Welcome to the 884th Tablescape Thursday! A few months back, Selma, whose beautiful tea parties I’ve shared in the past, graciously hosted a wonderful tea party for a friend celebrating her 40th birthday. In a recent post, I shared the Napoleon Bee flatware that I enjoy using so much here at the Dollhouse. It had just gone on sale for an incredible price, prompting me to purchase a second set. Several BNOTP readers jumped on that amazing sale, including Selma, who wrote saying, “I had a 40th birthday Tea for a good friend back in April, and I could’ve used this flatware! It’s going to be my daily-use flatware, because I’m an advocate of planting for bees and pollinators.”
Such beautiful colors for this bee-themed table! Love all the sunshine yellow!
Selma said, “The dinner plates and tea cups were a combination of Noritake Greyburn and Herend Golden Edge.”
Selma found her bee salad plates here: Bee Salad Plates. Selma shared, “I have an antique pearl-handled English dessert set that I often use for these events, along with Gorham sterling flatware in the Buttercup pattern. I think I also used my Kirksteiff black lacquer with gold at some of the settings. I usually have at least 8 of a pattern, but 16-20 guests, so I mix and match!”
Selma said, “The water goblets are Val St Lambert Berncastle. The chime from the crystal is incredible!”
I love the adorable bee-shaped sugar cubes Selma served for this special tea party! Sooo cute! Selma found the bee sugar cubes here: Bee-shaped Sugar Cubes.
Such a pretty tea cozy!
For this birthday tea, Selma served tea sandwiches, chocolate-covered strawberries with edible bees, Canele de Bordeaux, Florentines, mini puff pastry shells with lemon curd and fresh fruit, and pecan shortbread! Yum!
The Canelé de Bordeaux looks amazing.
In case you’re curious, as I was, here’s a description of Canelé de Bordeaux. It sounds incredible!
A canelé is a small, cylindrical French pastry from Bordeaux, France, known for its distinctive dark, caramelized, and crunchy exterior and a soft, custard-like interior flavored with rum and vanilla. Traditionally baked in copper molds lined with beeswax, canelés are made from a thin, crepe-like batter of milk, butter, eggs, flour, sugar, rum, and vanilla. The batter requires a long resting period in the refrigerator before being baked at high heat, resulting in the pastry’s signature texture and flavor.
Chocolate-covered strawberries with edible bees…
Beautiful Florentines! I read that Florentines actually originated in France, and not in Florence, Italy, as often thought. Interesting!
Selma shared that the beautiful centerpiece vase on the buffet is by Michael Aram. Such a beautiful, unique piece!
Another pretty arrangement!
Thanks so much to Selma, our lovely hostess, for sharing this very special bee-themed birthday tea party! What an incredible experience this must have been for all who attended! I know the birthday girl must have been beyond thrilled!
Looking forward to all the wonderful table settings linked below for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!
If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then copy and paste the address showing in the address bar, into the “url” box when you link up. You’ll need to include a link in your post back to the party to link up and participate. That’s so visitors to your blog will be able to find the party and the other Tablescape Thursday participants. Requiring a link back also prevents businesses and scammers from linking up to sell their products. Please, don’t add your post name/blog name ALL IN CAPS…it tends to create big spaces between the rows of links. Please do not link up table settings that were just recently shared in the last few weeks for Tablescape Thursday.
❤️ still!!! ALL was, unbeelievabeely WONDERFUL. A good friend, indeed!! franki
Without doubt, Selma is an amazing friend and hostess. That party setting is epically perfect.
Lovely! A lot of care went into that tablescape and surrounding decor. So many pretty details. How wonderful to have a friend who cares to host a tea party for you! Even though Selma didn’t have her Napolean Bee flatware yet, what she used is beautiful. Thank you, Selma and you too Susan, for sharing this with us.
Love that bee dishware! Happy birthday to Selma’s friend!
Happy to be joining the party today, shuffling seasons with an early fall tablescape. Thanks for the platform to share, Susan.
Wow! So beautifully put together & with such attention to detail. Yum, indeed!
Incredible table setting! Love the bee theme. The food looks beautiful and delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Wow, she did a fabulous job!! Everyone needs a friend like Selma!! Sorry I missed the deal on the bee flatware, I have always drooled over everyone else’s!!
WOW!!! Selma did such a gorgeous job with her bee-themed birthday tea. The tablescape and the food and flowers – just lovely. What a sweet thing to do for a friend’s big bday! So glad she shared with us through you. Thank you!
The table setting is just STUNNING!!! Selma’s friend is lucky to have such a good and thoughtful friend in Selma.
What a beautiful table and tea party! I agree with Antoinette, Selma is a great friend! So many wonderful ideas I’m going to borrow for my next tea party – I love the place cards and tiny bouquets, and everything on the menu sounds delicious! Thanks to both of you for sharing, and thanks for hosting, Susan. I really look forward to Thursdays!
I so love this “Bee Party”. Gorgeous table and yummy treats for for the Queen Bee!!!
Do you have any information on the good-looking bee decorated tablecloth?
Renee, one of the tablecloths came from Williams Sonoma (I really love their bee collection!) The other was a basic butter yellow. I tied the look together with table squares made from a fun black and gold bee themed cotton fabric. Even if you don’t have a sewing machine (like me), you can press the edges and get a crisp look. Nobody will know there is no hem!