JULY ROSES TABLESETTING

 I went out this morning and suddenly found myself

pulling a few weeds.  I recently bought some cheap mulch which was a mistake and it seems that

there are weeds growing where ever I put the cheap mulch.  In moments I was covered in sweat because

July is hot in Missouri!

So today I did an indoor reel of my rose themed

table setting in the dining area.  I love Instagram

and have been learning to make reels.  I am not so

good at using my camera for video as I can't 

hold still yet!

I must confess that the roses are from the

market which had a buy one dozen, get

another dozen free.

The cozy is made from some older

Ralph Lauren fabric (a pillow sham cut up)

All the china represents

roses of many patterns:

SETTING THE TABLE FOR A TEA LUNCHEON

This Saturday I am having a few  senior

ladies over for a tea luncheon.  I 

was wanting to do an Afternoon Tea

but I think a tea luncheon is a better

plan for me. 

To have an Afternoon Tea I would be making 3 savory finger foods and 3 sweet finger foods, a salad and scones.  I have my table all set

using a spring pansy theme:

  For a luncheon I will serve a

 vegetable salad, a fruit salad, chicken salad croissants and a 

dessert.  So you see, that is a whole

 lot less work.  Of course, we will have 

hot and iced tea too.

I have a nice big teapot with the

tea cozy I made from an old vintage

runner that had pansy embroidery. 

 This week my husband and I drove westward to Overland Park Kansas 

to the Glenwood Antique Mall and 

I love this Victorian cake stand I found.

I really enjoy having ladies over

but at my age I think I will be keeping

the size of the group smaller.  This

group will be 5 ladies plus myself

which is much easier to handle.

Will be you having a tea soon?

Or a luncheon?  What do you 

think about the "gift of hospitality"?

I will try to take some photos with

the ladies but I must say, I often

get so busy that I forget to do that.

ROMANTIC VALENTINE TABLESETTING

I think it is fun keeping the dining room

area table set for different seasons

and holidays.

Valentines Day is such a fun opportunity

to combine both whimsy and 

romance.

I found these English Adams plates

a year or so ago which all depict scenes

of romantic couples.  I set my table

with my favorite Alencon French lace

tablecloth.  This photo from last year

shows you the vintage cupid napkins.

I have 2 musical teapots that feature

couples.  I think both are from Japan.

 

I hope your winter is going well

and like you, I look forward to spring.

We have used our fireplace a lot

this winter.

Our snow melted this week and I 

see some plants and bulbs 

"hanging on".

BLUEBIRD TEA for "Tea In The Garden"

 We have been so thrilled to have

cooler weather 

 going into October. 

I decided to set up a little bluebird

themed "tea in the garden" to

celebrate some lovely blue

hydrangeas.  Actually, not

much is really going on in the

backyard garden,  and the marigolds

and zinnias have now been removed

out front.  That was a big job for

sure.  In some ways - I could have 

waited till next month but I guess I

was in a cleanup mode that day.

I was so glad to get our huge project

behind us of removing our koi pond.

This year I was feeling a little over-

whelmed at the cleanup of the filters

every few days.  I had to take that over

last year because my husband has some

physical issues.  It was quite a project

to remove the pond but that is all 

behind us.

Thank God for our son, sweet neighbors and a brother of a lady in our subdivision

who showed up to help.  I think, he

may have been an angel in disguise!

So I hope you like bluebirds because

that is our theme.  They will come

back this winter and into early summer.

I love them and seeing them hatch

little baby bluebirds is such a joy.

Please enjoy some tea!

I've had this tea set for a long time

now from my store.  I actually had

2 teapots but decided that was silly

so I shared one with another lady

who blogged.  That made me happy.

I have always loved the song 

"The White

Cliffs of Dover".

I made this little table topper

a long time back with a

combination of old vintage

linens.

We have enjoyed some lovely

blue hydrangeas in our yard

this year.  They just bloomed now

as they barely hang on all summer

because of our heat and if it turns cold when it is time to bloom.....too bad.

This year we love them!

I hope your fall is lovely.

I have been on a learning curve lately

and I am not very good at these video/reels

yet but hope you enjoy anyway:

DIGGORY DIGGORY DELVET Has Come for "Tea In The Garden"

July 28th was a celebration day

for Beatrix Potter's 157th birthday.

We have had a visitor here who  

went all out  to make her birthday

extra special and really, quite in

excess!   I haven't seen him today as he

is camera shy and hiding down under.

 Diggory Diggory Delvet

wanted to make a grand statement

all over our flower garden in celebration

of his artist friend.

Well, actually, I have stomped a lot

of his hand carved tunnels down around my flowers for fear my plants roots will

not get water and die.....especially

since it is so hot now.

Just in case you might not know, Diggory

was the mole featured in the poem 

written by Beatrix for "Appley Dapply

Nursery Rhymes" back in 1917.

"Diggory Diggory Delvet

A little old man in black velvet

He digs and he delves

You can see for yourselves

The mounds dug by Diggory Delvet."

Everyone on our street seems to

be having an invasion of moles.

This is not a pretty picture so let's

do get back to our tea in the garden.

We are excited that we might

get some rain tonight!

 I am sharing with you my new and gorgeous teapot I recently got on ebay for a fraction of  what it used  to sell for.  I love Crown Dorset teapots from the 1990's.  They are so sturdy and unique in shape.  I know this because I used to sell them in my shop in Old Colorado City (Colorado Springs, Colorado)and this one was at that time, the most expensive one I carried which I could not afford

myself.

We had temps lingering

around 100 degrees last week.

Today it is only in the 80's which

was my sign to get out and set

up my little tea vignette.  Please

help yourself to my Pecan & Peach

Tea Loaf which I made using 3 medium

sized fresh ripe peaches. (recipe)

LADY MADELINE & LORD CHUMLEY for "Tea In The Garden"

 Time is doing what it does best and

that means it is flying along. 

Today I set up a little "Tea In

The Garden" with my new 

musical teapot.  I have been

looking at these 1950's teapot

for a while and finally found

one at a really good price.

There is a music box on the bottom

of the teapot which plays 

"Tea For Two".

It was a beautiful day today but we

do know hotter weather is coming.

As I was out setting this little tea

table up, the birds were very unhappy

with me.

I hope you have time for

a cup of tea: