Today I shall be sharing with you my how I celebrated my 23rd birthday from home! It was a wondrous day filled with so much magic and I will detail the outfit I wore, the treats I made and how I spent the day.
I had to pick out my dream dress for the day! and the piece I’m wearing here is the most wonderful pink, 1960s dress from Tabay Vintage.
I have been following Tabay Vintage for quite a while and I always fall in love with the rare pieces she shares.
When I spotted the 1960’s Emma Domb cupcake dress, I couldn’t believe my eyes! It embodies everything I adore – pink, roses and soft satin! The design is simple but alluring and it is utterly unique. I really do adore every intricate detail and wearing it allows me to feel as though I have transported into the realm of my favourite 1950s Audrey films.
I think the history behind Emma Domb is fascinating. I had never heard of this brand before but I thought I would share with you a little bit of its past.
Emma Domb was a California dressmaking company, which made beautiful dresses from 1939-1970s. The brand was founded by Emma Domb and Lorraine Domb Steinberg who created dreamy wedding, party, prom and cocktail dresses. When I gaze at the dress I purchased, it really does remind me of the garments that you would wear to elegant 1950s dance.
Until I had undertaken a little bit of research, I hadn’t realised how sought after the dresses from Emma Domb are! The brand is highly-coveted with vintage collectors, made from the dreamiest materials and elegant designs. I hope I can add more pieces to my collection in the future. As this is a rare piece, I cannot provide you with a link to purchase it yourselves, nevertheless, I recommend keeping a close eye on Tabay’s page but if you would like to purchase something sooner, I have found some pretty vintage dresses which I’m sure you shall adore too…
As you may be able to spot in my photos, with my dress I have decided to wear an elegant pair of gloves which remind me of Grace Kelly. Gloves were a significant piece of 1950s style, and were a key focus for etiquette within your ensembles. For women, they were very much a way to keep one’s hands soft and protected, which was a sign of one’s rank in society.
After I have clothed myself in my dreamy dress, I decided to go on a whimsical walk with my mother amongst the delicate pink cherry blossoms. They are now in full bloom and it felt so magical to sit underneath them and have a little picnic.
Once we had basked amongst the blossoms, we prepared for my favourite part of the day… A Regency inspired tea-party!
For the perfect afternoon tea-set, I have some top tips to share with you!
First lay the table with your dreamiest china sets ~ I personally adore the Royal Albert New Country Roses Pink tea-set which I used for all my afternoon tea’s.
Once you have laid out your dreamy tea-pot and filled it with your favourite tea (I used the Ladurée Marie Antoinette) you can set the table with your most elegant plates! Aside from my beloved plates from Royal Albert, from both the New Country Roses and Miranda Kerr ranges, I also adore my white, Marie Antoinette inspired dinner plates from Maisons du Monde and my new Vanity Fayre, Bow plate from Bonny and Blithe.
I recently discovered Bonny and Blithe, and it is my new favourite go-to place for elegant tea-ware! Their website has everything you would possibly need to create your own dreamy tea-party. Alongside your elegant plates, tea pots and tea cups, it can also be a lovely idea to use pretty cutlery! From Bonny and Blithe, I picked up their adorable dainty tea spoon and fork set which are just perfect for afternoon tea.
For a few finishing touches to your table display, you can add a little bunch of your favourite flowers (I’ve opted for peonies) and other pretty details such as elegant cake stands!
My Essential Decor for an Afternoon-tea Party
Royal Albert Confetti Tea cup
Royal Albert Pink New Country Roses Tea Cup and Tea Pot
Bonny and Blithe Vanity Fayrest Plate
When everything is beautifully arranged to how you would like – you can now assemble your treats! For my tea-party I made an elegant set of scones topped with icing and sugar flowers, my very own elegant white fondant birthday cake with a vanilla sponge, raspberry jam, ribbon and sugar flower decorations and finally, a set of dainty fondant miniature cakes.
Elegant White Mini Fondant Cakes with Sugar Flowers
For the swiss roll sponge:
6 eggs
175g golden caster sugar
175g self-raising flour
50g butter (melted)
For the filling:
300ml double cream
100g grated dark chocolate
raspberry jam
For the decoration:
pink fondant
white fondant
Method
For the swiss sponge:
- Pre-heat the oven to 200˚C. Line a 27 x 40 cm Swiss roll tin with non-stick baking parchment.
- Using an electric whisk, mix the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy (this can take 5 minutes.)
- Fold in the flour and once this is complete, gradually fold in the melted butter.
- Pour the mixture into the tin (I only needed to use half of my mixture) and bake for 12-15 minutes until pale, but cooked and springy in the middle.
- Transfer the baking tray to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes, then carefully turn it upside down, remove the parchment paper and allow to cool completely before you assemble the cake.
- Take a medium sized cookie cutter and cut out twelve circles.
Assembling the layers:
- For the first layer, gently apply the raspberry jam.
- Once you have done this, add the whipped cream on top ~ make sure you cover the sponge entirely and finish by sprinkling some chocolate shavings.
- Place the second sponge circle on top and repeat. Once you reach the last layer, you can place the final sponge circle on top.
- Add some more cream on top (more than the first layer) and using an offset spatula, make the cake round on top with the cream and cover the entire cake with the rest of the cream (repeat this for the next four cakes)
The Fondant Decoration:
- Lightly dust the work surface with powdered sugar.
- Divide the pink fondant into four portions and roll each piece into 8-inch rounds (under 1/8 inch thick)
- Centre the fondant over the cake, letting it drape over the sides and use your hands to adjust the fondant.
- Use a cookie cutter almost as large as the cake and press it over the top to cut the fondant off the sides and remove the excess.
- To create the fondant roses and bows, I followed these tutorials.
- Once you have created your fondant decorations, place them in the centre of each cake.
- To finish, dust lovingly with powdered sugar!
The Dreamiest Vanilla Birthday Cake
Ingredients:
200g caster sugar
200g softened butter
4 eggs, beaten
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
100g butter, softened
140g icing sugar, sifted
drop vanilla extract (optional)
half a 340g jar good-quality strawberry jam
Decorations
White fondant, sugar roses and a satin ribbon
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Line two cake tins with non-stick baking paper.
In a large bowl, beat the caster sugar, softened butter, 4 beaten eggs, self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp milk together until you have a smooth, soft batter.
Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
Bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed.
Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
To make the filling, beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in sifted icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extract.
Spread the buttercream over the bottom of one of the sponges. Top it with strawberry jam and sandwich the second sponge on top.
Finish by coating with a layer of buttercream around the sides, cover with a layer of white fondant, and finish with a satin ribbon and sugar roses.
Once you have created all your sweet treats its time to assemble them on your beautiful tea-ware! This is such an exciting moment as your tea-party finally comes to life.
When everything is assembled as you wish, it is time to select your accompanying music for the tea-party! I think this is a significant step which should not be missed out as it creates the perfect atmosphere! If you’re unsure where to begin, I have created my own Princess Tea-Party playlist which you could use
My final tip is to order a box of something sweet which you will enjoy! Ladurée macarons are truly my favourite and I always order rose, vanilla, strawberry candy flavours!
I have also created a little video diary of the special day which I hope you shall enjoy!
As always, I’m sending so much love to you all and I hope you can have the courage to pursue your own dreams.
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