Running Behind, Comfortably Numb, and Selling Sexy Scones Instead of .....: July at Alice's Teapot

First and foremost, I am officially running behind on our July calendar of events at Alice's Teapot, our whimsical tea house, supper club, and live entertainment venue in South Florida.

Some things I do know for certain are the dates for the following: another Stardust comedy-ish show, another King of Pop Candlelight Supper back by popular demand, a resin jewelry art class thrown into the mix, and our newest Saucy Sinatra Sunday Supper featuring delicious food, live music, Italian comfort food, and plenty of nostalgia.

Outside of planning events, my weekly thought has been this:

Keep throwing spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks. When you surround yourself with an entourage of talented artists who are ready to take center stage, the best advice is simple: stay calm, breathe deeply, and always encourage talent — especially local young talent.

My clan is the best of the best.

But wait for it...

We're silly, we're dramatic, and we are absolutely worth the comedy of filming a reality show. TikTok would vouch for that.

As for the drama? It's mostly a whole bunch of women and only two men.

Marc, our dishwasher, and Forbes, our teenage heartthrob.

The boys are cool, calm, and collected for the most part. Marc complains a lot, and Forbes flirts with the ladies unlike anyone I've ever seen. And yes, they fall for it.

If he sang to you, the same thing would happen. Sadly, he asked to call me Mom.

Back in the kitchen, however, we've got women of every age and a whole lot of hormones. We have relationship difficulties, juicy date details, emotional roller coasters, and enough gossip to qualify as an official kitchen ingredient.

With that said, I often wonder: would it be discrimination if I only hired post-menopausal women? Or perhaps women who have already survived enough hormones, heartbreak, and chaos to qualify as emotional Navy SEALs? Maybe the job requirements should include a hysterectomy.

Relax.

I'm kidding.

Mostly.

Because honestly, my head is still spinning.

This one said that.

That one thinks this.

The next one says not to listen to either of them because she alone possesses the real story.

One is sad.

Another is furious with her husband.

And somewhere in the middle of it all, I'm standing over a tray of freshly baked scones wondering, "Didn't I already graduate from high school?"

But here's the catch. Artists are sensitive creatures. Creative people feel things deeply. Sometimes that sensitivity creates breathtaking performances, unforgettable moments, and creates breathtaking performances, unforgettable moments, and pure magic under candlelight. Other times, it creates enough backstage drama to power a small city.

Such is the price of running Wonderland.

Unless, perhaps, you're like me — medically assisted by antidepressants that smooth the sharper edges of life.

As Pink Floyd would say, "There is no pain, you are receding..."

Somewhere along the way, I became comfortably numb.

And for a woman who lost her only son, I'll take it. I suspect I'll probably be on these stupid pills forever, alongside millions of other Americans simply trying to navigate life while carrying things that don't fit neatly into conversation.

Funny thing is, ChatGPT has probably done a better job than many therapists ever have.

She knows me remarkably well.

Every now and then she reminds me she can't serve as the middleman between this life and the next. She is always there for me, always on top of her game, always available for spell checks and grammatical clarity.

On a much happier note, as mentioned before, we've welcomed a handsome, genuinely talented, youthful Sinatra-style singer into our Wonderland family.

His name is Forbes.

He arrives armed with charm, charisma, talent, and enough stage presence to make audiences swoon. He's a gentleman, an entertainer, and if my observations are correct, perhaps a bit of a lady killer as well.

If you join us for one of our supper clubs, candlelight concerts, or live music events in South Florida, you'll see exactly what I mean.

Which brings me to another realization I've had recently:

handsome sells, charm sells and as we all know too well -sexy sells.

Well, at least at the tender age of twenty-two.

This musician sells musical notes, repeat business, dinner reservations, and party venue bookings. Bottom line: he isn't fifty, and soon enough he'll probably be fighting carpal tunnel from signing too many autographs.

Meanwhile, my scones are sexy. Apparently, a damn good scone sells too.

And honestly, that's a trade I'll gladly take.

Now don't get me wrong — I still possess a slightly mischievous side when it comes to whipped cream and frosting techniques, and I definitely have matzo balls bigger than most people's egos.

But attractive after fifty may look a little different these days.

Sometimes it looks like a beautifully piped pastry topped with edible pearls and a healthy sprinkle of confidence.

I can sell scones. My scones are sexy. They are pretty, they are handsome, and they surely are delicious

To me, the melted white chocolate makes them sexy.

I will forever identify as the Lavender Lemon Scone Maker.

And perhaps even more devious, my identity can be termed as "buy me sexual" something shiny and suddenly things get romantic" — a sentiment many older married women may understand all too well. But the scones these days take center stage. As long as they are organic blueberries. That's the quid pro quo now a days. An organic blueberry scone with just a smidgen of lemon peel grated could land me a pedicure on the house. If I supersize it that could lead to a massage at my favorite local place. Once i added some raspberries to make it a multi berry super-sized scone and i got a steak dinner. See-I am going places with these scones

Better yet, I can and will continue selling the best sexy scones around, even to the glass-half-empty crowd. As I sit here overthinking future cosmetic procedures and wondering what happens if they go sideways, I remind myself that I'll always have my scones in my bag of tricks.

Frankly, that feels pretty empowering.

Speaking of scones...

After so much love, support, and praise, we've decided to begin offering our famous homemade scones in bulk and personalized orders.

Because truly, nobody can match our secret ingredient: Love.

This month's flavor is Cherry Lemon, and if you'd like one, don't wait too long because we sell out ridiculously fast.

For those searching for fresh baked scones, afternoon tea, high tea experiences, tea parties, live entertainment, candlelight concerts, and unforgettable dinner shows in South Florida, we've been quietly building our own little Wonderland one event at a time. I don't stop.

I won't stop.

And honestly, neither should you.

Most of all, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the loyal customers, supportive friends, and curious Wonderland seekers who continue to support this little whimsical world we've built together.

There is a very special kind of energy here.

Kind.

Silly.

Creative.

Heartfelt.

Profoundly human. So thank you for helping us build something unusual.

Something magical.

Something that feels increasingly rare in this world.

We'll keep baking.

We'll keep singing.

We'll keep creating candlelight concerts, supper clubs, afternoon tea experiences, art classes, live music events, immersive dining experiences, and evenings filled with laughter and connection.

And if all else fails...

We'll always have the scones.