Mar 30, 2008

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!

15 comments:

Ceekay-THINKIN of HOME said...

I look at that coffee table and remember the evening you and I had tea and cheesecake...talking and catching up! Your tea sets are beautiful...guess I will have to come back!

La Tea Dah said...

You are most blessed, Kat! I love the stories you shared with your beautiful tea sets. Each one is a lovely reminder of the very special people in your life! And isn't that, really, what the essence of tea is all about?

Thanks for sharing! Have a great week!

LaTeaDah

Anonymous said...

I really liked reading your post. Your little tea pots are beautiful

Denise said...

What a delightful post! I love your pictures and your tea accoutrements but most of all, I enjoyed your stories! Thank you for sharing ~ you've re-inforced the saying, "It's the thought that counts the most!"

Have a wonderful week!

A Romantic Porch said...

That is a beautiful posting Kat. I loved reading it. Please visit my porch today, Monday. I linked to you. Thank you for joining the blog world. I hope it brings you great happiness.

ellen b. said...

You have some beautiful sets. I am partial to the Royal Albert Moss Rose though. It's the same pattern I chose to buy in England in 1974. It's great to consider how blessed we are. Our tea-cups overflow...

Unknown said...

I love how you shared the memories sewn into each tea set with the different generations in your family. These are treasures that you will cherish for your lifetime. With each word that you shared the teapots seemed to come alive in specialness. Blessings, Karen

Vee said...

What a lovely story about the tea set gift. Sometimes those things can backfire, can't they? I once received a gift that I had been trying to find out if my mother liked...she assumed from my interest that I loved it. I did; I do. LOL!

Beautiful sets!

Joyce said...

YES you are blessed! That is so sweet that your daughter thought to bring you home such great gifts while on her missions trip!

My son brought me back two pieces of Old Country Roses from one of his trips to England as well.....then told me that he wanted my "Old Country Roses China Collection when I DIE!" HA!
Dirty rat....I guess he was helping to build it for that reason? HA! Well he is going to have to stand in line for it when that "day" comes I think. HA!

You have some very pretty things....I enjoyed my visit to your spot.
Have a good day.
Joyce

Grace said...

wonderful stories, beautiful pictures!!

Kathi~Lavender, Lace and Thyme said...

Mimi, your tea sets and stories are so beautiful, what memories you have to share. Thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful evening.

Kathi :)

Yellow Rose Arbor said...

You have some beautiful tea sets! I love the RA Moss Rose!

Isn't the blog-a-thon fun!

Katherine

Sandy said...

I love the story of your birthday tea set, so sweet and sentimental! I have never seen that pattern before and it is lovely and certainly worth cherishing as it was so lovingly given.

Pam said...

Love your tea sets and the stories that go with each one!

Anonymous said...

The Green Arbor pattern is very pretty. Not one you would expect to see anywhere else.