And it was time to ParTEA!

Hi there – in this post I want to bring you images of a merry summer afternoon spent with girlfriends. I know this post is a bit off season and perhaps many of you are already looking at entertaining for the holiday season. But I figured, you can always bookmark this post for next year's summer entertaining! By now, you know I love entertaining. My approach to entertaining is to create an artistic, fun and visually appealing experience that I hope my guests will remember.

 With everything else going on this year, I was not sure that I would be able to take on a full-scale party and so a tea party seemed an ideal summer socializing event. I am sure it gets equally crazy for many of you and catching up with friends is not always easy to accomodate in our busy lives, sadly!So, here is a quick and easy inspiration for your girls get together!

 I love my afternoon tea and I thought why not take the party outdoors and make the most of the Midwest summer? I am always looking for an excuse to hang out with the girls and this time it was a tea party in the comfort of my own home. Although mine does not have quite the Victorian fanfare that usually accompanies an afternoon high tea, it still has lots of color, and some fun elements and was a great way to spend a summer afternoon with my girl friends. 

This was also my little girl’s first girly party and what fun she had too! You all should get together and do something fun with your girlfriends, God knows we all need our sanity restored ever so often (!)– just make sure to add some beautiful blooms, a few pretty things and some mouthwatering snacks as that’s a sure fire way to ensure that the party is a success! I spruced up my backyard and added many tea themed accents such as paper napkins and tea spoons to tie it all together.

And one thing I have learnt over the years is that while it is o.k to learn/borrow ideas from whatever your favorite resource may be, always add a little personal touch - I think it goes a long way!! 

This party was a tribute to a great set of friends who have been an amazing source of support this past year as I have struggled with new demands thrown my way at work and at home. Again, reminding me that you always need to surround yourself with people who uplift you!

 I hope you enjoy these images from my Partea and I will see you around soon hopefully! Thank you for your patience with Aalayam's sporadic programming. Supriya and I filled our schedules to the brim this year and that's our excuse but we love our little blog very much and hope that next year allows us to nurture our blog a little more. We have no shortage of ideas, so check back with us in a bit! Also, a very warm welcome to our new members - thank you for joining the Aalayam family!

Cheers!

~Deepa

P.S: All images in this post are from my home and may not be reproduced wihout permission and without proper credits.