Tea Party

Day after day the temperatures in St. Louis have reached well over 90 degrees. I think my body is now made up of 90% iced tea as I am fighting to beat this heat and stay hydrated. My iced tea concoction of choice is the Arnold Palmer. I'm not a huge fan of sweet teas, so the lemonade sweetens the tea up but not as much as pure sugar. When in a pinch, I'll take a regular iced tea doctored up with a packet of Splenda.

For a party, a shower, or a luncheon, you have to dazzle up your

tea, just like the classic Japanese tea rituals do. To do so, you just need a few fancy flourishes. I like a tall glass, like the Abigail's Water/Iced Tea glass, accompanied with a long, ornate spoon, made long enough to stir the sugar crystals at the bottom. A nice heavy crystal or glass pitcher, such as the William Yeoward's Wisteria Covered Pitcher, is also nice to have on hand for a beautiful iced tea luncheon celebration. The clear vessel allows for a beautiful presentation with mint leaves or fruit.

Here is an extra special tea recipe I like to serve at my luncheons:

6 Bag tea (you can use Liptons or Luzianne)

2 quarts water

1/4 cup superfine sugar

1 cup orange juice

6 mint sprigs

1/2 lemon

1 orange

cloves

To make this tea: Steep the tea bags in boiling water for three minutes. Chill the tea. Before serving, stir in the sugar, orange juice, and mint sprigs. Pour the tea in your serving pitcher. Slice your lemons and oranges and stick each slice with 3-4 cloves. Add fruit to the top. Voila! a delicious iced tea recipe, that's not overly sweet!

Your Never too Late for an Anna Weatherley Afternoon Teaparty

Anna Weatherley has a fabulously fun collection perfect for the spring and summer gatherings. The Afternoon Teaparty collection by Anna Weatherley is beautifully crafted with lush ivy leaves, fluttering butterflies and cute insects. Every piece in the collection is needed to create a wonderful tea party but definitely can work separately as accents. My favorite, must-have piece of this collection is the Afternoon Teaparty Cup and Saucer. The saucer is a leaf shaped plate rimmed in gold and detailed with delicate veins running throughout the leaf. The cup is so cute with leaves that pop off and a little bug that crawls around the inside. Click here to view more Anna Weatherley dinnerware and serving pieces available at Sallie home.

Price: $476

A Kingly Gift: Rosanna Kings Road Mugs and Teapot

Rosanna's Kings Road pattern is a fine dinnerware collection named after a historic road in Chelsea. Each piece is crowned with, well, a 24-karat gold crown motif. The white and gold design is very regal and will make any table classy with a flair of fun. The teapot and mugs are made of refined porcelain and shouldn't be used in the microwave. It's the perfect gift or centerpiece for a traditional British tea party. Click here to look at more wonderful gifts and dinnerware from Rosanna available at Sallie home.

Price of each: $40

Tea for Me, Too Tea Party Set by Rosanna; The Perfect Gift For Any Child

“I’m late, I’m late, for a very important” tea party! And with the adorable children’s Tea for Me, Too tea set by Rosanna, you’ll never want to be late to this party. Everything you need to draw in the guests is here; this tea set comes in an assorted service for four which includes cups and saucers, a teapot, and creamer and sugar pots. Each piece is sure to brighten the party in the variety of pink, blue, green, and yellow colors. After the tea party is over, all of the accessories can be placed in the dishwasher and then stored away in a cute, decorative box. It is the perfect gift for any child!

Click here to view all of Rosanna's colorful plates, gifts, and flatware available at Sallie Home.

Art Deco Tea For Two: From F. Scott Fitzgerald's Butler Pantry

When I saw this tea set, my mind went straight to the 1920s. It was just so classic, so sleek and so elegant, just like the times; it was almost as if it was right out of a F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Surprise, surprise, it was. The Art Deco Tea for Two, which is part of the Zelda Butler Pantry Collection, was inspired by the author F. Scott Fitzgerald. This collection is based on the author's love of the 'Roaring Twenties', entertaining, wealth, elegance, sophistication, and romance; all of which embodies this classic tea set.

The Art Deco Tea for Two set includes a tea pot, a sugar pot and a creamer pot. Each piece is hand made out of nickel silver to replicate the craftsmanship and the architectural look of the era. Like the era, this piece is made of lasting material, guarenteeing it for life, and there is no need for polishing. Impress your dinner guests by bringing this tea set out atop the Solid Mahogany Butler's Tray. Click here to go directly to see the available products from F. Scott Fitzgerald's Home Collection at Sallie Home.

Mustardseed & Moonshine: An Instant Garden on Your Table

While browsing the "hip" and "unique" home decor and clothing chain stores this past weekend I saw a plethora of floral tableware very reminiscent of a product line we sell at Sallie Home, Mustardseed and Moonshine - a line made popular after their Daylily Navajo cup and saucer debuted on "Oprah's Favorite Things." Seeing these cheap knock-offs made me appreciate the quality of Mustardseed and Moonshine's garden of ceramic platters, nesting bowls, mugs, cups and saucers, dinnerware and service-ware.
Mustardseed and Moonshine's botanical earthenware is handmade in South Africa and takes about 17 days to create each and every piece. The ultra-thin, realistically detailed tableware is surprisingly very robust and fully functional, as they are safe for use in a conventional oven, microwave, and dishwasher. These are flowers that will last more than a day. Not only will this whimsical floral tableware last, it is guaranteed to brighten up any one's day. They are perfect for any garden or tea party. Click here to go directly view all the Mustardseed and Moonshine floral products available at Sallie Home.