High Tea at Tea Party Everyday

I am linking to Tablescape Thursday over at Susan's Between Naps on the Porch......click on the icon on the right of the page and be transported there to enjoy so many beautiful tablescapes! 

Thank you, Susan, for hosting this event each week!!!

Actually, coffee has always held more of an attraction for me than tea, but tea parties are just so much fun!   A tea party is an excuse to get together with some friends and loved ones, visit, eat some goodies, and use some of the items I have been collecting over the years.  It is also a time to dress a little better than my usual attire of casual wear......you know, tee shirts, jeans and such!  Speaking about excuses, it is eases my mind to spend money on a few fresh flowers to dress the tea cart as that is a necessity and  money well spent in my opinion.  Fresh cut flowers just make a room come alive with a vibrant glow of color and life!  I adore roses, roses, and more roses......any color.

Today I have been busy polishing the silver pieces that I have neglected during the holidays and then did not even think of during the entire month of January.  And I almost let February slip by without polishing the silver, also.   You will laugh, and be a little surprised, but I really love to use the silver polish and see the true silver emerge from the grunge of the tarnish.  It is the one household chore that I like to do when I have time.  And in the end. when all the pieces are gleaming, I can see the rewards of my work. 

Years ago, and I do mean years ago, I purchased this silver plated Victorian floral holder on a pedestal with beautifully decorated grid to hold the stems of the flowers in the arrangement.  The idea behind the floral container is brilliant and almost fool proof in the art of arranging fresh cut flowers.  I know this type of container has a "name" but at the moment I cannot recall it.  If any of you know, please, let me know as it will drive me nuts until I think of it.

You can see the "frog" built into the lid .

 

Note the pedestal base.

 

I made a trip to the floral center in one of our local grocery stores and found just the perfect flowers to set the mood for the tea party......pale pink roses, soft green hydrangeas, and delicate baby's breath.

As you can see, the stems of the flowers were cut short, about three to four inches long, and placed into the frog on the lid.  It is so easy to arrange flowers in this manner.  I suppose the Victorian ladies loved

this idea........anyone could be a floral designer.

The pale pink roses reminded me of the apple blossoms on my Theodore Haviland  "Apple Blossom" china.  The blooms on the china are so very pastel and dreamily seem to drift into the plates. 

 

I chose to use the salad plates for the little party and the cocktail forks with the hearts (purchased at TM) that I used for Valentine's Day would be perfect to eat the German Fruitcake.  Yummy!  Note the linen bridge cloth with the exact shade of pale pink of the roses and the apple blossoms delicately cross-stitched into the fabric.  The spreader knives match the forks and are also from TM.  They are displayed in a miniature wine cooler which I purchased years ago at an estate sale.  Actually, I bought a pair of them and normally use  for mini florals on my tablescapes.

 

German Butter Fruit Cake (I did NOT make this) but rather bought at bakery.  Most of the time I do make my food to serve my guests, but not this party.  Time is a bit of a problem and no one will care;  I hope.

The Scottish Shortbread tastes as good as it looks!  I will be buying more of this to keep on hand.

I love cheese straws and have a great recipe.  These are made with bleu cheese and are so different!  The Bleu Cheese Straws are on a silver tray that was a wedding present 47 years ago.  The tray is by Wallace and the pattern is  "Larkspur."   The giver of this lovely silver keepsake has since departed this life, and it means a lot to me to use items such as this and remember that person in a loving way.

 

The tea cart was an estate find several years ago, and I do not know how I lived without it.  It is so useful and extends the serving area while entertaining.  The two sides are a drop leaf and the glass shelf below pulls out to make a serving tray.  When using the cart for salads or desserts, it can be rolled close to the dining table for easy serving. 

The silver tea service (only tray and teapot pictured) was a gift from my aunt and uncle who never had children and spoiled me.  I will not be serving a traditional tea today but rather my mom's recipe for Hot Almond Tea that she has made for over 65 years.  It is so distinctive and everyone seems to love it.  She does not share her recipe for this tea, but someday, I will share it quietly with you........"shhhhhhhhh", (with pointer finger to my lips) that is, if you promise never, never to tell anyone.  

 

The tea table is ready for my guests and I hear Millini Magnolia barking.......that means only one thing, the doorbell is going to ring. 

 

Thank you for visiting today, and I wish I could serve you a cup of tea.......that would be so much fun to actually meet my friends who drop by.    Have a great week and until next time.......Tea Party Everyday......why not?

La Mode Illustrée .......trayscape (très délicate et féminine)

I am linking to Tablescape Thursday over at Susan's Between Naps on the Porch......click on the icon on the right of the page and be transported there to enjoy so many beautiful tablescapes! 

Thank you, Susan, for hosting this event each week!!!


While in my guest room, I saw a picture on the wall.........a print from La Mode Illustrée  that I had bought many years ago at an estate sale.  Truly, not even thinking of the tablescape, I wondered if this print could be the "real deal", an etched fashion plate, .....LOL.....let's see, I had paid a couple of dollars for it.......probably not the original etching. 
                                                                             

                                                                                    

After looking at the picture closely, I realized it was signed by the artist  and even had the issue number of the fashion magazine written under the title of the publication.......wow....Adele-Anais Toudouze (Paris, 1822-1899) was one of the major artists for La Mode. She belonged to a most talented family of artists and engravers. Maybe this is one of those fabulous finds at a sale that you buy for nothing and it turns out to very valuable.  Google, here I come.

 Getting more excited, I decided to take the print out of the frame and check for the details I had read that made it the "real deal"......imperfect edges,  pale pastel coloring, very thin paper that would seem almost sheer, and a date in the lower right hand corner.  My print had everything listed except the date, sheer paper, pale coloring, and imperfect edges.  It was now obvious that I had a reproduction.  However, after reading a little further, I found that the repos were done in the 1940's and 50's.  This print is no "newcomer"....LOL....it is only a little younger than I !  Certainly, it has to have more value than the two dollars I paid for it.  After a little more research, I discovered that my lovely print is worth about forty dollars.   And now the frame has been cleaned, the glass shined, and the all put back together good as new.  I seem to do my best cleaning when not expecting to do so.

While hanging the picture back in the guest room, I saw some objects that looked as if they had jumped out of the print......a  porcelain dresser doll powder box, holding a beloved Peke ......(remember I have Millini Magnolia, an eleven year old Peke.)

                                                                                   

                                                                         

 an altered book in the same colors,

                                                                                    

some crochet,

                                                                                    
 a milk glass goblet.......pattern, Della Robia by Westmorland Glass Co. (circa 1940).   Milk glass was lovingly used in France in the 1800's, and considered to be a treasure.

                                                                           

.......NOW, I know what my trayscape will look like!!!!!!

                                                                                   


I have always loved our wedding china and felt that we made the right choice 47 years ago....not just us as a couple, but our china pattern as well.  It is Haviland "Bergere" which was discontinued soon after our marriage.  The pale blue and lavender corn flowers are so delicate and the fluted swirled edges always please my eyes.  Note the tiny cut glass salt dish behind the plate with the Francis First salt spoon.  A very dear friend of my husband's gave me 8 cut glass salts that had belonged to his mother.  He told me that I was the only woman he knew that would use them and love them.  They are very special to me!

The La Mode print was photographed and reduced in size, printed from my laptop on my printer and placed on the tray to "tie" the trayscape in unity.

                                                                               


Della Robia by Westmorland Glass Co. is the pattern of the goblet, the cobalt glass is one that I bought in a thrift shop.  The color of the cobalt blue drew me to it and the stem also added to the attraction.  The sterling sculpture of the cat on the chair is an Ebay purchase.  It came from England, and I know little about it. 

The goblet is resting in a Bergere coaster that matches the china.  The sterling flatware is Francis First by Reed and Barton.

The altered book was a gift from my mom years ago.  She found it in a gift shop while visiting in New Mexico. 

Something tells me that my grandsons would not like this tablescape for their "breakfast in bed treats".
Blue placemat and napkin are part of a set of four..........linen and beautiful French lace.

Thank you for visitng today, and you know, that you are always welcome here.  Be sure and visit other tablescapes here at Tablescape Thursday as there are so many that will inspire you to use some of your own lovelies that are stored in closets, china cabinets and drawers.  Have a great week and until next time.......Tea Party Everyday......why not?

"Rock-A-Bye" in Victorian Style

I am joining Metamorphasis Monday at Susan's Between Naps on the Porch.  Be sure to pop over and check out all the neat make-overs and ideas





Ever since becoming a doll artist over five years ago, I have dreamed of owning a particular type of Victorian cradle.  And, if the cradle had a canopy........all the better would be my dream!

Here is an image similar to the one dancing through my head.

After searching for almost two years, one evening on Ebay, I found the answer to my dream.  It was a splendid Victorian cradle and looked to be in perfect condition for its age.  It was made around 1880 to 1890, and had all the spendor of the ornate turned wooden pieces.  To my delight, the cradle had its original post at the end with the carved stork to hold a canopy......(which is perfect because the name of my dolly nursery business is Storkland Special Deliveries.)

Since the cradle, which is rather large, was in Michigan and I am in Texas, I felt I should contact the owner and see about the shipping arrangements before I clicked the "Buy It Now" button.  After some communication, it was determined that the cradle could be shipped in three boxes.  One, the largest, had to be shipped via Fed Ex and the other two via the USP system. 

I breathed a sigh of relief.....and clicked the Buy It Now button before anyone else could reach for it. .......Whew.....now it was mine!

Traveling for a huge cradle was not as easy as expected.  There were a few bumps in the road, but it finally arrived to my happiness.  I regret to tell you that I lost the photos the day it arrived and I opened the cartons.  My previous laptop crashed and I lost some of my photos.....but here are the ones that I do have as I worked on the cradle bringing to vision my dream for it.


I chose a pale pink silk to make the bedding and pillow for the cradle.  It is so soft and dreamy looking.

And, yes, I sometimes use my dining table for large items that need to be spread out while pinning.  (in the background you can see my Mom's cut glass eggnog bowl that she gave me)  I love the way the light streams from the windows and the reflections that dart across the room from the cut edges)

The lace that I used to border the coverlet is not antique, but it looks as if it could be.  It is ecru and edged in the palest shade of pink.....very delicate.

Here is the finished coverlet inside the cradle.  The fitted sheet is made of ecru satin.  I had a real baby mattress custom made to fit the dimensions of the cradle since a "real" baby will someday be placed in the cradle.

In this photo you can see the lace panels that I made and attached to the wooden pole at the head of the cradle.  Since I had no canopy, I was still searching for one that I could reinvent (is that a word?)

One day while out looking in a thrift shop I spied an old wire frame from a lamp shade.......light bulbs went on in my head and the vision was complete......I would cover the wire frame with satin from the sheets and lace from the panels.  If you look closely inside the cradle, you can see the wire frame I am working on to form the canopy. 

Now you can see the completed canopy and "Hattie" sleeping away in the cradle.  I create awake babies most of the time, but I could not bear to think of an "awake" baby in the cradle with no attention all through the day and night, so you can laugh at me, but I made a sleeping baby as I felt I would relax more, and she does seem to be very comfortable in her dreamland.

In this photo you can see the matching pillow that I made to match the coverlet. It is bordered by the same delicate lace.

"Hattie" is named for a special auntie who never had children and doted on me as if I were her own.  I wanted to keep her memory alive so I gave that old timey name to this doll, as she is always on display and gets a lot of exposure.  In the bookcase beside the cradle is a photo of the real Hattie at age 17 in a beautiful white dress circa 1910.

Hattie is wearing a vintage dress that I found in an antique shop that dates to around the time the cradle was being used by real babies.  She has an 1889 baby rattle to keep her company.  It is dated on the rattle and has the baby's name engraved on the side.  The raised lettering says, "Silver Bells and Cockle Shells".

The little sterling baby rattle is small......about 5 inches long.

Here is the completed cradle..........all dressed in the vision of my dreams........and looking as if fairies encircle it ..............hoping for great grandbabies for Phyllis.  (someday but not now)  Let's wait until the boys are of proper age.

Thanks for visiting and for reading about my cradle.  Please, come back as you are always welcome here.

www.freewebs.com/storkland/

Pasta Dinner (chef inspired)

Inspiration comes from many different sources, and for me, just leafing through a magazine can sometimes spark my imagination.  On a recent snowy day, I was looking through an older issue of a cooking magazine, and saw a chubby little chef figurine in one of the layouts.  Oh, I remembered that Mr. B. had given one to me several years ago that was similar.  I loved it because he gave it to me for no particular reason, just thinking that I would enjoy it. 

This tablescape is for Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch by Susan.  This event is one of my favorites.  Be sure to click on her logo on the right hand side of the page and visit all the gorgeous tablescapes that are being presented.

My tablescape for tonight's pasta meal will feature "the gift" and honor it a bit.  Here is the "gift" and the inspiration for my tablescape.  It is the chubby chef standing and holding a platter of bread.

The chef is nothing special as to "who made it", or "being a collector item".....it just caught my husband's eye and he purchased it for me.

The dishes I have chosen to use are my Blue Danube by Lipper....... mine

 are the older ones.   I have always loved this pattern and truly hate that it has been discontinued!  That reminds me to be more careful while using them and storing away.  The salad plate is from a set of four, each with a different chef design, and made by BIA Condon Bleu.  I found the salad plates at Tuesday Morning.

The red tulips were recycled from my Valentine floral centerpiece used at my party last evening.

  The individual spreaders match the salad plates.  I thought I could use the spreaders as individual butter knives.  The stainless flatware is Golden Corsica by Wallace. 

The two figural glasses were made in Western Germany.   The gold rim is 24k gold. Each glass hold 6 ounces.  The figural stem is a Hummel figurine made by Goebel and the glass is made by Boeckling in Germany. I have a set of six and have always loved using them.  Even though my are old, they are still made today.

The container matches the salad plates and spreaders.  It is actually a utensil holder but I think it is a cute bread stick bucket.

The plates are held by a red charger with beaded edge from the discount store.  Not everything on your table must be costly.  Have fun and experiment with some of your favorite things.  I never save anything but try to enjoy and really use my "treasures" that are special to me.  It is not the cost value that makes an item a "treasure".....you heart deems it to be one.

Dinner is almost ready to be served.  Mr. Piggy is looking like he has it all under control this evening.

The napkins are from Ross and the napkin rings are Blue Danube that match the dishes.

  Bon Appetit, Mr. B !

Thank you for stopping by and visitng my blog.  It is always fun to see what others are doing on their tablescapes, and I appreciate each visitor.  Please, leave a comment if you have a moment to do so.  You are always welcome here!