Tea Party for Granddaughter, Ms. C.

After my last week's Tablescape Thursday debut, I had to scale back a bit this time. It took me DAYS to get it all clean after the dinner party. I just reset the table with everything & plan on having another group of friends over later this week. Its easier to do such gatherings back to back for me but for today, I just did a little table outside.

My sweet granddaughter, Ms. C., is coming over for a visit after kindergarten. She has just turned 5 years old and loves to have tea parties with her dollies. I set things up out on the deck near the gazebo so we can enjoy this beautiful fall weather while it lasts.

On her little wicker table & chair set from her playroom, I've placed a silk cutwork tablecloth (machine made) that I purchased in St. Mark's square in Venice, Italy. I have a cream one that was done by hand & I'll share that with you another day. The Venetians are known for their beautiful embroideries & linens.

Here is a closer look at the table.

I realize that spoon on the right should be placed on the other side of the plate but for the sake of photos....AND to keep the napkin from blowing away, I had to move it. I knew you'd understand.

The dishes, called Magnolia, are handpainted by Portmeirion for the Royal Botanic Gardens. Ms. C. accidentally broke one of the cups last year. I need to try to find a replacement. She felt so bad!

On a little side table, I have an Irish linen buffet scarf with handmade cutwork. I TOLD you I loved that kind of stuff!

To protect it from tea stains, I placed a simple Battenburg lace cloth that I found at a local discount store for $5.
It looks just as pretty & I can relax a bit if she wants to pour the tea. I would never tell her "no" but I must admit, I hold my breath sometimes.
She is very careful & already knows to pass the cream with the handle pointing towards the receiver. I wish you could see how daintily she stirs her tea & how she always gently taps the spoon twice on the rim before putting it on the saucer.....too cute!






The little creamer & sugar bowl below are Royal Chelsea bone china & were made in England. I've had them for YEARS.
The covered dish in the background is from an FTD flower arrangement. I love saving those containers & incorporating them into a tablescape.


The tiny little teaspoon you see in the sugar bowl is by Bucherer of Switzerland & was given to us on a trip to Lake Lugano, Switzerland. It says "Rolex" just above the cross emblem, which is the insignia on the red flag of Switzerland.

We also went to Como, Italy on that trip. It is a gorgeous, lush, privileged area where the wealthiest in the world own property or vacation on private beach fronts around the lake, which lies between Milan and the border of Switzerland.

We ate lunch right over there in the left corner!

A 2-story ferry took us around the Lake, one of the deepest in the world at over 1000 feet. The mansions and gardens around the Lake are owned and visited by the likes of Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. Mussolini stayed here and the SS headquartered here during WWII. Mussolini was also killed here and later strung upside down in the square in Milan. The Pope vacations here and Pavarotti stayed at times; the heir to the Heinz (ketchup) fortune Teresa Heinz Kerry, now wife of Massachusetts senator John Kerry has a mansion on Lake Como, as does George Clooney. We didn't get to see him. :(

Back to the table and the teapots:

Ms. C. has her own little teapot that I bought her at Miss Molly's Tea Room .

The teapot has " The Special Place" written on the bottom of it and the year she was born. I don't know if they issue a different one every year or not. There's something to further investigate.

Note the paper drip catchers on the spout. A nice little touch and it helps to protect the good linens. I am all about PREVENTION!

My teapot is part of a collectible series, made in England by Windsor. It is titled "The Tennis Match" and has scenes of Victorian tennis players on both sides. Note the time on the clock on the lid...just a wee bit past tea time.

Below is the scene on the opposite side. They are playing tennis in those long skirts! See the time is different on this side of the knob? It seems the match started around 1:30 pm & ended just in time for tea.

The centerpiece flowers of petunias, purple statis and white geraniums are from my garden. The little vase that looks like a shopping bag I bought it in a tea room in Venice, FL where we used to live.

This shows a better view of it and the pretty paper fan shaped napkins, as well. They unfold into a beautiful scalloped circle. I've been meaning to try decoupaging one onto the back of a clear plate, just to see the effect.
*Note to self: Get busy & DO IT!*

The photo below shows more of the flowers I used on the side table. All but the fuji mums are from my garden. Don't you just LOVE the smell of mums? Nothing takes me back to high school & homecoming like that fragrance!


Thank you for coming to tea with us. We both enjoyed sharing it with you.

Please join Susan and the rest of the Tablescape Thursday participants at her blog, Between Naps on the Porch for more wonderfully inspiring ideas. Thank you, Susan, for hosting this lovely party every week.