Love this little cat statuary holding a nest of eggs!
These two distinct, yet similar, tea themed wreaths were spotted in two different tea rooms. The one on the left has tea cups nestled about the wreath with a gold ribbon and berries running around the faux pine wreath. The wreath shown below is made with a grapevine base and features a delicate ribbon woven around the wreath with tea related trinkets tucked at the base of the wreath along with a pretty teacup and white gloves. 
Our annual Mother's Day Tea is now one for the memory books. The first course included individual cups with Herbed Spinach Dip and assorted fresh veggies. The sweet little cups are actually meant for baking cupcakes, but the pretty floral pattern and die cut edge caught my eye. I thought it might make a fun and different presentation for the starting course.
The sandwiches included Pimiento Cheese on Pumpernickel tied with a garlic chive leaf, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus in a Phyllo Cup, a warm Boursin Cheese and Green Onion Stuffed Biscuit, Fresh Sweet Strawberry Bruschetta, an Apple, Rosemary and Blue Cheese Knot, and a Petite Phyllo Shell filled with Herbed Goat Cheese.
Angelica starting to serve the Scones and Fruit. Our guests enjoyed Traditional English Cream Scones and White Chocolate Apricot Scones, always served fresh out of the oven. A sampling of fresh fruit and assorted scone toppings completed the plate.
This cheerful and colorful Mary Engelbreit keepsake tin found its way to my house this week. According to the back of the tin, it originally held 20 tea sachets of gourmet Cherry Tea from Sri Lanka. Now empty, it was discovered at a yard sale by a friend who found it and delivered it to me. It'll definitely find a happy new home here!
Our sister Marj of Rosemary Remembrances and a fellow retired buddy recently journeyed to the Biltmore in Asheville, NC. Lucky me, I've been enjoying some of the souvenirs that were purchased specifically with me in mind! What fun! The Fine Tea is especially blended for the Biltmore Estate. My sister selected the English Breakfast, which is a rich and mellow black tea blend. It makes for a fine cup in the morning. Some Black Raspberry Jelly, also private labeled for the Biltmore will be mighty tasty on some scones. And the sweetest little tea themed napkins complete the assortment of surprises. It's practically a tea party waiting to happen! Thank you, Marj! 
The culinary sources for several of the recipes served at the Tea With the Parlor Maid include the Last Dinner on the Titanic and Mrs. Beeton's Victorian Cookbook. Inspiration for the Charlotte Russe recipe came from the Victorian cookbook. 
Shown below, the photo in the cookbook, and the individual portion served at our special event.
We were delighted to welcome enthusiastic guest speaker Judy Larkin, The Tea Lady, from West Virginia for her presentation Tea With the Parlor Maid. Her lively and spirited program shared why tea was an integral part of life for the working class. 
Judy began her program lightly dusting the china displayed in the tea room. If only she had stayed a little longer after her program to complete the dusting, it would have been a perfect day!
Our afternoon tea started with an Asparagus Salad with Saffron Champagne Vinaigrette. This recipe was found in the cookbook Last Dinner on the Titanic. In the first episode of the Downton Abbey series, it is learned that Lord Grantham's heir, James Crawley, and his son Patrick have perished with the sinking of the Titanic.
Tea service for Tea With the Parlor Maid continues. Each table had a silver serving bowl that contained Spiced Pecans providing something for the guests to nibble on before tea service would begin. "The menus were wonderfully varied and tempting. I stayed at the table from soup to nuts." Titanic passenger Kate Buss.
Downton Abbey style. Setting the scene... our menu included pictures of the family on the balcony and also of the wait staff outside the manor. Tucked in between the courses of the menu were quotes that were used during some of the episodes, and each one was attributed to the character that spoke the line. For example, "Tea is in the library when you're ready to come down", Cora, the Countess of Grantham. One of my favorite lines, "Anyone who has limbs can make a salmon mousse." was Mrs. Patmore. She also said "Use an alarm clock to remind you when to put things in the oven and when to take them out."
Our parlor maids were all decked out in fashionable garb of the era. Using the Butterick 'History' pattern B5509, the aprons were stitched during the long cold winter month of January. The pattern features five designs in three sizes. I made two of the designs, and then using some of the material fashioned little head pieces to accompany the aprons. For my niece, I took a headband, stitched a 'sleeve' in the material, attached matching lace, and slid the headband through it. Adding a little dart in the back of the head piece fashioned it to look more like a hat. Using the headband helped keep it in place.
May your day be full of golden sunshine today! Did you find a basket of flowers hanging on your door? Traditional May Day celebrations are held all around the world. One enchanting little tradition involves secretly putting a pretty bouquet of fresh spring flowers on your neighbor's doorknob. If they discover you doing this, they must give you a kiss! 
