Tea Time

There is nothing quite like a good cup of tea on a cool day, and nothing is better than sipping it from pretty china.

Even as a little girl, I loved tea sets. This was probably because my mother loved little tea sets and every so often I would suddenly be gifted a little porcelain tea set.

They were always very feminine, generally white with little flowers or designs painted on them.

I've had numerous tea parties during my childhood - I clearly remember filling up my miniature tea pot with water from the tap in the washroom, so I could then pour it into those minuscule cups and sip daintily from them, while discussing important issues with my collection of teddies and dolls.

Sometimes I would able to rope my little brother into a having a tea party with me, but somehow it didn't seem nearly as 'refined' as I thought it should be.

In middle school I even sent out little invitations to my girlfriends, inviting them over for a "Victorian Tea Party."

It makes me smile to think of my Mum pulling out the lacy tablecloths, setting out her "Old Country Roses" tea set for us to use, and even make us little cucumber sandwiches, all set prettily on fancy plates.

Right on time, my girlfriends showed up. All in pretty dresses, hats on their heads and gloves on their hands.

Mum let me wear one of her large brimmed straw hats, and tied a silk scarf over it and under my chin to make it look more like a bonnet. 

I thought I looked like one of those little Victorian girls I had seen in my books and felt beautiful. 

We tried to talk like refined ladies, and it was much later that my Mum let on how funny our conversations were, while she listened discreetly from the other room.

By the end I felt like a natural hostess and that the party had been a great success.

I very much look forward to introducing Eloise to tea sets and parties.

I hope she'll enjoy them as much as I did as a girl, and already in my minds eye I can see having little tea parties with her in the backyard - I'm probably more excited for that than she will be!

I found this picture a while ago, and I just loved the instructions and the image itself.

Have a lovely Friday!

Peace,

~ Jenny