Saturday Cocktailing | The Tea Party

The phrase "tea party" carries with it a lot of ... shall we say, interesting connotations. Last weekend I cast those aside and threw together a daytime party for some friends on a sunny (but still chilly) Saturday afternoon. It was a great way to entertain - I had all morning to prepare, and the guests were out the door by five p.m., just in time for a nice nap. I could see moving the whole shabang outside once the weather gets nicer. Here are a few shots of the table --

Lots of spring things - hydrangea, Pimm's Cup, cucumber spears...

The homemade fruit tart was tricky to put together, but well worth it.

Cucumber watercress sandwiches, egg salad on endive, smoked salmon and herb butter...

The only tea at the party was Firefly sweet tea and fresh mint lemonade...

The Brilliant Mister Bastian

The weather is finally getting nicer and already this guy's got me longing for fall. Check out some of my favorite looks from two Michael Bastian-designed collections for fall: his eponymous line,




and from his much-talked-about collaboration with Gant.

This guy's unstoppable. Fall 2010, here we come.