One mileage of traveling abroad is being able to experience a lot of "FIRSTS".
Coincidentally, the day after I arrived in Woodstock, Georgia, I had to attend a birthday party for two special ladies, whom I just personally met upon my arrival. It was not an ordinary party since it was a Tea Party!
It was indeed one of my "firsts" on my list: attended a tea party in America!
On our way to the tea house, my head was crowded with thoughts on what will transpire in a tea party. And was my outfit appropriate for the all-female event? Hmmm...
Welcome to TEA LEAVES and THYME! Country and rustic on the outside, yet full of lovely surprises inside!
The tea house is basically by reservation only. The guests for the day are shortlisted on the welcome board that greets everyone upon entry. As you can see below, there were four birthday celebrants on that day, and from our group, there were two of them.
We selected the most well-lighted section of the tea house since the expected guests from our group was almost a dozen female from different age brackets ranging from 1 year old to 70 years old.
More country and crafty feel inside the tea house. Mismatched chairs, table napkins and cup, and saucer. The photos mounted underneath the glass table top imparts personalized yet homey vibes.
The menu offers detailed information on the foods and enlists on the various kinds of "tea" meal sets. What I observed with almost all American menu is that they give options for gluten-free meals and also briefs you on the calorie intake for your dish of choice.
I had to capture the lady pouring tea into my cup, apologizing for the blurry shot, though.
The photos above and below were the foods that me and my sister ordered. Healthy and delectable mixture of greens, fruits, sandwich, and pastries. Unfortunately, being excited about the event and getting occupied observing the American people and chitchatting with my new acquaintances, I failed to take note of the names of the dishes.
And here's what happened to the first-ever tea party I have attended in my lifetime:
1. Meet and greet (with a kiss on the cheek) each guest, since I was a total stranger to them, maintaining an amazed and delighted facial expression.
2. Pretty hats were distributed to choose from. It was sort of obligatory to don the hats for picture-taking purposes inside the tea house, though one can actually wear it the entire event period.
3. Conversation with new acquaintances while sipping our choice of tea and while waiting for our foods to be served.
4. Singing the "Happy Birthday" song, the American way of course.
5. Eating time while still continuing the conversations, left, right and front.
6. Blowing of cakes for the birthday celebrants.
7. After eating, we proceeded to the open porch for the opening of gifts!
8. Playtime with the kids.
9. Each birthday present was opened with the sun above our heads. Good that it was still past winter, pre-spring time, the heat was too bearable.
10. Picture-taking again and then farewell with hugs and kisses and exchange of amiable and caring messages.
The beautiful and artistic decorations was a feast for my eyes.
My first tea party experience was a pleasurable memory to keep and worth to be shared on this blog. I decided not to provide ratings and comments for this post since I was in the tea house for an event to enjoy and not as a food critic to be mindful for my review.
And by the way, this is what I wore to the party, see photo below. I was not notified in advance of this event and I did not pack with me a dress to suit the party. Good that I bought with me some wide leg pants and a dressy top with sequins to match the cobalt blue bottoms. Cinched with a belt to add shape to my oversized top. My shoes imparted a dressier mood to my outfit too.
Photos were taken using Samsung S Duos cell phone.
Travel, Enjoy your "firsts", Create memories and Eat good food, every day!
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