A Blessed Woman

This week's Hospital-i-Tea topic is Decor-A-Tea. I must admit, I have not incorporated a great many tea themed decorating ideas in my home. I do, however, have a few special tea sets which I display all the time, though the memory attached to the tea sets are more dear to me than the actual items - but they do possess a bit of charm and beauty on their own merit.

The above vintage tea set is Continental Kilns Green Arbor pattern. My parents gave it to me for my 30th birthday. I can still remember the day, sitting in the beautiful old home I grew up in, my parents so proud of their gift. When I opened the beautifully wrapped package I fell more in love with the delicate, age cracked pot, creamer and sugar bowl than I had when I first visited it. You see, my parents had taken me to a local antique market on an earlier visit with them and they had practically dragged me to see the set as soon as we walked through the doors. They pointed out each beautiful feature and the markings on the bottom. I might have considered purchasing it on the spot but I actually thought my mother must have been interested in buying it for herself. Then my birthday came and the lovely gift was presented to me, creating a treasured life memory.

This tea set is not old, it is new. My mother gave it to me for Christmas two years ago. I love the sweet violets that decorate the creamy porcelain. More, I love the memory I will always have of the Christmas my mother chose it for me. It lives in my grandmother's china cabinet, entwining three generations of women. The first of the three providing a home for the gift. The second of the three, the generous giver of a lovely gift. The third, the blessed receiver.

I found the silver tea spoons at an antique store near my home. In the handle of each spoon, a semi-precious stone is encased in a fine silver cage. They are quite lovely and create a sense of age and interest to a table set for tea.

This beautiful set sits on my glass top living room coffee table. My daughter brought it home from a mission trip to England and Wales when she was seventeen. It is Royal Albert Moss Rose. If you look carefully through the glass under the coffee table, you can see the white wooden and glass bird cage used at my daughters wedding ten years after she purchased the tea set. The tea set and the bird cage are a constant reminder of my daughter and her exemplary life and faith.

Writing this Sunday afternoon I have once again been reminded what a blessed woman I am!