Vintage Roses...A Surprise 90th Birthday Brunch

I recently hosted a surprise birthday brunch for my daddy's older sister, Dale. She turned 90 in March! Everyone needs an Aunt Dale. She is so much fun! I wanted to do something special for her, so I planned an elegant brunch.

I recently bought this beautiful set of vintage dishes. I knew this was the perfect time to use them. The pattern is called "Royal Rose" and is marked "Fine China Japan". I have a full 12 place settings plus several extras. Nothing says "tea party" like rose-patterned china! 

I started with a white tablecloth and then added the gold baroque chargers that I bought several years ago at Dollar Tree. I am really in my gold era right now! Next I pulled out my gold flatware. The pattern is "Gold American Chippendale" by FB Rogers. I always handwash this...just in case.

I chose to use my amber Fostoria "Jamestown" stemware. I think I use these more than any of my other colored glasses. The amber goes so well with just about everything! The juice glasses are vintage Anchor Hocking "Milano Crinkle" in gold amber. I bought them years ago on eBay for a tea I hosted during Jewell's senior year in high school. I always serve iced water when I offer hot tea, and this day, we also had a white grape and peach juice blend.

I found this beautiful table runner on Amazon, along with the napkins. I thought they both had an elegant tapestry look to them. Not going to lie - I was a little disappointed when I opened the napkins. They aren't finished on the edges...just cut with pinking shears. They are very square, though. I did really like the look, so I plan to finish them myself. I will look a little more closely at the description next time!

I have invested in a number of pieces of smaller gold flatware that is just perfect for spreading lemon curd, stirring tea, or enjoying a dainty pudding. Some came from Temu and some from Amazon. They make great hostess gifts, too.

I've explained before that our indoor kitty, Possum, eats cut flowers. I just can't leave them unattended! Because of that, I have been investing in really high quality faux flowers over the last few years. Good ones aren't cheap, but neither are real ones. And trips to the vet emergency room are REALLY not affordable. Ask me how I know. Anyway - I found these beautiful faux peonies on Amazon. 

I did stop at Publix and get a bouquet of baby's breath and some alstroemerias. I added in the artificial peonies and, Voila! A beautifully convincing arrangement. Once the party was over, and I let Possum out of my bedroom, I threw the alstroemerias out. But I did let the baby's breath dry, and now I'm using it in little creamers and mini vases around the house. He doesn't bother it for some reason. 

I set two basically identical tables - one in the dining room for the "older ladies": the birthday girl, her daughter-in-law, my mother, my two aunts, and me! I always like to sit closest to the kitchen as I am up and down throughout the tea.

I put the "younger ladies" in the kitchen: my cousins, their daughters, and Jewell. Jewell served as the hostess for that group of ladies. We came together at the end to visit and let Aunt Dale open her cards and gifts. 

I completely forgot to photograph the meal, but I did remember to photograph our first course - raspberry lemon and almond scones with lemon curd. I served Paris tea by Harney and Sons. The scones were a definite hit! Our meal was a delicious homemade quiche, smoky grits casserole, and a fruit salad.

Here is our group! The youngest was eleven years old and, of course, the guest of honor was a distinguished 90! It was a wonderful day of food and family. We all enjoyed catching up and even talked about a girls' trip to Nashville this summer!

One last special touch...We recently had tea at a sweet little place in Mentone, Alabama. More on that soon. We were each given a tiara to wear while we were there, and I thought, "who doesn't want to be queen for the day"?! So I purchased a few to have for birthdays, bridal teas, etc. Aunt Dale got the first one, and she loved it! I sent it home with her. I'll bet she wears it often!

Here's the birthday girl sporting her crown. We had such a wonderful day celebrating her! I hope you enjoyed a little peek. I'm glad to be back blogging. Stick around. I have LOTS to catch you up on!

 

Muted Floral Tea Party

 

I'm back with another tea party from last summer! You'll remember that late last Spring, I posted on Facebook that I was going to be hosting several tea parties over the summer, and that the invitation was wide open! I had several ladies reach out and say that they would love to come to tea. Each party was a mix of ladies from my church, community, family, and friends at large. We all had a wonderful time getting to know each other better over delicious food and a steaming cup of tea.

 

For this tablescape, I began with a tea set that I found years ago while thrifting. I have the teacups and saucers, small bread-sized plates, as well as the sugar bowl and creamer. The pattern is "Belinda" by Paragon. I used my everyday white dishes ("White Satin" by Nikko) as a base. I love layers, and while the small bread and butter plates are just perfect for a scone, they looked a little lost on the large rose gold charger. The white dinner plate brought it all together.

I have developed a renewed love for gold. I'm wearing gold jewelry again, using it (and brass, and rose gold, etc.) in decorating my home, and as a result, it has found its way to my tablescapes, as well!

I always serve iced water with hot tea. I used my vintage Fostoria "Jamestown" stems in amber. These are one of my go-to glass patterns in fall, but it looked so pretty with the soft muted Spring colors in this tablescape.

I have invested in quite a few small sets of flatware to use at tea time. I love how delicate they look on my smaller plates and let's be honest, isn't it more fun to eat with a mini fork, knife, or spoon?!

White napkins are a staple for tea time. I have quite a supply of vintage napkins. I pick up white linen or cotton napkins whenever I see them.

I love displaying tea tins. It's a pretty addition to my table, plus it makes it easy if someone asks about the flavor profile about a tea I'm serving.

I love to keep brown sugar cubes. They are pretty, and they have so much flavor! Molasses are added to give them their color and taste. It adds a little more interest to whatever I'm drinking.

I grabbed a $5 bouquet from Walmart and divided it into several small clear vases. I filled them out with some greenery from my yard.

I like a full table - whether it is due to decorations or color and texture. This one showcased the muted watercolor-esque flowers in the sheer fabric I used over a white tablecloth.

The glow of candles - even during the day - adds a touch of warmth to a table. I think it encourages people to linger!

Here's a closeup of the pretty china pattern. Lovely flowers in pretty Spring colors are a pleasure to behold as you sip your tea!

I must admit it has been a year since I hosted this tea party, and well, quite a bit has happened since then. I hope to fill you in soon. Unfortunately, I can't remember what kind of scones I served!

This was a full afternoon tea menu with scones as the first course, finger sandwiches and chicken salad cups, and then a lemon tartlet and orange fluff for dessert.

It was a rainy day, but we had a wonderful time! The food was wonderful, but the company was even better! I hope to do this again next summer. I have a lot of projects going on in my home right now, so entertaining a lot is on hold. But I sure am glad I issued an open invitation to tea. Have you ever tried it? 

Family Tea Party

Over the summer, I set out to host a number of tea parties. Some were planned for special groups, such as this one, but for several, I just put out an invitation on Facebook for anyone who was available on a certain date and wanted to come. It was lots of fun! Kind of like a "Guess who's coming to dinner?" party. It was great to make some new friends and re-connect with old ones.

This particular tea party was planned for the women in my family who lived nearby. We happen to live in the small town where my father was born and raised. Two of my aunts are local. I invited them along with one of my cousins and her daughter. With my mother and Jewell present, we had two sets of three generations that day!

The date was May 23rd. It was early summer. Actually, it was late spring, but as you know, by the time we get to May in the South, summer is in full swing! I pulled out my formal flatware. The pattern is "Ribbon Edge Frost" by Gorham. If you look closely, you'll see that I placed a pink tablecloth down as my first layer, and then used a vintage eyelet cloth which allowed just enough of the pink to show through.

I began my tablescape by pulling out this tea set I found while thrifting last summer. I wish I knew the maker. It's actually very delicate. The cherry blossoms are hand-painted. I have six cups and saucers, six salad plates, a teapot, and a sugar bowl and creamer set. I got the set for $15!

"Paris" by Harney & Sons has become my favorite go-to blend. I served it at just about every tea party I hosted this summer! I served ice water in these vintage-style Pioneer Woman tumblers.

I read somewhere that the Brits serve plain milk with their tea. I love my half and half with my coffee, but I've started using milk with tea and have found there's less of a chance of it curdling.

My daisy gardenias were in full bloom. Their scent is absolutely intoxicating! I used the cherry blossom teapot as a vase and placed a few pieces of tape across the mouth in a cross hatch pattern to support the gardenia blooms. I placed a few extra blooms in tiny vases and scattered them. I used silver chargers from The Dollar Tree and added my "White Satin" dinner plates by Nikko as the second layer. We didn't use them, but they bridged the gap in size between the chargers and the smaller plates.

I try to always have a decaf option when I have a tea party. This "Mother's Day" blend (also by Harney & Sons) was a little fruity and a little floral. It went very well with our scones. I started with a cup of "Paris" and ended with this one. 

I like including the tea tins on the table. It's pretty, and it allows my guests to read what's in each blend. We also can have a little sniff! I also like to look at the tea leaves. You can learn a lot about the blend by seeing what's inside. I have a couple of white teapots that I use most of the time. I purchased a couple of white tea warmers that do an excellent job of keeping our tea warm!

Of course I scattered some tea lights down the table. I love candles no matter what the time of day! Napkins with a little Battenburg lace detail added another feminine touch. 

The scones for the day were "Orange Cream". I'll share the recipe soon. My husband loved these!

I served them with lemon curd, as well as some of the leftover glaze. No clotted cream that day. Trust me - we didn't miss it! I served them both in sherbet dishes that once belonged to my maternal grandmother. Her daughter (one of my aunts who doesn't live locally) gave them to me, and I cherish them! I thought it was so appropriate to use them to honor my grandmother.

I used a mini floral cutter on these. They were small, so there was no guilt in eating several!

The pink and white table was very feminine and perfect for this afternoon spent catching up with family!

 

Blue and Yellow May Birthdays 2023

I hosted my group of close friends back during the summer for a May birthday luncheon. Two of the ladies had May birthdays. I decided that yellow and blue was just perfect for channeling happy, Summer vibes! Add a blueberry theme for my meal, and Voila! The perfect summer table.

How to set an interesting table? Layers, layers, layers! 

Gold reads yellow, so it I pulled several gold pieces to add warmth and sparkle. The flatware is "Abigail" by Hampston Silversmiths. 

The vintage blue and white transfer is actually more off-white, but I still mixed it with my white everyday pattern. I think it adds to the aged eclectic look of the tablescape. My everyday white pattern is "White Satin" by Nikko. It's 24 years old, but I still love it! So classic and versatile.

I staarted with a white tablecloth, then added the yellow and white runner I made years ago for my Mount Vernon Love Story book club. The blue and white Jacobian floral pattern runner came from the same party. I've used them both many other times, including an Orient-Express themed birthday dinner for my mother. (What a flash back! My dining room was red and my photograhy was lacking, but it was still a pretty table!)

You know I love to use flowers that I can then add to my planters outside. Possum Kitty (ruling cat in our home) will chew on fresh flowers and many are dangerous for him. I don't like to spend a lot on an arrangement I can't keep out to enjoy. So often, I will buy annuals that I can use for a pop of color and then put in a planter outside where they can be safe (and he can be safe from them!). Marigolds are a summer staple in pots on my deck and front porch. I simply pulled them out of the black plastic six pack, dropped them in a small Mason jar, and then potted them later that day. The daisy gardenias smelled amazing. I just snipped a few blooms and dropped them in small vases which I scattered down the table.

I collected a dozen or so small vases to use for Jewell's senior tea. You can see the details of that Hobbit-themed party that was by far, the most involved party I've ever thrown! It was wonderful, though!

I have a couple of these woven runners that I regularly use on a coffee table and a small chest of drawers. I just grabbed one and threw it on the table to add another layer and to add some warmth to the color scheme.

The blue and white transferware pattern is by Nikko. It doesn't list the pattern on the dishes, but I believe it is probably part of the Double Phoenix line. The clear beaded glasses are by Pioneer Woman. 

I was afraid white napkins would be a little stark (and perhaps boring) against the different yellow and blue patterns, so I took a chance and used these blue plaid napkins. I found them on Amazon several years ago and used them for my Blue Christmas tablescape I created for a cheer squad Christmas party one year.

Of course I scattered tea light down the table. I love candlelight...even during the day. It adds such warmth and is so welcoming!

I use this Mason jar holder a lot. It covers a good bit of real estate on my table and is really flexible about what jars I can use inside.

Of course I forgot to take a picture of our meal, but here is dessert. An old-fashioned lemon buttermilk pie with fresh blueberries. It was a delicious end to a worderful meal! Happy birthday ladies! We sure enjoyed celebrating you!