All about the Sideboard

I rely very heavily on my sideboards when I entertain.  I have one in my dining room and one in my formal living room and I can't believe how much they get used!  They are the perfect height for a buffet, a bar or even just a place to put out some nuts or nibbles during cocktails.

So when I put together this Lemon Yellow Tea Party in honor of that famous British Baby that we are all anxiously awaiting, I decided that the reliable old sideboard deserved a special post of it's own.

I keep telling you that the punch bowl is back and I totally mean it!  A punch bowl and a sideboard go together like peanut butter and jelly!  There are tons of options for great punch recipes depending on the season but I love this Lo-Cal Minty Lemonade Recipe from Sunkist.  To be honest, it was kind of the starting point for the color scheme and theme of my tea party!  Of course, I thought the yellow was perfect since we don't know the gender of the Royal Baby yet and this punch recipe is so refreshing for Spring and Summer.

 I set out an a few glasses for our guests that were already garnished with a lemon slice but instead of leaving the napkins plain, I tied in our royal theme by stamping each of them with a rubber crown stamp that I found in my daughter's princess arts and crafts set.

Of course, I added a simple sweet treat as well with a Lemon Bundt Cake.  Simple trick: use the zest of the lemon to add a bit of color and embellishment to the top.  

Anyhow...I hope you are having as much fun anticipating the Royal Baby's arrival as I am! Of course, these ideas can be applied to any function from baby shower to birthday party!

Tea Time fit for a Royal

Are you as excited as I am about the Royal Baby's upcoming arrival?  I hear it is happening any day now!  I decided to put together a little English Tea Party inspired by the British Prince or Princess but you could give any party you host a royal twist!  Whether it is a birthday for your own little prince or princess or a simple spring time get-together, I hope you will use these ideas for your next celebration!

I love setting up a table in an unexpected place.  It is a simple party trick that doesn't cost a thing!  For our English Tea Party, I chose the coffee table in our formal living room.  I liked that my guests could lounge on the sofa with me and we could just enjoy tea, sweets and conversation.  Of course, there were also great debates on whether or not William and Kate would be welcoming a boy or a girl into their Royal household. I'm glad I had a citrus yellow color scheme so that I didn't have to take sides!  

Each guest's place was marked with a place card attached to the end of the tea bag.  I added HRH before their names to make our guests feel like Their Royal Highnesses right as they found their places.

They also found a tea bag cookie on their plate!  They were so much fun to make!  I kept the citrus theme going with this Fresh Orange Cookie Recipe but I put my own spin on it.  I rolled and cut the dough to make the tea bag shape and used a straw to make a hole in the top so that I could attach the string after baking.  Instead of using the icing in the recipe, I dipped the cookies in melted chocolate to replicate the look of a tea bag.  They were a hit!

I also served Crown Cupcakes that were a cinch to make!  These Lemon Cake Muffins were wonderful on their own but I topped them with white icing and mini-paper crowns I made by cutting the border off of a doily and spraying it gold with edible color mist.  I layered cake stands to make a two-tier display. 

 I pulled out one of my favorite silver dishes in the shape of an umbrella to hold yellow creme mints.  Umbrellas always make me think of rainy London days so I always love to add this at tea time!

The colorful Honeysuckle Napkins are from Loom Decor and the vases are vintage.  I chose a glass plate so that the colorful napkin would show through.

Photographs by John Cain Sargent

Currently Obsessed: Herend for Baby!

As new mothers, we all think that our baby is the most special baby on earth!  Of course, no new baby is getting as much attention as HRH Prince George Alexander Louis!

It makes me sad to think that Princess Diana will not ever hold her little grandson.  I like to think that she would have been a very warm and loving grandmother. I am sure that there are many things that Prince William will pass down to his son that he learned from his mother.  One of them might be a set of china!

As the story goes, Princess Diana loved her Herend Birds China.

Rumor has it that the new young royals also love Herend and the company has released the beautiful Royal Garden Commemorative Royal Baby Collection in honor of the young Prince.

Isn't it pretty?  It is a limited edition of 2013 pieces and is inscribed with the name and birthday of the HRH Prince George.

But if that isn't your style, here are a few more of my favorite Herend baby pieces:

News about a baby is always wonderful!  I'm so excited about the announcement of the Royal baby and I love watching the smiling faces of so many people outside of the hospital and Buckingham Palace on the news.  In honor of the little Prince, I have a few of my favorite baby boy products on the blog today.  What are your favorite baby items that you think Kate just needs to have?