Through the Looking Glass: A Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

 

I’m stepping through the looking glass to join A Fanciful Twist for the 8th Annual Virtual Mad Tea Party!

Have your pinkies at the ready, bring your favorite tea cup,

don your hats and join the mad fun!

2015 marks the 150th anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland!

Written by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pen name, Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland was inspired by a boat trip down the River Thames in Oxford with family friends. As they rowed along, Dodgson, who was a natural storyteller and regularly entertained his friends, told the Liddell children a story about a bored little girl named Alice, who goes looking for an adventure. The family loved it and at the end of that day, the daughter, Alice Liddell, asked for the story to be written down. Charles Dodgson agreed and began writing the manuscript the next day. It eventually took him two and a half years to complete and was published in the summer of 1865. The book, and its sequel Through The Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There, have been translated into at least 65 languages and film and theater adaptations.

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 My Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is from 2010, I stepped through the looking glass to serve up this tea party and join the fun!

Mismatched napkins, teapots, odd and single cups & mugs, consignment store finds, and family hand-me-downs. . .

A Bunny Cream & Sugar represent the White Rabbit, who’s always late! He’s surrounded by marzipan fruits for this tea party.

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The Queen of Hearts . . .

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 A stolen tart on a filigree silver footed plate . . .

The butterflies on the table and hats, represent the Blue Caterpillar.

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My husband’s grandmother’s hats, are joining the party, bejeweled with pins.

And a Cheshire Cat with his mischievous grin and cupcake. . .

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  Like all members of Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat is mad, but unlike the others, he admits it with pride. .

 “We’re all mad here.”

Mad Hatter to White Rabbit:

“No wonder you’re late. Why, this watch is exactly two days slow.”

Clocks for tea time (all day!) & a key for Alice to unlock the door . . .

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The Mad Hatter: “Have I gone mad?”

Alice: “I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.”

 A Queen’s Frog Footman . . .

“And what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversation?”

 Little cakes for Alice to grow taller:  “Curiouser and curiouser!”

A “drink me” potion to help Alice shrink . . .

 

Queen of Hearts:  “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Details

Assorted tea cups and napkins/ collected over the years

Frog Footman, Cheshire Cat / HomeGoods

Hats/ husband’s grandmother’s

Glass pedestals and silver footed dish/ grandmother’s

Bunny cream and sugar / HomeGoods

Clocks, Timeworks / retail days

Playing cards / Virginia Slims Victorian Playing Cards

 Royal Doulton/Royal Albert Tea pot, part of the 100 years of Royal Albert collection / HomeGoods

You can read more about the 150 years of the Macmillan Alice, including the color of her dress, the real Alice, and illustrations, here.

Join the mad tea party fun at A Fanciful Twist.

Don’t Be Late!

Thank you for your visit, also joining:

 Metamorphosis Monday