A Mad Tea Party 2011

Greetings to you, My Dear Friends of The Tearoom,
Can you believe it has been a year since we met at the last Mad Tea Party? It is so wonderful to be here with you again, my dear friends (and ones I have not yet met).

Today's party is inspired in part by a tiny visitor we had a few nights ago. I walked past my studio late at night and there in the dark was a blinking chartreuse-colored light in the corner. I had to look at it for a minute to understand what it was and then I realized! A firefly had somehow come inside and was lighting up the room with his tiny light! It was very late and I was hoping he would find his way back out the way he came in (but didn't really expect he would). I looked for him the next day and didn't find him. But the next night, Dear Mr. V told me the little lightning bug was in the bathroom! I scurried upstairs, captured him and set him free outside (the insect, not Mr. V!!)! Whew! Luckily, the clever little thing had gotten into a house which is inhabited by card-carrying members of The Friends of Fireflies Foundation!!! (Is there really such an organization? I would join if there was, you know!)

So, with much twinkling and not much more ado, please join me on an adventure! And it will only cost you a nickel and a piece of lint from your pocket! Oh! And you did wear your gossamer wings, didn't you? You didn't? No worries! I keep extra sets in the closet just for such an occasion for folks who do not normally travel with an item such as this!

First, we must stop and get a drink. Here's where you must spend the nickel I gave you!

Now, quickly, please drink up! We must be very tiny to get where we are going!

Now, please look in your pocket! That wasn't a piece of lint after all, but a ticket for tonight's festivities!! Now that you are smaller, you can read it!


Right this way, please!


Have you ever been to one of the beautiful old classic movie theatres, the ones that seem to just have velvet everywhere? Tonight, we will be viewing a film, the first "Alice in Wonderland" movie, filmed in 1903!!! It is showing in a place with velvet everywhere too, the black velvet of night! It is a small bit of beauty and decadence, located in a remote corner of the garden and it even has a beautiful, glittering chandelier, suspended from the stars above by a spider web! While we are watching, we will be nesting inside the chandelier for the best, most twinkliest view and the most decadent place in which to have our tea-picnic! Isn't it just too exciting!!

Our dear friend Mademoiselle Violette Plantagenet is here to greet us! Now, spread your wings and up, up, up we go, into the chandelier!

Go ahead and make yourself comfy! Here is a nest I have made of old maps, a pretty cushion with a picture of Alice herself on it (Doesn't it smell so nice? I love lavender, don't you?). Now, please allow me to fill your thimble-cup with fairy-mint tea and please take a bottlecap-plate of treats for yourself. Mademoiselle Violette helped me to gather all that I needed today and she herself has picked the violet petals and wild strawberries, just for you! All comfy now?

Princess Sugar Verbena is welcoming us to the movie and tea party! Isn't she just the dearest thing? I do so admire the way she has her own practical style! Pink and frilly is just fine for some, but doesn't she look so smart in black? It's my favorite summer-time color, how about you? And really, her crown of cream is the envy of all here! Always an appropriate choice for tea! Royalty-watching is so much fun in this tiny world!

The movie is about to begin! I do think you will enjoy it!

Wasn't it just pure enchantment??

And now, for the surprise, if you will only just leave a comment, I will add your name to the giveaway! On July 1, I will draw a winner's name from the teapot. And what will you win? Why, the very pillow on which you reclined at tea and a matching gift tag! It is a pretty sachet, handmade by the dear ladies of The 5 Dollar French Market on Etsy! It has such a pretty picture of Our Dear Alice on it, with a bit of twinkly glitter in her hair! It is filled with beautiful lavender and it just smells so nice! The ladies who run this shop are so nice and make such nice things and they only cost $5 each!! I would like to thank them for the use of their photo!


Thanks also go to all the talented people who make the collage sheets that I have used in this post:
Hollie Haradon of Holliewood Studios@Deviant Scrap
Marsha of Tumblefish Studios@Deviant Scrap
Kirsi of Itkupilli
Karen of The Graphics Fairy
Kathy of KF Collection
Mark of Memories Emporium

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win the Alice lavender sachet and gift tag! And thank you so much for visiting my party today! Please take a minute to visit Vanessa, our hostess, at her party at A Fanciful Twist and the other participants as well!

Welcome!

(A Mad Tea Party With Books)

The love of learning,
the sequestered nooks,
all the sweet serenity of books.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
Welcome to my Mad Tea Party and please go to A Fanciful Twist to see the lovely party Mademoiselle Vanessa is hosting there. While you are there, please check out the other parties too!

I am certain you all know the story by heart, but please indulge me while I read the relevant passage to you aloud:

"The rabbit hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well.

Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything; then she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that there were filled with cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed; it was labelled 'ORANGE MARMALADE', but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody, so managed to put it into of the cupboards as she fell past it."

What sort of books do you suppose were there on those shelves? I would think that only beautiful, colorful, magical books lived there and if only she could have spent a bit more time, she would have read some of them!

And so, if I were to pick the books myself, here is what I would pick (they are all currently in my bedside reading stack of books!)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - illustrated by Camille Rose Garcia
This is a beautifully illustrated edition of the story of Our Alice! Camille Rose Garcia brings her edgy, almost goth vision to the visual re-telling in vivid pastel shades, black and gold. This book is a treat in every way, from the black and purple end-papers to the glossy black accents on the dust-jacket! Her illustrations turn our favorite piece of literary psychedelia into an even more intense visual confection.

Alice I Have Been - Melanie Benjamin
This is quite a fascinating book, a fictionalized account of Alice Liddell's life. To read it is to feel as though one has lived in that time, burdened by the constraints of social mores but steeped in the wonders of the time. As you may know, Alice Liddell was the little girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to write "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".

Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger
This book has received some mixed reviews, but I liked it a great deal. It will undoubtedly push some readers' boundaries, but is that not why we read, to provide us with other perspectives? Sisters, twins, lovers, ghosts and others all swirl through this story and a great deal of it is set in Highgate Cemetery in London.

Paris Patisserie (Forward by Pierre Hermé)
What can I say about this book except this: Read it and dream. If you have not yet visited The Divine Patisseries of Paris, you may now do so vicariously through this book! The photographs are so beautiful that you will have to remind yourself not to lick the pages!

And now, on to our tea. . .

Today, for this special occasion, it is being served from the beautiful and unusual Fornasetti teapot . . .. . . do you take cream and sugar, or lemon perhaps? Here is your cup, Dear Friend.

Our Very Mad Tea is inspired by that tempting jar of marmalade that Alice put back on the shelf on her way down The Rabbit Hole! Please enjoy a cup of Summer Blend with me, from Betjeman & Barton of Paris! They tell us this tea is comprised of black China and Ceylon tea with "essential oils of lemon, lime, orange, blood orange, tangerine, clementine, bergamot orange and grapefruit"!


A very special surprise guest has brought our teatime treat today! The Little Prince visits with us and brings us something delicious named for him, "Le Cake Petit Prince" from The House of Lenôtre in Paris!! It is described as "a soft cake sprinkled with almonds, orange zest and a syrup delicately perfumed with Grand Marnier"! ("Cake" in France is somewhat like what we describe as pound cake here.)
Finally, treats for you! Please don't forget to leave a comment so that your name will be entered into the drawing for the lovely give-aways! The first person drawn will receive "My Life in France" by Julia Child. If you saw "Julie and Julia" and loved Julia Child's story from the movie, you will adore this book.

The second randomly-chosen Mad Tea Party attendee will receive a copy of "The Patisseries of Paris" by Jamie Cahill. This is such a lovely little book and I promise you will love it! It is just small enough to tuck in your bag while travelling for reference while hunting the not-so-elusive pastry in Paris!!!

Each of these lucky winners will also receive one of my lovingly handmade Chapeaux des Gateaux bookmarks for their books!

Since I know this party could go on all weekend (or even into the week!), I will do the drawing for the give-aways on July 1st!

Thank you so very much, Dear Friends, for having visited with me today at The Tearoom!

Betty

A Mad Tea Party By Moonlight

Please don your heart-shaped sunglasses and very most daringly Victorian bathing costume and join us at the Moonlight Mad Tea Party!


Do any of you dear friends remember when Mr. Mad Hatter sang this at the Original Mad Tea Party?

“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat
How I wonder what you’re at
Up above the world you fly
Like a teatray in the sky...”

Our special Guest of Honor is Mr. Clafouti, the wonderously rare and adorable Teddy Bear Bat. Everyone runs to greet him and pet his furry tummy! Oh! So much petting all at once is very tickle-y!

You will find Alice is taking a lovely swim in the teacup pool with The Mouse but this time isn’t talking about any (ahem) dogs and cats. Please take a dip! You will find that Iced Darjeeling is refreshing to drink and even more refreshing to swim in! Also, please notice that the Firefly Cotillion is being attended by many happy fireflies over the pool!

Moonbathing is de rigeur. Please indulge yourself! Our friend Mademoiselle Moon is full and her light is particularly luscious and lavenderly tonight!

And what could possibly be on that teatray in the sky for us to munch on while lounging in the moonlight? It’s a decadent and delicious black and white tea party menu:

*Three Kinds of Crescent Moon Shaped Crostini (black olive tapenade; baked brie and truffle oil; creme fraiche and caviar)
*Scones with clotted cream and blackberry jam
*Slices of fresh white peach tart
*Bittersweet chocolate and vanilla bean checkerboard cookies
*Madagascar vanilla and black pepper ice cream
*Glasses of Iced Fig de Blanc tea (white tea scented with black figs)

The table is set with black pansies and white lilacs (with just a few sprigs of purple thrown in, of course! After all, it is a tea at The Gossamer Tearoom, isn’t it?)

And as for music, we will be listening to something dark and fun: the newly released compilation, Factory Records-Communications 1978-92. Dance throughout the night to the gloom and endless beats of Joy Division, New Order, Electronic, Durutti Column and more.

(P.S. - The face of the teddy bear bat is actually that of my oldest and dearest friend Teddy, who has known me since I was born! The picture of his face and the picture of his tummy fur, which is actually his ear, is from a photo taken by my super sweet husband Victor! I had to take the picture of his ear instead of his tummy because I loved most of his fur off years ago! I mean Teddy's, not Victor's!)

Thank you so much to Miss Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist for hosting this extra fun event!!

Happy Tea Party to You All!

Betty