MY 26TH TEAPOT & TEA THINGS TUESDAY AND TEA TIME TUESDAY - FEBRUARY 8TH

Hi everyone, I've missed you all. I was sick earlier this week. It was strange, but I'm feeling much better now. Hopefully all of you are managing to keep the "yucky cold/flu" at bay..

Thanks for stopping by for tea today. Oh, goodness, I had a hard time deciding what to show, because I LOVE it all :) :) Here's my tea for today. Sit, sip a cup of tea with me, and let's share some things with each other ;) :)

I couldn't decide what to share today. So last night I was trying various combinations of tea cups, pink Depression glass plates, and doilies. You'll recognize these tea things from earlier posts. It seems that I'm gravitating towards pinks and reds. They speak to me of romance, feminine beauty, charm, vintage loveliness ;) :)  The doily and the pink Depression glass plate are American made. The German demitasse with matching saucer were made in Germany.

Then, I thought, "No, I need something different. So I tried this combination with my English Rose teacup on the same  pink  Depression glass plate with the pink and white doily underneath. One thing you'll notice that's a common theme is that I like to layer different elements together :)  As far as I'm concerned, there is no hard and fast rule for decorating a tea table. If it makes you smile and fills your life with beauty, than it's right :) :)  Plus, life is always better with flowers around, even if they are on a teacup. Don't you agree?

 Still not sure, I tried a third variation. Now this pink rosebud tea cup with matching pink & minty green plaid saucer was also made in Germany.  This is the only set that I actually purchased in a proper tea shop called "Savoure". Isn't it beautiful?  Plus, I love placing my antique tea strainer with the minty green silk ribbon on top. The colors really compliment each other very well.

Oh, the tea strainer is so pretty.  Here it is without the cup.  It's old and the patina is faded. I'm not sure if this is  silver, pewter or stainless  steel. Any thoughts on how to clean it up and make it shine? Oh, you also have a nicer view of the pink Depression glass plate with the ruffled corners. Oh, I sure am in love with this glassware!!!

This was my original tea setting. It was very simple. There was no particular rhyme or reason to this, other than I like the way the colors blend together. This setting is on top of my vintage sewing box. I didn't set up tea on the table itself. My table has become my permanent craft table now. However, the top of my sewing box is perfect for some tea when I need to take a break.

I have always loved these antique silver spoons that I purchased at a yard sale last summer. These still need some cleaning, but I love the aged patina on them. Plus, for the purpose of decoration I like the spoon facing up. Doesn't it look cute in that small rose pitcher? These would look lovely with beautiful silk ribbons tied in a lovely bow.   What do you do with your antique spoons? In any case, I think the aged patina goes well with the beautiful roses !!!

 This is what I actually ended up having for tea this morning. It is very simple and appropriate for a single person. Actually, whatever makes you smile and brings your heart joy is appropriate for tea. The February 2011 issue of Victoria magazine was my inspiration. In one of the advertisements, there were these lovely shortbread cookies. So I purchased a box at the store this morning.

 Don't those shortbread cookies look absolutely delicious? My favorite flaky dough cookies weren't available. So I chose these instead. Oh, there's a history here. I'll get to that in a moment. Let me just say that of all the different tea cookies that one can make, simple is my favorite. Understated and elegant at the same time ;)

Here's the box that those lovely shortbread cookies came in. Oh, they were EXPENSIVE. I won't tell you what I paid for them. What I will say is that they are a product of Scotland. Also, when I lived in Switzerland,  I worked in a Migros store in Basel. My first job while there was stocking the cookie shelves, including these very cookies. I literally stocked hundreds of boxes on the shelves. Walkers shortbread cookies and I go all the way back to the summer of 1994. They are very buttery, dense and crispy - all at the same time !!!

Oh, I was feeling a bit rebellious today. Instead of proper tea, I had a nice cup of cafè au lait instead, with just a hint of sugar.  It's non-traditional. Some days it's a good day for a cup of tea. Other days it's a good day for a cup of coffee.  This particular teacup and saucer were gifts from my sweet friend Dorothy over at Notes from Mémère. She's a lovely lady who loves Jesus Christ.  Please stop by and say hello. Everytime I look at this china, I think of my friend :) :) :) This particular pattern is by Pope-Gosser and made in the U.S.A.

Usually my dad has no interest in tea. However, he said my tea setting was nice, except for one thing. "Spoons should be face DOWN. No one wants to grab a dirty spoon" says my father. Huh? Who knew? Well, I'm not going to say anything. I couldn't say anything, because it was hysterically funny. I tried them spoon-down and this is what they look like. My father thought it looked better. Now, my father will never drink tea. However, he has had his Pepsi in a teacup with ice cubes. Now talk about untraditional. However, it words for him  and he's happy with that ;)

 Now, this is what my sewing box normally looks like, when I'm not styling it for Tuesday tea parties :) Yes, I have a bit of everything on there, some sewing items, crochet cotton. Hey, it's pink :) :) Now I don't leave food on there.  This is what my messy tea setting usually looks like. In fact, I took my shortbread cookies and coffee upstairs. That's where I sit at my computer and share with all of you lovely people ;) :) Oh, I made quick work of those butter shortbread cookies :)

That's about it for the moment. do you ever have those days when you can't decide which tea setting to use? I have always enjoyed tea. Plus, when you are surrounded by loveliness, it's sometimes hard to decide which to feature :)  Thank you so much for stopping by to visit me. I always enjoy having you over here :)  Oh, I'm so happy about all the new followers, too. I notice each and every one of you.  If you leave a comment here, let me know how you found me ;)

I'm going to get my flannel quilt out and start working on that again. It's a quilt that I'm sewing by hand from start to finish. It'll sure be nice when it's finished. Oh, if you think on it, my friend Linda over at Prairie Flower Farm has a really neat praise report. Her family is going to adopt a precious young boy from the Ukraine.  Her son's family hosted him for Christmas. Here's the link to her site. Please pray for the entire process and for the family. This boy is meant to become part of their family. They are raising money to help bring him home to the United States. Oh, I have been praying long for this family. So have many other people. I know that their family would really appreciate your prayers. You can read through the various posts to get the whole story :) It's worth your time :)

Oh, so cool. My friend Melissa over at Lilac Lane is hosting a giveaway. There are many chances to win this whole week. Why? Well, for Valentine's Day of course. She has some beautiful fabric scraps plus a gift certificate that she'll be giving to a lucky person. Check out the button on my right sidebar for more details.

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :)