October Vignette: Think Pink!

 

Hello, My Lovelies!

Welcome to the Halloween Tablescape Blog Hop!

If you linked over from Patti's blog Pandora's Box, thanks so much for visiting!

Rita @ the Panoply Blog is our hostess.

Thank-you so much, Rita, for your hard work in organizing these blog hops.  I always enjoy them!

As y'all are aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Breast cancer is a scary diagnosis, but the sooner it's caught, the sooner treatment can begin, AND the higher the rate for survival is.  If you have not had your annual mammogram this year, please call today for an appointment!  

As many of you know, my sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, works tirelessly to educate women about breast cancer.  I am so fortunate that our philanthropy is breast cancer awareness because the peer pressure of my sisters to continue getting annual mammograms even during covid saved my life.

Official Think Pink Video from Zeta Tau Alpha on Vimeo.

Please consider watching this short video about our philanthropy's events and efforts to educate the public about breast cancer.

I put together a little vignette in honor of our daughters.  I want them to take care of themselves and get physical screenings as well as mammograms annually.   I discuss it with them often!  Of course, the vignette is predominately pink. Let's take a look:

I created the vignette on my MacKenzie-Childs Flower Press Work Table.

I have everything set-up for afternoon tea, and the vignette features my pink MacKenzie-Childs collection.  

I was gifted three MacKenzie-Childs Hope plates, one for me and one for each of my daughters.  Ten percent of sales benefit breast cancer research.

I'm also featuring pieces from the Katey McFarlan Collection, which includes the spoon rest, bowl, and bud vase.

The pink and green are the colors of Shanley's sorority, Delta Zeta.

Their philanthropy is speech and hearing, and Shanley is a speech-language pathology research scientist.

I've chosen a couple of plates featuring pink roses and a heart paperweight to hold the cloth napkins in place.

I just had to add the heart fairy lights.  They're the perfect shade of pink!

I like the butterfly on the lid of the teapot as it matches the butterfly on the bud vase.

I chose pink ranunculus and pumpkins, too.

Menu

I wish Shanley Belle were here, but she's here in spirit!

We are also having Harney & Sons Paris Tea with milk and sugar.

Resources:

All majolica:  MacKenzie-Childs

Small tea light hurricane:  Farmhouse Pottery

Heart-shaped Fairy Lights:  Paper Source

You're French Aren't You? bag:  Flora Doora

Pink and white table runner:  Hen House Linens

Pink velvet pumpkins:  Hot Skwash

Crystal vase:  Lismore by Waterford

Napkins:  Sur la Table

Please visit the other stylists' blogs and see their Halloween tablescapes.  A Dinner With Ghoulish Gourds @ Thrifting Wonderland is next!

Panoply - There's a Little Witch in All of Us

Home is Where the Boat Is - Halloween Rules

Hyacinths for the Soul - Pumpkin Wishes and Candy Corn Kisses

Everyday Living - A Grand(s) Halloween Party

Pandora's Box - "Hey Pumpkin, What's for lunch?"

The Bookish Dilettante - October Vignette: Think Pink!

Thrifting Wonderland - Dinner With Ghoulish Gourds

My Thrift Store Addiction - Elegantly Eerie Arachnophile Tea Party

Dinner at Eight - A Hauntingly Delightful Halloween

The Cats' Whiskerz - Quoth the Raven "Nevermore"; a Halloween Tablescape

Life and Linda -  Happy Boo Tablescape

The Painted Apron -  The Witch's Hat

Me and My Captain - Black is the New Orange

Corner of Plaid and Paisley - Broom Parking - Halloween Tablescape

Celebrate and Decorate - Black & White & Red All Over for Halloween!

Red Cottage Chronicles - Orange and Black Halloween Tablescape

My Hubbard Home - As the Crow Flies| a fun tablescape to celebrate autumn

Until next time...

Think Pink!

Ricki Jill

October Vignette: Think Pink!

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Hello, October!

 

Happy October, My Lovelies!  I'm happy to report that the landscaping crew is finally replanting our front yard/garden.  We're fortunate that the rain has finally stopped so they can work!  We've had to make a few adjustments to the original plan, and a couple of plants might not get planted until next spring, but that's okay.  It's been over six months since the tornado hit, so it has definitely been a process.  I'll post photos next week because they're not quite finished with the project as of this morning.

There will be no Literary Friday post this week, but I've finished at least three or four books lately.  I'll post mini reviews next week and a review of The Gathering Table next Friday.  

I've fluffed a little for autumn, but today I'm taking out a lot of pumpkins to enjoy until Thanksgiving.

Here are a few of my favorite photos:

Early morning in the art studio

I have been elbow-deep in flowers lately.

This is one of my favorite early autumn floral arrangements. 

Shabby chic bud vases and heirloom roses 

These were the party favors given to the ladies at the bridal afternoon tea Shelley and I hosted last weekend.

Keeping it simple in the dining room

That's about to change!

Centerpieces for the tea party

The tables were large, round "eight tops;" they required large centerpieces.

See the teacup and saucer?

Breakfast room with pumpkins and acorns

Do you have any fun plans this weekend?  I might need to fluff our front porch since everything will look nice (hopefully) by this afternoon.

Have a lovely weekend!

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Hello, October!

Friday, October 1, 2021

Mad Tea Party 2021 And a Giveaway

 

Happy Saturday, My Lovelies!  It's time for the Tenth Annual Mad Tea Party hosted by the Lovely Vanessa @ A Fanciful Twist.

The table is set, the food is arranged, and the tea is steeping.  Your timing is perfect!  The timing is also perfect for a Mad Tea Party because the world has truly gone mad as the Hatter himself!  Fun parties like this are a super-fun distraction from the madness (and the rain), don't you agree?

Sit wherever you'd like!  There's plenty of room.

Serve yourself some delightful delectables while I pour your tea.  Here is our afternoon tea menu:

We have a lovely selection of teas, however our daughter wanted Typhoo, also known as builders' tea.

Yep.

Just keeping it real.

“But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.

"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."

"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.

"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”

Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

I must be mad because I've started a series of art perfect for the March Hare and Mad Hatter's tea parties.

Tea for Two

18" X 24"

Oil on Artist Board

That 70s Show Teapot

6" X 6"

Silverpoint on wood panel

I have a third painting almost finished.  I will share it here on the blog soon.

Resources:

Everything on the table is MacKenzie-Childs except the following:

Silverware: Horchow

Napkins:  Shabby Chic

Napkin rings:  Pier1

Tiered server:  Mosaicwares

"Let Them Eat Cake" Vase:  Molly Hatch via Anthropologie

Placemats:  Vintage Italian

Baked goods:  All the baked goods except the Madeleines came from the Continental Bakery in Mountain Brook, Alabama.  The finger sandwiches were varied, and I forgot to put little flags on them: We had no idea which one we'd chosen until that first bite.  *hostess failure*

The Giveaway

I will be giving away the little silverpoint drawing of a 1970s silver teapot. Silverpoint is different from graphite.  Silverpoint pens use a silver (yes, real silver) stylus.  For more information on silverpoint click HERE.  All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment telling me your favorite macaron flavor.  A winner will be chosen randomly on August 7, 2021.

Thanks so much for your visit!  Please visit Vanessa and thank her for hosting this Blog Hop;  she also has links to other parties you can attend!

It's always tea time!  

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Mad Tea Party 2021 And a Giveaway

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Winter Tea Party

 

Happy Thursday, Lovelies!

Recently, we had a little tea party as part of our celebration of Hot Tea Month.  We were planning a winter wonderland party, but we're tired of winter.  We instead decided to decorate for Valentine's Day, but without a lot of pink and red.  During the party we celebrated Shelley's last semester of undergrad.  YAY!!! 

We had fun decorating the table.  I chose a linen table runner that feels like spring and summer, but it does have thistles on it, which is reminiscent of winter.

Our menu for the party:

Mr. and Mrs. Beaver's Ham Sandwiches

Three Ingredient Scones

Darjeeling Hot Tea

The Mr. and Mrs. Beaver Ham Sandwiches are from a delightful book entitled A Literary Tea Party by Alison Walsh.  Mr. and Mrs. Beaver are characters from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.  The roll-up sandwiches are made on oatmeal bread and are filled with cream cheese, pesto, and prosciutto.  Readers of my newsletter can see the recipe in the February edition.

Mr. and Mrs. Beaver's Ham Sandwiches

These went quickly, and I almost forgot to get a photo of them.

I would also recommend these sandwiches for a picnic or luncheon.

IndieBound Affiliate Link

This recipe book is perfect for the bibliophile who loves tea parties!

I served the scones with lemon curd and raspberry preserves.  The scones aren't very sweet, which is another reason why I love them!

The scone recipe is genius!  You will find it below.  I love the scones because they are very light.  The carbonation in the lemon soda allows the scones to rise.

This recipe is everywhere (I found several sources sharing it), so I'm unsure who the genius is who created it.

Three Ingredient Scones

You will need:

3 cups self-rising flour

1 cup lemon flavored soda

1 cup heavy cream

*You will also need cooking spray.

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray; lightly dust with flour.

2.   Sift self-rising flour into a large bowl. Combine lemon soda and cream and pour over the flour. Mix until dough is just combined. Turn dough out onto the prepared baking sheet. Flour your hands with a lot of flour and gently pat dough into a large rectangle. Do not overwork the dough. Cut into triangles or squares.

3.   Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.  I used a larger biscuit cutter, so mine baked for 14 minutes.

Homeschooling parents and grandparents:  Making this recipe is a wonderful lesson in chemistry (baking is chemistry, after all) for younger children!  Plus it is very simple to mix, and an adult can assist with the sticky part.

Have you been celebrating tea this month?  Or are you like me, celebrating it all year long  ;P

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Winter Tea Party

Thursday, January 28, 2021