Cristy's French Cottage Christmas Tea

Lits Temmuz 03, 2022

Cristy Bennett came out of retirement to host a few French Cottage Christmas High Teas in December. My girlfriend, Lori, and I traveled to East Lansing yesterday for the first one of them. Like all her other teas, it was a delightful experience and stimulated all the senses.

The outside of her cottage-style home was whimsically decorated for Christmas and set a fun stage.

Inside everything was elegantly decorated in beautiful shades of French country pink, mauve, white and silver - a real fantasyland.

I'm glad Cristy let me be a shutterbug! There was SO much to photograph.

Lori and I knew in advance that the color scheme was going to be shades of pink, so we dressed accordingly.

Noel is a French word originating from Latin meaning birthday. Happy Birthday, Jesus!

That's the end of her beautiful living room. Now here's the dining room.

Cristy also decorated her year-round sunroom and first floor bathroom, but I didn't photograph them.

Her tablescape and menu was just as stunning as her room decorations!

The beautiful menu cards, doilies containing Dove chocolate candies, and mini-floral arrangement of two white carnations and a pink rose were ours to take home.

At the base of every water glass was the name of the person who'd be sitting there.

Our tea began with a toast of chilled sparkling Cranberry-Apple Juice.

Our tea was a blend of two Harney & Sons black teas - Cranberry Autumn and Hot Cinnamon Spice with a splash of Orange Juice added.

The first course consisted of Cristy's signature pinwheel scones [Cranberry Orange] and a cup of Noel French Chestnut Soup. Love the pink poodle spreader for Devonshire cream.

The main course was Chicken Puff Pastry Pot Pie, Apple-Cucumber Slaw, and homemade Cranberry-Orange Sauce. It was served on Cristy's grandmother's French Limoges china.