Downton Abbey Party

Are you a Downton Abbey fan?  I AM!  Big time.  So, when the series ended, I decided to throw a viewing party for the finale.  Of course, there would be tea and china, and flowers as well.  I had great fun deciding on the menu and prepping the table.

The menu included hot tea with milk, a cold tea and fruit punch, and (starting at the back of the top and going clockwise:) cheesecake tarts with lemon curd garnish, chocolate covered strawberries, two types of open faced sandwiches – cream cheese with salmon, cream cheese with veggies and cheddar – chocolate cake, dates stuffed with pecans and rolled in sugar, and fresh fruit.  What a  feast!  I thought it looked quite decadent, if I do say so myself.

The table linens, place settings, serving pieces, and even the flower vase are all either inherited pieces or wedding gifts.   I just added place cards saying, for example, “Lady Ellen.”

My friends came an hour before the final episode started and we enjoyed all the delicacies.

The first thing I heard about the Downton Abbey series was how wonderful the costumes were.  And they are, aren’t they?  I knew that some of my ancestors shared a similar lifestyle prior to the depression, and I just recently received tangible evidence of that.  My mom presented my sister and I with 7 evening bags that were used by her mother and her grandmothers.  The box was labeled (by a great grandmother, we think) with the dates 1910-1930, so I put them out as part of my party decorations.

And just take a look.  Aren’t they incredible?

 These are quite small.  The blue one on the left is about palm sized and the largest one is about 5 x 6 inches.  I guess they’re just supposed to be big enough for a handkerchief.  Three of them are sort of like chain mail and they’re slightly transparent.  I’d never seen any like this before.

On first glance, the others appear beaded, but only the blue one really is.  The others are made of shiny colored links that make up the pattern.

The gold cylinders above hold fountain pens.

My sister and I have to figure out how to preserve or use these.  I think the largest one is viable as an evening bag today.  Watch out: you might see me sporting it at some art opening.

Of course, I can’t finish this post without mentioning the actual final episode.  Wasn’t it satisfying?  I LOVED it.

Ellen Lindner