A Bridal Tea Party

This past weekend, my FMIL threw me a "tea party" themed bridal shower at Green Pastures, a local restaurant in Austin.

The area surrounding Green Pastures is covered in greenery and there are even peacocks on the lawn. It also serves as a very popular wedding venue, and on the day of my shower, a couple had just been married and was on their way to the reception when we arrived.

The shower took place in the "Music Room" in which a very old piano lived.

The "spread" included a variety of teas, finger sandwiches, cookies, scones, and madelines.


I had so much fun trying out the different teas and chatting with the guests. The whole event lasted about 2.5 hours. I didn't open gifts (as is customary at most showers?) in front of the guests, which eased a lot of anxiety that I had been feeling leading up to the event. Unfortunately several guests were not able to make it.. the thunderstorms from the previous day and early morning caused travel problems for a lot of people.

FMIL, me, Mama Beagle

Aren't my mothers so beautiful? :) I wish I would have taken more pictures with the guests, but I didn't think of it until after the fact.

In addition to the gift bags I made for guests, FMIL Beagle gave out gifts to all the guests. What could be more appropriate for a tea party?

She had been collecting tea cups and saucers over the months prior to the shower from thrift stores, and she even picked some up during her trip to England last fall. All the sets were so unique and I think all the guests really liked them.

And even though I told my mother not to bring a gift, she did anyways. This was waiting on my doorstep when I arrived home from work one evening:

Wanna see what it is?

Can you guess?

*swoon* I never knew it was possible to feel this way about dishes. :)

Have you had a bridal shower? Was it themed?

Bridal Tea: Gifts for the Guests

This weekend, my FMIL hosted my first bridal shower. I knew she was bringing a gift for all the guests, and since I wasn't sure what the proper etiquette was,I decided to get a quick gift together for all the guests as well. Since the shower was a "tea party" theme, I thought a tea themed gift would be appropriate. I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday to pick up some paper bags, which were kind of expensive... and I also found some at Target which were really cheap.

However, the Target bags were really wrinkled and were kind of lopsided when I tried to stand them up... so I went with the alternative. (Lesson learned: cheap is not always better). I also picked up two boxes of tea (what else?) and a package of cookies from Target. I supplemented this with some more cookies that I baked Saturday morning... thank you Martha Stewart.
I trimmed the top of the bags to create the bumpy edge. I created slits in the paper bag with an exacto knife and just pulled a ribbon (bought from Hobby Lobby- isn't it tea partyish?) through, tied a pretty knot, and snipped the ends. Unfortunately, this project was kind of thrown together at the last minute because, like the rest of Austin, I was suffering from severe allergies for most of last week. However, I think the guests still enjoyed it and appreciated the thought and effort.

Martha Stewart's Recipe for French Butter Cookies:
1 c unstalted butter, room temp.
2/3 c packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c flower(sifted)
1 tsp kosher salt (I didn't include this and they tasted fine)
1/2 c granulated sugar

1. Combine sugar & brown sugar in an electric mixer and cream on high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the flour and salt, and mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated.
2. Roll the dough into 3-1 1/2 in. diameter logs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight (I refrigerated mine overnight).
3. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet w/ parchment paper (I used wax paper). Roll the cookie logs in the granulated sugar, coating them evenly, and slice into 1/4 in. rounds. Place them on a baking sheet about 1 in. apart.
4. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 mins. Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely. Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Anyone else stumbling through wedding etiquette 101? Are you giving your guests gifts at your shower?

I've Got Mail

A few days ago, I got this in the mail:


Isn't it cute? My wonderful FMIL, who also made the invite, is throwing a tea party themed shower for me this weekend. She has invited several of Mr. Beagle's relatives and a few of her friends. This is my first "wedding event" and although I'm really excited, I'm a little nervous too. I'm not one to like being the center of attention (in fact, I think I avoid it at all costs), so I'm not really sure how I will feel being the guest of honor at this event. Since Mr. Beagle and I have been dating for quite a while, I have met most of extended family several times. I am also lucky that I am getting wonderful in-laws that get along great with my parents (my mom and FMIL Beagle are becoming good friends). I am hoping that this accompanied by the fact that Mama and sister Beagle will also be attending will ease my nerves before the big day. (I guess this is good practice for our wedding...) Were your wedding events the first time you met your FI's family? Has your wedding brought your families together?