memorial weekend tea party

For some reason we seem to have mostly skipped spring here in Western Pennsylvania, going straight to summer with muggy and humid weather and temperatures of 80 degrees F and higher on many days.

The sweltering heat, however, did not deter any neo-Victorian activity this Memorial Day weekend on the part of my friends.  My dear Nim Derringer organized a lovely afternoon tea party, where we would participate in the sports of tea dueling, gossip, and general nerdiness.

For this event I had some difficulty choosing an outfit, as I wanted to look somewhat Victorian and still remain cool in the extreme heat.  So I went with my brown hand-made skirt, a Black Hearts Clothing corset, and a lilac blouse from Forever Twenty-One with brown heels.  No stockings, no petticoats, and hair pulled up:

Although my rather minimalistic makeup started melting even before I left my apartment:

Dear Nim arranged her house beautifully for the party- with plenty of fans, hot and iced tea options, and a wonderful spread of munchies for us to enjoy:

The blogmistress with the Stitch 'n Bitch ladies Lydia Lamplighter and Narla Thotep:

For the tea dueling competition I served as the umpire, or "Tiffin Master."  Here is a shot Nim took of a duel between Norman and Narla:

Nim with Lydia's pink wig:

Lovely parasols and wigs to match these lovely ladies!

Norman and Stephanie (the winner of the tea duels) wielding their weapons:

It was the perfect gathering and we all had so much fun.  Thank you Nim for hosting such a lovely event!