Tea for 63

In reality, I just get to participate in the fun part of this fundraiser for my local library: The American Girl Spring Tea.

Bev and family plan every detail of the event from the menu to the room decorations and then divies up the cooking duties. I didn't even have to do dishes this year :)  But I did get the fun "job" of serving cookies to little girls and their mothers/aunts/grandmothers. I got to meet their American Girl dollies and see all their smiles and best manners. How fun is that??!!

This year we had record attendance and had to turn away more away for lack of room. I have no idea how many years this tea has been going on but I have a feeling it will continue for some time as it's now family tradition.



Beatrix talks to the bunnies before reading aloud one of her tales
Biggie size the photo to see the veggies in McGregor's garden



This year's theme was a garden party with Beatrix Potter and a Beatrix even came to the party to share a little of her life and creating her book series with the girls (we are all "girls" at heart - aren't we?). After tea and a craft project, all the girls, dolls and parents were invited to have their pictures taken which were then mounted on hand made frames. Mom and I also had our pictures taken with our dolls - mine is Matilda and I've had her since I was 4! Mom has Cora, a porcelain doll named after her great-Aunt Cora who received the doll as a child in the late 1800s.

I'm afraid I don't have a lot of pictures because I was "working" so you'll need to trust me that the cookies, cupcakes, chicken salad on croissant and 3 kinds of tea were perfect for a spring tea. Each place setting has a real porcelain tea cup for punch or tea - all the tea cups were donated years ago from a private collection. 

The grand finale of the tea party are door prizes for everyone. The table behind Beatrix is covered in doll quilts (mine is on the right) and various tea or garden related items. The wall is covered in handmade doll clothes. The grand prize is a new American Girl doll. Any remaining doll clothes are then sold for $10 each - a bargain for the detail that is put in to them.

It was a grand spring day for a tea and I've been drinking my latest tea in my latest antique tea cup all week in commemoration. I really should make some scones...