A couple of years ago, three of my friends joined me for a Valentines Day tea with champagne cocktails and desserts. Valentine’s Day is about love and romance, but it’s also about celebrating friendships.
I met all three of these lovely ladies at the gym. We regularly go for coffee and smoothies after class, and plan outings throughout the year together.
Just yesterday, we went to see Phantom Thread, a movie we were confident none of our husbands would enjoy. We were right! What a long, odd movie.
All those Oscar nominations and positive reviews had us intrigued, but it was quite a disappointment. Although the movie did make for animated post-coffee discussion, I recommend viewing it at home to see all the marvelous fashions. Sorry to say, I’d only give it a two out of five Debbee rating. Have any of you see Phantom Thread? What are your thoughts, reactions to the movie?
Anyway, I wanted to thank my gym buddies for supporting me through a particularly rough patch. So, I invited them for a Valentines Day tea party.
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Unique-Shaped Dishes are Favorites
Mikasa Silk Flowers is my second ‘everyday’ dish set. I registered for the pattern when I was getting married; falling in love (Valentine’s pun intended!) with the uniquely-shaped plates, bowls and serving pieces.
Back then, Silk Flowers was new and a very popular pattern. Plates that weren’t round, and microwave safe dishes, well that was innovative in the 1980’s!
On Replacements, the discontinued pattern is described:
“The delicate pink flowers combined with the unique shape create an exciting contemporary blend of style and good taste … enduring its reign as a best-selling classic. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Mikasa Silk Flowers was produced from 1980 to 2006 as a complementary pattern to the Continental White collection.”
I have nine place-settings and quite a number of serving pieces, with matching linens like the tablecloth for the Valentines Day tea party. My favorite piece is the teapot. The brass handle is easily removed, so that it can go into the dishwasher. Even the creamer and sugar have those neat angled sides.
Here, I’ve elevated the teapot by setting it on a pale pink, vintage cake stand that belonged to my mother-in-law. Hubby remembers that it was used to hold family birthday cakes.
I’ve also scattered around pink, heart-shaped dollies.
Because I don’t have any Valentines Day theme napkin rings, I tied two layered napkins together with kiss-print ribbon.
You might recognize the ribbon and pink hearts from the DIY Let Me Call You Sweetheart Wreath.
Pretty in Pink
I referred to the Mikasa dishes as an everyday pattern, but since having the boys, it’s spent a lot more time in the kitchen cabinets. Too pink, too girly. So, I was excited to show it off to my gal pals during the Valentines Day tea.
The pattern works really well with the pink, scalloped-edge heart ramekins I picked up at TJ Maxx and Home Goods.
Also on the table is Oneida Satinique flatware, which has really stood up well to the test of time. The tall crystal glasses are Bohemian.
Desserts Make for Sweet Valentines Day Tea Party
With company coming, I made a few alterations to the table to accommodate the menu. Strawberry and chocolate mousse, topped with a fresh strawberry, came out of the frig.
Clear, domed cupcake stands each hold a strawberry-filled cupcake; topped with a chocolate candy heart. The cupcake stands were had-to-haves from Pottery Barn a few years back. They go with any occasion or color theme, but take up a fair amount of storage space.
See more of the cupcake stands in Celestial Tablescape Rings in New Year.
Pink sugar and large strawberries decorate the rims of vintage Cambridge Rose Point crystal glasses — just waiting to hold delicious champagne cocktails.
Chocolate kisses and mini votive candles also decorate the Valentines Day tea table.
Meanwhile, jasmine berry tea is brewing on the kitchen counter. Mixed berry preserves sit in the middle of the cake plate, awaiting the berry scones about to come out of the oven.
And, there’s the girls arriving now with a large bouquet of flowers. Life is sweet!
Life is Sweeter with Friends to Share it
We are an international group of friends, with M British and K from Finland. R and I live in the same close-knit community, but never crossed paths until we met through a mutual friend at the gym.
I love when we share stories and experiences of our childhoods, marriages, careers, and raising kids. We have the most interesting discussions! I am also surprised to find how much more alike than different we are. Three of us have sons who attended the same college — my beloved alma mater!
I hope you’ll take the time, to let all the special people in your life, know how important they are to you this Valentine’s Day.
Be sure to check out several other holiday tables at Decorating with Red Heart Ornaments for Valentines Day, In the Pink, and Meet Me at the Eiffel Tower Table.
Are you planning any get togethers with friends? If so, what will you be serving?
For more tea party menu ideas, see Scones & Desserts and Finger Sandwiches & Savories.
P.S. Two other recently releases movies we gals and our hubbies really liked are The Post and Darkest Hour. Historical movies, we knew the endings, and still found them nerve-racking and very suspenseful. I also think it really helped seeing Dunkirk before the Darkest Hour. Otherwise, you don’t see how Churchill’s plan actually worked.
Debbee gives all three movies a 4 plus out of 5 bee rating! Take that with a jar of honey, as I’m not a film critic! What did you think of these movies?
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I regularly participate in: Metamorphous Monday, Turn About Tuesday, Centerpiece Wednesday, Whimsical Home Projects, In Link Party, Share Your Style, Tablescape Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Crafty Creators, Fabulous Friday, Saturday Sparks, Happiness is Homemade, and Love Your Creativity.
Thanks for the heads up on the phantom thread movie. Now I’ll wait. Just keep watching the Last of the Mohicans instead. Daniel Day Lewis has been my Valentine ever since first I saw it. What a fun table. I know the china but not the cupcake domes. Will he (Phil) see his shadow tomorrow? Wish I was in PA. I’d come and plunder your table.
I LOVED Last of Mohicans movie, and also fell for Daniel Day Lewis – especially when he said, “I WILL come for you.” Unfortunately, Pottery Barn no longer carries the cupcake stands.
So sweet and so fun! What a lovely way to celebrate with friends!
It was a lovely afternoon with good friends.
Such a pretty table! I love those heart ramekins!
Roseann, in a household of guys, it’s fun to get my pink on once in awhile! Those ramekins are the only real Valentines Day theme dishes I have, and I love how they work with the Mikassa pattern.
That is such a lovely idea to have a tea party with your friends and your table is just beautiful (as always!). I am always amazed at how you tie all the layers together. Pinned.
Joanne, you are always so generous with your comments — thank you. Would love to have tea with you!
I love this china ! Swoonnn… your friends look so happy and who wouldn’t with such lovely table and food.
Welcome Fabby, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I’ve had those dishes 35 plus years, and just used them for dinner tonight! My buddies may look so happy because along with the tea, we were drinking a champagne cocktail!
I mean the floral china with that terrific shaped teapot too!
I have never heard of the movie Phantom Thread but my husband and I have come to believe that Oscar buzz isn’t about good movies anymore. We have been disappoint several time by watching those with the buzz. Love your pretty in pink tablescape and I know that enjoying coffee and conversation with your girlfriends created sweet memories. I always love your gatherings. #merrymonday
Shirley, thanks for visiting. I know what you mean about the Oscars. There are several best pictures nominated this year that have me scratching my head. Gatherings with friends and family are always award-worthy though!
Such a pretty table! Just what this gal needs for staying inside today.
Hi Christine, nothing like a cup of tea and friends to warm the heart and hands. Can’t believe the temperature swing today — up to mid fifties; practically iced tea weather in February LOL!.
I have been setting pretty tables as a hobby for a couple of years now, but it always felt a little funny because I never invited anyone over to enjoy a meal. So this year my goal is to “entertain” more – I recently had a very good and longtime friend over for lunch. Though we didn’t have tea, we did have chicken parmesan, pasta in tomato sauce, and steamed broccoli… along with cheesecake for dessert. It was lovely and very different from our usual restaurant meet-ups. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Next up: a ladies luncheon of some sort! I love this fun and festive table – the lip-print ribbon is delightful and the heart-shaped dishes are so pretty!
Hi Janet, so lovely hearing from you. Your lunch sounded delicious! Several years ago, I decided to start setting tables I really used for entertaining family and friends. Hosting 3 (4 now) How to Host My Favorite Things Party is what led to me creating this blog. Next week I’ll be sharing the iced tea party menu from Alice in Wonderland Unbirthday Party with tea party sandwhiches, etc. You might also be interested in, Bee Theme Party Food Features Honey, Lemon.
I love all your use of pink here Debbee! I featured this post at last week’s TFT party. https://followtheyellowbrickhome.com/ten-inspiring-valentines-day-features-at-tft/
Thanks for sharing and have a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Amber, thanks for the feature and letting me know too. So sorry for being clueless, but I kinda fell down the groundhog hole this past 7-10 days — my Scottie dog was at the emergency room on Thursday and major abdominal surgery Friday. Didn’t you tell me you once had a Scottie? Hadn’t checked my blog in days. Hoping to post about him this week, as my fuzzy, funny Valentine.
Debbie, a darling tea party for girlfriends. Aren’t they the best? The pink heart shaped bowls are so cute and of course the yummy desserts. Love your china, I can see why you love it so. I am so sorry about your beloved Scottie. Our fur babies are so special and so much part of our family.
Like you, I love hosting get-togethers with friends. Living in a household of guys, I like getting my pink and frilly on once in awhile, LOL! Fibber definitely identified with being one of the guys — sometimes I swear he’d roll his eyes as if to say, “you’re such a girl!” He is sorely missed. Appreciate you kind thoughts Linda.
Thanks for linking up at the Happiness is Homemade Link Party.
Appreciate you stopping by Cynthia!
Love those dishes, Debbee – especially those sweet heart-shaped bowls! Thank you for sharing at Party In Your PJ’s.
Thanks Ann, I particularly like that the pink is a more muted shade. Had to go to 2 stores to find 4 of the ramekins, but would have bought more if I could.
Debbee what fun this must have been. Thanks for sharing and I think I pinned every single one of those recipes lol!
Champagne cocktails in the late afternoon — it sure was fun lol! Until COVID, we use to gather monthly at a restaurant for lunch. I sure miss going to the gym twice a week, post workout coffees, movies and cultural excursions with those gals. Let me know if you try any of the recipes and how they turn out.