Tea Preparation

We are having or annual Winter Tea this Sunday! Terry and I have been working all day cleaning, baking, and getting things ready.

Our teas take place in the library. The furniture is arranged around my grandma's old early American coffee table. I usually keep a TV on this table in the parlor, but it's just the right size for tea, so we always remove our center table and replace it with this. Tomorrow, it will be covered with a tablecloth and lots of sweets!

Needless to say, that scratch post will be banished to the upstairs, along with the cats.

The silver has all been polished. The sugar bowl, for those who like their tea sweet...

the brides basket will hold the freshly baked scones...

the silver platter will hold a variety of cookies...

and the castor set will not be used, but is always on display on the sideboard.

I keep all the teacups in our side-by-side. Tomorrow, I will take them all out and display them on the kitchen table. Each guest will choose a cup and saucer, a tradition everyone seems to love!

The curio cabinet is stuffed with our angel collection and old valentines. I think they work well together!

This little box I got from Victorian Trading Co. I know it says 'For You,' but I took that to mean it was a gift to me, from me.

This is our parlor. The stove is not old, but it was there when I bought the house. The inspector said it was illegally vented, so I've never used it. Usually for our teas, people gather in the library or the kitchen, but sometimes they end up in here.

The sun is setting and there are still chores that need to be done. We are expecting nearly 25 people to drop by for the open house. I'm so glad that the weather will be in the 30's and most importantly... NO MORE SNOW!

I'll try to remember to take pictures before everything gets eaten!