Monday, December 15, 2014

A Williamsburg Christmas

Today I've set up a table near my biggest tree, where we can sit and enjoy a cup of tea and a treat in front of a blazing fire. 
 
 
I'm serving Harney and Son's Holiday Tea (one of my favorites this time of year) in my Lenox Winter Greeting's teapot. 

 
I'm also using an assortment of Christmas teacups today,
 
 
Christmas Rose by Rosina:
 
 

 Queen's Yuletide,
 
and Royal Albert's Poinsettia.

 
I enjoy the Holiday blend with both cream and sugar.
 
 
I found this small holly leaves and berries set at a thrift store for $3.00 each.  The set is made in Japan and is quite pretty with gold along the top rim and thicker gold on the handles. 
 
Nothing says Christmas more than iced cookies in Christmas shapes on a Santa plate!  These are shortbread cookies I made for a neighborhood cookie exchange last Friday.
 
 

The plate is Fitz and Floyd.  I always think it is a shame to use it as a plate, it is so pretty with Santa holding a bounty of fruit!
 
(one of my Christmas music boxes is in the background in case you were wondering.  This music box has a nativity theme).
 


 
Here are a couple of closeups of the tree and its angel topper:
 
 
 

 
 

About my theme:



 
The decorations in my Great Room are modeled after Colonial Williamsburg, where I lived for four years at my alma mater, the College of William and Mary.  My decorations are full of magnolias and fruit--oranges with cloves, lemons, pears, apples, and pineapples all adorn the tree.  Colonial Williamsburg is beautiful this time of year with wreaths and boughs with fruits, pinecones, and other natural decorations.  Even though my room is inspired by those lovely decorations, my tree is not true to the times--there would have been no Christmas trees in colonial Virginia.  Even the pretty fruit decorations in Colonial Williamsburg aren't true to the times--citrus fruits were a very expensive luxury and would not have been used as a decoration outside the home.  I thought I wound share a couple of pictures I took in Williamsburg in 2012 to give you some idea of my inspiration:
 

 
This week I'm joining Rose Chintz Cottage for an Old Fashioned Christmas.
 
 
As well as these tea parties:
 
Bernideen's Friends Sharing Tea
 
 
 
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir
 
As always, thanks for stopping by!

13 comments:

  1. Hello Carrie,
    You have a beautiful tree! I do love the magnolias and your ribbon. Your Christmas teacups are lovely. I passed up a RA Poinsettia teacup last Summer. I already have two festive teacups and didn't figure I needed another. I am really trying to cut back on my collecting as I'm running out of room. I passed up a teapot too and now I'm sorry I did. Oh, well, a little restraint doesn't hurt. I would love to join you for a cuppa. I will choose the Rosina cup please and a cookie of course. Thank you for joining me for tea and have a wonderful week.

    Christmas blessings,
    Sandi

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  2. It wasn't until this year's tea parties in blogland that I realized I don't have a single Christmas teacup. I must remedy that! In the meantime, I'd love to drink tea from your Queen's yuletide cup :) I love F&F, so charming, and your teapot with the beautiful cardinal. Decorating with fruit and magnolias and natural elements is such a lovely touch, and must bring back good memories for you.

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  3. What a lovely setting for a Christmas tea. I lived in Va. Beach back in the 70s and lived near enough to Williamsburg to go on a fairly regular basis. But for some reason never got there for Christmas. Maybe I will remedy that some day. I love your Christmas tea cups. I have never had a specifically Christmas set. Perhaps I shall look for one this year. I do need the December one to represent my husband's birthday. That is now my next mission.

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  4. Your decorations are wonderful! I have always wished I could visit Williamsburg...especially ate Christmas. Love all your Christmas china! Lovely Christmas teatime. Thanks for linking to Tuesday Cuppa Tea!
    ruth

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  5. What a splendid collection of winter tea cups! I have never seen the teapot for that pattern before. It is quite nice. Thank you for a lovely blog post!

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  6. Hi Carrie,
    What a treat to visit your post today! It has me in the Christmas mood now. I love, love , love your amazing Williamsberg theme, with magnolias on your tree....mmmmm! Your variety of teacups is perfect and I must borrow your Royal Albert Poinsettia teacup since I now have the teapot and am too thrifty to buy one on ebay. Lol! They are quite costly. Awesome find - the holly and berry cream and sugar. Your tree is so elegant with the burgandy balls. Pretty cardinal teapot too! Love it all! Christmas Blessings! Karen

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  7. Hi Carrie: Your post today is beautiful. Love the Christmas tree as a back ground for all those lovely tea cups. Everything looks so welcoming. Have a wonderful week. Blessings, Martha

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  8. Hi Carrie,
    I love your Williamsburg tea! My late beloved hubby and I went there on our honeymoon. What a wonderful place for you to attend college!
    Your teacups are all beautiful, as is your tree, wreath and all your decor. I would love to have a cup of tea with you and share our love of Williamsburg together.

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  9. I love your Williamsburg theme with all the fruits as I am fro Yorktown, Virginia. The cream and sugar looked like Lefton China Co which was hand painted in Japan. Your decorations are lovely!

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  10. Oh Carrie I love your decorations! Williamsburg is a perfect theme! I have always wanted to viit, but haven't gotten there. I agree sometime Celestial Seasonings artwork is better than the teas, but some I really love. Thanks for visiting.

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  11. The Queen Yuletide is my favorite of your beautiful teacups, and the cardinal teapot reminds me of the cardinals that would visit our bird feeders when we lived in Virginia, near Washington D.C. ( We don't get cardinals here on the West Coast )

    My family visited Williamsburg when I was in high school in Alexandria, and I do know Christmas was not widely celebrated in early America with many of the traditions and customs we now enjoy. I think your interpretation of a Williamsburg Christmas is wonderful !

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  12. Such a beautiful Christmas tea! I enjoyed it so much! I've been to Williamsburg twice and enjoyed it so much. Merry Christmas to you!
    Nancy

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  13. A gorgeous tree and welcoming tea table with the plaid cloth. My eyes went to the teapot with the cardinal, I looked everywhere for one this year as I have a collection of cardinal items in the kitchen. I'll start earlier next year in hopes of finding one.
    The Santa plate must be nice to use for entertaining.

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Thank you so much for your comment! I hope you have a wonderful day :)