Summer Tea 'n Toppers

The only rule for Anne's Annual Summer Tea - you must wear a chapeau! Some are antiques (or almost), some are kitchy, some are casual, some are handmade - and ALL are personality-plus!

Gram declares every year, "I'm NOT wearing a hat!"  But isn't she cute!

Anne outdoes the most lavish tearoom in town. 

AND, she has a great wait-staff: Matt and AJ!  The guys were the icing on the cake, so to speak!

 

From the cheese tray....

to desserts...

we nibbled and noshed our way through luscious treats and tidbits!

We voted on our favorite hat - and the winner took home a jar of scrumptious, velvety homemade LEMON CURD, stirred by Matt for two hours of S -L-O-W cooking.  The recipe is a family secret, from Bill's English auntie.  So it was appropriate that an English Royal style "fascinator" was the winner.  Plus I LOVE that Lemon Curd!  By the spoonful, thank you very much. 

I didn't have time to consult with Kate on where to purchase one of her charming fascinators (let alone have several hundred pounds to spend...). But thanks to Google, I found out how to make one, for cheap.  And it was great fun!

They cost about 9 cents each - I only had to buy the elastic, everything else were from my odds 'n ends stash.

The butterfly was a "found" item - I found it in a box of "stuff" under the bed!  It had broken off  from a knick knack of some sort, a little beat up - but just what was  needed to make this fascinator work!

You can't go wrong with buttons and feathers.  I've had to beat the cat out of my feather collection so many times - she loves these Blue Jay feathers as much as I do!

Next year, we should have a fascinator-making party some spring afternoon  - you're invited!  Bring your stash, we'll share!