When you buy commercial icing in the grocery store, the can comes with many tips. The “kind of smooth with a whip” looking sugar cubes were from one tip and the frilly icing cubes were from a different tip. On some of the cubes I performed the “surgery” you see in the photos (click to enlarge) and others I just dipped in  tiny bowls of sprinkles. **Note: Get the icing in the can. The kind in the squeeze bag will not stick to the sugar cubes.

AND NOW ON TO THE ‘PARTY SCHEDULE” I PROMISED ON TUESDAY!!

Kind of long which is why I have put it at the end! Hopefully it is detailed enough to make it so you don’t really have to think about anything.  It seems like a lot but most of this stuff doesn’t really take very long – I just make detailed lists so I don’t forget anything!  I posted a Flickr photo set here – it might help with ideas for table set up, invitations, etc.! Also, be sure to check Wednesday’s post – it is LOADED with information and links.
3 WEEKS BEFORE

• Pick a date
• Buy cute note cards for invitations
• Make invitations. Ask people to RSVP
• Order party favor baskets for as many children as are invited plus 10 more. Also have 10 additional cups & plates. Since it is a Mother/Daughter Tea, siblings (sisters) are also invited by default – inviting 10 kids can turn into 20 kids before you know it! – a good reason for RSVP!

2 WEEKS BEFORE

• Send invitations
• Find 3 serving trays (scones, cookies, sandwiches), spoons (they make great silver plastic ones now!), tea set , cups & plates (there are beautiful paper plates, and plastic cups out there!), tongs for sugar cubes, 4 bowls ( jam, whipped cream, nuts and crackers) and 2 pitchers (lemonade & water). Call rental company to reserve, borrow, buy or dig yours out of storage.

1 WEEK BEFORE

• Make a grocery list or use mine (below)!

2 – 3 DAYS BEFORE

• Decorated Sugar Cube ingredients: Canned spray icing, sprinkles, sugar cubes
• Buy ingredients for and make sugar cubes.
• Store in a container or on a cookie sheet with a drinking glass in the middle and foil “tented” over the cookie sheet (so you don’t smush the icing).

• Pick up rentals if needed (or have them delivered).
• Set table with serving trays, cups, plates, spoons, tongs for sugar cubes, pitchers, clear plastic cups, bowls with spoons, and tea service.
• Fill sugar bowl with sugar (women do not usually want icing in their tea).
• Make a little tented card for the PB&J tray alerting people that they are PB&J (peanut allergy).
• Lay clean dish towels over everything to prevent dust.
• Set up an area away from the tea with wine glasses and an ice bucket for the sparkling water and wine.

1 DAY BEFORE

TO GET (Grocery):

• White paper doilies for serving trays
• Bulk Candy for favor baskets
• Flowers or something for the centerpiece
• Decaffeinated mint tea (see Tea For A Crowd for amounts needed)
• Wyler’s Pink Lemonade mix
• Clear plastic cups for lemonade
• Scones
• Whipping Cream
• 1/2 & 1/2 cream
• Jam
• Cookies
• Nuts
• Little snack crackers (Goldfish)
• Bread for sandwiches
• Peanut Butter
• Grape Jelly
• 3-4 bottles of wine (you probably will not need this much but it is good to have on       hand in case you do)
• 2 large bottles sparkling water
• 2 bags of ice
• 2 boxes of frozen hors d’oeuvres (I always pop some in the oven around 4:45 in case someone would like something other than cookies & scones)
• Votive candles for bathrooms
• Cocktail napkins for table and ice bucket area

TO DO:

• Make whipped cream (you can also buy fresh whipped cream at Whole Foods)
• Make PB&J sandwiches, cover & refrigerate – do not cut.
• Arrange paper favor baskets on table and fill.
• Make lemonade
• Make tea concentrate (see Tea For A Crowd)
• Set the bottles of wine and water in the empty ice bucket and remember to lay a corkscrew & cocktail napkins somewhere in the vicinity.

DAY OF PARTY

• Cut sandwiches into little “2 bite” sizes, cover & refrigerate

RIGHT BEFORE (3:30)

• Open a bottle of wine & recork
• Ice the wine & sparkling water
• Set out Lemonade & Water
• Boil water for tea
• Light votives in bathrooms
• Fill the trays & bowls
• Fill the cream pitcher

Enjoy your party!

P.S. Did you remember to clean your house?

*Tea concentrate – link to Tea For A Crowd suggests filling each cup with concentrate and adding water but I fill the teapot with boiling water and add concentrate to taste.
*Clear cups – when they are scattered across the landscape of your house, they look better than colored cups and your house doesn’t look like the morning after a Fraternity party.
*Sugar-Free Lemonade – it will get spilled and there is no sticky sugary mess with sugar-free.
*I usually pick out a movie to play if the girls are “done” with the tea party and the mothers are still enjoying themselves.