*The Vintage Tea Party Book by Angel Adoree*

A complete guide to hosting your perfect tea party...

I have been obsessed with tea parties ever since I was a little girl. I remember getting my first teapot set when I was about 5 and making all my toys drink invisible tea and eat invisible cake. Still to this day I love going out for 'high tea' with my friends and family and putting on my own tea parties at home. My tea parties usually consist of a pot of tea and a cake stand full of sandwiches, salad, crisps and cake. I am always on the look out for tea party inspiration and this book is just what I needed as it is full of incredible ideas on creating the perfect vintage tea party. The suggestions in the book are all inspired by the vintage style and are simply stunning.


The book is written by Angel Adoree, who owns a business called The Vintage Patisserie. This business aims to take people on a tea party journey to a time of glamour, simplicity and tea party perfection. In this book Angel shares all of her knowledge and secrets about how to create a party filled with smiles, laughter, good food and that vintage feel. Before buying this book I had never heard of Angel Adoree, since then I have visited her website and found out more information about her and what she does. She is very unique and I think that this book just highlights all of the talent that she has and the passion she holds for the vintage era. It is clear to see that there is so much love and adoration put into her work and that is what makes this book so enjoyable.


This book is so much more than a recipe book or an ideas book, it is the whole package, everything you need to create a perfect vintage tea party. The book covers such a wide range of topics in an interesting and classical way. The illustrations and photos used throughout the book are stunning and everything is vintage, even the font used. The book is very colourful and pastel colours are mostly used to give that real vintage effect.


When I first flicked through this book I saw the recipes for the perfect tea party food and I was delighted. I then flicked through it again and saw that this book had so much more in it than just recipes. The book is very British, at the start of the book there is a picture of the Queen on a plate from years ago which completely sets the scene for what is to follow. Angel Adoree then goes on to introduce herself and explain a little bit about how she developed a love for everything vintage. I find her story very inspirational as she built up her empire from scratch and has never been afraid to be different and follow her heart.


After an introduction the book then really starts and it doesn't leave anything out, here are a few highlights:

*Location: where is the best place to hold your tea party? Angel runs through a variety of suggestions and questions you need to ask yourself in order to find the most suitable location.

*Invitations: I can honestly say that I have never sent out invitations for a tea party but then again I had never thought to. I think that it is a wonderful idea and I will definitely be trying it out in the future! It is so old fashioned and proper, I love it! Angel actually provides stencils of lovely vintage style invitations in the book which you can photocopy and hand out.

*Props: where to find vintage props to really set the scene.

*Atmosphere: how to create the perfect tea party atmosphere!

*Headscarf: how to tie the perfect head scarf, vintage style!

*Aprons: Angel gives a step by step guide to making the perfect vintage apron, which includes stencils to help.

*Flowers: which flowers to buy to get the vintage look and how to arrange them.

*Butterflies: use stencils to make pretty decorative butterflies.

*Flags: make wonderful Union Jack flags with an outline of the Queen on it. There are step by step instructions and a stencil of the Queen, perfect for the Royal Jubilee!

*Brunch: recipe suggestions for brunch tea parties include; baked grapefruit, coddles eggs, eggs blackstone, pork and lemon quail scotch eggs, onion and potato flowers and fruit flavoured iced teas.

*Afternoon: recipe suggestions for afternoon tea parties include; rose petal sandwiches, brie and walnut savoury scones, pomegranate and carrot cake, floral creams and sunshine punch.

*Evening: recipe suggestions for evening tea parties include; pear dumplings, mushroom aspic leaves, potted prawns, veal roulade, gingerbread pudding and cocktails.

*Style: this section covers everything from clothes, hair and make-up and male grooming! My favourite section is how to create victory curls for your hair.


These are just a few of my favourite sections of the book, there is a lot more covered and best of all it is all just as good as what it sounds! Other great sections include; candle making, tea party games and making more vintage decorations. The recipes in the book are all very unique and quite unlike anything I have ever seen before. They are fun to make, interesting and stunning to look at! The layout of the book is beautiful and it is a pleasure to read. There are so many interesting facts throughout and each page is just divine.


The book is hardback and has 305 pages in total. The cover and designs throughout are just incredible. The detail on the illustrations and pictures are lovely, this book really does capture everything that is vintage. There is an oval shape cut out on the front cover which shows you a bit of the first page, a picture of Angel hosting a tea party. This design makes the book so inviting and really does say come on in and join us!


I absolutely love this book! It has left me feeling inspired and I cannot wait to begin hosting some fantastic, vintage tea parties. From cover to cover this book is beautiful and is perfect for absolutely anyone who enjoys hosting. The book really does take you on a journey back in time and if you didn't love vintage before you will definitely love it after this! I would recommend this book for anybody 14+ who is interested in tea parties and is wanting to impress.


The book is currently available from amazon.co.uk for £10 with free UK delivery. RRP £20.


Published by Mitchell Beazley, 2011.


I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!


Summary: an exceptional and captivating book of ideas.


Thank you for reading : )


Review also on Ciao under luceey.