Create special memories with a Tea Times party BY ANITA STRATOS Correspondent Debi Holliday, owner of Tea Times, believes that women and girls never get tired of playing dress up. At a Tea Times party, you can don a Victorian hat, lace gloves, and other accessories. 'Memories are simply moments that refuse to be ordinary" - a perfect logo for Tea Times, the on-site event planners of Victorian tea parties for "toddlers, teens, and twilight tea totalers." This unique idea is the brainchild of Debi Holliday who, after spending more than 15 years in the party planning business, decided to team up with her daughters Naomi and Noelle in a business of their own. Originally Holliday thought about starting a tea room, but she quickly realized that her interests lay more in the entertainment end of the business rather than the retail end. "The whole idea of people getting together and using tea as a reason to celebrate intrigued me," Holliday said. "Sitting down over a cup of tea, sharing time together and nurturing relationships - that's what it's all about." Holliday researched many different ideas within this framework and found that the Victorian theme was something that appealed to a wide range of women. With this as her foundation, she developed the concept of a full-service event planning business for Victorian tea parties. Parasols, pearls and Victorian hats - dressing for tea begins the fun at a Tea Times party. Because of Holliday's years of experience in planning many successful parties for clients, family members and friends, one of her main goals was to give each hostess the opportunity to fully enjoy the event rather than spending time coordinating it. By customizing each party to her client's specifications and attending to every detail before, during and after the party, the hostess can relax and socialize while the party flows smoothly. Each event is tailored to suit the client's specific needs and wants, and Holliday and her daughters are always on hand to make sure everything goes as planned. A wonderful alternative to more run-of-the-mill types of parties, Holliday will customize the accessories and entertainment for any kind of gathering, from children's parties and showers, to birthdays and girls' night get-togethers. Girls' nights are sure to be a popular request: since it's easy to lose touch with friends in such hectic times, Holliday can arrange a monthly get-together for a group of friends, and each month's gathering will have a different theme so it's always a different experience for everyone. The only things that stay the same at all Tea Times parties are the high quality and standards by which the parties are run. Once the client chooses the location of the event - which can be in a home, at a restaurant, indoors or outdoors - Holliday transforms it into a Victorian tea room, complete with lace, china teacups, silver tea service, tiered serving pieces, silver flatware, chamber music and more. Authentic Victorian hats, cameos and other accessories add to the ambiance. Holliday believes that women "never get tired of playing dress-up" and finds that most love to don a Victorian hat, lace gloves, and other accessories in the spirit of the party. Dressing up is optional at the tea parties, and, even if these items aren't used, their presence adds extra elegance to the venue. As the on-site coordinators of the parties, Holliday and her daughters wear Victorian attire and keep the party alive with fun things like singing or leading guests in a game during a lull so no one ever gets bored. Of course, the entertainment always suits the age group and type of party, whether lively or more sedate. "However the hostess wants the event to go, we make sure it goes that way," Holliday explained. "If they want it to be very lively and the guests to feel entertained at all times, we monitor the mood of the party and we make sure that we always have something planned." Holliday and her daughters work very closely with their clients not only to determine exactly what will be needed to enhance the theme, but also to decide on a menu. There are plenty of delightful offerings from which to choose, all of which are homemade by Tea Times' exclusive caterer. Among the items on the savory menu are a variety of scones such as cranberry walnut, buttermilk, blueberry, and classic Scottish, served along with mock Devonshire cream, banana cream, lavender honey, lemon curd and strawberry butter spreads. Cherry nut bread, crumpets, apple biscuit round, date and walnut loaf, and pumpkin nut bread are accompanied by "Granma's Proper Preserves," which are made just for Tea Times. There's also a variety of mini quiches, crudités, and other appetizing favorites, including special kids' selections like "Ants on a Log" (celery with peanut butter and raisins), PB Jammers, and Pooh's Banana and Honey on Whole Wheat. And no Victorian tea would be complete without finger sandwiches, which range from egg salad and watercress or chicken curry to spicy tuna or Plaza tea sandwiches. On the sweet side are treats like truffles, petit fours, macaroons, lime wafers, phyllo fingers, honey Madeleines, strawberry rose meringues and the Tea Times "Teapot Cake," made to your specifications of cake flavor, icing flavor, and extras. There's even a "Charmed Cake" with special surprise charms baked in. Kids' tea parties are two hours of fun with food, makeover sessions, dress-up, a Little Miss Manners lesson, a chapeau fashion show in which the children model their hats, have their pictures taken, and complete a craft. Holliday said that moms love watching their kids turn into little ladies as they participate in the tea parties and enjoy the special memories that remain long after the party ends. "It's our heart to make these parties special. We love what we do," Holliday said. "We really want to make everyone at our tea parties feel special." Holliday offers creative options to stay within her clients' budgets without cutting corners or compromising quality, including offering an "entertainment only" package for which she provides all of the Victorian accessories and entertainment, and the client provides her own food. For more information about Tea Times, call (732) 785-2834, or visit the company Web site at www.TeaTimes 4Friends.com.