A Tale of Two Tea Times

In 2010, my friend and I attended the Bronte Historical Society's annual "Tea on the Bluffs"--a fundraising event held on the Bronte Bluffs overlooking Lake Ontario.

Isn't the duck teapot adorable?

 Our tea was served with strawberry shortcake...

...and a bite-sized brownie containing peanuts. This was it?!?

To our dismay, there were no nut-free options available so my friend, who has a peanut allergy, didn't get a sweet treat. The Tea on the Bluffs had a pleasant ambiance, but left our appetites unsatisfied.

So we went to the nearby Tea Room by Country Fare where we enjoyed a proper afternoon tea.

We were definitely full by the time we finished the yummy scones, lemon squares and brownies!

 

I'm joining the following parties this week:

Tea Time Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

  Tea in the Garden
Tea Cup Tuesday
Mosaic Monday

Curtain Call

 

 Back in May, I found this super cute tea-themed shower curtain at JYSK.

This was the first time that I've seen ribbons, bling and tassels on a shower curtain. So fun!

 

This delighful shower curtain definitely made a splash in my bathroom!

At a recent visit to HomeSense, I spotted these adorable tea-themed towels for $6.99 each. 

Tea towels with whimsical teapots and teacups are my kryptonite...

I was sooooo tempted to buy the "Time for Tea" towel, but I resisted since I have plenty of tea towels at home. Minimalist 1, Tea Towel Hoarder 0.

It was time for another tea social at the office! In honour of the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland, we had a "Mad Tea Party" last week.

Queen of Hearts rooibos tea was sipped from my inside out heart cups and saucers.

It's always tea time at the office!

I'm joining the following parties this week:

Tea Time Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

 Tea Cup Tuesday
Mosaic Monday

Downton Downtown

Last month, I attended the ``Downton Downtown`` at the Whitehern Historic House and Garden, an event that celebrated the history and character of our favourite British period drama, Downton Abbey.

Whitehern was the historic home of three generations of the McQuesten family. 

We have the Honorable Thomas McQuesten--who was the Minister of Highways in the 1930s--to thank for the Ontario highways and bridges, most notably the Queen Elizabeth Highway and the Rainbow Bridge. You can read more about the McQuesten family here.

The tea-related merchandise sold by the vendors.

 

Visitors enjoyed refreshments and a dancing demonstration at the Whitehern garden.

A bottomless cup of tea for only $1?

Yes, please!

Cup of tea #1

Enjoying my cup of tea with an empire cookie at Whitehern garden.

This teacup with pretty roses replaced my blue teacup after a fly decided to take a swim in my tea--one of the dangers of enjoying tea outdoors!

This photo of the Whitehern dining room was taken when I toured the home back in 2013. The silver and china tea services were part of the estate`s original contents bequeathed to the City.

You can enjoy a virtual tour (with written and audio descriptions) of Whitehern here.

I'm joining the following parties this week:

Tea Time Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

  Tea in the Garden
Tea Cup Tuesday
Mosaic Monday
Wordless Wednesday 

Curiouser and Curiouser

During last month's Ottawa trip, I visited The Tea Party in ByWard Market.

The Tea Party had a hipster vibe with its retro furniture and cute Alice in Wonderland-themed chalk artwork. There wasn't enough time to try out its afternoon tea, but I did purchase one of their specialty blends.

The only ingredient that I could identify in the "Curious Concoction" was chamomile tea, but the fruity scent was so enticing that I couldn't resist bringing it home!

Within seconds of its infusion, the Curious Concoction took on a pinkish hue.

I steeped the herbal infusion in my Alice in Wonderland mug that was designed by Paul Cardew to commemorate the classic novel's 150th anniversary this year.

The Curious Concoction had a berry tart taste. It would make a great iced tea during the summer!

I don't have the matching Cardew teapot (yet!)...but last year, I found at a local thrift store this cute, decorative teapot featuring Alice, the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter (loved how it formed the spout!). There is no manufacturer's mark.

"This is the most curious tea party I've ever been to," said Alice.

I'm joining the following parties this week:

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

  Tea in the Garden
  Mosaic Monday

Bridal Shower Revisited

Last year, I attended a bridal shower for one of my childhood friends. The summer weather was perfect for an outdoor tea party!

The bridal shower tea party was held in my friend's backyard oasis.

The head gardener looked like he could use a drink.

The sight of these beautiful teacups lined up in a row made me swoon.

More pretty teacups

Now I had assumed that this yummy spread was the main course...

...but later on, MORE delicious food was brought out for us to feast on!

My stomach barely had room left for the scrumptious desserts.

My green tea definitely tasted better in this gorgeous gilded teacup!

The cute wedding dress cupcakes tasted as good as they looked!

The tea party was the perfect way to shower the beautiful bride-to-be with love and good wishes!

I'm joining the following parties this week:

Tea Time Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

  Tea in the Garden
Tea Cup Tuesday
Mosaic Monday