Tea Cup Tuesday-My Garden Tea

Hello All!

Welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday...

My Garden Tea debut!

Our tea tent is awaiting your visit....

come in and see....

Our first tea was delayed by wind and rain

until just a few days ago.

It was still pretty breezy during this tea.

The tent is a bit lopsided with the wind moving it around all day.

My daughter and I are happy with how she turned out. 

Inside she is roomy and peaceful.

She gives us lovely shade.

And graced with a very special gift!

Dianne Buckley, a kind friend from Bloglandia...

 she painted this watercolor for me as a Christmas gift!

Here is a closer look

I was speechless when I opened it!

Isn't it just the sweetest watercolor?

I adore the dear mice in their hat, bonnet and apron.

They even have books on the floor under their table.

And in the picture frame in the upper left it says...

"Tea Cup Tuesday"!

My image does not do it justice.

It is even more lovely in "person".

Thank you again Dianne for your lovely heartfelt gift!

Dianne paints beautifully,  and she also create gorgeous cards.

She sells both in local shops, markets and shows.

Dianne is from Stoke on Trent, England, 

Yes,

The Stoke on Trent...

the area where most English tea cups were manufactured.

Dianne has generations of family members

who worked in the local potteries,

the potteries that we all often name from our tea cups backstamps. 

I thought it was fitting for Dianne's gift to be a part of my

first garden tea.

Inside the tea tent....

We used three of my newly painted chairs...

one you have not yet seen until now.

( I will share it's makeover on another post)

This all began because I wanted to create an outdoor tea setting

I could easily put together when the weather cooperated.

It is very hot here and I don't have a good shade area.

I was also really wanting some chairs small enough

for my feet to touch the ground. lol!

I am 54 years old, 5' tall, and I believe it is high time

for me to have furniture my own size : )

Yay again!

My goal was to be very thrifty!

So off to G.W., local thrift shops and my basement

to find all I needed.

The tent is made from a pile of old curtain panels and tablecloths and one very large king size sheet for the top.

I am happy to say I met my thrifty goal!

Yay!

The tent was our main challenge.

It needed to be large and sturdy,

yet romantic...

it needed to cast shade, but feel airy and light. 

The old drapes and tablecloths seemed a good choice,

and the netting on the sides helpful.

I used safety pins instead of straight pins for pinning in place. 

She is ginormous and was very tricky to move around to sew.

But we did it! Yay!

And we have named her Bertha!

A few other finds and fixes to add to the tents ambiance...

My daughter suggested I make a chalk board

from this lucky find vintage frame.

What a great idea! Thank you Sarah!

It would make a good menu board too.

The doily underneath it is from Dorthe.

Thank you Dorthe!

(The stool it is all sitting on is the very first thing I used A.S. chalk paint on for practice.)

I also found some new vintage cutlery...

Super cheap...really you wouldn't believe the luck I have had!

...these monogrammed knives....

Some new found rose forks....

and pretty spoons with roses too.

We made a pot of heavenly Chamomile tea...

I chose this old favorite cup...

And Sarah chose this one...

The funny thing about photographing a tea like this is

that you want to be sitting down enjoying your repast,

but instead you are playing photographer and your guest

is working on setting..i.e...holding back blowing netting! lol!

(on second thought, a lace tablecloth is TMI,
or too much lace! lol!) 

For our fare....

homemade, by me, leek and potato soup.

so aromatic with fresh thyme from the garden.

homemade quiche by Sarah.

mmmmmmmm delicious!

and some lovely banana bread and whipped cream made by us,

completed our first simple tea out doors.

It was very comfortable and cozy once we put the camera down.

Sarah and I enjoyed a leisurely brunch. 

Next time though,  we will forget the camera and just enjoy!

We are both happy with our new tea tent!

Bertha is very easy to put up,

and lovely to be in.

I am not very good at tablescaping
but I hope to learn, and with the summer 
there will be more teas and more
opportunity to learn how to set a beautiful table.
I have seen many of you set incredible tables. 
You are my inspiration : )

And yes, I hear you ask, "what happened to the blue chair???" ...well it did not make the scene this time,
but I have plans for another tea where it will. 
And I found more chairs and have painted them too...
I have ideas for those table settings too  : )
how fun!

I apologize for the long post.

 I wish you really could come into my yard and join me for tea!

But for now, we use this marvelous invention...

I am excited to come and visit all of you!
Many of you have shared you are getting your garden tea ready too!

Thank you for visiting

I appreciate you

I wish you well 

hugs,

Terri

if you would like to join in Tea Cup Tuesday with Martha and I,

just go and create a post with your tea cup in it,

then come back here and link that post up below.

Then we can come and visit you!

Yay!

Tea Cup Tuesday-Spring Flowers

Hello All!

Happy Tea Cup Tuesday!

This morning, I went out side early

and enjoyed the quiet beauty.

I enjoy walking around my yard...
seeing the new buds, and new blooms...
Smell the fresh morning air...
appreciate the birdsong,
and the beautiful morning sky...
What a feeling of wellbeing!

We only have a few days left of springtime...
Summer is just around the corner!

Today I am having some dragonwell tea by Adagio.

I think I have tried this one before, but did not really enjoy it.

I thought I might give it another go, 

and I was careful about the temperature of the water and steeping time.

This is what it looks like when the tea leaves begin to reconstitute.

Alas, I did not like it the second time either : (

Ah well, I have loved all their other teas.

Have any of you had this tea?

Do you like it?

My cup today is a Royal Grafton.
Isn't she pretty?
She seems to be a regular lately.

Here is the next chair for a Annie Sloan makeover!
I have had this chair for about a year,
and finally decided this will be the final out door garden chair.
Next post you will see how she turned out.
 (and yes, I think I am addicted to painting chairs)

She is all painted and sealed now...
and awaiting a new seat cover.

Which I am sewing today from some 

lovely cream linen.
When she is all dressed I will share her too : )

I am wishing you all the best week,
I am also wishing for weather more suitable for out door tea!
lol!
It has been raining cats and dogs here on and off for ages...
seems like ever since I planned My Garden Tea.

We have also had the breeziest springtime.
My tea tent has been flapping in the wind!
And next week it is time to share with you My Garden Tea
during Tea Cup Tuesday...
I know some of you are also preparing a special post for it.

And speaking of dogs...

Emma and Besty were sitting pretty for me....

They have been my companions out in the yard as I work on the tent.
They are sporting their new summer haircuts.

(they look so serious...lol!)

Hugs to you all!

Terri

If you would like to share your tea cups please join in

by linking your tea cup post below with Linky Tools below

T.T. and Annie Sloan Paints part Two...

Hello All!

How are you all?
Well I hope : )

This is the third chair I found for my out door tea time project.

She is a sturdy little chair, 

and once again, when I sit on her, my feet touch the ground : )

She had an interesting design painted on the chair back.

Looks like it was a faux burled wood treatment.

I love her two little spindles.

And here on the side, the grain is a "combed" on treatment too.

The years have not been kind to her embellishments.

She has a strong tight cane seat in fine shape....that is good.

I had to decide if I wanted to paint the cane on this chair too.

Here I have begun with an old white Annie  Sloan Chalk Paint.

No sanding, I just wiped down the chair with a damp cloth first.

I put two coats on her, including her seat after all.

Here she is all pretty!

After this I very lightly sanded some areas. 

Then waxed her down.

It is so easy to do, I think I may have done too much. 

But I still love how she turned out.

She really looks old. 

(even if I didn't like my distressing, I could just brush on one more coat and try again)

I must say, this paint is a dream to use.

The finished surface is a pleasure to the touch.

And I have such confidence knowing I can just paint right over it if I don't like it.

So Cool! 

Thank you Annie Sloan for applying your creative genius

and and years of experience to work out this fabulous paint!

Here she is with her sisters....

Here you can see her distressed and waxed.
Quite a difference from her pristine state above.

I am delighted : )
Thank you all for your kind comments about my new venture in painting!

As far as tea cups for my garden tea, 
I think this would be a lovely cup for outdoor tea...

Limoges

And this one too, a sweet little Limoges

She is light and paper thin.

So that is the update for how my garden tea area is shaping up.

It has been raining here for several days.
Tons of rain!
So my first garden tea has been delayed...
soon though : )

I love hearing back from many of you who are also going to post a garden tea on the 25th!
I am happy to hear many of your plans!

My Garden Tea

June 25th

Thank you very much for stopping by,

and for all your kind, funny, loving and supportive comments!

If you would like to join in Tea Cup Tuesday just go and create a post with your tea cup in it, then come back here and link that specific post below with Linky Tools.

Martha and I would love to come and see your tea time.

Hugs,

Terri

Tea Cup Tuesday-Tale of Two Creamers

  Hello All!

Welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday!

Today I am sharing two new finds...

I love cream and sugar china.

This pretty little creamer was sitting all alone on a shelf.

So graceful and such beautiful colors!

We looked for her sister, but to no avail.

She was very inexpensive, so she came home with me.

 Here is her only mark....351 or 356...
and maybe an incised line underneath? 

Can you all see that? 

Only one week later, after never having seen this style before...

I saw this little number sitting on a table at a flea market. 

The exact same creamer, only in white!

I spoke to the seller and he said he had fallen in love with it,

and bought it even though he did not need it. 

He thought she was made around 1905.

He had $10 marked on it...

he said, "you can have her for $5.

Now I was bringing her home too : )

She is just so pretty!

Maybe some day.....

...we will find their mates!

Until then, they will definitely be part of My Garden Tea. 

Have you seen any of their kind before? 

******************

Here is another chair that I treated to a makeover with Annie Sloan Chalk paints. 

She was a little orange...

her stain had been applied many decades ago to look like wood grain. 

She has a good strong little cane seat. 

The ASCP stick so well to anything, I was eager to give this chair some loving care.

Now she looks like this...

I wish I could get a really good color shot of this..

she has such a fine pink coloring,

and the cream paint underneath,

looks really lovely, but doesn't show in image. 

I first applied two coats of Old White by Annie Sloan.

Then I added a few drops of red acrylic paint from my art room 

and mixed a nice soft pink. 

Two coats of this new pink color,

distressing the areas that would normally wear over time

and then waxing with her clear wax sealer. 

***HinT***

I have found makeup applicator circle sponges work well on the chair rungs.

Just smoothing the paint on like you would do foundation...

lol.....I loved the effect. So smooth looking, and so much easier

than trying to apply with a brush. 

Just my experience : )

I had to make a decision to paint or not to paint her lovely cane seat...

I am glad I did, it looks really beautiful, and I hope it wears well with use.

I think she looks delicious!

She is a "sit up straight" proper chair, 

and my feet touch the ground when I sit on her.

Yay!

The tea tent I am making is ginormous! 

Lol!

It fits over a canopy frame 10 x 10".

I am using a pile of old curtains and drapes from Goodwill.

Just a few more side projects and we will be done.

All I need is some good weather and my daughter and I 

will have our very first outdoor tea.

Yay!

(would you care to guess the maker on these cups?)

Thank you all so much for all  your lovely comments!

I am working on reaching you all back. 

Thank you also for sharing with me your preparations

for your garden tea.

I am glad we are all having fun : )

Martha and I would love to see your china too!

If you want to play along, just go and create a post with your tea cup(s) and then come back here

 and then link that post with the linky below. 

Thank you for stopping by today!

I hope you are all doing very well and are having a blessed week. 

Hugs,

Terri