Tea bloggers to purchase Spelling Manor!

Los Angeles (Not AP) — Los Angeles real estate agents today announced that despite the bad economy, Candy Spelling, widow of TV icon Aaron Spelling, has managed to sell her $150 million home, The Spelling Manor, in under a week—and to a surprise buyer, a group of American tea bloggers!

A tea blogger in Georgia, Angela McRae, said it was her idea to drum up financing for the group to purchase the 56,500-square-foot, French chateau-style property. “I’d always dreamed of opening a tea room,” said McRae, “and then it hit me: why not the country’s first tea ‘mansion’ as a little different twist on the idea?”

McRae said she immediately contacted a tea blogger friend up north, Steph, who was initially concerned about the massive price tag but soon got on board with the project. “Angela pointed out that if she gave up eBay for a month, we’d have the downpayment covered,” Steph said. “What really got me excited, though, was the idea of overseeing the organic garden for our tea mansion. We’re going to grow all our own produce and bake our own breads! And of course the waterfall, pool and spa didn’t hurt.”

Also on board with the project is a Charleston woman who goes by the name Tea Lover Denise, a Certified London Destination Specialist who has previously led tea tours to London. “Now I’m moving to California where I’ll lead tours of the tea mansion instead!” Denise said. “I’m going to offer five-, seven- and ten-day packages, depending on how many of the rooms a traveler wants to see.”

Two of the tea bloggers — ParTea Lady and Marilyn — are quilting aficionados, so they have agreed to head up the new “Make a Teapot Quilt in a Week” program at the tea mansion, which plans to offer retreats by early summer. Someone who goes by the name “Frivolitea” will expand the artistic offerings with classes in tea-themed jewelry making, beading and collage, while a woman with a blog titled “The Sewing Room” will add to the mansion’s needlework offerings by hosting knitting retreats where visitors learn to make teapot and cup cozies.

Marilyn, it turns out, is also a whiz at making tea-flavored jams and will be the sole supplier of jams and marmalades at the tea mansion, all under the exclusive Marmalady’s label. “It’s going to be a challenge to balance all that quilting and jam-making, but I’m going to give it my best shot!” she said. She will be aided in this enterprise by Teresa of Southern Touch Catering, who has agreed to serve as chef and head of food services at the tea mansion.

Tea blogger Bernideen, newly-named head of retail development at the tea mansion, was initially concerned about leaving her beloved tea shop in Colorado Springs, Colo., but it seems engineers have figured out a way to move the entire shop, intact, to California. Tentative plans call for it to be housed in the mansion’s humidity-controlled silver room. “I have lots of pretty silver pieces anyway, so this is really a perfect fit for me!” Bernideen said.

The group seems to have thought of everything. Linda, a young grandmother in Kentucky who has a blog called Friendship Tea, will be in charge of children’s programming at the tea mansion, and her entire extended family will be moving into one wing of the mansion. “I knew all those trips to Walt Disney World were going to come in handy one day!” Linda said. “In fact, I’ve already spoken with Steph about making sure the topiaries on the property include a giant teapot for the kids to enjoy. We’re also talking about refurbishing the pool and fountains with giant cup and saucer sprinklers, and I’m trying to find out if it’s practical to turn the tennis court into a teapot shape.”

While the new staff of the tea mansion isn't quite ready to accept employment applications just yet, McRae said interested parties may send their resumes to angela@newnan.com, with the subject heading “HAPPY APRIL FOOL’S DAY!!!”

(Photo courtesy of Atwater Village Newbie on Flickr)