I just popped in some mini chocolate short bread bites in these but you could put pretty much anything little in these to make them look like a great showstopper at the table! They could even make great little gifts or favours.



Are you looking for cute partyware for a wedding, party or get together? I can't praise Talking Tables enough; they have a huge selection of products to choose from and something to suit pretty much any theme.

*includes PR samples*

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

Hi everyone, so it now less than two Weeks until Christmas, hasn't that crept up on us?

Every Year since I started writing my blog, I have written festive blog posts and gift guides but this Year I haven't had the time to share many Christmas blog posts apart from my previous gift guide which you can view here. I really wanted to write down some recipes and lifestyle posts, but for now I have my second and final gift guide sharing just three last minute gift ideas which I think would make great stand alone presents or stocking fillers. 

For the tea lover in your life, why not gift them a lovely My Tea Time* box. It includes everything they may need for that special cup of tea; four of their latest tea blends, self-fill teabags and a little brewing guide which explains everything they need to know. I was actually lucky enough to receive this from a blogger event, and I loved the concept so much I wanted to share it in a post because I think this makes a really special gift. 

For a skin care fanatic, the Docteur Renaud My Glowing Complexion Kit* may be just up their street. It includes their raspberry cleansing water, apple anti-tiredness eye care, and carrot anti-pollution radiance cream. Little gift sets like this are a great way to introduce someone to a new brand. I have used products from the brand before and can say only great things! 

The last little gift idea comes in the form of this adorable gingerbread man bath bomb, which I picked up from the pound shop of all places - you really can find some hidden gems in there! I think this would be great paired with another gift as a secret santa present or stocking filler. 

*includes PR samples*

Themed Afternoon Teas in the UK

Themed afternoon teas in the UK

Hey everyone – Georgina here from Georgina Does. Lovely Zoe Has given me a guest posting spot here on her blog today so I thought I’d talk about something I love – Afternoon teas around the UK. A few I have been to myself, mostly in London but whenever I go on a trip in the UK the first thing I do is search out their best or most exciting afternoon tea.

The Afternoon Tea Tour Bus – London

This one is a little different to the others. You still have all lovely sandwiches and savouries, the scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, lots of delicious cakes and of course your choice of teas. But the difference is, you eat this afternoon tea whilst riding around London on a double decker, red tour bus.

It’s certainly an experience and you get to see all the important parts of London although all the movement of the bus makes pouring some milk into your tea, pretty stressful. Indulging is such rich foods, while gulping everything down to avoid it falling onto the floor could all add to the fun, but if you don’t have a strong stomach you should try to be careful as you might end up with indigestion. Be sure to take some Gaviscon with you, just in case!

Bettys – York

Bettys was founded by Frederick Belmont, a Swiss baker and confectioner who came to England in search of opportunities. He opened the first café in 1919 and since there five more have opened! They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner but are very well known for their afternoon tea which is why they have made this list! It’s a great place for traditional afternoon tea with the usual smoked salmon, egg and cress sandwiches etc followed by a warm scone and some delicious cakes. With each of the six Café having their own shop filled with tasty cakes so you can even take some home with you! Opt for pink champagne to add to the indulgence.

Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea – The Sanderson, London

This is a normal, sit down afternoon tea but again, it is totally different from all the others. Obviously themed around the mad hatter’s afternoon tea from Alice in Wonderland. You are served green and orange bread for your sandwiches. There is a delicious little bottle saying “drink me” and as you sip away you can taste the flavours change. But that’s all I’m giving away! There are lots of surprises to be had! Be sure to have a wander around the Sanderson hotel as well – it’s amazing.

Chocolate Afternoon Tea – Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire

Set out with beautiful views this afternoon tea is served in the Stoke park country club, hotel and spa. Similar to the usual afternoon tea but this one includes a selection of homemade Chocolate Cakes and Pastries as well as chocolate chip scones and Stoke Park's Ultimate Hot Chocolate. It’s a chocolate lovers dream!

Where is your favourite afternoon tea?