I am so so glad to be back! I wanted to give guys and gals at least a week to see the Mad Tea Party invite. Although there is plenty of time to sign up. I don't know about you, but I have been shuffling trinkets and treats around my house, inspiring myself for tea party planning because…
Truth be told…
I never know what I am entirely going to do for the Mad Tea Party until a few days before the event. I know I know, I am one risky sorta gal 😉
Right now I am obsessing on one of my fave combinations of all time, which is pink and cobalt blue. I have always been so attracted to this combo. I also adore cobalt blue and white patterns, paired up with all shades of candy pink.
And then, there's me wee pig.
Which I schlepped home when I was around 20, and have had him with me ever since. (my sister doesn't like him, isn't that sad? he is so sweet!) I am pretending he is the baby pig from Alice in Wonderland, all growed up to be a chef.
One thing that so inpires me is having a stress free day, where I wash floors and dust and bleach everything (I have a small, okay, a large bleach obsession). And then after everything is clean, I play with my collections, moving things around, re-loving inanimate objects.
Flipping through books and magazines I have stacked high.
I find those sort of days to be my favorite, just being in my space with my stuff, getting all cozy and in my own space happy.
In a glass box I keep one of my most treasured items. It is a cobalt blue and white tea-set, that comes in a wicker picnic basket where each piece fits in perfectly. I am sure you have seen those?
Anyhow, this set is so so so so so dear to me.
It belonged to my aunt (mom's sis), who passed away a few years ago. My aunt's daughters, my two cousins, gifted me the beloved tea-set this past Christmas.
I know, heart strings.
I am so thankful to those two lovely gal cousins of mine.
Cobalt blue, and white and pink…
Yumms.
Move things here to there, and there to here, and inspiration trickles in…
Plink, plink, zwizzzzle, plink!
Any thoughts swirling on what you will conjure up…
For this year's mad event?
I am not sure what I will be doing…
Just not sure at all.
Not even one inclination, oh my!
But playing with this stuff is sparking my imagination.
Oh and, seeds flowering everywhere doesn't hurt either, for a little wonderlandish inspiration.
So much going on around here, mostly garden care and painting. Getting up super early to squeeze it all in. Eating lots of treats from the garden. Tending to 5 pumpkin patches, and 14 different garden areas. Phewey.
Gophers making me cry all the time. Loving that I have my neighbor to commiserate with (she has them too). They are so harmful. Argh. Sucking my hard work down into the earth (even through wire and rock and more). The rabbits are being crazy too. Then again, it hasn't rained forever and a day here, and there is nothing for any animal to eat but what we are watering. So, that's that. Mister says that the folks who used to live here (ages and ages ago, and grew everything they ate, and canned) said "you will never get rid of the gophers." Scary Mary! Zoiks! Gulp.
I would just really like to deter them. You know, convince them to build their dirt mansions somewhere else, far far away.
My neighbor and I keep sending a really cute photo of the gophers back and forth to each other, as to remind ourselves that they are c-c-c-c-cute.
And, hmmm, let's see, the pups are being adorable as heck and Lovee is up to all of his regular shenanigans.
Plus, five pages of projects.
And, that's about it.
😉
How are you all?
Any Mad Tea Party planning goin' on with you?
Okay, must run for now,
See you super soon!
Love, V
ps: I just realized that this is my 601st blog post! Wowie Zowie!
Loved your post!!!!!! as usual..
I actually have two posts for the Mad Tea Party. One I drafted last July…and one I drafted last month. Not too sure which one I will use..?
Oh! and I have just recieved the Summer 11 edition of ‘Where Women Create’ in the mail a couple of days ago!! Love this mag! and the article about your little nook on earth.
🖤 Vicki
ps…don’t let the gophers get you down
Oh yes, lots of planning going on here, Vanessa! My daughter has drafted the post and I typed it in this weekend. Now we need to work the pictures out and when to take them and get those in there. Lots of fun and I hope everything goes as planned, and if not, I hope it turns out better!
Vanessa:
This is such an exciting time of year. Watching everything bloom that started out as nothing more than round little seeds. This time of year is so fresh and smells so good….blossoms and earth and the heat of the desert.
I wish upon a dandelion that I could participate in the Mad Tea Party, but alas ~ I won’t be able to this year for reasons beyond my control.
I know everyone will have a good time and I will surely pop in to read the tea party posts.
Have any of your Sweet Peas bloomed yet?
Kim
Gerushia’s New World
My sweepeas are like 4 feet tall, is that
normal????
Hello, Miss V
Your cobalt blue and pink combinations are a beautiful contrast to each other. I love contrasts, like aqua with rust/or red.
An aquamarine ocean with red starfish or orange starfish!
Me??? I do have somewhat of a clue what I am going to be doing for your Mad Tea Party, if I can ever get this ‘blogging’ thingy straight! It will work out, I am sure it will…
I will email you with what I just found and am buying on line…Hee! Hee!
Anyway, sorry those darned gophers are at it again. I can imagine they are big and mean too.
hugs from California
Miss Tersa
Hi Vanessa –
Too bad about the gopher problem. I once read of someone who used to deter moles from his garden by putting empty wine bottles into their holes. The breeze would blow across the glass and make their tunnels all noisy, so they moved on… do you think it could work with gophers too?? 🙂
Hellooo!
Never thought about that colour combo but I must say it does look delicious! I’m not a big fan of blue, normally, except when it comes to the sky and the ocean 🙂
Lovely, lovely pics.
Me, I’ve been busy working at the circus (umm… see my blog) and writing. Too busy to have posted your party flyer? Eeek! Will do so now.
We finished the windmill last night!!! I am leading the 2nd graders tomorrow for my volunteer lesson I do with them in the park. Their teachers bring them down and we plant flowers so they can see what happens when lovelies volunteer their time to make something beautiful. Hmmm… my friend, is back from Italy, and school is almost done for my little ones, for the summer. I can’t wait to swim! I need to rototill the garden and plant some food. Sorry about your destructo thieves. I love catching up a bit and this post was a good reminder to think about the party, thanks! Blessings friend.
i have a thing for pink & black. And pink & blue. Baby blue, especially in silk. With little needlepoint flowers. And pink & sage green. And pink & bright green…And pink & white gingham…and pink and and
well. 🙂 yeah.
I’ve been sooo lucky-gertie the turtle makes a weekly trek through the garden but only pauses to stare wistfully at the lettuce (on the inside of the gate). The bunnies are only eating weeds in the yard (biding their time too, no doubt), and no sign (knock furiously on wood!) of deer, gophers, racoons, or flying pests or worms!
We’ve seen baby opossums, and a fox this morning! and squirrels -which we keep feeding corn to on the OTHER side of the property. (bait and switchaROO)
in other news its HOT. i have *I*D*E*A*S for the tea party, i just can’t decide if i’m an in-y or an out-y (in or out side, that is)
LOVE 2 U and the Crew!
xoxoxviixoxoxo
I posted the flyer moments ago although I have been talking about it for DAYS!!!
Dreaming up plans that are impossible to work out, but I will come up with something. Most likely something very simple this year, but please count me in and I hope not to disappoint.
What a pretty collection and I LOVE the pink shelves!!
Can’t wait to see what you come up with for the party!
Take Care!
Tracy M.
Awww, sweet V., trying to see the good even in wicked gophers! So funny that you and your neighbor send each other pics to remind you of the cuteness of the rascals.
I showed my sweet visiting mom your post this morning. I read it, and we looked at your beautiful pictures together. Then before morning’s end, I said my good-byes to her and my dad and their little doggie. It is hurting my heart right now that they have left, and I have been shedding tears by the bowlful. I shall try to live the rest of the day in accentuating the positive and trying to get these pesky waterworks to dry up.
Thank you so much for providing posts so beautiful that I want to share them with my very precious mother. A kiss on the cheek is due to you today from me.
Hello dear miss Vanessa! It’s great to hear from you. Glad you are thinking of the big event. I have some ideas of goodies I’d like to share, but not how I will actually put it all together. I’m like you – I start thinking the week of! LOL I feed on last-minute creative energy!! Pink and blue – nice colors for summer. Your tea set is so beautiful – what a gorgeous family heirloom. 🙂 I can commiserate with your gardening woes. Just last week, I took my Willow out to the yard and she came face to face with a groundhog. I felt quite badly, as the groundhog was quite terrified of us both. My Willow didn’t even realize the groundhog was there, until I said “Willow – look here.!” Then Willow chased the little fellow through a hole in the fence. Haven’t seen him since. LOL Maybe Willow provided me with cruelty-free garden pest patrol! LOL Enjoy your weekend! xoxo Theresa
I am absolutely plotting and planning for the mad tea party. I am so excited. I am pulling everyone in to come play. 🙂 It’s becoming quite a family affair at my house. I also got the issue of Where Women Create, and your little section is beautiful and inspiring. Thanks for being awesome and making me want to create harder.
Oh my, what wonderful treasures you have. I am busy like mad arranging and rearranging things for my photo shoots. Plotting, planning and planting….I am so very excited. So much to do.
Miss V, as busy as a bee. She tends to many tasks, her world beautiful to see!
Honestly, I would love to be joining the madness at your tea. Alas, I’ll just be looking in at all festivities. There’s to much to do and so little time to chase the white rabbit right now. I wish to join as guest at best.
Love your tea set and congrats on your 601 post! Both very Wowie!
Now about gardening and pests, my sunflowers are getting eaten leaf by leaf by some white bugs that cause the leaf to discolor underneath and dry up. Yikes, so I can truly feel your frustration about your gophers. The watering must really keep you busy as well! How do you keep up with everything? Do you allow yourself a certain amount of time on all your activities?
Any ways, keep up the great work and continue to inspire us Vanessa!
<3 to you and your wonderful Boys! 😉
Lovely post as always! I haven’t anything but the vaguest notion of what I’ll do for the tea party, except that it will involve some sort of giveaway (probably a small painting) and most likely cupcakes (which I have to bake the day before for a housewarming party, hehe)…Other than that, no clue.
Must add, I LOVE the blue and pink combination too, especially anything vintage. And your tea set is adorable. What a beautiful remembrance of your aunt. 🖤
~ Carolee
Hi Vanessa, Congrats on the Milestone, loved all the yummy photos!! I heard you are hosting another party. I was in your full moon tea party last year. I didn’t get an invite to do this one, does that mean I am not allowed to be part of it, did I do something wrong with the full moon tea party?
I was even the winner of your Fortune teller sign and goodies.
Please let me know if I am allowed to participate? So I can decide if I can meet the requirements etc.
Thanks, Susan
Hello to you, Nice Miss Vanessa,
Our summer is busy already, even if we did only have 7 1/2 minutes of warm weather here before it went back to 60 degree days!
Ha-rumph!! I miss my hot DC weather and Mr. V says I am crazy! So, what is new?! But I’m grateful to have my lovely pots of pansies and petunias on the porch that I couldn’t have there and I only planted morning glories on Sunday and I already have 17 tiny little plants of them! They are in a hurry to be up! Their sisters the nasturtiums are being a bit lazier. But I do love summer. And I love your parties too! The wheels in my head are spinning all the time and more ideas come to me all the time! It will all come together by the day of the party!!
Wishing you, Mr. Lovee and your fur babies a most beautiful weekend!
Betty
Today is my mom’s birthday and I’m going up there for a sleep over. We always have tea at some time of the day, so I’ll think about the party then. 🙂 I made her a cool “secret garden” card for her birthday. Then I’m bringing some day lilies from my garden. They are yellow and she loves yellow flowers.