Thursday, August 28, 2008

The Art of Afternoon Tea!



Image from Southern Accents Photographed by Shelly Strazis


A few weeks ago while trying to organize my office and get my magazines in order (no easy task), I came across a few of my Southern Accents. I immediately starting leafing through them, and quickly noticed Texas Tea. After reading Texas Tea, looking at the pictures and admiring the beautiful tea set, I simply could not take my mind off the art of afternoon tea and what has happened in the last 98 years. Honestly, I have not been to a proper tea since I took my buddy Cruella to the Ritz, circa 2005--a huge splurge for both of us. My afternoon tea currently consists of a tall, non-fat Misto and a low-fat banana chocolate chip cake obtained through the drive-thru window at Starbucks and consumed while driving! I’m sure this was not what the Victorians had in mind!

Images below here & below from Williams-Sonoma Entertaining


Anyway, I even planned an afternoon tea party this past winter and was going to invite all my neighborhood lady friends. I even bought the Williams-Sonoma Entertaining cookbook so I could get a few more recipes that I would never use. I was even on the lookout for a pretty porcelain teapot (that I need like I need a hole in the head). I even had the hubby make some scones to see how they would turn out (not good, I might add). To make a long story short, the tea party never happened! All in all, why don’t we (meaning Americans, English etc. etc etc…) take an hour or so maybe daily or, perhaps just weekly, surely once a month, to spend time with friends and have a cup of tea and a scone and a cucumber sandwich. You know what, those Victorians knew how to live! What do you think?




The perfect cup of tea




I was even going to send my friend home with tea sachets!

2 comments:

GrannySmithGreen said...

For me, I think it would have to be iced tea--may be hot tea in the dead of winder.

I suppose that the point is not the tea, it's the interaction with friends. It's really turning off cell phones, computer and the like. Enjoy the moment for what it is!

By the way, have you seen those cute tea bags made by Tea Forte? Little triangles-very sweet. They make for great presentation.

Lisa D. said...

Hi grannysmithgreen:
Yes, I have seen those cute tea bags & have thought about buying them. Funny, I was in Anthroplogie the other evening & saw all kinds of cute things for a tea party - I was tempted! One day I will get around to that tea pary! Thanks for your comment.