First, I turned 27 last week.
Second, I found 27 to be the magic age where birthdays stop becoming so exciting that you feel the need to tell the entire world for a week straight. Ugh.
Third, if you know my husband whatsoever you are probably aware that he likes to pretend he’s an all around boy with no link to emotion whatsoever. And he doesn’t like to admit birthdays might be a cause for celebration. In fact, you might believe he doesn’t even like them.
Lies. All lies.
Don’t let that guy fool you, he has plenty of warm fuzzies hidden away and has this habit of saving them for the best moments. So when he surprised me with a perfectly girly tea party for my birthday, I could not have been more thrilled.
Celebrating birthday-eve with the husband and pup
I have been asking, and reminding myself (and P), to stop by Zen Tea in Chamblee for months. I gush over pretty little tea pots and never miss my daily cup of English Breakfast, but had yet to make it over to the tea store that is less than a five minute drive from our house.
Earlier this summer, while grabbing breakfast at the Brookhaven Farmer’s Market, P and I stopped by the Zen Tea tent. Me for a cup of white jasmine, he for some intel. I must have missed his chatting with the employee from Zen Tea, but he learned about their high tea offering and put plans in motion.
Sunday morning, when I asked what to make for breakfast, he mentioned having a spot in mind he wanted to try instead. When we arrived, I was giddy to see it was the same little tea shop I had been eying. I was then surprised to find not only were we grabbing delicious drinks, he had also invited my mom, sister, his parents and my best girlfriends for a high tea celebration.
Zen has a great little back room where we enjoyed a private three course brunch. The event began with a tea selection (every gets their own pot) served with scones, followed by a selection of finger sandwiches and final course of a second tea selection paired with a myriad of deserts. It was a fantastic way to work around their extensive menu (they have 160 teas to choose from) and take a much needed break from planning a large birthday dinner party.
If you’re not up for the entire high tea selection, Zen Tea offers loose tea for sale and has a great selection of little pastries, we’ll be back to try both. Located right in the heart of old downtown Chamblee, this little shop just off of Peachtree Road is a gem.
In addition to Zen Tea, old Chamblee has a string of antique stores, the impossible to pass up ice cream at the Frosty Caboose (ice cream out of a train car is NOT just for those under the age of five, for the record) and a number of other great eateries, all tucked into a mile or so.
I’m glad to know that even though I may have crossed the “birthdays don’t seem so exciting” bridge, I have someone by my side who’s willing to fight for them, at least for two more years. As my mother reminded us time and time again as children, women don’t age past 29 anyway.