A Woodland Christmas Tea

One doesn't wake up one morning and decide to start a tradition, they just evolve over time.  Next thing you know, years have gone by and a tradition has been made.  This is the case with my family's annual Christmas tea.  Ten years ago my cousin and I decided to plan a gathering so that our family wasn't just seeing each other at funerals.  We met in a local tea shop the first two years.  When it closed down the tea moved to my home. It has been the norm to meet the first Saturday after Thanksgiving weekend.  We deviated a few years when my granddaughters were performing in the Nutcracker ballet.  They've moved on from dance so we have gone back to our original date. Everyone brings food; this year we had quiches, French toast bake, various salads, cake, cookies, fresh fruit.  I bake scones and serve them with lemon curd and homemade strawberry jam.  It was all yummy, everyone in my family knows their way around the kitchen! Each guest also goes home with a jar of my pomegranate jelly.

I come up with a theme each year and decorate accordingly.  I know I often get carried away, but it's a fun endeavor for me.  Some years I have the theme planned way in advance.  Others, like this year, took me a while.  I was out shopping one day, looking for inspiration, and noticed a lot of woodland-themed decorations.  Thus, this year's theme was born.  Woodland animals, greenery, moss, wood chargers, lanterns and candles, along with lots of fresh flowers became the foundation of the decorating. I even found a wooden sleigh that became a flower-laden centerpiece. My Nikko Happy Holidays Christmas china came out of storage for the occasion and my Woodland Spode silverware was the perfect accompaniment to the theme. It was festive, very Christmasy and was enjoyed by young and old alike!

We had 16 in attendance this year, ranging in age from 6 to 90. It's a girls-only affair though everyone loads up on leftovers to take home to the guys in their family. It has become such a great way for our family to stay in touch with each other.  And, yes, I have the theme for 2017 already churning in my brain!

 

 

 

I'm linking up to Tablescape Thursday.