Red, white, and blueberry teatime

Last Thursday, I had my "Grow Group" girls over for tea. We all really bonded while doing a church-based discipleship program together a couple of years ago, and even though we've long been finished, Beth, Paige, Kristi, and I continue to meet up on a regular basis just to check in with each other and see how life is going. I forgot to take very many photos, but Kristi (the tallest of the four) always manages to get a selfie so that we can at least commemorate the occasion.

As you can see, I'm still into my "patriotic summer of 2026" décor, so I decided the foods should follow suit. We had chicken salad served in tiny glasses, star-shaped cucumber cream sandwiches, a Boursin and mozzarella breakfast casserole, blueberry scones, fruit skewers, and gluten-free chocolate cake with chocolate icing from the Publix bakery.

We all agreed the cake is fabulous, especially the cream filling and the ganache, and cut into thin slices, it can work on a tea table.

I also made star-shaped sugar cubes using a star-shaped plastic candy mold I found at Michaels years ago. These are so easy to make. Just pour a cup of sugar into a bowl and add a tablespoon or two of water and mix until the sugar has the consistency of wet sand. Then scoop into the mold, pack down, let sit overnight, and voila, you have sugar cubes when you wake up the next morning. I've also made these with heart-shaped molds and tinted them pink for Valentine's Day.

Beth said she thought these gluten-free blueberry-and-white-chocolate scones were the best yet. Yay!

They also enjoyed the Ginger Sweet Peach Tea from Tiesta Tea that I recently reviewed here, and I was happy that they're always willing to try any tea I serve them and are turning into quite the tea connoisseurs. We used new silver napkin rings and teaspoons thanks to a recent gift from my friend Kathy. I was grateful for the silver touches!

I wish I'd thought to get a few more photos, but I was so excited to see "the girls" that I didn't worry about photography very much. And really, who can feel bad about that!

New jewelry for the tea table

 

I read somewhere that silver is the jewelry of the tea table, so I'm happy to report that I found a new piece of "jewelry" for mine last week! Do you know what this is? Here's what it looked like when I rescued it from the thrift store for $9.95 …

And here it is after a little polishing with Wright's Silver Cream!

It's a sugar caster, so named because back when sugar was considered a luxury, the wealthy could "cast" their sugar onto foods on the table (and it's also known as a sugar sifter). I'd long wanted one of these but never seen one in the wild before. This vintage English one from Mappin & Webb was a fun find!

Ever had Peach Tea Granita?

My gift subscription to Our State—Celebrating North Carolina continues to delight every month, with features I actually read and recipes I actually make. They are always spot-on with their themes each month, including this one, College Towns Roar.

But what I loved most in this issue? An article on sweet tea! Doesn't this photo invite you right in?

I'm intrigued by this recipe for Peach Tea Granita & Cream Parfaits, and it happens to be available online, so you can check it out as well. If I can get my hands on some good fresh peaches soon, I'll be making this! Go here to check it out for yourself.

Another way to make teacup shaker cards

Remember last week when I made that shaker card? I loved the result, but boy, did it take a long time to make. Well, I needed to make birthday cards for two dear tea-loving friends, and I suddenly had a eureka moment and remembered that I bought some teacup-shaped plastic inserts and cards *five years ago* that I had never used. They were too precious to mess up at the time, and I wasn't sure how to use them, anyway. These days, I'm more of the "What have you got to lose?" mindset, so one YouTube video later, I figured out how to use these cute plastic inserts from a company called Jillibean Soup. These cards took significantly less time to make than last year's card, and I'm just as happy with the result!

Here's the pink card I made for the friend whose birthday is today…

And here's the lavender card I made for the friend whose birthday was last week. I was pleased with these cards and decided I'm ready to experiment with the other plastic inserts as well!

Which tea is in the Southern Living Food Hall of Fame?

The new issue of Southern Living has an intriguing list they call “The Southern Food Hall Of Fame: 50 Iconic Foods And Drinks Chosen By Readers.”

I was pleased to see that Luzianne Tea made the list, but I was quite surprised to learn that this was the only tea on the list. (No Milo’s Famous Sweet Tea from Alabama?)

Other surprises: Dr Pepper (from Texas) did not make the list, but North Carolina’s Cheerwine did. And Atlanta’s Coca-Cola, the most famous soft drink in the world? Not on there. (I drink maybe two sodas a year and don’t really have a dog in this fight, but I’m stunned Coke didn’t make the list!) I was, however, tickled to see all of my favorites that did make the list, including Duke’s Mayonnaise, Tabasco Sauce, Ro-Tel, Jimmy Dean Sausage, MoonPies, Lance Peanut Butter Crackers (I once met a member of the Lance family!), and Little Debbie snack cakes. I’m betting you don’t even have to be from the South to appreciate this list (click here to view it for yourself). Did any of your favorites make it on there? Are any of them missing? I’d love to know!

A charming liquid hand soap holder!

A couple of weeks ago, I saw an ad for a charming new Reading Corner Soap Holder at Bath & Body Works. I happened to be near one in another town (which shall remain nameless) and stopped by. Not only did I not see that particular soap holder, I saw only a couple of them at all. They were shaped like pumpkins. Now years ago, you couldn't get within ten feet of a Bath & Body Works store without multiple employees trying to squirt, spritz, or spray something on you and eagerly asking, "Can I help you? What are you looking for today? Do you know about our buy-one-get-one candle promotion? Have you tried our new Beachy Coastal Coconut and Rum Sunset fragrance?" But on that visit, things had clearly changed because not only was I not assaulted upon entering, I couldn't even find anyone at the checkout counter. One girl was stocking products, and when I asked for help finding the metal soap holders, she pointed and said, "They're around that corner." I looked again. No, they weren't. I stepped back around the corner and asked if she would mind showing me. (I just know she was thinking "Boomer," which is fine. I'm older, and I have more insurance.) But then even she realized there were no metal soap holders there. A guy employee in the store was leaned against a display stand, scrolling through his cell phone. "Would you mind helping this lady?" "Oh, sure." He went to the back to check (or at least said he did) but returned to report he'd found none of the metal soap holders like I described. Okey-doke. But if at first you don't succeed, try, try again, right? This week, I did indeed find the cute soap holder!

So if you can track it down (and find an employee to take your $14.95), I'm betting some of you, too, will love this new soap holder, which is in my guest bathroom off the living room. I like their White Tea & Sage fragrance. I was debating whether to go ahead and get five more bottles of it (5 for $28 when I was there) when I discovered the 32-ounce refill is just $13.95. Sold!

A teacup and saucer. Books. Reading glasses. Pencils. I have to say it was worth the effort of finding it!

My first (and maybe last!) teacup shaker card

At the Stamping and Scrapbooking Expo the other week, I was inspired to get some dies so that I could make a teacup shaker card. These are called shaker cards because you insert beads and sequins behind a sheet of plastic, and the recipient, if so inclined, can shake the card and watch the pretty doodads rattle around. I started working on this at a craft retreat over the weekend, finished the card yesterday, and was actually pretty pleased with my first attempt. (It is going to my niece Amelia.)

I enjoyed selecting the sequins and beads to use. I have a big box of beads and buttons that I once used when working on a crazy quilt, but I haven't touched them in ages, so it felt very thrifty to use up some of these items I already had on hand. That said, it took way longer than I thought it would to make this card. If you add up the hours I spent sorting beads, figuring out how to assemble the teacup, cutting out the frame, etc., I'm betting I have five hours in this card, which is ridiculous! My more experienced crafting friends could no doubt knock out several of these in an hour, but … I'm still a card-making amateur.

No quibble with the maker of the dies, though! The Brass & Bliss pieces cut out cleanly every time, and I was very happy with them. I just may not use them to make shaker cards very often!

The sticker book giveaway winner is …

 Loralie! Congratulations, and I hope you enjoy using these stickers!

BAM — A quick lesson in silver polishing!

Every once in a while, I feel compelled to sing the praises of Wright’s Silver Cream. This is one of those times. This week, I was organizing my collection of cute teaspoons and decided to focus on my matched sets. Then I remembered that a year or so ago, my friend Kathy passed along some silver ones that I did not have.

I pulled these out of a cabinet and couldn't help noticing the attractive bamboo-design handles, which made me realize these would be perfect for a mahjong-themed tea party one day. “Bam!” I will declare when I have these on my tea table!

So I whipped out the Wright’s Silver Cream and had these charming spoons go from scruffy to spiffy in no time. Don’t you just love pretty tea accoutrements? (And friends who share them with you!)

Tiesta's Ginger Sweet Peach Tea

I've been drinking lots of ice water and iced tea during this hot summer, and the other day, I realized I was missing my teacups. Oh, they're still there, but I just haven't had a need for them. So I decided to look for a new tea to try, thinking that would prompt a need to revisit my teacups, and before I knew it, this Tiesta Tea had hopped into my Amazon cart and was headed my way.

What does this herbal tea contain? Ginger, apple, hibiscus, rose hip, pink peppercorns, natural flavors, pineapple (pineapple, cane sugar), mango (mango, cane sugar), orange blossoms, rose petals, and peach cubes. Pretty, isn't it?

And oh, is it delicious! On my first sip, I had one word come to mind: "Juicy!" It reminds me of a juicy peach with some friendly, fruity neighbors along. If you like herbal blends, too, I am happy to recommend this one!

A teatime sticker book giveaway!

On Friday, my friend Gina and I headed to Duluth for the annual Stamp and Scrapbook Expo. It's always fun to visit all the vendors and see what's new in the way of stamping and scrapbooking, stamp sets, and other designs. I did find a new teacup die set, which I'll share after I make a few cards with it, and I was most intrigued by a vendor selling all these books of stickers, including one that had teacups and teapots on nearly every page. It's titled "Everything is fleeting," and some lady next to me agreed that this is just about the ugliest font they could have chosen for the title, but of course all those roses caught my eye anyway. (That's the back cover of the book at left.)

Inside? Page after page of vintage-looking stickers with Victorian ladies at tea, some tea sets, and typewriters … my kind of stuff!

At first, I wasn't sure these were, in fact, stickers, but again, the nice lady next to me showed me how to find the edge and proved that these are indeed stickers. This should be enough stickers for me to decorate packages and envelopes for many years to come! If you would like this extra sticker book I bought, just leave an "Enter me" to this post between now and 7 a.m. on Friday, July 24, making sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner, and you'll be entered to win. US only, please. Good luck!

A new teatime playmate!

So I've saved the best news for last this week—I am a great-aunt! Many of you have read about my nieces over the years and watched the girls grow up with tea parties, family gatherings, baby shower teas, and bridal teas. My youngest niece, Amelia, who married her beloved Korbin in 2024, just had a baby, and it's the first granddaughter for my sister and the first great-niece for me: Ruby Jane!

She is named after my paternal grandmother (aka "Grandmama Ruby") and, of course, Aunt Jane! We are so thrilled with our big girl (8 pounds 11 ounces!), and I am delighted that her nursery has a tea theme and is painted a shade of pink called Tea Room. So look for many, many more "Ruby" posts in the weeks and months to come!

The Fall 2026 Issue of Flea Market Décor

I spotted my first new fall décor in stores on the Fourth of July, so I hope I can be forgiven for springing a fall magazine on you in mid July. And hey, if we don't start planning now, we won't be ready when fall gets here, and this new issue of Flea Market Décor warmed my heart with promises of cooler temperatures ahead!

Although I've never collected Jadeite (yet), I am always charmed by photos of it. This collection caught my eye because it was styled with ducks and antlers, unlike the more traditional pieces I usually see it paired with.

Since I collect vintage turkey vases, this vignette captured my attention as well. It's not my year to host Thanksgiving, but I'm always up for collecting for it anywhere, anytime.

But my favorite sighting in this magazine wasn't actually décor but a rack in the background! Do you see what those teacups are hanging on? It's one of those old expandable wooden racks that I'll bet many of us have had over the years (it's hanging beneath the pom-pom fringe in this photo). I had my first such rack when I was a teen, hanging scarves and necklaces on it. I've got an unused one stashed away right now, and if I can make sure it's mounted securely, I would not at all object to hanging teacups on it. You just never know what decorating tips may inspire a new project!

Why it takes tea to mango

You might not know what kind of tea I was sipping this weekend, but I'll bet you can guess who made these cookies!

If you guessed Pepperidge Farms and their famous Milano line of cookies, you would be right! I decided to treat myself to a package of their new Mango White Chocolate cookies, and they were as delicious as I knew they would be. That airy, crunchy texture would be awfully hard to duplicate. And because it's been hotter than the devil's underbritches lately, I knew that any new tea I got would have to be served iced. I looked in the Publix deli section and decided to try their mango herbal tea. It does indeed have a refreshing mango taste, and I was happy with my double-mango treat.

I'm still enjoying using the iced tea spoons that I suspect one of you sent me a few years ago. No one's ever fessed up, but no matter—the spoons are delightful! (And the dark spots are just a reflection from my phone's camera. Couldn't figure out how to avoid that.)

And how do you serve two Milano cookies? They're too small for a saucer or dessert plate, so I decided to use a butter pat, and they're a perfect fit. Have you tried any new treats lately? Got any recommendations?

Tea-themed PJ's and an interesting T-shirt

I really should look at the photos on my phone more often. I'm forever taking photos that I mean to post or perhaps share with a particular friend. I was scrolling through them this week and thought, "What's that pink thing?" And lo and behold, there are the PJ's I'd been meaning to tell you about!

When I was at Cracker Barrel recently with a friend, I spotted these cute PJ's, and upon closer inspection, that's definitely a teacup and a tea bag I'm seeing. Do you need some tea-themed PJ's? I already have three sets and can't really justify another, but maybe you can? Just an FYI.

Also, your gray-haired friend here has gotten bolder about approaching folks with my nosy questions (everyone mistakenly thinks we're harmless), so while I was going into the restaurant, I noted this young man's T-shirt ("Pain is weakness leaving the body") and asked him if he minded if I got a photo. I think he and his wife were both amused, but I was inspired by this saying!

A centennial observance we missed

Bicentennial. Semiquincentennial. I’m now old enough to have lived through both, and I’ve enjoyed learning about the ongoing observances across the country in celebration of America’s 250th birthday. I was going down a teatime rabbit trail on the internet this week when I learned about another such observance, one held in 1873, the centennial of the Boston Tea Party.

Historicnewengland.org has some fascinating info on this celebration on their website, which tells about their new exhibit, “An Invitation to Tea.”

That centennial party sounds like it was a lot of fun, with admission tickets showing a teapot with a scene of tea being dumped off a ship, and attendees got a souvenir of a small tea chest filled with Bohea tea! Interested in learning more, including a connection to the suffragist movement? Click here.

Honey straws from Honey Acres

While in Pigeon Forge the other week, I discovered these honey straws at one of the local markets near our cabin. I thought they would be fun for my little neighbors to try the next time we have tea, but first, I needed time to try them out myself.

These are made by a company called Honey Acres, and I believe they were just 25 or 30 cents apiece, inexpensive enough that I could grab a handful.

When the plastic wrapper is removed, the honey straw looks like this, just a thin tube of honey. 

After snipping off the end of the straw, I tried the raspberry one first in a cup of English Breakfast tea, and while it didn't provide a strong taste of raspberry, I did enjoy the sweetness from the honey. After I drank that cup of tea, I noticed a bit of honey left in that straw, and when I sipped the remainder of it out of the straw, I very much tasted the raspberry flavor. In fact, I decided that raspberry honey would sure be tasty on a scone! My next flavor was the chocolate mint honey, and I didn't brew the tea as long. This time, the honey's flavor was much more pronounced, and again, I enjoyed the addition of the honey straw. These would be fun additions to a tea table, and I was happy to see they're available on Amazon, so you don't have to go to the mountains like I did in order to enjoy them!