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Starting a New HolidayTradition ~ St. Nicholas Tea #AmericasTea

written by Rebecca E. Parsons

Cozy & Warm Holiday Entertaining

One of my favorite things to do is welcome friends and neighbors into my home over the holidays. This holiday season I transformed my great room into a sparkling tea house. It is a cozy and casual space that beckons my guests to relax and unwind with their favorite beverage ~ tea.

The St. Nicholas Tea Table Hero #AmericasTea

This year I am starting a new tradition, a St. Nicholas Tea in honor of Father Christmas. A tea must be an unusual gathering for the holidays because I could not find any mention of one…even on Pinterest!!! So, I guess I am the first…I love being an innovator!

Heirlooms, old and new, on the sideboard. Delicious smells wafting through the house. A well collected table set for guests. Food for a high tea worthy of the Ritz. See the festivities in this lovely magazine I am creating for the occasion. It is full of sparkly decorating ideas and yummy recipes so you can recreate your own. It is my gift to my guests and to you. Enjoy!

Magazine coming soon please check back

The St. Nicholas Tea

The St. Nicholas Tea Hero #AmericasTea

Tea is the perfect beverage for the holidays. It is a warm, comforting and soothing hot or cold beverage. It is great as a drink, but it is also an awesome ingredient in many of my holiday goodies. I choose to serve Bigelow Tea { #AmericasTea } because they make two of my favorite teas and they offer a wide variety of flavors…something for everyone. It stays fresh inside the individual foil pouches that look so lovely on my sparkling table.

The St. Nicholas Bigelow Tea Table Hero #AmericasTea

Most of all, I love Bigelow Tea because of their story and the deep family history of the brand.

Bigelow Tea is a family company that has tried to do the right thing for both the planet, the community, and our employees since my grandmother founded the company back in 1945. Learn about our initiatives to benefit the environment, community, and encourage employees to contribute.

The St. Nicholas Tea Table guest #AmericasTea

Taking tea is a soothing personal ritual for me each day. I use the time to gather my thoughts, daydream or leaf through the pages of a fave French magazine. I have a tall, cool glass of Bigelow Plantation Mint in the morning after my walk. In the afternoon, I usually have a warm cup of Bigelow Constant Comment with a macaroon or scone. So I am excited to share one of my favorite indulgences with friends this year.  I have written previously about my love of #AmericasTea here and here.

Creating a Cozy, Collective Charm

I call the tiny Villa Rebecca my Well Collected Home for a reason. I am a consummate collector of previously loved objects. I surround myself with them. Most of my home is furnished with these well used pieces. They make me smile and celebrate the history of each as I use them. Although HIMself would tell it differently, I prefer to think of myself as a curator. Here are some of my favorite vignettes created with heirlooms old and new, family and found.

The St. Nicholas Bigelow Tea table #AmericasTea The St. Nicholas Bigelow table #AmericasTea
The St. Nicholas Bigelow blue table #AmericasTea The St. Nicholas Bigelow blue table #AmericasTea
The St. Nicholas Bigelow light #AmericasTea The St. Nicholas Bigelow chalkboard #AmericasTea

Setting the Tea Table

Sparkle and shine is what I am trying to achieve with this table. Silvers and aquas speak of the nearby ocean. Shining silver and reflective mercury glass are the stars. White poinsettias and paper whites along with plenty of white roses and magnolia leaves bring add a feeling of freshness to the tables. A sea shell, starfish or sand dollar peek out here and there. Candles create warmth and shine.

The St. Nicholas Bigelow food table #AmericasTea

The St. Nicholas Bigelow Tea ham biscuits #AmericasTea The St. Nicholas Bigelow Tea scones #AmericasTea
The St. Nicholas Bigelow Tea macarons #AmericasTea The St. Nicholas Bigelow table #AmericasTea
The St. Nicholas Bigelow berries #AmericasTea The St. Nicholas Bigelow cookies #AmericasTea

 Preparing the Tea Fare

Of course, well-prepared tea is the star of the day. See the magazine for how to make a good pot of tea. Steamy hot in beautiful antique cups, the tea is tasty and beautiful. Bigelow makes it possible for everyone to have their favorite.

The St. Nicholas food Table #AmericasTea

I offer both savory and sweet delights to accompany the tea. Scones, ham biscuits, cucumber sandwiches, beef wellington bites, crab cakes, macaroons, cookies and petit fours are served with Lemon Curd and Mock Devonshire Cream. Many of the recipes have tea added as an ingredient which brings the flavors to life. A shining red tea punch served in martini glasses adds flair. Most of the food was prepared in the days before the party so I could relax and enjoy my guests. See all of the recipes in the magazine.

The St. Nicholas Bigelow Tea punch #AmericasTea

Recipe for St. Nicholas Tea Punch

Ingredients
10 Raspberry Tea Bags brewed in 4 Cups water
1 litre Ginger Ale
1 bottle Sparkling Grape Juice

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Top with fresh or frozen whole raspberries.

The Party

Guests gathered and mingled throughout the late afternoon. Each enjoyed their favorite tea as they chatted and ate. I invited some new neighbors and some old friends to the tea. I love to bring people together who don’t know each other very well. By the end of the afternoon everyone knew each other better, the new neighbors felt welcomed and the food was almost gone.

The St. Nicholas guests food Table #AmericasTea The St. Nicholas guests #AmericasTea
The St. Nicholas guest pouring #AmericasTea The St. Nicholas guests Bigelow gifts #AmericasTea

I surprised each of my guests with a beautifully wrapped box of Bigelow tea as a take-home gift. Hopefully, they will enjoy the moments we shared as they sip their tea at home.

The Party ended quietly. Everyone said it was an amazing and relaxing experience amidst the hustle of the season.

the room after the tea #AmericasTea

HIMself relaxes after the party while Sir Chancelot steals a nibble from a plate!!! Naughty boy!!!

the room after the tea #AmericasTea

I shopped at Walmart for the Bigelow tea products seen above. See my shopping trip here.

Wishing you a Happy Christmas and hoping that you might create a new tradition with a St. Nicholas Tea.

Find Bigelow Tea #AmericasTea Everywhere…

Bigelow Tea website: https://www.bigelowtea.com/
Bigelow Tea Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/bigelowtea
Bigelow Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigelowtea
Bigelow Tea Community: http://community.bigelowtea.com
Bigelow Blog: http://www.bigelowteablog.com/

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Bigelow Tea #CBias #SocialFabric #AmericasTea All opinions, ideas and photos are my own.

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4 Comments CREATIVE LIFESTYLE, Dish, Dish, Spoon, Feast & Fête, Food & Drink, Recipes, reviews, Tablescapes, things I love to cook & eat

Comments

  1. Patricia Cook says

    December 17, 2012 at 8:28 pm

    Everything is just beautiful, what a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays. I am going to try the St. Nicholas Tea Punch, I think my family would love it!

  2. Brandie says

    December 18, 2012 at 6:33 am

    Oh, Rebecca…I would have so loved to have attended your St. Nicolas Tea Party! Everything looks so beautiful and I am not surprised about you being the first to start this new tradition! Giving each guest a box of Bigelow tea was such a great touch.

  3. Melissa Lawler says

    December 18, 2012 at 6:22 pm

    What an elegant tea party!

Trackbacks

  1. Touring the Bigelow Charleston Tea Plantation with the Bigelows…Oh My #AmericasTea says:
    May 18, 2013 at 8:47 am

    […] Bigelow Tea website: https://www.bigelowtea.com/ Bigelow Tea Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/bigelowtea Bigelow Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigelowtea Bigelow Tea Community: http://community.bigelowtea.com Bigelow Blog: http://www.bigelowteablog.com/ I have written about tea here, and here, and a tea party here. […]

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Chief Creative Force

DIYer. Graphic Designer. Creative. Foodie. Rebecca E. Parsons is a Renaissance gal with designers eye living happily where design meets new media. Rebecca is an award-winning graphic designer, writer, storyteller, digital and Photographic Artist, Dreamer, Lifelong Communicator and Blissful Wordsmith. Unconventional and delightfully curious, she is passionate about helping others find their visual voice through great blog design. She believes that every dream is possible and possible is everywhere!

to read a more in-depth story of Rebecca's life journey click here...

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