We’re All Mad Here

The notes for which they are noted are not noted for being musical notes.

At least, that’s my favorite answer to the proverbial unanswered question posed by the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. What better way to begin a fanciful unbirthday tea party than to let your mind explore, unburdened by logic, the possibilities of this Victorian era question. Why IS a raven like a writing desk?

My son’s Classical Conversations class read Lewis Carroll’s nonsensical masterpiece last week, so, of course we had to enjoy tea together while discussing satire, anthropomorphism, and how to pronounce “Cheshire”. The ending doesn’t sound like where Hobbits live. Just in case you were wondering.

I used my best Trader Joe’s shopping skills to put together some tiered treats, topped off with a variety of tea sandwiches. Oversized playing cards served as place mats, with a few red roses for good measure so as not to draw the ire of the Queen of Hearts.

You can make the ordinary feel fancy with a couple tricks. First, when making tea sandwiches, cut the crusts after assembling sandwiches for that beautiful cross section with dill cream cheese right up to the edge. Second, arrange a few small treats in a cupcake holder together to instantly create a posh serving of deliciousness.

Add some whimsy to your Galentine’s Day with this theme, or make a random Tuesday feel extraordinary! Free download the decor at the end of this post! Enjoy!

Here are a few of the products I used from Trader Joe’s. I selected things that looked otherworldly, small versions of larger things, along with more traditional tea treats. I paired these items with some interesting lemon pears, meringues, stroopwaffles and yogurt covered pretzels. Quick cucumber and chicken salad sandwiches finished off our tea.