a beautiful autumn tea party

These October days are passing by so quickly! I'm so thankful I had a chance to sit down among friends yesterday and enjoy a little bit of this festive fall season.  

Setting up for an autumn tea party is the most fun when it's a collaborative effort. Pooling our resources and working together feels so good, especially when we're able to reap the benefits afterwards by sitting down and enjoying a cup of tea and a few sweets with friends.

Elizabeth, Crystal, Kathy and I had so much fun putting this tea party together. We used two different patterns from Elizabeth’s beautiful Pacific & Rose block printed textile line. For the tablecloth, we used the Holland pattern and coordinated it with the Betty napkins.

For the fireplace mantel focal point we started with a fall wreath from Crystal's collection and just added some eucalyptus, a few pumpkins, brass candlesticks and a small painting by Honey Hostetler. 

Crystal of Studio C Florals created two gorgeous flower arrangements, one for the table and the other for the coffee table we used to serve tea from. You can see those photos later in the week, but you can spot her second arrangement at the end of this story, as we styled the mantel another way, just for fun. 

I used brass candlesticks and brushed gold colored flatware to compliment the fall feeling we were going for. 

Kristen Khan of Inkchanted created laser-cut wood names for each place setting along with these adorable menus transcribed onto thinly sliced branches. Aren’t these just amazing?! 

The morning was overcast, but the sun did come out for a little while and I was able to capture this pretty shot of the table. 

Pelican Courtyard is my favorite little secret garden here in Newport Beach, and is a part of the Seaside Gallery & Goods shop. It’s so perfect for parties and all sorts of events! 

For the place settings, I wanted to keep it simple, so I just used a few mismatched white dinner and salad plates to act as a frame for the mini pumpkin and the custom name tags that personalize everything. 

As a base under the plates, I used my trusty round raffia placemats from Serena and Lily. Did you notice the adorable beaded napkins rings? I recently got these HERE, and they were a real bargain! 

To accent each place setting and the pumpkin with menu, I just used a few eucalyptus leaves and tiny mums that play off the floral arrangements.
  

Little details like the accent mums really reinforce the floral pattern in the tablecloth and napkins. 

Here’s a close-up of the menu which features Cucumber Finger Sandwiches, Fruit Tarts, Strawberries and Carrot Cake. Kristen went above and beyond when creating these fun menus! I thought she was just going to whip something up on paper. 

All in all, the table turned out better than I had hoped. Everything just fit together so perfectly. 

Before we left, we couldn't help but style the mantel a second way when we found this adorable pumpkin painting by Honey Hostetler in Seaside Gallery. We took the wreath down and restyled it with the cute flowers in a tea pot that Crystal put together.

Several years ago, Honey took up painting as a hobby at the age of 75, and she’s still going strong! She also painted the wise old crow that you see in the previous photos on the mantel.

Please check back tomorrow to see part two of this fun autumn tea party. You’ll get to see the smaller table we set up with the vintage tea pots, transferware cups and delectable goodies.    

Thank you, Elizabeth, Crystal, Kathy, Kristen and Honey! 

🍰☕🌺 

ciao! fabiana 

Table linens:  Pacific and Rose 

Flowers:  Studio C Florals 

Calligraphy:  Inkchanted 

Venue:  Pelican Courtyard 

Accessories:  Seaside Gallery and Goods 

Tablescape:  Ciao Fabiana 

Paintings: Honey Hostetler, available at Seaside Gallery

The beautifully fringed throws are 

also available at Seaside Gallery & Goods.