Seashells by the Seashore Tea

I wish I had been born at the time when people spent whole months of vacation at the seashore, when women still wore elegant hats and packed elaborate picnics. Children love to use their imaginations, so give them a tea party that will transport them half-way around the world -- and back to that time. Tell the little girls you're inviting to wear bold, beautiful hats and pretty pastel dresses. They'll feel all grown up.

Menu:
Madelines
Sand Dollar Cookies
Beachcomber Cupcakes
Croissants, sliced
Apricot or Black Cherry Jam, preferably imported
Unsalted Butter
Kid-Friendly Mini-Quiches
Starfish Shaped PB&J

Suggested Teas:
For your main tea, choose something with sweet notes, such as black tea laced with caramel or red tea flavored with French vanilla. For the adults in the crowd, choose something sophisticated, like Earl Gray, or a black tea infused with hazelnut, which is a quintessential French flavor.

Not all children will drink tea, so have some drinking chocolate or lemonade on hand.

Setting the Scene:

Place a decorative lavender-colored hatbox in the center of each table, and fill it with white seashells. Stick long picks with place cards at the top into the shells, pointing each card towards the appropriate place setting. At each place set a favor box with a single hazelnut-filled chocolate seashell. Twist fresh lavender blossoms into napkin rings. Find inexpensive teacups and plates at a dollar store or thrift shop, so it won't be a problem if anything gets broken. Add a light "seashore" scent, and play either French children's CDs or ocean sounds mixed with instrumental music. Print your invitations on vellum, and cut out slightly larger squares of lavender-colored card stock. Attach these two pieces together at the top by punching two holes and stringing raffia through them.

To add an educational element, hang a map of France on the wall, and talk about the different areas along the coastline. Blow up postcards of different French landmarks. Find a list of basic French phrases and encourage all the guests to use Bonjour and Merci, and give a prize to the one who can name the most foods in French at the end of the party.

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