Blog Posts - My English Tea Party

Baby Shower Tea Party for a Boy

1/12/2015

I just received the pictures from a client who rented My English Tea Party's vintage crockery for a baby shower tea party, for a boy. Her color palette was comprised of different tones of blue with a splash of light green, deep red and pinks. It turned out to be a lovely combination!

Also notice the charming baby clothes hanging line in the pictures. It is such an easy way to decorate a baby shower tea party. To complement these pictures, I took the freedom to add three other DIY ideas for baby shower tea parties:

Invitations: For a vintage look, line your envelopes with paper doilies.
Decor: Hang a cheap white umbrella with paper water drops above the presents table.
Party favors: Chocolate dipped spoons! Mismatched spoons, no matter their size, is exactly what you want.

Altogether, they can make a big impression with very little time, money and expert skills. View everything below.

My English Tea Party's Rental Info

A Wedding Show for Indie-Minded Couples Seeking a More Personal, Alternative, Off-beat Wedding Experience

1/12/2015

My English Tea Party has been invited to join this very cool wedding show, in San Francisco!

Date: Sunday, January 25th 2015
Time: 12 - 4 pm
Place: General's Residence in Fort Mason (1 Fort Mason, SF CA 94123)

Come for a viewing of some of the vintage china available to couples, and to chat about alternative ways in which you can incorporate a tea theme into your wedding experience. Hint: some couples use vintage teapots as their flower center pieces and teacups to serve cocktails while they get their solo pictures taken. You can also use vintage teacups as a stylish way to serve an appetizer cream at the reception.

Because Toasted is not your traditional wedding event, besides us, you will find other fresh and crafty vendors from the area, yummy food and tastings, musical performances to keep the party going, and a judgement free atmosphere welcoming couples of all kinds.

And Come Early for Tea & Scones

My English Tea Party will host Welcome Tea & Scones Station during the first hour of the event, so come early to get a taste of what a tea party themed wedding can look like, and to catch us first!

Buy Your TicketS Here

View some favorite My English Tea Party Weddings, and get other bridal tea ideas.

A Bridal Shower Tea Party that is Beautiful and Easy to Plan

1/7/2015

Wether you are looking to create a casual bridal shower for a friend, or a more elegant afternoon tea with your mom and aunties, you will find inspiration in this garden bridal shower tea party - and it is so easy to plan. I promise.

This tablescape is the result of a collaboration with two other San Francisco Bay Area party professionals, and the party favors and decor website beau-coup. Our goal was to create a bridal shower tea party with vintage romance, and a rustic but very feminine appeal. We also wanted to create a party that was simple to orchestrate on your own. I personally think we did it!

View More of this Bridal Shower Tea Party

How to Achieve this Look

You can easily achieve this look anytime by:

Renting the vintage crocker and cutlery from My English Tea Party. We have tea party packages suitable for 8, 14, 20 and 30 guests. They include everything you need, so you don't have to think about it.
Ordering your flowers online at OneClickFlower.
Getting myriad pretty party favors from beau-coup.com.

And everything will be delivered to your door or event venue for you!

Of course, I can't finish this post without recommending Natalie from Funny Bunny Photo, who captured this bridal shower tea party with so much taste.

A Simple and Practical Tea & Coffee Wedding Reception

1/6/2015

I met Liesl and Patrick the day before their wedding. They came by to pick up the crockery for their reception. It was a quick exchange as Liesl and I had agreed on the final count weeks before. At this point, I knew very little about their wedding - just that it seemed like a simple and practical wedding reception, at a park with their closest friends and family.

I kindly asked them to share some pictures, but never imagined how happy they would make me! The simplicity, authenticity and happiness in them was truly palpable. Besides, it is always a treat to see My English Tea Party's crockery shine, and be used to celebrate love.

Scroll down to view the pictures, and don't miss Liesl's description of their ceremony, and their donuts, tea & coffee wedding reception!

We held a small ceremony in the Tilden Park Botanical garden. We had a Quaker style ceremony so no one officiated --we married each other. Our guests all gathered on a lawn area surrounded by birch trees, next to a pond. We stood up and explained how the ceremony would work and then opened it up for people to speak if they felt moved to share about marriage, love, about us as individuals or as a couple, etc. Then we exchanged vows and rings and signed a wedding certificate we had hand painted for the ceremony, and then our guests signed the certificate too, as a means of consecrating the marriage --by witnessing and signing, they were pledging to help protect and support our marriage as our community.

Then we all went up the hill to a picnic area for our donuts, tea and coffee reception where the rest of our guests were waiting for us! We had rented big silver samovars to hold the hot water and coffee, and our friends gathered early to set everything up for us. Finally, Fist of Flour Pizza came and served wood fired pizzas and an accordionist came and played David Bowie, Aretha Franklin, The Clash... It was a lovely day!

Liesl and Patrick are from Oakland, CA. Most of their wedding photos showcased here are by Brett Antony Photography (gougeaway@mac.com).

Vintage Tea Party Engagement PHotos

1/6/2015

I stumbled upon a tea party inspired engagement photo session and was excited to see how versatile this theme is - and it is not overly done! I find it works extremely well for shabby-chic brides-to-be, romantic couples that want to capture their excitement and love with a casual photo shoot, or for those who want the ultimate whimsical engagement keepsakes.

If you are looking for ideas for you, or think this will be a good theme for a friend, check out the pictures below. A vintage tea party engagement photo session will be perfect outdoors or indoors, and the props allow for tons of fun, and creativity.

My English Tea Party has vintage crockery and tea party accessories for hire that can make your pictures the more perfect! Simply fill out this form to request a custom order.

Click on the images to view more of each couple.

Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Photo by April + Paul Photography.

Stellenbosch, South Africa. Photo by Photo-Art by Leandi.

Marin Headlands, California. Photo by Simply Bloom Photography.

Southill, Bedfordshire. Photo by Victoria Mitchell Photography.

Photo by Three Nails Photography.

3 Simple Detox Teas to Begin the New Year

1/5/2015

The year-end holidays are officially over and I am feeling a little sluggish. If you are too, I have researched these detox teas to hit the reset button, burn some fat and help maintain a healthy balance.

Our bodies have processed more than a few extra calories after all that holiday food... In retrospect, the extra drinks at the office party or the cookie party turned one more cocktail-night-out-with-friends probably didn't help. In any case, these three simple detox teas will help you kick start your year with more health, and go back to feeling like your usual (or better) self.

Prepare and drink as much as you want for as long as you want while keeping a balanced diet.

Herbal Detox Tea to Hit the Reset Button

This herbal blend will tackle different parts of your system, allowing it to restore itself naturally. It is said to be great for anyone who has never done any type of detox, or has not done one in a long time.

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp Peppermint
1/2 tsp Alfalfa Leaf
1/2 tsp Stinging Nettle
1/2 tsp Eucalyptus
1 cup Purified water

Go to your local herbal shop or buy online. The herbs might come in different shapes and sizes. Don't worry about it; if too big, just shop them with a knife, boil them in water for 3 to 5 minutes and use a mesh or strainer when you pour into your cup.

Cinnamon & Lemon Detox Tea to Help Burn Fat

This recipe can't be any simpler. Combine with exercise to shed that extra average 2 pounds we tend to gain during the holidays.

Ingredients:
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 wedge Organic Lemon
1 cup Purified Water

Boil the water and add it to the cinnamon. Stir until the cinnamon is dissolved and squeeze the lemon into the tea.

Everyday Detox Green Tea

Drinking green tea everyday is one of the healthiest things you can do. Green tea is full of antioxidants that detox your body, and it can help you maintain a healthy body weight.

Ingredients:
1 cup Green Tea
1 slice Organic Lemon
1 tsp Raw Organic Honey

Adding raw honey gives you powerful digestive enzymes, and the lemon boosts your immune system with vitamin C.

Using Mismatched, Vintage Teacups as Herbs, Flowers and Succulence Planters

12/23/2014

I own a lot of orchids for living in a small San Francisco apartment, but I manage to keep them happy (and contained) in the sunroom attached to the back of the house. Today, I was wishing they were smaller so that I could plant a few of them in some beautiful vintage teacups that have sadly chipped or developed a bit too much crazing.

If you have small plants in the house or would like to start your own indoor herbs garden, plant them inside those mismatched teacups that you still like but don't want to just throw away. You will continue to admire them and enjoy them in a whole new way. It is also an easy DIY project you can do with friends who are crafty and into up-cycling.

Use vintage teacups to plant succulences and bulb flowers like small tulips, narcissus and hyacinths. They make great party favors too!

And if you are still looking for a nice and thoughtful holiday gift for someone, you can accompany your teacup plant with a tea party package gift certificate from My English Tea Party!

View what the tea party packages include, and solicit the gift certificate for the size party you want.

What to Serve for a Hanukkah Tea Party Your Kids (and You) Will Love

12/11/2014

We think Hanukkah is a great holiday that lends itself for happy, family high-tea! A Hanukkah tea party is also a perfect setting if you want to invite some friends or neighbors over for the lighting of the candles, and offer them a nice treat.

Here is a sample Hanukkah tea party menu that replaces classic tea party specialties, for the traditional favorite foods that come with the Jewish celebration:

For finger sandwiches, combine the classic lox tea sandwiches with hummus sandwiches, and carrots & raisins sandwiches.
Replace the scones with small potato and sweet potato latkes. Serve them with the traditional sour cream and apple or cranberry sauce, instead of clotted cream and jam.
For sweets, we suggest raspberry chocolate rugalach, shortbread or butter cookies decorated with blue frosting, Hanukkah sufganiyot, and of course, chocolate gelt (or Hanukkah money).

And, enjoy!

Two additional tips:

When having a tea party during Chanukah, we recommend that you light the menorah at sunset, prior to the evening prayers, following the custom of the Vilna Gaon.
View our Hanukkah Tea Party Pinterest board for decoration ideas and inspiration.

Alcoholic Iced Tea from the Shelf? Genius tea innovation from Melbourne, Australia

12/11/2014

Trumpeters is a Melbourne based beverage company at the forefront of tea innovation. They are brewing alcoholic tea using high grown organic tea leaves from Sri Lanka, and then adding a layer of refreshment with gentle carbonation. The result is an extremely versatile drink, and genius!

We think it pairs great with Japanese food, any mexican dish by a playa, even your favorite dive bar food.

Trumpeters is also gluten free and suitable for vegan diets, so why don't we have it yet in the Bay Area? Our guess is that it is just a matter of time.

While we get our hands on a bottle (two, or three...), check out how this tea innovation is inspired and rooted in New Orleans during the prohibition days. It is quite interesting!

English inspired Afternoon Tea at the "Top of the Mark" - Sponsored by My English Tea Party

12/8/2014

Last month, My English Tea Party was invited to co-sponsor an afternoon tea party for San Francisco Wedding Planners at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins. From the decor to the crockery, to the food, everything about the event was English inspired and sophisticated! To add to the merriment, the event also included bubbles, and star whiskey for some good old hot toddies.

Here are pictures to inspire your own afternoon tea party event - we particularly loved the flowers created by Chelsea Bowman from Chelsea Events & Floral Design, and the fun touch of on-demand custom poems by Silvi Alcivar from The Poetry Store.

My English Tea Party has vintage crockery and cutlery for hire as packages for afternoon teas and high teas. They include everything you need for a classic and elegant event, so that you just have to get some pastries, and focus on what you do best: having a wicked time with your friends and family!

Additional credits:

Catering and staging: Top of the Mark and Intercontinental Mark Hopkins in-house Wedding Planner.
Rentals: Napa Valley Linens and Hartmann Studios.
Photography: Brian MacStay Photography.

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Hello!

My name is Liliana Peliks, I live in San Francisco with my husband, our daughter and my imaginary (and very well behaved) cocker spaniel who has tea with us every afternoon.

I am also the owner and lead joy maker at My English Tea Party.

Thank you for reading!

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