The Heritage of Tea Time

I am always elated when my girls, my precious daughter and my dear daughter-in-love, use their many skills to entertain their friends and families.  Recently, KC, my daughter, hosted a lovely tea party for some of her close friends.  I was privileged to snap a few photos prior to the arrival of her guests.

It was a beautiful day, and the sun cast a lovely light on the small dining room in KC & David's second floor duplex.

The Copeland Spode Jewel hostess tray was filled with scrumptious cupcakes from Cuppies & Joe.  www.cuppiesandjoe.com

The silver coffee pot that is visible in the far corner of the table was one of Sweet Mr.'s and my wedding gifts.  I'm thrilled that she enjoys using it.  Under the plates lie an assortment of vintage linens that once belonged to our Nana, KC's great-grandmother.  KC is a family historian, and she cherishes the treasures that came from her great-grandmothers and grandmothers.  Some day I'll post a tour of her home, filled with their wonderful things from the 20's and the 40's.

Sweetheart roses and Carnations were arranged in peg nappies and placed in a pair of Lenox urns, picked up at estate sales.  The charming ramekins are Limoges and belonged to Nana.  The underplates are Haviland Ranson, with a gold rim and a monogram. I bought them for KC on eBay.

Spode Tower Pink luncheon plates  added a soft touch of color that  enhanced the design of the table.  The goblets are Vera Wang "Duchesse," and KC continued a family tradition by choosing her grandmother's silver pattern, Reed & Barton, Francis I.  Did you notice the blue and white bowl in the corner cupboard?  It is filled with sachets made from antique handkerchiefs.  The hand painted china clock on the second shelf belonged to her maternal great-grandmother.  She adores that old clock.

I painted the dining chairs for KC as well as the table and Welsh dresser.  It made me happy that she wanted to feature my work.

When asked by some of her friends, "How do you even know how to do this?"  KC sweetly replied, "This is how I grew up.  I watched my Mom and my Grandmothers."  And then they said, "We want to learn, too!"

So welcome to my soapbox...It is our generation that must pass on to the next generation, the delights that come with setting a beautiful table to welcome our friends and family.  It broke my heart when I learned that magnificent companies like Wedgewood, Waterford, Spode, Royal Doulton, Royal Worcester, and Lenox had declared bankruptcy.  Many young brides are no longer choosing fine china, crystal, and silver.  Have we waited too long?  Have we dropped the ball?  I don't believe that it is too late, and it is one of the reasons that I continue to make the effort to plan lovely parties for Brides-to-be and Mothers-to-be.  I am always thrilled with the interest that young women exhibit when they sit at one of my tablescapes.  They want to learn, and they are excited about entertaining with beautiful things.  They are willing to make the effort...are we willing to share our knowledge with them and set an example?  From the many creative tablescapes that I see in our blog world, I think that the answer is a resounding 'Yes!'


I want to offer a sincere and enthusiastic "Thank you!"  to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting "Tablescape Thursday."  I am linking to TT, and I hope that you will check out all the contributions to this marvelous meme...so many great ideas!