Afternoon Tea for Two – Don’t You Love Casual Time?

Afternoon tea doesn’t have to be over-the-top fancy, or time consuming, or expensive! I love casual time, and I love to share it with my friends! For this afternoon tea party for two, I didn’t even make any tiny sized food. Just a pretty table and a yummy snack, and of course, tea!

The Afternoon Tea Table

For the table, I just used the marble side table I inherited from my mom. It’s pretty and just the right size for two, including the tea things and a plate of goodies. It’s a perfect size for a cozy chat, too.

Using the Good Stuff

I’m one of those people who loves to keep my silver out, and use it often. So when I decided to have this little tea get together, all I had to do was grab the tea set from the shelf. Every time I use it, I give it a quick wipe with Wright’s silver polish as I’m washing it. That way it always stays nice and shiny.

I’ve had the teapot and tray, (and the matching cream and sugar bowls, which I’m not using here,) for years, but the gorgeous silver stripe creamer and sugar bowl are new.

They were a gift from a dear friend who found them at a fabulous local shop in the Sellwood area of the Portland metro called Unique Antique! If you’re in town, you should definitely stop in there. I can’t wait to go over and do my own shopping. Maybe I can find some more pieces – they’re as lovely to hold and use as they are to look at!

They were made by a company I’d never heard of, Taylor, Smith, & Taylor. I’ve already started my research to find out all about them!

And Nice China Too

Even though this was a casual afternoon tea, I still used some nice china. Just like my silver, I keep a lot of my nice china in the cupboard in the dining room. SO easy to use whenever I want. Even if you don’t have built in cabinets, it’s worth finding a convenient place to put your china if you want to use it more often.

This is the set my wonderful husband brought into our household, and it’s gorgeous. I chose it for the tea party because it has the same lovely cream color as the sugar and creamer.

In the true spirit of casual, I only gave each of us a luncheon (salad) plate and our teacup. Nothing extra at all.

I love the pattern on this china – a simple but elegant Greek key band around the edge and a lovely black and gold rim. The gold band in the center is the perfect extra touch.

And I always love these beautiful April Cornell napkins too. As is their way, a lot of their patterns are only made for a season or two. I’ve been able to find some more of these on Etsy from time to time, but any of their patterns are just perfect for a tea party!

Afternoon Tea Flowers

The only other thing to do for our afternoon tea table was put a few flowers on. I just ran out into the yard and snipped a few roses.

These yellow ones are on a bush that’s probably almost as old as our house! (How long do rose bushes live? I guess I’ve never actually asked that question … ) Anyway, they bud out one day, bloom the next, and are totally blown by evening. So I was happy to get a few that still had most of their petals by 4:00!

We don’t know the name of the yellow one, but the red one is a Chrysler Imperial. We brought several rose bushes to our house from my in-law’s garden when they moved, and this was one of them. Chryslers have the most fabulous scent and such gorgeous velvety petals!

I snagged a tiny fuschia sprig on my way by too, just for some movement.

The sugar bowl from the tea set filled in nicely for a vase, and matched the silver vibe on the table, so even better.

Food for Our Afternoon Tea

And of course, we can’t forget the food! Like I say – the reason I think of this as a casual tea is that I hardly did any prep. When it came time to eat, I put some fruit and chocolate on a tray, and made up some avocado toast.

Oh BOY that stuff is good! If you haven’t had avocado toast, you should definitely try some! I usually use a baguette, but since this was casual (and I didn’t have a baguette,) I just used some regular sliced sandwich bread.

You just toast the bread, put butter on it, then put on some sliced avocado, paprika, and flaky salt. That’s it! There are a million variations, but I love the classic original. It’s best when it’s hot, so have everything else ready to go. You’ll want to just put the toppings on and sit down.

Enjoying the Company

Of course, the most fun thing about an afternoon tea for two, is the TWO part! It’s so fun to take some time to relax and catch up with a friend. Have some tea and snacks, and not fuss around too much.

I’d be the last one to look down my nose at an all-out fancy tea party, but sometimes casual is perfect. Even without the food, a cup of tea with a friend is one of the best things in the world!

Thanks so much for joining me! Hope you have lots of lovely afternoon teas in your future!

And if you’re like me and just can’t get enough tea party, check out this post for all the glorious details! How to Host a Tea Party – The Essential Guide for Tea Lovers! Or jump right to the Perfect Tea Party Planner!

Barbara’s Boutique Recommendations

Click on the pictures below for links to the pieces I mentioned in this post. If something’s not available, I chose a similar replacement.

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• Tuesday Turn About 08.20.24 – Hosted by My Wee Abode