I have hosted parties in my backyard for over 100 people. I have organized fundraiser dinners for 1500! But the most challenging party I've ever undertaken was Jewell's high school graduation tea. Did I mention it was for only twelve girls?! Jewell is a Tolkien fan. (That should probably read FANATIC!) After the success of her Sunset Bohemian Birthday Tea, she decided she wanted a Hobbit-themed tea for graduation. Well, if you know anything about hobbits, it's that they love to eat. So, I planned an eight course meal. That's right, EIGHT! Today I'm just sharing the tablescape. I'll post again with a menu rundown, then recipes. Follow along, but be warned. This tea was not for the faint of heart!
I put two eight foot tables end to end and used two full length tableclothes to cover them. I brought out my kitchen and dining room chairs to set around.
I didn't mind mixing and matching and making do. For a hobbit, it's all about the food and the company!
One of my nieces is an extremely creative and talented artist. I commissioned her to make these signs for me. I sent her the party color palette ahead of time, and she did a wonderful job! the party attendees signed the back of the large one, and now both of these hang in Jewell's dorm room.
Jewell has read (and watched) The Hobbit a million times and knew she wanted to use "A Long Expected Party" as her theme.
I had ordered her "the ring" years ago as part of a Halloween costume.
One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,
One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them...
One of Jewell's friends at the party loaned her this necklace. It was carved by this young lady's grandfather. She cherished it, but knew that Jewell would appreciate the aesthetic for the party.
Look closely and you can see the "One Ring" quote engraved in Elvish.
Hobbits may live in holes in the ground, but they're very proper! A lace runner (I bought a bolt of lace so it would be continuous) adorns the tea table.
I ordered some moss placemats from a tablecloth factory and also used some little moss-covered stones I found years ago at Dollar Tree. They were a subtle nod to the Hobbit holes. "Wood" chargers from Dollar Tree hold my everyday dishes, "White Satin" by Nikko. The gold stems are vintage Fostoria. The pattern is "Jamestown". The little amber juice glasses are straight out of the early 1970's. I found them on eBay. The green tea cup and saucer is by Pier One. Of course each placesetting had it's own ring...a gold napkin ring! The flatware is "Abigail" by Hampston Silversmiths. It's trimmed in gold which picked up the gold and amber accents. Gold and white votive holders from Dollar Tree were scattered down the table and lit at dusk. The little lanterns contained battery tea lights. They came from Dollar Tree several years ago. We hung several of those in the trees, as well.
I kept the flowers simple. I scattered six vases down the table. I bought two yellow tulip bouquets from Walmart. I cut some white daisy gardenias from my yard just before the girls arrived. They smelled heavenly!
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, this was not your ordinary tea. We had eight courses! I printed the menu on parchment and used Jewell's seal to mark it. Each person had one so they knew what was coming next!
I had these gold Chinese lanterns from her Bohemian birthday party. They were just perfect for this woodland party, don't you think? I had little battery-powered lights in them, as well as in the Dollar Tree lanterns hanging among them.
I found these mini wooden frames at Dollar Tree. I placed a different Tolkien quote in each one and used it at each placesetting.
The girls took them home as party favors!
Jewell is blessed with such wonderful friends! They all had a wonderful evening enjoying the good food and beautiful weather, but mostly, the great company! Check back soon for the details of the meal. It was amazing!
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