Rose Chintz Cottage: 03/21/11

Monday, 21 March 2011

Celebrate Spring with Tea Time Tuesday and Victoria!

Welcome Spring ~ A New Season to Celebrate!

Hello dear friends ~ Welcome to my Spring Tea Time Tuesday and Kathy's Celebrate Spring with Victoria~ http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil. ~ Reginald Heber

I am simply delighted that you are here! Please come in and make yourself at home. This is a big day!

Today is my 60th Tea Time Tuesday party and I want to thank all of you lovely ladies for helping to make this tea party meme so enjoyable. This is also the first full day of Spring!
I can not express how happy I am that the long winter is finally behind us.

March

The month of cold mornings and warm afternoons

when the Fairies weave rugs with flowers

adorning the meadows and roadsides with color...

Edith Holden

I love springtime~ A time when the earth awakens from her Winter's slumber and Mother Nature cradles in her womb, the first tender shoots of bright blooms in the garden. The trees break forth into fresh buds, and brooks, clear as crystal, begin to run merrily along their way. They almost sound like they are singing; they are so happy to be freed from their captivity of ice and snow!

Soft warm breezes stir the air and the lilt of songbirds outside my window harken to me early in the morning. I welcome the melody of my little feathered friends; I have dreamt about birdsong all winter!

The earth has come to life again and I too, seem to come alive and I relish each new wonder of the day.

In the evening, just as the sun goes down, the tiny spring peepers behind my home begin their chorus.

I find myself once again, as delighted as a child when all of these wonders take place.

It's good to be alive, and I give thanks to God who has created this new season for our enjoyment.

Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world. ~ Virgil A. Kraft

I find joy and beauty in simple things like a beautiful bloom, a bird singing outside my window, and tea in my favourite china teacup.~

For our tea party today, I am using several teacups as well as my mother's Lavender Rose teapot. Lavender Rose is a lovely pattern for anytime of year, but I especially like it this time of year.

Pink is the theme I've chosen for this tea party. Pink and springtime just seem to go hand in hand, don't you think? The teacup I am featuring today is my Shelley teacup. This pattern is called Blossom and it just says Spring so well! Sadly, it is no longer being produced. I love its feminine scalloped shape and embossed design as well as the little nosegay inside the teacup!

The pink blossoms are so dainty and I love the robins egg blue trim on these pieces. This teacup is special to me not only because of its colours but because it was a shower gift many years ago and it is the only Shelley teacup I own.

My Shelley teacup is being joined by Royal Albert's Lavender Rose....

...and an Elizabethan teacup which I shared a couple of weeks ago.

These teacups all look splendid with Mum's Lavender Rose teapot!

As I was preparing my tea post, I came across this lovely Spring poem.
Thank you Marilyn, for allowing me to use a portion of it!

SPRINGTIME WONDER

There is nothing quite as pleasant

As a walk in springtime hours

The bees even harmonize with life

As they drift among the flowers.

God softly whispers to us

As gentle rains caress

The countryside with drops of life

In such pure tenderness.

And if you listen close enough

I'm sure that He'll impart

The freshness of spring upon your soul

And a flower in your heart!
~

AUTHOR:
Marilyn Ferguson
© 1987 Used by permission

I have placed the teapot on a pedestal cake plate and surrounded it by a wreath I have made. The fresh flowers are close by.

For flowers that bloom about our feet;

For tender grass so fresh and sweet;

For song of bird and hum of bee;

For all things fair we hear and see,

Father in heaven, we thank Thee! ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I always like to add a little touch of whimsy to my tea table such as this pink swan which holds the silverware.

My springtime tea table.

Milk and sugar...

For your pleasure, I have prepared some refreshments. I have finger sandwiches ready as well as toasted macaroons.
These ribbon sandwiches, I have made many times over the years. They are perfect for showers and tea parties! They're pretty too.

Made with whole wheat and plain white bread; they are spread with egg salad, devilled ham, and cream cheese. I always tint the cream cheese pink.

I also have a lovely Lemon tart.

For those of you who just want a little nibble there are some chocolate mints.

The most wonderful loose leaf Victorian Garden tea stands by in the teapot. I purchased this wonderful tea from our own Prince Edward Island Preserve Company. I have already decanted it for you. This tea is a lovely blend of Ceylon black tea, China green gunpowder, vanilla, rose petals, and lavender flowers. I felt it was the perfect tea for a Spring tea party. Only the best for my friends!

No matter what kind of tea you serve, the best tea is made using bottled, distilled, or spring water.

Which teacup would you like to use?

Ahh, Tea Time, a wonderful respite.

Lemon with your tea?

Beauty is God's handwriting. Welcome it in every fair face, every fair sky, and every fair flower. ~ Charles Kingsley

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.~ Ballou

So, let's celebrate ~ A new season filled with promise, friendship, and tea parties!

The tea table awaits you; please help yourself.

Take time to be friendly~ friendships give life a delicious flavour.~

Tea is instant wisdom - just add water. ~ Astrid Alaude

I want to thank Kathy for hosting her Victoria - A Return to Loveliness party every week. One can always use a little more loveliness in their life!

I enjoy curling up with a copy of Victoria magazine and a nice cup of tea! One can lose all track of time perusing its lovely pages; especially the Spring issue.
Victoria magazines give us a wonderful glimpse into the lives of such gifted ladies as Marjolein Bastin and Tasha Tudor, as well as a variety of interesting subjects. Have you gotten your copy yet?