Hello from a lovely cloudy day in the desert.
Pink blossoms continue to fill my two hydrangea bushes.
Lovely things, aren't they?
Nature is good.
They used to be blue, but now I quite love them in their changed state.
Pretty in pink.
Of course, they do aid in the flutter of tea party brain.
Flowers and tea cups do make the soul happy.
Don't they?
Especially for us lovers of petals and warm sips clinked.
Blooms are changing as the days get warmer.
With summer just days away.
Can you believe it at all?
I let petals wither and fade and drop on my mantle.
Such beauty in their withering.
I finally had enough shelves made to fill my tea cabinet that I got on Craigslist a couple months ago.
It was brown & horrid, but with potential, so I painted it white of course, haha!
I brush painted it, what was I thinking?
Little nightmare of 7 coats, but it was so so worth it in the end.
It has bottom shelves too, but I am still organizing those.
I have 3 tea cabinets now.
This one is filled with my most frilly pieces.
Perfect inspiration for our tea party.
And how I adore choosing a tea cup every day.
Adds such a little joy to my days.
I have been collecting pieces for 16+ years now.
Gulp.
I am quite in shock of time flowing past me like a wind storm.
Glad I started really early and have managed to keep my faves in tact.
It's not organized per se, but everything I love is finally in it for the most part.
Now I only collect pieces I adore.
I do pay a bit for pieces I loooove.
But that is balanced with shockingly good finds.
Such as this little creamer on the left, that happens to be French, Limoges.
It was 3 dollars.
Yes 3.
YAY!
I am in love.
So it's all about tea and blooms these days.
Plus me drawing like mad, nearing my illustration deadline.
So much to do, so much to do.
I collect gobs of dried flowers around my house on trays.
I can't seem to part with them.
The colors just get so intense.
They're quite like paper art to me.
So, I keep them.
I'm so excited for the mad tea party.
More excited than normal if you can imagine such a thing.
I may sneak off to run an errand and peek into an estate shop down the road.
Just posting these pics ignites the tea things hunter in me.
Haha!
How are you out there in the great big world?
I have a big blonde fluffer on my right foot as I type.
And a very warm snoring Brownie snuggled under my chair in a way that I am trapped.
Time for tea, of course.
And candied ginger.
Yumm.
See you soooon!
I gotta get back to work, time is a ticking.
xoxo
Hello, dearest Vanessa
I actually haven’t been to your blog for about a week, so I am surprised I am the first to leave a comment on this deliciously, scrumptious tea cup cabinet post.
Your cabinet is so gorgeous! I love the tall, glassed-in cabinets, as you can view your goodies from many angles. Tea cups are divine. When all the rage was going for Chintz, I was able to collect some at reasonable prices. Your sweet Limoges creamer is so lovely a find. It makes the hunt for goodies in antiques and estate store soooo worth while. Being in the right place at the right time, and serendipity!
Can’t wait for the Mad Tea Party either!
It was 104 here today in our hot, dry central California valley. So, our summer days are already here. My hydrangeas have not yet bloomed and I am giving them extra water during this hot spell, the poor plants’ leaves wilt during the middle of the day.
Cheers! And looking forward to see whom you have been illustrating for.
hugs,
Miss Teresa
Those hydrangeas remind me that I finally found some that MIGHT grow in my humid zone 10 and that I need to find that brand and get them in the dirt…so beautiful. My Grandma(before she sold her home and now lives with my Aunt) she would grow large bushes of them and they too (depending on the soil conditions) would change colors from blue to pink. At the wee-age I was, I always thought it was fairy magic. Hahaha.
My tea cabinet is jammed-crammed also, with all manner of Mad tea party stuff, an upcoming French tea party, and of course, my all-time favorite day: Halloween. *GRIN*. ‘;) I am excited about the tea party and can’t wait: 2 weeks!! Eeek.
It all looks so very lovely V!!! You have well kept your lovely treasures in your fabulous cabinets!
Your hydrangeas are beautiful and because you are able to grow them I got inspired to try and grow one! I bought one small beauty to try! There is one very shady and a bit water soggy spot from where our sprinklers hit in my yard. I have transferred some of my other plants there such as my unique pinkish and now happily thriving rubber tree plant there! We shall see! Wish me luck!!!<3
I am collecting many ideas for your tea party date! As soon as I am sure I will be there I will sign in! Love to you and your blonde and brownie and well wishes on your deadlines! See you in IG land! ๐
And I thought I had a lot of tea things! I am glad I am not the only one!
Lovely, lovely, lovely. ๐
Tea things are so pretty.
Your hydrangeas and tea cabinets are wonderful! No wonder you need to have a party! I’m working on my post now!
You have such beautiful things! Stunning collections ๐
Swooning over your flowers and tea things! How can we resist something we love.
“Little nightmare of 7 coats” I’m laughing so hard! It is so very pretty with all those china confections inside ๐
Ooh, that creamer is just beautiful! Tea and blooms are just the best indeed. I have never been able to keep my hydrangeas blue. Pink is lovely indeed. ๐ I look forward to you tea party! xoxoxo Jen GIve your furloves a hug from Auntie Jen for me. Hehehehe…. xoxo Jen
Dearest Dear Vanessa,
How I do love all of your beautiful tea things! I’m lucky to have inherited some really pretty things from my mother, none of which match, but which all look lovely together nonetheless! And I love your cabinet as well! We found a lovely rounded front cabinet in an antique shop when we took a weekend trip up the coast a couple of weeks ago that we were so tempted by! It would be so much prettier than the one we currently have. If we make another trip up the coast this summer, we may have to indulge ourselves!
Working hard on my Mad Tea Party post, as you might expect!
Sending hugs and wishes for a great weekend to you and your lovely family!
xoxoxo,
Betty
with summer here and me off for a couple months, I am trying to get back into visiting my old haunts. It is hard with a new pup because she is so much FUN! That being said, I visit you often, even when I don’t comment due to laziness. I look forward to the party and must think of what to give away. Hmmmmmm. The party will be here before I know it and I haven’t a post in mind!
Love seeing all your wonderful flowers. ๐
Your tea cabinet is so pretty, it’s such a riot of beautiful colours. ๐
Of all the surprises my heart holds dear,
Is the blue that waits till pink is near.
Dried flowers whispering of events on time ,
Tea cups stacking, piling a shanti saucer rhyme.
ANd oh my frilly is dancing alive,
Twirling and flying, like bees to a hive.
Some summer fairies yawning at the door,
Relaxing to be ready for the solstice roar.
And me, well, I am liking Pink in white,
As I wish for you magical dreams in flight.
A musing, a dance , a ticket to the show.
Summer is calling where will you go?
To the Mad Hatters party.. of course you know.
Silver trinkets jingling a tune…
From here to there – sliding across the crescent moon.
Xxx’s Pinksternessoita
Oh what a delectable cabinet of pretties!! My oh my! And you did a lovely job on the painting! Wishing you a magical new week there in your fairy-lands!!
Looooovely cabinet!! 7 coats, oh my, but worth it to see it now. All your tea beauties look beyond beautiful in there — it’s like Alice in Wonderland’s dream!! And now you’ve made me want to go thriftin’ again to see what treasures I can find, thanks a lot! ๐ Loves to you and the blonde fluffer and the meanie-precious brownie. xoxo :)))
Gorgeous tea cabinet and tea things. Having a cabinet to put them in is lovely. I have a piece I want to refinish some dayรขโฌยฆ. Meanwhile my tea collection grows. Like yours, some pieces I buy at full price and some I score. I find that I get good deals at Brimfield on the last day when no one really wants to pack it back up.
Hi Vanessa – just came across your board. Absolutely LOVE the cabinet and everything in it. Just started my “tea party” craze a few years ago with my BFF. We have had quite a few tea parties; a formal tea party, a witches tea party, a Madri Gras tea party, a garden tea party and, just recently, a small sunflower and blue tea party. We usually go crazy with the decorating. Just started collecting tea cups, tea pots and pretty dishes (what strikes my fancy) trying to figure out what to do with it all. I will be visiting your board frequently !