For many months we have been dreaming of Nancy's sixteenth birthday tea...if there is one thing we love in this family, it is celebrating any occasion with a beautiful, feminine tea party, and the more lace, ribbon, flowers and tea, the merrier!
It feels like just the other day I celebrated my sixteenth...and that was almost three years ago...
Nancy found some wonderful new recipes to try, and also asked for our favourite baked cheesecake...oh, such a delicious treat!
Although the weather looked somewhat suspect and there were a few raindrops that morning, the Lord blessed us with a beautiful day...overcast, yet just warm enough for setting up out of doors...
We put up our little pavillion and set the tea table underneath....just in case it did rain a little...
The little girls enjoyed a mini tea party with Mom inside...{{smiles}}
Pretty handmade invitations...
Invitations were sent out a few weeks before, and we were so excited to have some sweet young ladies to celebrate Nancy's special day with us...friends are a true blessing!
The sweet birthday girl...all beautifully dressed up for tea time!
The treats...
Salted Caramel Shortbread Squares
Shortbread ~
225g {415ml} cake flour
25ml cornflour
65g {125ml}icing sugar
180g {195ml} butter
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Rub in the cold butter and press together to form a dough. Press into a 23 x23cm baking tin and refrigerate for 1 hour. Bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is almost cooked and starting to turn golden.
Caramel ~
1 tin condensed milk
125g {135ml} butter
150g {175ml} brown sugar
100ml milk
pinch Himalayan salt crystals
Put the ingredients into a saucepan. Warm over a low heat until melted. Increase the heat slightly and simmer while stirring constantly until the caramel thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pot. When it is ready, it should form a firm ball when you drop a little of the mixture into a bowl of cold water. Pour the caramel over the biscuit base. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Leave to cool.
Topping ~
200g white chocolate
60ml melted butter
Himalayan salt crystals
Melt the chocolate with the butter and pour over the cold caramel topping. Spread evenly. Once it has almost set, sprinkle with a few Himalayan salt crystals. Refrigerate until completely set. Cut into squares with a hot knife. Store in an airtight container.
Overberg Baked Cheesecake with a Strawberry Coulis...recipe coming soon!
Cottage Cheese and Tuna Canapes with Rocket and Cherry Tomatoes
Oh, we had such a delightful time hanging little glass jars and tea cups up with lace, ribbons and Baker's twine...
We filled each jar with flowers from the garden including California poppies, wild carnations and dianthus...
Nancy and I...
We haven't always been the best of friends, but I find that as we have gotten older, we have drawn closer to one another...we have completely opposite personalities which makes life pretty interesting, and oh my! Nancy has the most creative and lovely ideas...I feel very blessed to have the love of my sister, and I pray we will continue to be close sisters and dear friends...
Beth pleaded with us to include her in the tea party...even though she isn't quite a 'big girl', she proved to us that she could do all her tasks with a happy heart, so we thought it would be lovely to reward her by having her join us...{{smiles}} I think she enjoyed it!
Nancy and Beth...
Pretty tea cards to thank our lovely guests for joining us...
~
...And so ended a beautiful tea party...certainly one to be treasured forever!
{To a beautiful sister, both inside and out...you are very special to me and to everyone in your family! Thank you for your kind, giving heart and love for the Lord...I couldn't imagine life without you!
Here is to many more wonderful tea parties and fun times, dear sister!}
~
Thank you very much for visiting today, sweet friends!
Oh, your cheerful comments always bring a smile to my face!
Wishing you a happy week!
~
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21 comments:
What a beautiful setting you created and how lovely Nancy looked. I cannot believe she is 16 already - the years have certainly flown. has for the creative talents from God - so very true - I keenly recall her amazing gift for inventing games :) Miss you all so very much. All my love Aunty Charmaine xxxx
Hello Kelly-Anne,
Wow what a pretty 16th birthday tea party! You did a great job with the handmade invitations, the baking, and everything. It must of been a wonderful party and fun. Thank for sharing.
Julie xo
Kelly-Anne, This looks like so much fun :) I hope dear Nancy had a lovely birthday...all of the decorations and details are just splendid! Makes me wish we could really have tea together :) The little vases and jars with the flowers is such a creative idea. And the sweet goodies all look delicious!
I hope you all have a lovely day! Sending much love to you and your sweet family :)
What a precious sweet time to celebrate! I loved the decor - hanging tea cups and flowers - how fun! And sweet Beth, she looked absolutely delighted to be able to participate in the fun! The handmade invitations are adorable, just love the newsprint dresses! The pictures of all of you just are precious. What a beautiful thing to do, and marvelous way to celebrate a special milestone! ... and those salted caramel shortbread squares - oh my! Bet you couldn't eat just one, lol! Have a blessed and wonderful day, dear Kelly-Anne!
What a beautiful looking tea party! I love the flowers hanging in vases. A happy birthday to your sister!
Kelly-Anne...I think the idea of having a tea party is so wonderful. You young ladies all look so very lovely and the invitations and decorations are beyond beautiful! What a lovely post! I hope your week is getting off to a wonderful start :)
What a sweet party for a beautiful 16-year-old! I like the cute invitations. Decorating is fun, is it not?
Oh, how lovely! Happy, happy Sweet 16th Birthday to your dear sister, Nancy! There is no one in the world like sister, and they just grow more dear to us as we grow older. :) Your party was just so sweet and feminine, and the food looks so delicious! Thank you for sharing all the beauty with us here. :) God bless you all and keep you always in His tender care.
Kelley-Anne, Nancy is so lucky to have such a wonderful sister. Sisters are such a blessing in our lives. I love mine to the moon and back. This is just the most darling tea party, and I love that you've included the recipes. Please come and share your celebration with us at Five Star Frou-Frou? We'd love to have you. Love, Mimi xxx
http://atrayofbliss.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/five-star-frou-frou-23pretty-things.html
Kelly-Anne what a lovely tea time treasure you shared. I can tell you that sister-hood does ripen with age when it starts out a bit sour. My sis and I are both in our 40s now. We are wives and mothers and daughters of the King of Kings. As our walk with Christ has matured, so has our love of each other. It looks like your appreciation for her is already maturing. Thank you for sharing it. Blessings to you, ~Heather
What a delightful way to celebrate a Sweet 16! Nancy is a beautiful young lady. My only sister is named Nancy too...:) I love her dearly! I love the idea of hanging the little vases with flowers in them. They are so very pretty. The refreshments look delicious...expecially the sea salt shortbread! Oh my! Please send birthday wishes to your dear sister for me! Have a blessed and beautiful Wednesday.
Hugs, Vicky
That was a lovely post honouring your sister! Your goodies look so yummy and the cards and decorations are so lovely! Blessings to you sweet Kelly-Anne!
Everything is absolutely beautiful and what a lovely way to let your sister feel your love for her. The tea cups and little vases are so charming and your refreshments, my, my, my, the photos almost make my mouth water :) Thank you for visiting and following my blog, I am happy to follow you back and feel blessed to meet a young lady that is follow the Lord and encouraging other young women to do the same.
Have a lovely rest of the week.
Your new blogging sister (grandma) Connie :)
What a beautiful 16th birthday party! You and your sister's look very pretty! :) And the cheese cake looks delicious! Lovely post.
Happy 16th birthday to your sister. What a beautiful tea. I loved every detail. My daughters and I are always dreaming up tea parties as well, and I love to see so many fun ideas as you have done here. The caramel shortbread cookies look delicious. Have a nice week.
Blessings,
Pam
What a delightsome post filled with enthusiasm and love !
I'm late, I know, i'm trying to catch up, hug your nancy for me, and tell her that's she's so very fortunate to have such a darling and precious sister as you are !
Sending heartfelt love
Dany
Belated happy sweet sixteenth birthday to Nancy! The beautiful tea party with pretty decor and yummy food was the perfect way to celebrate her milestone party.
What a gorgeous celebration. You are all so creative in your home! I am sure Nancy was tickled "pink" by all the love! :)
Oh to be Sweet Sixteen again! Happy Birthday (belated of course) to Nancy. The tea party sounded and looked like quite a huge success. So glad Beth got to join in on the fun.
My church Girls Group wants to have a Tea sometime so this gives me some ideas of things we could do.
Oh, Kelly-Anne, what a glorious high tea sixteenth birthday! Everything is so beautiful and looks so yummy! I know that you all had a wonderful time, and belated happy birthday to Nancy! Hugs, dear friend!
Oh, Happy Birthday dear Nancy!
What a fun tea~ and such thoughtful touches to make everything lovely...I hope you have a blessed 16th year!
Hugs from Ashleigh (in VA :))
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