A Tea Party Table Abloom

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea." ~ Henry James

Before our precious friend Mallory leaves for college, I wanted her to join us for a special celebration. We share a love of teatime, so her recent graduation gave us a wonderful opportunity to plan an afternoon tea.

Norwich by Royal Embassy set the tone for a lovely, feminine table.

Fresh roses, peonies and hydrangeas echoed the beauty of the china's hand-painted blooms.

Joe's mother found our dining room table and chairs at an estate sale a couple of years ago, and planning this party gave me the motivation to re-cover the seats -- a project I have had on my list for quite a while. Waverly Chantal Vapeur, a flowing graceful floral design, gave me just the balance of elegance and interest that I was looking for.

Instead of designing one larger centerpiece, I spaced out several posies along the table. These low-lying arrangements gave each guest a view of flowers without blocking views of each other.

This soiree gave me the perfect opportunity to pull many pretties from the china cabinet.

This dining room table is a different size than the one we used previously, and I am still collecting linens that work with its long, narrow oval shape. For this event, I definitely wanted a solid white tablecloth. Although this microfiber one from Arlee Home Fashions was not exactly what I had in mind originally, it looked nice and was a practical choice. The polyester fabric is impervious to spills, so that will make for worry-free entertaining -- especially during the holidays when we often have little ones around our table.

I hope that Mallory, along with our other guests, felt blessed by the beauty of the day.

My cell-phone pictures do not do the ambience justice, but there was a sweet glow to our time together.

And a lovely fragrance of friendship -- a sweet blend of roses, fresh-baked scones, and my favorite blend of loose tea.

In my next post, I will share details of our menu, including an easy recipe that has become an instant favorite for entertaining.

Highlighting this side table are a framed invitation and menu. I used watercolor clip art from Digital Paperie for our party printables. I adore these images of macarons and teacups!

And, of course, I never tire of beautiful flowers!

In this stage of life, it is rare for me to host formal gatherings, so I thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to celebrate such a beloved girl with a tea party. The afternoon was a gift of loveliness, and I hope it was a blessing to all!

"I take pleasures in tea, appreciating it with my spirit and therefore cannot explain why." ~ Sen Joo

Teapots Steeped with Memories

“Tea is quiet,” explains author and tea authority James Norwood Pratt, “and our thirst for tea is never far from our craving for beauty.” Many of my loveliest moments have unfolded over teatime — beginning my day in the hush of early morning with a steaming brew, welcoming friends to my table for an afternoon of conversation and dainty treats, or traveling to an exotic destination for the weekend and taking tea in the elegant environs of a historic venue. Whether a few minutes of solitude or leisurely hours shared in the company of loved ones, teatime, for me, is always an occasion to be sipped and savored.

In my home, accoutrements related to serving tea have been elevated to prized objet d’art. Many of these treasures were purchased during visits to tearooms, and their presence evokes fond memories. A porcelain teacup and saucer, tucked among cookbooks in the kitchen, bring back memories of the sweet friend who first invited me to tea then gifted me afterward with this rose-covered memento. A towering trio of white cake plates highlights a buffet in our living room — their shapely pedestals and gently scalloped edges an artful complement to the serene décor. And gleaming atop a tufted ottoman in the sitting room, a silver tray showcases a selection of my favorite teapots.

These teapots, in particular, hold a special place in my heart. When my husband was in law school and we lived frugally on my starter salary at a publishing house, going to tea felt like an ultimate luxury. Joe does not share my affinity for much of the traditional tea menu, but he loved watching my eyes light up at the sight of such exquisite offerings. During those years, we celebrated my December birthday with an annual visit to an area tearoom, and after our meal, I would wait eagerly in the car while he purchased my Christmas present from items I had pointed out in the gift shop. Decades later, I appreciate not only the prettiness of these keepsakes, but also the sacrifice of love that each one represents.

Today, these teapots add a grace note to my interiors. Sometimes they catch my eye on a busy day — stirring sentimental thoughts of the past. Other days they encourage me to slow down, brew a fresh pot of a seasonal blend, and fill our prettiest china cups for an impromptu teatime. For parties, they often crown the table, brimming with fragrant blossoms. Always, always, they give me glimpses of beauty and remind me how truly blessed I am.

What objects in your decor hold great sentimental value?

Photo by Nathan Prichard. Used with permission.

Celebrating Autumn Pumpkins

"October, ruddy-cheeked, comes o'er the plains,

And as with rustling step it speeds along,

Its feet beat music to the harvest song ... ."

~Albert Laighton

During autumn, my heart quickens with the thought of gathering a cornucopia of pumpkins, gourds and fall flowers. Last year I did not find the array of seasonal colors that I love, so I asked our Victoria stylist if she could recommend a local farmers' market or shop worth exploring. She led me to Andy's Garden Center, with several locations in Birmingham. I began counting down the days to a weekend visit to the company's Hoover nursery. Take a peek at the fall finery just waiting to add harvest beauty to your home!

"October, I lo'e thee! Thy whisper is soothing;

There is Lore in thy face, there is wealth in thy bowers:

Thy pensiveness adds but a charm to my musing—

And sweet are my dreams through thy fast ebbing hours!

~ James Rigg

Make Hot-Air Balloons from Paper Lanterns

"Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon." ~ Winnie the Pooh

We could not be more excited to be welcoming a sweet little nephew to our family this summer. In celebration, I recently hosted a party for my sister-in-law Shana. I will be sharing more details of our sprinkle -- a shower for a mother-to-be who already has at least one child -- in an upcoming post. But today I'm offering a tutorial for the charming decorations I made to fit our hot-air-balloon theme.

For this project, you will need paper lanterns. I bought one pack of ten 16-inch lanterns in pale blue and one pack of ten 14-inch lanterns in light apple green. (I will share photos of the green hot-air balloons in my next post.)

Hot-air balloons hung from the ceiling and served as candlelit table centerpieces at the party. I created bunting by cutting out scrapbook-paper triangles (2 inches deep for the 14-inch lanterns and 3 inches for the 16-inch lanterns), punching holes, and stringing the pennants onto lengths of baker's twine. Then I hot glued the bunting to the lantern.

When shopping for a basket to serve as the base, it is helpful to take a paper lantern with you for size comparison. I used straw baskets and whimsical animal-themed containers from Hobby Lobby for our balloons.

Paper straws connect the lanterns to the bases. Using a generous amount of hot glue, I carefully adhered four straws to the inside of each base, allowing the glue to cool completely before proceeding. 

To connect a base to a lantern, I turned the lantern over, touched the straws to the lantern to determine an even placement, then glued the straws to the lantern. This step must be done very carefully. Extra glue may be needed to assure a secure bond. Once the glue cooled, I turned the lantern back over to its base and glued lengths of ribbon to the lantern where the straws meet the lantern. This adds an extra embellishment and covers glue at these joints.

After the party, Shana chose several hot-air balloons to take home as mementos of our special day.

This sweet trio now hangs above the crib in the nursery -- special keepsakes to welcome the little one who has already stolen our hearts!

"If I were king of the world, babies born in airplanes, balloons and blimps would, instead of choosing to be German, Maldavian or American, all get special heavenly blue passports with a stork on the cover labeled 'Sky Baby' -- and they'd be allowed to come and go anywhere they please." ~ Robert Krulwich

Photos by Nathan Prichard. Used with permission.

Graduation Party & Gift Ideas

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." ~ Les Brown

For kindergarten graduation, let your child sign the mat for a cap-and-gown picture. This signature will be even more precious a few years down the road when you photograph your high-school senior holding this special keepsake from long ago.

Make sweet mortar boards by securing a fudge-square cookie to a mini peanut-butter cup with icing. Add the tassel with a thin strip of fruit candy.

Any cylindrical foods, from store-bought cookies to pinwheel finger sandwiches, can become a diploma when tied with ribbon.

For a graduation-party tablescape, favor, or gift, wrap Starbucks Frappuccino bottles in custom labels, fill with posies, and add the gift tag to a striped paper straw.

Cut a custom square-shaped black card, and hot glue a tassel and button to the center. For an extra-special touch, enclose cash tied like a diploma.

Frame a quote from a favorite book, such as Oh, The Places You'll Go. Let the look of this print inspire whimsical decorations and a springy color palette.

For step-by-step instructions on making these easy tissue-paper flowers, visit this tutorial.

"The fireworks begin today. Each diploma is a lighted match. Each one of you is a fuse." ~ Edward Koch

An Easy Centerpiece of Pumpkins and Gourds

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns." ~ George Eliot

How quickly this past month has gone! Once school starts, time seems to speed up for our family. I have some sweet memories of fall to share, so look for some creative ideas and plenty of pictures of pumpkins and gourds over the next few weeks.

Each fall I love to decorate with a vibrant selection of the season's best offerings -- perfect for piling onto a platter or heaping into a bowl. This year, when I picked up a couple of bags of produce, one of the girls exclaimed, "I didn't know you used real pumpkins!" 

For an easy centerpiece idea for our kitchen table, I stacked three white pedestal cake stands atop a ruffled runner. The arrangement needed a little softness, so tucking in a few dried hydrangeas here and there added just the right touch.

For a simple yet lovely view of seasonal abundance.

Congratulations to Joanne of With Endless Grace, who won a copy of Pumpkin It Up! In my next post, look for an easy fix for a cake flop.