The Sacred Heart Fundraiser Tea

I recently had the immense honor of being the keynote speaker at the 17th Annual Sacred Heart Fundraiser Tea, also known as the Patty Blanton tea.

The event, held in Appling, Georgia, was the quintessential experience of Southern hospitality. It was an utterly enchanting afternoon.

Word of the Sacred Heart Fundraiser Tea has grown and flourished over the years, gaining legendary status as the premier annual tea event in the region.

 

With only 80 coveted tickets available, it sells out within days of going on sale.

 

Sacred Heart keeps a wait list and, as usual, this year’s wait list was long with ladies hoping to get the good news that a ticket had become available for them.

 

I was well aware of this illustrious event having read about it in Tea Time Magazine, long before I had developed my own tea line or had even become a certified Afternoon Tea Etiquette trainer.

 

Being invited to speak at this tea event, which is such a cherished tradition, was a dream come true.

From the horsehead and horseshoe shaped tea sandwiches to the mini-Kentucky Derby pies, it was apparent at every turn just how much Patty had poured her dedication into every detail of this spectacular day.

Every year, Patty and her friends personally prepare all the food, offering a unique and delicious afternoon tea menu.

 

Thoughtful detailing extended to the table settings, where each table of four was set with its own special China pattern, adding yet another touch of southern elegance.

Every year guests are gifted with personalized hand painted gift bags. This year the bags contained Patty’s homemade jam, her signature goat’s milk soap, a hand-painted (by Patty) vase, and a hand-painted print of the menu. I was so honored to have Patty include a tin of my Cherry Rose Green Tea in the fabulous gift bags this year.

All the beautiful tables and heavenly tea-fare and all of the ladies in summer dresses and hats were set against the backdrop of Patty’s enchanting garden.

Patty’s garden is spectacular- adorned with fountains, a koi pond, and a breathtaking variety of maple trees and plant life. The ambiance created in this gorgeous natural setting elevated everything all the more. It was absolutely stunning!

I am pictured here with Millie Huff, Executive Director of the Sacred Heart Cultural Center.  My friends and I toured the facility.  What a beautiful building!

This historic building, once a Catholic church on the brink of ruin, was rescued by a family from Augusta and transformed into a thriving arts center for the community.

I was accompanied by my dear friends, Caroline and Ida, who are always ready for tea adventures. For all of us, this was such a fun opportunity to meet and connect with new people.

I designed Caroline’s pink and blue fascinator to go with her dress.

As I’ve long believed, tea has an extraordinary power to bring people together in the most wonderful ways, and this tea was no exception.

 

In chatting with everyone, I got a surprise when I discovered that one of the guests had attended the same high school as my husband—a great reminder of the small world we live in.

 

When I left, I took with me wonderful memories of the day and a hope to attend next year’s Sacred Heart Fundraiser Tea.

 

My deepest and most heartfelt thanks to Patty for inviting me to speak at her beyond fabulous event and for allowing me the joyful experience of this spectacular day.

 

Learn more about how you can support The Sacred Hearts Cultural Center here

I have always been an “animal” person. Growing up in Kentucky, I always loved seeing the horses in their fields as I drove along the road. After spending five years volunteering in animal rescue for a local humane society, I wanted to help unwanted and abused horses in some way.

Not long after that, I received a letter from the Kentucky Equine Humane Center. Having worked with them a few years ago, I thought about working with them again. I designed a hat for the Breeders Cup, which did quite well in a silent auction. I drove down to their farm just outside of Nicholasville and fell in love.

Executive Director Karen Gustin showed me around the facility. Immediately, I fell in love with the horses at KYEHC and wanted to help. Karen and I discussed ways to help. What was born of that discussion was the Hats, Horses and Hope line that will benefit the KYECH. 15% of the sale price goes directly to KYEHC.

The first hat of the series that sold was Joey. Oddly enough, Joey was the horse at KYEHC that immediately stole my heart. The victim of abuse, he had a severe case of rain rot, more parasites than the vets had ever seen, two puncture wounds and a right eye that had to be removed. Joey is a strong 2 year old and making progress daily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imagine my surprise on Monday morning when I opened an email from a client. To my amazement, I learned that our hats were featured in NBC’s Preakness Coverage last Saturday!

To view the video, please click here:
Polly Singer Hats at Preakness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the things I love most about my business is the unusual projects and clients that I get to work with.  Back in June, I was in the Atlanta Airport waiting to board a flight, when I get a phone call from Tracy Kujuwa from Angel Heart Arabians.  She asked if I would work with them and design a hat for the Arabian Horse Celebration.  I said quickly said yes, because I adore Arabian horses and also, loved what Angel Heart does.  The organization works with critically ill children and horses, using riding and working with the horses to help heal bodies and spirits.

We decided that the hat needed to be a large, statement making hat using black, white and silver colors.  I decided to do the classic Audrey/Holly Go Lightly look with lots of feathers and a huge silver silk flower.  The hat was done and I had to get it to Tracy.  We found out that we had similar history, both being farmers daughters who became vegetarians and also worked in the music business.

This summer has been a very hot one.  Tracy was busy with horse shows, i.e. riding horses in sweltering 100 degree heat while dressed in riding attire.  We both had sick, critically ill animals and had to address those issues.

A month later, we finally met and had lunch, along with Kim Jarvis from the Arabian Horse Celebration.  It was a fun lunch and I walked away feeling lucky to work with Kim and Tracy.  The Arabian Horse Celebration event was September 18-22 in Louisville, Kentucky at Freedom Hall.

Tracy was unable to attend the night of the event.  I was there but ended up leaving early.  The hat auction was to be a “live auction” and I was too nervous to stay and watch the bidding.  What if no one bid on the hat that I hard worked so hard to create?

I was driving home on I-64, just crossing the Kentucky River, when my phone rang.  It turned out to be very good news!  The hat that I was nervous about, fearing no one would bid on, brought $5,000 at the live auction!  I was thrilled for Angel Heart and slightly relieved!

 

 

I have been getting the question “Do ladies actually wear hats to the Breeder’s Cup?” Some ladies do, others do not.  However, over the years, I have seen more ladies wear hats.

Depending on where Breeder’s Cup is held, the weather is cold or warm, determines the style of hat.  In California, a heavier felt hat would be out of place.

I went to Breeder’s Cup in 2010 to watch the great Zenyatta race.  As I had always been a huge fan, it was heartbreaking to see her only loss.  The race was held at Churchill Downs.  It was quite cold that year and could not get warm!  Glad I had a heavier hat on. My hat was a felt, with the edge rimmed in ivory.  I used feathers to create height and volume.

Probably one of the most unusual fascinators that I have designed was for a Breeder’s Cup client.  She wanted to have real horseshoes on her hat, so we found a blacksmith to weld the horseshoes together.  The horseshoes were then sewn to the base with the feathers and quill shooting out.  It was quite a project to undertake while I was had a 102 fever.  As they say, the show must go on!

I was very proud of the horseshoe fascinator.

What sort of hat would I recommend for the Breeder’s Cup Races, held in Del Mar this year? Well, for an event in southern California, I would recommend a light fascinator or saucer hat.  The track is near the ocean, so I would recommend having a headband that fits well.

As always, we create custom hats and fascinators for clients.  Click on Breeder’s Cup to view our current collection for Breeder’s Cup.