HYACINTHS FOR THE SOUL

Friday, June 24, 2011

Mad Hatter Tea Party ~ Reprise

Oh my! The date is here, and I'm remiss.

It's time for the Mad Tea @ A Fanciful Twist.

The 2011 Mad Party that I've been planning in my mind's eye is, well, still right there. Life seems to have taken over recently, and there is no new Mad Tea Party to post. The best I can do is a reprise of the Mad Tea Party here @ HFTS last summer. I do hope that's acceptable.

Thank you to our amazingly creative hostess,

Vanessa @ A Fanciful Twist

and a warm welcome to all,

both new party guests and those who attended last year!

Hurry please.

We can't be late.

Ah, there it is.

In the clearing near that odd little house,

its roof thatched with fur.

Yes, yes,

this must be the right place.

The time, the time!

We must not be late!

There he is!

It's the Mad Hatter himself,

our infamous host for this curious afternoon tea.

~ The Mad Tea Party!~

Let the fun begin.

Oh, my. It is a rather curious tea party, indeed!

Alice is here.

See there she is

sitting in her big comfy arm-chair.

No doubt she is very tired after

swimming through her pool of tears.

Please do sit down.

How about this chair here?

Yes, dear, the one near Tweedledee.

Or is it Tweedledum?

Oh, no matter.

Quick, find yourself a cup.

Better be quick!

I hear the rattle of the tea cups

of this never ending meal.

Wonderful choice!

Let me pour

you a cup of tea.

And cake . . .

you must have a slice of this!

It's a delicious cake of curious talking flowers.

A cherry or two

with a mushroom cap?

Yes, it truly is

a splendid afternoon!

What's that?

Do you see a grin looking

down upon the festivities?

Is it? Could it be?

Yes, it must be the Duchess' Cheshire-Cat!

No doubt he'll be disappearing and

popping up all about the party.

I do think he's after

another one of the mushroom caps.

Oh, the happy days of summer!

"Take some more tea . . . "

There's plenty for everyone.

Do take another

mushroom cap or two.

What a delightfully

curious afternoon tea!

"So she sat on, with closed eyes, and

half believed herself in Wonderland . . ."

Time flies!

"Would you tell me, please,

which way I ought to go from here?"

Most certainly you will want to go

~HERE ~

for more Mad Tea Parties

~HERE~

for Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

~HERE~

for Tea in the Garden @ Bernideen's Tea Time

~HERE~

for Sunday Favorites @ Happy to Design

~HERE~

for Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

~HERE~

for Tuesday Tea for Two @ The Plumed Pen

~HERE~

for Tea Time Tuesday @ Rose Chintz Cottage

If you missed my post on

Alice in Wonderland in Central Park

~ Click here~

Alice, Cheshire-Cat, Mad Hatter, White Rabbit

Needlepoint figures from Petei Designs, stitched in the 1980s

http://www.petei.com/line_list/line_alice.htm

Miniature Tea Set - Paul Cardew Designs

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Seaside Entertaining

Home Sweet Home

www.Vietri. com

"By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea!

You and me, you and me, oh how happy we'll be!"

It's summer time and definitely beach weather, but

for those of us who live inland or don't have a beach house,

~ VIETRI ~ has the perfect

selection of dishes to whisk us away to the seaside.

I recently saw the following table settings at two different locations of a local store. Each of these tables offered lovely seaside ambiance for summer entertaining. I adore VIETRI style! When I saw these tables I knew I wanted to share them with all who visit HFTS.

So grab a cool drink and let these tables

take you to the summer breezes of the ocean.

The natural color and texture of the linen table covering gives one the feeling of eating right on a sandy beach, and the mix of aqua and white lends a cooling touch. One can almost feel the ocean breezes.

I especially love these layers of Incanto Aqua mixed

with the rough textures of rattan and natural linen.

But the piece de resistance is the

whimsical turtle plate atop the stack.

It brings to mind the natural look of

tortoise that is reflected in the nearby flatware.

Antique Lattice flatware in

Aladdin Tortoiseshell by VIETRI

Fluted stripes highlight this cup in Incanto Aqua.

The Incanto Mare Turtles come in a variety

of sizes ranging from salad plates to platters.

Additional details of metal sea shells

lend this table even more style and texture.

Mix in Incanto Mare canape plates to

offer the feel of an ancient fossil imprint.

Or add pieces of Incanto Metallic and Sea Turtles along

with a few aqua glass bottles for a sense of found sunken treasure.

As the VIETRI catalog states,

"These whimsical baby turtles might be migrating back to the sea."

The second table offers a bit more elegance with damask textiles,

predominate use of Incanto White, and just a touch of Incanto Aqua.

I like the additional metal details in the

fabulous pewter candle holder and tray.

What an amazing piece!

This candelabra is 15" tall and perfectly sculpted.

Notice the fine details of each of these ocean creatures.

Even the back and underside is done with attention to detail.

I'm partial to this little fellow who

is swimming under that giant octopus.

Life like details also enhance the white serving platter.

These pewter crustaceans are not only decorative,

but serve as perfect handles for this large white porcelain tray.

Can't you envision it full of steamed lobster or crabs?

Look at the amazing textural

details on these serving pieces.

"This large round platter has a personality all its own!

Each shape is different, as are the designs

on both the front and the back of each piece."

Two of my favorites are these Incanto White Lace cake stands.

Anything presented on these would look spectacular!

"Hand-washed glazes varyingly show the

tera cotta below the surface, like one's view

of the sand seen through Italian waters in the sun."

The colors and organic feel of this bowl in the Organica pattern

give one the feeling of scooping a seashell right off the ocean floor.

And those wonderful three dimensional

turtles are back again to offer a whimsical touch.

While the sculpted edges of the ceramics,

the beautiful damask cloth, and the . . .

Jeweled napkin rings give an elegant feel to seaside dining.

I share these tables and this pottery because I love the look and the quality of VIETRI ceramics. Photos and text are my own except where noted from Vietri.

A previous HFTS posts is here featuring Vietri Bellezza.

Thank you to VIETRI for permission to use catalog photos below for a recap of patterns in today's post. You can click each pattern link for more details and photos of individual pieces should you be interested.