Happy Spring! Can you believe that
it is finally here? Our spring was welcomed by an inch of snow, but today the
sun is shining, the temperature is rising, and it promises to be a wonderful
day.
I have been putting all of the wintry
things away until next year and getting out some of my favorite little spring
things.
Yet again I am corralling them
in a basket, this one on the round table in the great room. There is a bit of a
story about this basket. My family pretty much knows that I am mad for baskets
of all kinds, and I threaten them to within an inch of their lives if they ever
try to throw one away. My oldest son approached me with this one that he and
his wife had gotten for Christmas full of snack items. Normally, he said, they
would have kept it, but it was a shocking, and quite bilious pink color, so
they wanted to get rid of it as quickly as possible. I tried to work with
the pink, but it was truly awful, so I just bought paint that looked
“basket-y,” painted the basket, and now no one is the wiser. Isn't it cute? And
it is really sturdy too. My guess is that I could actually lift it up holding
all of these rather heavy items. I wouldn't, mind you, but I think I could.
No matter the season, I love to
have afternoon tea. It is always such a lovely excuse to put my feet up and
rest a while. The soft pastels help with this endeavor and make it feel even
more like spring.
The sugar cubes are those that I
made, infusing tangerine into the sugar, and they are wonderful with a cup of
tea. To learn how to make your own, go here.
The little spoons are Apostle Spoons that we
picked up at Portobello Market during a trip to London. Aren't they just the
sweetest spoons you've ever seen? I adore them, and I love to look at things
that I adore, so keep them out in this little shooter glass that works well as
a spoon holder. Yes, I do have to run polishing cloths over them now and again,
but to me, it is well worth it.
The cookies are not homemade,
but I will be making some especially for spring afternoon teas at some point
this week, as well as Benedictine Spread for tea sandwiches, and if you've
never made this before, then you must keep watch for this easy, refreshing, and
delicious recipe.
