A Spiked Tea Party Elite Event @ Pravda Studios

How tardy of me! I wanted to rave about this event but procrastination kicked in and I never got around to it. Argh! This was a stellar Unilocal event (go Katy H., go!) and everyone looked so lovely in their festive mad hattery. Check-​in was speedy (why yes I’d love a glass of champagne) and Pravda has a lovely empty space that the Unilocal minions decorated beautifully.
Cupcake Royale provided towers of red velvet mini cupcakes and in keeping with the theme, tasty green tea infused ones too. Po Dogs also did not disappoint with their two-​bite dogs. I missed the pico de gallo and guacamole one but ended up with two of the other varieties. I preferred the Seattle Dog (Philly cream cheese + scallions) over the Dub-​T Dog (creamy cheese sauce, crushed potato chips, mustard + ketchup). What can I say, I’m not a fan of ketchup on a hot dog! Popchips were already a favourite so freebies from them? Awesome. Red Fish did a great job with their photography corner and I liked that we got them right away in a little frame. The bartenders were friendly as hell with their frequent pours of Firefly vodka-​mixed drinks.
If I could bestow six stars, I would. Paddington agrees.

Thank you Katy H!!! Great décor, awesome costumes, great space!
Sweet tea vodka — sweeeetttt — and we drank a whole lot of them. Brought me back to the sweet feelings of drinking iced tea as a kid. Really great drink names. The photobooth experience was awesome — I loved it. (Too bad I was careless and left our free photo printout at a bar afterwards — bummer).
Can’t wait for the next event! :)

What a most fabulous tea party it was!
Still can’t believe that everyone dressed up, now that is quite impressive! To get a large group of people to do anything, is tough.
Loved the photobooth an the fact that we could get printed & framed copies of our photos right on the spot! Woohoo for that :) I’m wondering if there is a way to get them online though? I’d like an online version as well as my printed version.
The bartenders were so-​so, I found some much better than others. The drinks were ok, maybe I am an alcohol-​snob or something, but I’ve definitely had better drinks. But hey, they were free, so I am by no means complaining!
Glad they had some free food as you need some munchies with all that alochol flowing. Not a fan of cupcakes, but I know that most everyone on earth loves them, so I’m sure that was a big HIT.
The Unilocal shotglasses was a super nice touch too! Maybe next time give away some Unilocal martini glasses as well???
Sweet! Can’t wait for the next one. I hope you don’t keep me waiting for too long. I might go into Unilocal-​withdrawls ;)

NICE WORK KATYFACE!
Aside from the fact that I did not get to partake in any wiener action and my sweet tea vodka drink was rather… sickeningly sweet, I thought the party itself was very well put together. Everyone was in their best tea party wear with «Alice in Wonderland» (the original version) up on the big screen in the corner.
And really, who doesn’t love booze, wieners, and cupcakes in the same space?

Another nicely themed Unilocal Elite Event. Pretty convenient place to hold event just down the block from Neumo’s and Broadway. Caught me by surprise that there were so many Elites that went all out in dressing up for this event. Everyone looked all dapper.
The space at Pravda is huge, so the flow of getting around was great here. The décor for the event was excellent and very sleek feeling. Nice use of the wall for projecting an old movie version of Alice in Wonderland. Kind of reminded me of images from the surreal Swedish version of Pippy Longstocking.
The food here was decent. Previously wrote a review of Cupcake Royale saying it was dry, but the frosting was nice. Kind of experience the opposite here. The red velvet was moist, but the frosting too sweet.
Tried an offering of the South of the Border Dog from Po Hot Dog. Pretty good flavors and the chips were nice. Have not tried Po though before so good to give it a try here. It also reminded me to give Hanks Haute Dogs in Honolulu when I go back home a try. I mean come on, who does not want to try a duck and foie gras hot dog?
The drinks were so-​so. The Rabbit drink with the green liqueur was nice. Though I was not crazy about The Mad Hatter drink. Ha ha. The Honest Tea I tried was nice, though it seems inevitable that Unilocalers will go for the drink that gets them sloshed.
Also there was event photography, but I passed on that. Getting me in front of a camera in a moderately bad hat is pretty much guaranteeing a sucky picture. So why bother. Met some new faces at this event which was great. Though increasingly feeling like Unilocal Events are becoming like those speed dating thing-​a-​majigs you see posted in the Events section which ain’t my bag baby.
That said, bravo to Katy and crew for putting on a nice theme party.

Thanks to Katy H and all her crew, not to mention the vendors at this latest Elite event!
We had some amazing parking karma which landed us right next to the building. Things were definitely looking up! We followed the balloons to Pravda Studios and were checked in quickly and efficiently.
Upon entry to the ballroom area, it was just a lot to take in. First you have bubbly by the door. Then you’re like: OOH, look at what that person is wearing! Then you think: Hm, where’s the snacks? Then you decide to head in a clockwise direction which takes you past the folks at Honest Tea (we hit you up later) and visited the Pop Chips girl who had 4 flavors for us to try (salt/​pepper, yum. BBQ, yum, sour cream, woo!).
Rounding the corner we see a really creepy-​weird Alice in Wonderland movie projected on the screen. Ignore that a second when you realize that Firefly’s Sweet Tea Vodka (offering 4 mixed drinks) is. Right. There. No. Lines.
Now that we each had a beverage, we continue the loop («Look at that hat!»), while running into some old and new friends. Halfway there is a cushy living-​room with plush rugs, couches, chairs, and fantastically dressed Unilocalers lounging in their fabulousness. So decadent!
We now see where the Po Dog stand is. They have mini hot dogs and a couple different offerings. We tried the nacho cheese and the Mexican one. I wasn’t too crazy about the bun to dog ratio, so I just ate the hot dog out of the bun and used my chips to scoop up the tasty cheese and guac. Hey, it still works!
In the corner is a photo studio for Red Fish Blue Fish Photography. They had extra hats and props to make your pictures really fun and memorable. I filed that under the «to do. after a few more drinks» slot.
Keep rounding the space, you’re almost there when you see, ANOTHER Firefly drink table. Hm, well, I still have my first drink, so I’ll have to come back there too. Eventually, we tried all 4 drinks and I wasn’t a fan of the cinnamon liquor, but the 1^st and 4^th on the menu were awesome. Like boozy tea, just as labelled.
And your last point of interest is the cupcake display from Cupcake Royale. They offered baby cakes of their Red Velvet and new tea-​infused cupcake. I had a couple of each, not too bad. I don’t think I ever saw the tower go empty, CR was definitely generous.
What did we do to fill those two hours? Talk, laugh, eat, drink, walk around, snap pictures. Laugh some more, get a couple studio pictures taken (and they were really fast printing them out too). There were some bistro tables and regular sit-​down tables scattered about and two very clean restrooms.
By the end of the night, there were no more Po Dogs or ice for your drinks, but plenty more cupcakes!
Another great event with lots of fun memories, thanks again Katy!
(I have a few pics of the event on my profile. :))

My first Unilocal Event, so I have nothing to compare it to… but I give it ⁴⁄₅ stars.
Got there a bit late as we grabbed dinner at Phở Than Brothers (mmmm, phở) and took the scenic walk down Broadway to the venue making sure to stop and do the Weave, Rumba and Tango on the way.
Loved the pins and stickers, they were a ton of fun. We nabbed the last two Po Dog hotdog samples, and mmmm, they were good. PopChips might be my new favorite chips, the BBQ tasted really, really good for being healthier than the alternatives. The Honest Tea was a bit too sweet for me…20g of sugar in the Pom-​White Tea threw me for a loop, so I didn’t have much more than a sip. The alcohol drinks were… different. There was only one that I liked, the others were too sweet for my taste. Gotta love the ability to try them all though!
Cupcake Royal — I’m just not a fan. Sorry, I’m a Trophy girl. I tried, but just didn’t hit the spot like Trophy.
The pictures were awesome, LOVED those… like others have said, they should be at every event.
Much props to Katy for the event — and she had the best costume of the bunch hands down! =)

CURSES!
Why did I eat so much at dinner beforehand? That tamale and chalupa blocked out way too much of my stomach space… which meant I watched my friends and fellow eliters feast on those scrumptious Po’ Dogs… and then go back for seconds. Also, those mini Cupcake Royale red velvet and chai cupcakes? I was only able to pack away 1 of each. Not enough cupcakes~!
This is definitely a Unilocal Event to be remembered thanks to the Honest tea, spiked tea, tea cupcakes, and groups of Unilocal tea partiers. And how are we going to remember this wonderful night? From the framed photo, of course!
BIG THANKS to KATY H!

To each of the mini hot dogs from Po Dog’s, the baby cuppies of Cupcake Royale, Honest Tea, Popchips, and half of the Firefly Vodka cocktails served that night — you have fallen victim to Cherene’s belleh!
And to Red Fish, thank you for such wonderful pictures! I haven’t taken pictures this cute since I was in high school — and to hint in how long ago that was, I’m having my ten-​year high school reunion in 2012. You can do the math. :)
And thank you, Katy and Michelle, for setting all of this up! You two were so adorable last night! I have been to three Unilocal events, this being my second as a Unilocal Elite and I have to say this has been the best so far! I have never been big on following themes, but this one has been so fun! There were so many people who were all dressed up! It was a sight to see!
Oh, but I have to apologize to the guy that I practically cut in front of to use the restroom by Cupcake Royale’s station. Honestly, I thought you were just holding the door open for me and I was buzzed enough not to understand that there was a line and that you were actually just trying to make your way through! I felt like such a B! I’m so sorry! If it’s any consolation, my insobriety made me beat myself up over it for a good five to ten minutes until I got distracted by cupcakes again.
I would have gone to the after party, but my age only allows me to walk around in 3-​inch heels for two hours. But still, the Tea Party was more than enough fun for me!

Wieners and booze. Thank you to all that made this happen.
Beautiful outfits, hot Unilocaler chicks and no lines for drinks made this a five star event. I wish, as usual, I had talked to more people, but I was just too busy drinking and drinking. I bet those dudes at the tea stand had a lot of tea to take back to the storeroom.

Whooshed through the organized check-​in (branded nametags! Unilocal stickers! Pins!) and entered the cavernous Pravda locale feeling like a rock star. Katy greeted us by the glasses of bubbly and the party was organized so well! Several drink stations, fully staffed and virtually lineless. A few nice displays for honest tea and others spread out so we could enjoy and meander through the oversized furniture as well as the cocktail tables spread with yet more Unilocal swag! (My favorite pin is the dog balancing a Unilocal icon on his nose.)
I normally leave fashion critique to the Fug Girls, but last nights parade of looks was too much! From Katy’s red gem of a dress to the pair of playing cards, the first looks of the evening kept building up. We had tweed garden party, goth maids, Johnny depp inspired mad hatters, and several Alice motifs wandering through. I loved the couple that paired a wee jaunty top hat with an oversized, looming beast of a top hat. Feathers, fedoras, and cloches… well done Unilocalers.
And, bien sur, the food. Thanks to Po Dog for dealing out three types of delicious dogs. No skimping on the topping, be it the Mexican inspired pico de gallo and guacamole, trashy Americana of cheese sauce and crushed lays, or the cream cheese and scallion concoction. I tried all three (coupled with the veggie chips) and loved them. I’m a sucker for po dog and their products did not let us down. (Though I know that some veggie lovers were a little disappointed by the all meat offerings.) Po dog is quickly building up a reputation for the most connected little wiener shack in town and this even proved no exception. Their staff were funny, friendly, and non-​obtrusive. I’m already ready to plan my own event with their shop.
And my true love, cupcakes. I’ve been firmly planted on the Royale plot for about a year now. Just love. An entire six-​foot table was packed with plump, little Cupcake Royale cakes. The placard read ‘Eat Me’ and indeed I did. They offered red velvet with cream cheese frosting (a nod to the red queen) and chai tea deliciousness (white queen and tea party in one). I ate about a million. Might be why I woke up at 5:30 with sweets on the brain.
Although it could also be the deep happiness I got from meeting so many of you. It was so nice to show up at a hip party and make good connections randomly, happily, easily with fellow Seattle folks. I’m already looking forward to the next elite event.

Greeted with champagne, spiked and non-​spiked tea options, dainty dogs and (chai) tea cupcakes, it was a five star Tea Party at Pravda last night. The space was open and clean, with plenty of room for Unilocalers to flaunt their finest and funnest. It was easy to move around, sample this, drink that, chat here, take a photo there… and great to be in Capitol Hill.
Thank you, Katy and Michelle, for another wonderful event!

It’s 1:30 am and I’m still not sober from the awesome Pravda Elite event Katy H. threw.
Not only was it classy, but there was more alcohol that some of the drunks and lushes could throw down. And there was no line for cupcakes. I had enough to feed a family of four. We had inappropriate Po Dogs stickers and plenty of wieners around. And lets all not forget about the fun and sometimes pantless poses we all took at the short line in the photo booth.
And yes, this elite event was fabulous because Katy put the time and effort to make this on a Friday night. This meant we all could get drunk, naked and dance our night away from the rest of the night. I smell like 5 different fragrances of perfume which means there were plenty of lushes on hand or some weird guy was freaking me all night. Either way, this event was so awesome I’m a happy man.
Definitely one of the most best put together Unilocal events ever. Pravda was also one awesome space to have a big elite party. It was big, spacious and freaking amazing. Also a shout out to Connie C, Michelle B. and the staff that were on hand to make sure that the event went off perfectly. And yes it’s official, after this event we’re going to start a petition to Unilocal HQ to give Katy H. a raise.

Wow, amazing, I’m awake before noon and writing a review for last night’s Tea Party.
Katy H. you and your team outdid yourselves again, what a great group, loved seeing all the costumes and decked out outfits. I knew I should have worn the King’s crown and cape afterall. However, some it seemed fitting to wear my old buttling uniform to this event nonetheless.
This was my second elite event that I’ve been to and first for my girlfriend. She had a great time meeting all of you. I apologize if I forgot some of your names, I’m older than I look– lol. I was a little disappointed that after an hour or so I found out (from the cowboy) that there were two name tags. One for elite and one for +1. When we arrived all the Elite Tags were taken and we were only stuck with the +1’s. Inna B. informed me that she was the one that stamped them all and thought that was disappointing too. Just a suggestion for the future, possibly they could be stamped in a different color to be more clear.
We enjoyed imbibing on the cocktails, however they were however a bit too sweet for my liking. I didn’t like the one with Fireball (cinnamon whisky) at all. Don’t get me wrong, I love to start an evening of hedonistic behavior with a few shots of Fireball) but not as a mixed drink.
The Po’ Boys hot dogs were a bit of a let down as they ran out long before we even got to sample any. We’re so gonna Unilocal that!
Cupcake Royale: I’ve heard mixed reviews from people in the past, just wasn’t feeling the love. I didn’t like the tea infused one at all, had a weird biscuity taste when I bit into it. I’ve made real Red Velvet Cakes in the past and this cup cake didn’t even come close to hitting the mark– plus the food coloring hadn’t set or something and I got red splotch on my pink shirt!
However, it was still a blast! Great seeing my friends. See you next time.

I was blown away. I had no idea it’d be such a big space with sooooo much going on! The seating, the photo area with hats to wear, the big screen playing Alice in Wonderland, the awesome and very chic seating areas, the great folks serving up drinks (strong drinks, efficient service), the cupcakes, chips and Po Dogs. And all of you in those fantastic costumes! I swear to god it was a better (more fun, more organized) event than many weddings I’ve attended.
If I hadn’t gone from zero to drunk in less than 10 minutes flat I could have been a better guest and gotten around to talking to more people. My bad. But I did get to see Heather, Xander, Bryan, Charlie, Ron, Katie, Michelle, and Inna and I met another Vanessa, yay! Next time I’ll try to double that and talk to at least 20 people.

This was my first Unilocal event and I had a great time! Thank you Katy H. for organizing the whole thing and it was great to finally meet you and everyone. A lot of people donned their best tea party attire and were even decked out as Alice In Wonderland characters! Loved it.
I totally enjoyed the free food and drinks that were offered. Thank you Cupcake Royale, Po Dog, Popchips, Honest Tea and Firefly Vodka for serving up some tasty goodies and drinks for everyone. The Red Fish Photo booth was cute and I was able to get a snazzy pic as a memory of this wonderful event.
I am so looking forward to future events to come!

WOW-​WEE!!!
I was super amped for this Elite event and it delivered! Amazing cocktails infused with tea, Po-​Dog hotdogs and mini Cupcake Royal cupcakes to add to the fest.
The best part (aside from all the free delicious things) were the people who dressed to the part. Giant megga hats, feathers, fedora; it seriously looked like an amazing messed up prom!
The layout of the space is pretty sweet too. On every corner there was stand for food/​cocktails and center was block seating to chill with small tables.
Everyone who came was fantastic, had a Unilocal-​tastic time, good flow!
Katy, you threw one amazing bash!!! Super impressed, your efforts totally shown through girl! YAY!

What can I say that others haven’t already said? I enjoyed everything that Katy and our local Seattle food scene was able to showcase @ Pravda Studio. My fave was Cupcake Royale’s tea infused mini cupcake– SOOO yummy!
From popChips, Honest Tea, Cupcake Royale, Po Dogs to FireflyTea cocktails all done up in Lewis Carroll/​Charles Dodgson flair, it really was a *spiked* Tea Party!
The fun goodies made me feel like a kid again too! (see photo ;)

Thanks to Katy H., Michelle B., and Connie C. (guest star from Silicon Valley!) for throwing the terrific event at Pravda Studios. The ladies did a terrific job decorating Pravda Studios. They did an amazing job with the theme.
The Unilocalers really know how to party… or they just really know how to consume alcohol and there certainly was a lot of it. But it wasn’t just the Firefly vodka (poured by the fine folks at the Baltic Room), but all the other vendors really came out and supported the Unilocal community. Big thanks to Po Dog for their mini dogs, Cupcake Royale for all the cupcakes, Honest Tea and Firefly for the drinks, and the florists for the really clever center pieces.
I took a bunch of pictures and I’ve uploaded them to my Flickr at

All hail the Red Queen!
So, I wanted to make review #500 special. This happens to have been a FABULOUS Elite Event full of great people wearing all kinds of wonderful hats… and happened to fall on the day when I finally finished my BA at UW. I’m no longer a student and I get to start celebrating by hanging out with awesome Unilocalers and enjoying free drinks, cupcakes, and mini-​dogs??? Hell yeah that’s good enough to be #500 and totally worth 5 stars!
Really, though. This event was fabulous. Almost everyone dressed up in honor of the theme, the space looked beautiful, and all the businesses brought some serious goodies. The glasses of champagne that were being handed out at the entrance of the party were a nice touch!
Thank you Pravda Studios, Po Dog, Cupcake Royale, Pop Chips, Honest Tea, and Firefly Vodka!
Special thanks to Red Fish Blue Fish Photography because the photo station and the instant prints we got to take home were AWESOME!
And of course thank you KATY H for another Unilocaltastic evening.
ps: That old Alice movie playing on the wall was WEIRD.