For you, a blue winter tea cart

 

Winter uses all the blues there are.
One shade of blue for water, one for ice,
Another blue for shadows over snow.
The clear or cloudy sky uses blue twice-
Both different blues. And hills row after row
Are colored blue according to how far.

Excerpt from Blue Winter by Robert Francis

 

 



I seem to be stuck in a bit of a rut this month--this week's tea continues my blue tea party theme.  This set by Gracie China I found in Homegoods last year.  I keep telling myself that I will only get vintage or antique sets because I have a pretty nice sized collection now, but Gracie China is so enticingly priced! 

I found the teapot first and I wasn't going to buy it, but I turned a corner and found the creamer and sugar, and then in another aisle the teacup and saucer sat waiting.  There is a pretty gold design in the trim and a gold net-like pattern on the saucer and the tops of the teapot, creamer, and sugar.  There are also pretty little details in the roses and other flowers in the design, including a couple of butterflies.  I thought it looked like an expensive set, even if it had an inexpensive price tag. 

No tea cart tea would be complete without a snack though, so I pulled out an old gold favorite.  I bought a blue iced sugar cookie star while I was at the grocery store today and enjoyed it with a bit of tea.  Delicious!

Also joining us for tea today is one of my Royal Doulton Figurines.  This particular one is called "For You" and includes a little plate on the bottom that can be personalized.  She is a perfect match to this tea set with her white and blue dress with pink accents.



My house has been a bit of a mess lately, but I finally have almost all of my Christmas stuff put away.  Some Valentine's decorations may have snuck out already...I don't know what to do with myself without a holiday to decorate for!

Thanks for stopping by!  I'm joining these tea parties:

Rose Chintz Cottage

Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/

Bernideen's Friends Sharing Tea

October Pink Tea Cart

This entire month Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage has had a Pink theme for Breast Cancer awareness,

 

So this week I'm joining her tea party (and others!) for a pink themed October tea.

I have an assortment of pink tea cups on display.  Starting on the left in the front is a favorite Royal Grafton cup with multi-colored flowers and a pink border.  This cup has definitely shown up several times on the blog.

Next we have a Gracie China teacup set with jewel toned butterflies.

 

"A power of Butterfly must be--

The aptitude to fly

Meadows of Majesty concedes

And easy Sweeps of Sky-"

~Emily Dickinson

 

Next we have a Limoges cup and saucer with prink roses in blue cameos.  This tiny vase of flowers was a gift from an old neighbor that I had over for tea--isn't it cute?

 In the center we have our fairy visitor in a circle of freshly fallen leaves.

 I believe in being strong

when everything seems to be going wrong.

I believe that happy girls

are the prettiest girls.

I believe that tomorrow

is another day,

and I believe in miracles.

~Audrey Hepburn

 

 

Behind the fairy is my Paragon Victoriana Rose set, which is followed by a new Gracie China pink chintz set:

 

 

It's possible!  For a plain yellow pumpkin to become a golden carriage.

...

Impossible things are happening everyday!

~Rogers & Hammerstein, Cinderella-- "Impossible"

 

In the front I have a simple Japanese set with pink roses:

 

 

Thanks for visiting me, and don't forget to think pink this month!

 

I'm joining these tea parties:

 

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

 Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/

Bernideen's Friends Sharing Tea

 

 



 







September Tea Cart Welcoming Fall

Happy Fall!  Within the last couple of hours we had the Fall Equinox, which is the official start of the season. 

An Autumn Tea

Leaves in burnt orange, red, and gold

flutter on the wind, whirling

then fall

like tea

cascading down into a cup

To savor and delight

Until the last drop

revealing the cold stark white

What better way to usher in the season than with pretty dishes on a tea cart?

In the background is a bronze colored maple leaf I found at Homegoods on top of a small piece of red jacquard fabric.  I think I went a little crazy with the pumpkins, but I just kept adding more.

First my pumpkin teapot:

 My mother found this small teapot for me at Marshalls a couple of years ago.  I've never actually used it for tea--I use it to store splenda on my counter throughout the fall.  But for today, we'll pretend it's full of a nice pumpkin blend.

On the other side of the tea cart is another find from Homegoods that I picked up a couple of years ago, an amber glass pumpkin:

In this picture you can also see the china I choose for today's tea--Royal Albert's Keepsake.

This is my favorite "autumn" set--the orange colors just look like fall to me!

In the center of the plate I have a new depression glass bowl I found for $4.  I think this is the Federal Patrician pattern in yellow (or amber, I guess, although this is lighter than my other amber pieces). 



I love depression glass, especially when it has fancy designs.   I think green is supposed to be the most common depression glass color, but I always seem to find the yellow designs.  

I'm serving a special soup in my new bowl that also matches the theme:

This is the pumpkin soup in the latest issue of Tea Time. 

I just used canned pumpkin which made the soup easier and it turned out fine.  I really liked it--it definitely tasted like fall to me!  I just garnished it with a bit of nutmeg, but I would probably swirl on top some heavy whipping cream before serving it at a tea to make it look a bit fancier.

Thanks for joining me for this week's autumn welcome tea!

This week I'm joining these tea parties:

 Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/

and  

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage for her autumn tea party!

August Tea Cart--Tea by the Sea

I'm starting my August posts with my tea cart decked out for a Tea by the Sea for one.

I found the gold seashell placemat at Homegoods (of course, when do I not go to that store?).  On top I have one of my new silverplate spoons with inlayed pearls next to a seashell "plate":

This is a real seashell.  My parents honeymooned on St. Thomas 41 years ago and were served food on this seashell.  I made a salmon canapé with dill for my mini-tea (and my dinner).

I also borrowed two little shells to serve dessert in--two Belgium chocolates, one shaped like a shell and the other a seahorse.

In a decanter, I have a seashell decoration with a starfish and coral.

I'm serving tea in crystal teacups with a seashell design.

 In the background I have an embroidered scene of goldfish that my aunt gave me.



Thanks for visiting, and happy August!

I'm joining these tea parties this week:

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

 Bernideen's Tea in the Garden

 Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/

4th of July Tea Cart

 This week my tea cart goes patriotic to celebrate the 4th of July, Independence Day! 

I have a special five piece set I wanted to share today.

My mother has always had a blue plate on her kitchen hutch with a colonial scene, and I thought of it when I was trying to decide what to do for the 4th of July.  I asked her what happened to that plate and if I could borrow it, but she couldn't find it.  We happened to go into a local antique store over the weekend and low and behold I found an entire five piece set of that same china!  I knew I was supposed to get it, and it was way more elaborate than I had realized. 

Here is a close up of the dinner plate of the Liberty Blue collection.  This is the same as the plate my mom had.

This plate depicts Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the Second Continental Congress met, George Washington was nominated commander-in-chief of the continental army, and where the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4th, 1776 (and why the Fourth is called Independence Day).

The little bread plate we found with the set also has an important link to the Declaration of Independence.  It includes a scene of Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration.  Monticello is located in Charlottesville, Virginia (my home state!). 

Next we have a small shallow bowl with Besty Ross, who is credited with making the first American flag, which she then presented to George Washington.  That scene is depicted in the middle of the bowl:

Now we get to the most amusing part (at least for me) of this set.  When I turned the bowl over...

I learned this china was made in England!  Which is a good segue in the last part of the set I purchased, the cup and saucer:

Paul Revere's ride announcing that the British were coming!  More on this cup and saucer set tomorrow--I'll be serving a special tea perfect for this cup.

I don't think I have ever shared my entire tea cart before, just the top.  I really like the small size of this cart and its little glass tray on the top--definitely a good thing for me to have to protect it!  I can be pretty clumsy.  My aunt found this cart in Winchester, Virginia, and I knew I had to have it after I went and saw it in person.  After I brought it home, I found out it matches my dining room set, so it really was the perfect tea cart for me.

I thought I would end this post with some of the red and blue flowers in my yard:

Thanks for stopping by!  Before I sign off for the night, let me just wish a Happy Canada Day to my Canadian readers!  

(picture from internet--Royal Albert, Canada teacup and saucer)



This week I'm joining:

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

 Bernideen's Tea in the Garden

Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/ 

June Tea Cart: Old Country Roses Garden

This week's tea party features one of my favorite trios, a gift from my sister and my mother. 

The tea trio is a pattern called "A celebration of Old Country Roses Garden."  The pattern is very detailed with modified old country roses and thick gold making up the border of the plate.

In the middle of the plate, a lady stands under a rose arbor picking beautiful roses, with a thatched roof cottage in the background.  The decal is very detailed, down to the stone path and the trees surrounding the house, stark against the bright blue sky.

The cup is just as lovely, and includes all that same beautiful detail.  Even the saucer includes the little cottage (to the right) and the lady under the arbor (to the left).

 

 

Joining us for tea today is another beautiful lady.

 

 

She is Royal Albert's Old Country Roses figurine from 2010.  There is so much detail to this figurine.  Her dress is hemmed in old country roses.  Her dress has a bustle, and she is holding a parasol with flowers around the edge.   

 

her hat is embellished with flowers and she is holding a bouquet of red, pink, and yellow roses.

 

 

Thank you for joining me for tea this week!  Just a bit more about the tea trio pattern--Old Country Roses Garden was made in 1987 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Old Country Roses.

 

This week I'm joining:

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

Bernideen's Tea in the Garden

Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/