Late Summer Tea with Friends!

Sunday afternoon seemed the perfect time to get together for afternoon tea with our friends.  We had hoped to enjoy our tea on our screen porch, but the weather has been so humid and rainy that we decided to stay indoors.  We see our neighbor friends often at the breakfast buffet that is held each day in our apartment building - and while that is a great time to see all of our neighbors, it is sometimes hard to really communicate with so many people and so many conversations taking place. So...we got together for tea !

I set up the tea cups and fixings on the kitchen counter...

This little tea bag holder was found in a gift shop in Newport, Rhode Island on one of our trips.  I love it!

While we use larger mugs for our tea each day, these cups and saucers are perfect for a tea party.  I think the pattern is called Hopscotch by Pfaltzgraff.  I have four dinner plates with different fruit on each plate that I purchased YEARS ago at the outlet that used to be near me here in York, PA.  I had the Yorktowne pattern years and had many ( ok, let's face it, I had just about everything they ever made in my pattern) but I bought these and had them hanging on my kitchen wall in a previous home.   When we downsized and moved I kept the plates and use them in the summer.  When we were downsizing and donating tons of stuff to Goodwill I happened to go into the retail Goodwill and found 5 cups and 4 saucers in the same pattern.  For just 4 dollars !   I scooped them up - which prompted my dear husband to say "hey, we are supposed to be donating items, not buying more!" - but I could not resist.  So glad I have them...they make a perfect set for a summer breakfast - and today, for afternoon tea.

There is one pear, one plum, one peach, and I have two cups with cherries, but only one saucer...

I used the sugar and creamer that I found years ago at Ross...when I got rid of my Yorktowne pattern and went to plain white dishes I needed a new set and I love these.  The little dish the lemons sit on was found at a rummage sale...I go on the last day when it is 1.00 for everything you can fit in a paper grocery bag - and this is something that made it into the bag one day.

My Pottery Barn tea/coffee pot sits on my "vintage" Yorktowne pewter warmer.  I have used this for 40 years !  I loved using it for my tea pots and also for casseroles.  It has a little tea light that keeps everything warm.

All the tea time goodies were set out in the living room so we could get comfy seating and chat, nibble and sip.

I made blueberry muffins the day before and had some leftover batter...just enough to make a small loaf of blueberry bread.  I found the blue dish at Marshalls earlier this year.   Silly me, I purchased one... got it home and thought " I need more of these as salad plates!"  Sadly, by the time I returned to Marshalls they were all gone.

I used one of the dinner plates for crackers and honeyed goat cheese...and a "spread some happy" knife that was a gift a few years back.  It makes everyone smile!

Some strawberries filled the odd tea cup...

Home made chocolate chip cookies were a hit...I use half whole wheat flour and vegan butter and nobody can tell...The little pedestal plate broke off and cracked a few months ago.  The base was ok, so I just bought a plain glass dish at Dollar Tree and used super glue to attach it to the dish.

And, last but not least, some chocolates to round out the tea time...I love putting chocolates in a martini glass...it just seems to make it special!

I am not quite ready for fall leaves and autumn decor yet...so yellow and sunflowers are the theme for late summer.   Once again Dollar Tree sunflower dishes and some silk flowers fill the bill for the dining room table...

with a larger version of the sunflower plate brightening up the china closet.

A sunflower wine bottle with sparkle lights looks great near the wine rack.

The coffee table ( or in this case, the TEA table) holds a wicker trap with some greenery, a candle, some flowers and wicker balls from Dollar Tree, and a Willow Tree flower girl.

And now that tea time is over and the guest have gone - it is time for me to curl up on my favorite chair ( with a sunflower pillow from Kohls - several years old ) and another cup of tea with a good book.

Do you decorate for the end of summer ?  Do you ever host friends for tea?  Please leave a comment below - I love hearing from you and your comments make my day.

Thanks for stopping by Our New Vista - enjoy these last days of summer !