Tea time ...

The days are getting chillier and gloomier with less sunshine. So it's perfect time to throw a tea party! I know what you might be thinking, "tea time is for old ladies with white gloves and pristine manners." Well you are partially correct. Tea time is a time for good manners (they must not always be pristine, just decent) but it is not an activity confined to any particular generation. Tea time is for everyone! As the weather gets colder, its a perfect time to host a tea party. Why? Seriously, if you need a reason to get together with your friends for a good chin wag and a hot cup of tea then I feel really sorry for you (more so for your friends). But here are a few reasons you can use to cajole your girlfriends out of their almost-winter hibernation:
1) It's fun to learn more about different teas (Lipton, Tetley and Stash are not the only brands out there). A great place to start your tea education is Dominion Tea, a company that hails from a long line of tea exporters.

2) I would be remiss not to point out that a tea party is a perfect occasion to dress up. Put on that fancy Sunday dress and hat. Seen here is a fabulous green Jones New York dress found at a consignment shop and a SJB Millinery hat. No white gloves required as you can see nor does one need to poke their pinkie into the air. Just put your napkin in your lap, sip don't slurp and enjoy the tea party.
3) It's an opportunity to travel. There are several tea rooms in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area such as: The Tea Cart, Virginia; The Tea Cellar, Washington DC; and Dollies Tea Room, Maryland. Or use the TeaMap to locate tea rooms and cafes throughout the United States and United Kingdom.
4) Sometimes, tea parties are charitable fundraisers. The Duchess Tea being held in Berryville, Virginia, Nov. 8 will help the charity We Will Survive Cancer.
5) You can also learn about different cultures. Not everyone drinks tea the same way. In Turkey, they drink Cay (their word for tea) out of little handle-less cups. In Japan and other Asian countries, they have an elaborate ceremony dedicated to tea.

Japanese Tea Ceremony

A Turkish cay (tea) cup

So you see, there is a lot more to the fashion of tea than ladies in white gloves sipping the stuff with their pinkies in the air!