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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Tea For Two, and Sunshine For All . . .



Finally, a brilliantly sunny day here at
That Old House, after a Nor'Easter that nearly washed us off our little hill.

No Saint Patrick's Day decor here. The days have just gotten away from me!
Instead, I am sharing tea with you in my Parlor; won't you join me in a cuppa?

I hope my Irish friends will forgive me for featuring English china today; at least it's not orange!

Let's sit by a corner window, where the sun comes streaming in . . .


and points out all the winter spatter and schmutz on the window panes.
I am not proud.


Pull a wing chair up to the old barley twist table.


We are playing Princess today, using the Aynsley china
I got at a local hospital thrift shop last spring.

Britain's royals dine off Aynsley china.
So, if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for you, my friend.


We'll delicately dab the corners of our mouths with soft old damask napkins, in faded aqua.


Our tea pot is a bit of a hoot. Howard and I bought it at the
gift shop at Windsor Castle on our first trip to England.

It's Queen Elizabeth. The First. And her various fellas.


When my girls were little, they loved having after-school tea out of this pot.
That it came from a real castle made the tea taste extra special.
Of course, tea does taste extra special with 637 spoonfuls of sugar in it . . . .

I think tea also tastes pretty special in an old room,
with an old (or a new!) friend, and the warm and welcome sun for company.

Now, if we were spiking our tea heavily with brandy, we might see this:


Today I am hopping into Lady Katherine's Tea Time Tuesday!
You can visit her blog, Lady Katherine Tea Parlor, for more tea time tables!


And speaking of tables, Marty at A Stroll Thru Life hosts
Tabletop Tuesday. Be there, or be square!


And since I used more than three vintage, Ebay or thrift shop,
items in my tabletop today, I'm popping in to Tam's blog,
The Gypsy's Corner, for her Three Or More Tuesday. You should, too!
And ... one more tea party for me today! At The Plumed Pen, Wanda Lee hosts
Tuesday Tea For Two! Join her there for charming vignettes. Thank you, Wanda!

************************************************************************************
My prayers are with my friends and former neighbors, in our former town, who are struggling with rising rivers and flooding this week. I am spitting mad at municipalities and government organizations that are meant to protect us, and yet allow ever more building and paving on wetlands in northern New Jersey. Where is the water to go in the spring? Increasingly, it is going into people's homes, and that's a tragedy. Shame on the EPA, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Passaic River Coalition, the State of New Jersey, and the local towns.

As I told a former neighbor of mine yesterday, "It's time for the villagers to grab torches, and storm City Hall!"

Tomorrow -- a neat trick to astound the kiddies on St. Pat's Day! -- Cass

20 comments:

  1. YOur china is just gorgeous, such a beautiful pattern. Your teapot is stunning. What an unusual piece. Beautiful. This is the perfect setting for just a little sip of tea and relaxation. Love it. Thanks so much for joining the party. Hugs, Marty

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  2. The teapot is great fun. Will you be serving Earl Grey by any chance? That is my favorite. I would love to sit at that little table and just relax.
    Kat

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  3. I very much enjoyed visiting you for tea! Your Ansley China is lovely! And that tea pot is so cute.
    I have seen similar in England on my trips and have always wanted to take one home.

    Thanks for inviting us over.
    Terri

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  4. Nice to sit by the window and have some tea in your pretty English china!

    Carolyn

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  5. Thanks for having me over for tea. The china is so dainty and pretty, with a lovely color combination. That royal teapot is splendid. So very whimsical and delightful. Looking forward to many cups of tea tomorrow on St. Patrick's Day!
    Maureen

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  6. It is always a treat to have a fine English Tea with you, dear Cass!

    Spots? Windows? What are you talking about???

    The Bible says not to notice the speck on your sister's windows until you've removed the PLANKS from your own.

    ;-)

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  7. thanks for the respite, I enjoyed it. I finally got both pieces sanded and now on to KLIZ and paint. Be so happy when i am done. :)

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  8. Cass, everything is just so pretty. I've had a rough week and would just love to be sitting in that beautiful corner.
    Having come from the Hudsn Valley, and a wetlands area, I completely empathize with your feelings. My prayers are with those affected
    xoxo Pattie

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  9. What a pretty place for "a spot of tea!" I love your teacup and teapot. Very pretty. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Cass, glad that you weathered the storm and finally have sun. What an unique teapot, I am sure young ladies would be very impressed with it coming from The Windsor Castle (gift shop)! Your Ansley china is beautiful, love anything with aqua.

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  11. What a pretty tea setting you have created. You would NOT want to see my windows right now! I am so sorry for what is going on in your part of the country. I have seen the news stories. :(

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  12. HE HE HE! I also have a little tea pot from the Tower of London. I mean really how do you go to London and not come home with a tea pot?

    This looks like a great place to sit and read a book or knit! :)

    ~Liz

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  13. Hi Cass,

    Well your tea set/china and teapot are so special. I love your windows, smotz and all...the wooden divided lites are just beautiful...I've been wanting to replace my old windows in my house..maybe this year! Your little tea party looks so relaxing in front of your window!

    Have a great week.

    Miss Bloomers/Sonia

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  14. Thank you dear for the spot of tea. It was so nice to sit and enjoy the SUN.

    Watch out for the Leprechauns!!!

    Melinda

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  15. Oh Cass! I just adore your corner in the parlor! Your special Teapot is so wonderful! The cups are so pretty! I know th table is lovely for I seen it before! Love the orchid! What a great place to relax and have a cup of tea! Now, You have me on this one! Brandy in Tea, really, I might have to try it I have some I was saving to make vanilla extract. But I just might open it and add it to my teacup and see if your pictures goes back straight!! lol Thank You for the relaxing corner and the fun, Happy Saint Patrick's Day it now 20 minutes into this day! Thank you for coming and joining me for My 2nd Tea Time Tuesday! Thanks for the laugh my Friend!

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  16. Thank-you dear for the spot of tea. So lovely your china and friendship. The damask napkin so gentile too. Thankfully the floods have abated and the engineers can get back to the drawing board. That is what they do is it not? (I could come up with better ideas, I cannot believe they can send a man to the moon and not stop floods) Well I should have been an engineer! This is what I'd do...floatable damns that can be moved into position stat! (now there's at least an idea!)

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  17. That is so beautiful. Just love it.

    I am letting everyone know that I have moved my blog to my new site www.itssoverycheri.com
    I need to ask you, to please go over and RE-SIGN up to follow me over there. Google won't let you take your Followers with you so you are no longer getting my info in your reader, unless you have gone over and signed up. Sorry if you have already done so, I am trying to go back and forth between both blogs as well as my new e-mail and my old e-mail.
    I have lots of fun things going on over at the new blog, so I hope you will hop on over and check it all out.

    I also have a new give-a-way going on.
    Cheri www.itssoverycheri.com

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  18. This is a wonderful tea set!
    Thanks for dropping my blog when I was away from blogging!

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  19. Haha .. I hope you meant "dropping BY my blog" rather than dropping it!
    Thanks for visiting!
    Cass

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  20. When I first saw this picture, Ii WAS ENRAPTURED WITH DELIGHT!~(which was some days ago; as unfortunately I was at the time, called away on and urgent business on Tuesday)!..,Yet I simply adored what you had done with your teatable vignette in your living room corner!~ HOW PRETTY!

    My oh my, I love that gorgeous pattern on your oh-so-lovely teapot and that darling teacup!
    This lovely corner by your beautiful window is just the kind of pretty respite I need after such a busy week!

    ~ A little shot of liquor and/ or Brandy is such an elegantly warming addition to a perfectly brewed pot of tea!~ Have you ever tried the lovely,'Cream Earl Grey' tea by the Metropolitan Tea company?~ It's absolutely divine, my favorite and so delightful!

    ..,I want to extend a heart felt thanks to you for partaking with my little, 22nd 'TUESDAY TEA FOR TWO' BLOG TEA PARTY MY DEAR, AND TO ALSO EXTEND A WARM INVITATION TO ALSO PARTAKE WITH NEXT WEEKS TUESDAY TEA PARTY!..,

    ..,(I ASSURE YOU THAT NEXT WEEK WILL BE NOTHING LIKE LAST*, AND I SHALL VISIT YOU,'WITH BELLS ON', SO TO SPEAK, FORTHWITH!~ AS SOON AS THE TEA IS POURED AND THE TEA TROLLEY IS ROLLED OUT LADEN WITH GOODIES!

    *(Also, we were amidst renovations and unexpected company arrived as well;

    ..,then, just as I was posting a comment to you last night; when I had a few moments to myself, (to at long last get caught up with my 'thank you's' and blog visits); wouldn't you know it, just as I hit the 'publish post comment button', the computer froze, I was bounced out and off line suddenly, and a message popped up that the Microsoft Server apparently was out of commission, (at about 1:30 P. M. last night)!..,

    So sufficed to say my dear lady, here I now am at long last!

    Cheers and hugs from Wanda Lee The Plumed Pen

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