Tea-Ball

So my whole blog thing, is, obviously about tea stuff and all. But I'm sure you all know that I have a ton of other interests and activiTeas going on. That's why the lil' pink tag on my banner header says "And Risa's Other Lovies". So I don't have to talk tea all the time, y'know.

Lately, it is baseball.

My two sons are in Little League and I am, of course, the Team Mom.

For both teams.

I know. I know. Classic over-doer. So as you can imagine, I've been busy with that, especially since the the season is almost over and I've been planning their End of Season Party(s).

Anyhoo, I wanted to get the coaches some cool personalized gift(s) and starting plugging away with graphics and other baseball sayings, etc. and got carried away. The over-doer that I am.

So, if you or someone you know are baseball fans and would like any cool baseball gear/items or a neat-o gift for Coach (or Team Mom, don't forget her!), check out my Cafe Press Store. If you would like items personalized with a name or a different saying, email me with the info and I can upload it for you.

A percentage of the proceeds will go to help support our community's Little League. Thank you for visiting and PLAY BALL!

Batch Number Deaux

Here's my second batch of mini faux cupcakes, but this time with *SPARKLE*

I love that word.
Sparkle.

Say it with me now.
Sparkle.

Vanilla Buttercream

Pink Buttercream

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They look much more sparkly and fairy-ish in person.

Now, what to do with two dozen of these?

There's a cute shabby-chic consignment shop downtown.
Maybe my friend there will sell them?

Later that day......

This is the first time I've made REAL cupcakes in a loooong time.
I usually use one of my amazing bakery vendors.

But with making all those faux cupcakes, it inspired me
to try frosting with tips on the real thing.
This is the first time I've used decorator tips.
In the past, I would just slap the frosting on with a butter knife.

It's not so difficult...

UPDATE: YOU CAN GET THE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE FAUX CUPCAKES FROM THIS EBAY SELLER. CLICK ON "ITEMS FOR SALE". USE THE BUY IT NOW FOR "FAKE FOOD".

Please do not email me for instructions.

ThrifTea Finds

Here are some of my latest thrifty finds from the past couple of weeks.

It was a good silver day...

I'll use these for flowers on tea tables (after I polish them).

Pretty candy dish (?) I think that is what it is.
I liked the shape.

UPDATE

Here's the candy dish (?) all polished and shiny.

This was so tarnished it was beyond black
-almost purple- to get beneath the surface!
My fingers are crippled.
But it was worth the instant gratification!

Even better with flowers!
*sigh*

So if any of my antique friends know anything about silver,
the bottom of this piece is stamped
"ARGOSY 1847 Rogers Bros. 00669".
Be interesting to know a lil 'bout it....

Small silver tea set for Raina to play with.

Just. Because.
They are hot pink!
Probably never to be worn
(not by me at least, not with my bunion).
But they will make for a very hip floral centerpiece.
Someday.

Knick-knacks.
I love this kind of lime colored moss.
The frames I shall paint white and distress,
put a floral print fabric back to it and attach a
small china plate in the middle.


I want to give it a try at some of the neat-o tags
and paper ephemera stuff,
so here is my first purchase of sheet music.


I love retro jewelery...


And the pièce de résistance.

I had five minutes to squeeze in and visit one of the thrift stores
I frequent and spotted this cutie right away! It made my day.

Love the font style for the word COOKIES.

So, until the next episode of thrifty goodness......ThrifTea On!

Creative Diversion

For some reason the photos of my faux cupcakes was not showing, so I uploaded it again.

I think I reached my blogger cache limit or something(?).

Happy Birthday Mom!

My mom, Sandra, was born in Tennessee on this day in 1944.

Her dad was an officer and was in Europe fighting in WWII. He led a battalion in the Battle of the Bulge and later did administrative duties for Gen. Patton. He returned home in 1946. I have a night gown that my grandmother made out of real raw silk that they used as parachutes when they parachuted into battle.

Mom grew up in the epitome of a baby boomer's world and had a dream childhood. Her grandmother lived next door, and she tells me tales of her wonderful grandmothers suthun cooking and baking. And growing up in the country (even though they were considered "city folk" back then - they were the first ones on their street to have a television!) hearing tales of catching fireflies and taking care of small farm animals.

In high school she loved Elvis, Dean Martin and played on the basketball team - ahead of her time for such a sport and she fell in love her junior year with blue-eyed and sweet mannered boy, Lloyd. He used to be her high school's most popular football player, but had graduated and joined the Army. When he came back to visit and went to a game that's when she took her chance to go talk with him. At the age of 17 they married in August, right before she started her senior year in high school. He was then stationed in Goose Bay Labrador, Canada. She continued to live at home with her folks for that year.

Then they moved as dad (Lloyd) was stationed in Lubbock, TX then in Wyoming. When he was done with his military service they moved to Los Angeles so he could go to Pepperdine Univ. to get a degree in missions. Mom was one of the campus secretaries. They lived on the campus housing apartments for the married couples. And were poor.

At age 22 and after several infertility tests, they had no luck with having children. Then one of the Professors who knew Sandra from her secretary job (he was also a minister) had met a woman who was pregnant and wanting a Christian family to adopt the baby. He approached Lloyd and Sandra with the opportunity. They had two weeks to prepare for a newborn and somehow they were able to come up with the $356 for the adoption and legal costs. This is where I come into their lives. Mom quit her secretary job and took care of me as a SAHM until my older elementary school days.

I won't bore you with the rest of the details, but I just want to wish my wonderful mom a birthday wish.

I wish that I will be the kind of mom and wife the way you are.....

to be patient

how you taught me how to read a recipe and to cook (I stink at it, but you did your part!)

how to sew

how to plan and make wonderful home-cooked meals (that I still remember to this day)

to keep a home clean (well.......)

to read books

to respect and support your husband like you do

the list goes on...

I love you mom and wish you the Happiest of Birthdays!

It does a heart good....

To see tea time photos in magazines....*sigh*

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Lahv these photos from Country Living and the tablescapes.
Second page is tealicious.



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These are pictures from my favorite mag, TeaTime with a wedding theme.
One is a reception, the other a bridal shower. Very pretty.
A tad on the traditional side. I dare say, predictable.

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Love the funkalicious and kitsch tea party look of Adorn Mag's layout with the crafTea how-to's.

Overall it was a good mag month for tea sheets (tear sheets).

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Pure Inspiration

I *puffy heart* Preston Bailey

(he is signing my book)

"I came to tell you about a website which you probably have already seen: http://www.prestonbailey.com/" ~Phyllis (ShabbyInTheCity)

Phyllis,

Thank you for the link, it is sweet of you to think of me! When I met Preston Bailey (we chatted briefly before he spoke at a wedding industry event) I was taken aback by just his aura. He was THE MOST genuine, kind and sweetest guy I have ever met. So sincere.

At first I thought he couldn't be for real, but so many of the other attendees who had the privilege of meeting him commented on the same attributes.

He is pure inspiration. I own all of his gorgeous, lush, display coffee table books.

It was such a pleasant surprise to discover a very genuine -seemingly humble- gentleman. I can see why all the celebrities like to work with him....

P.S. There is another photo of us and he is totally squeezing me and laughing, but I look really fat in the picture, so no showy.

Call it the "McCreamy" Goodies Giveaway

Hopefully you are a Grey's Anatomy fan to get the title.


So I finally got all the goodies together, mine and all the wonderful donations and shipped off for the ParTea Mother's Day Goodies Giveaway.

I chose to make them a "Cream Tea" gift basket, defined by Tea Embassy as:
"In tea culture of the United Kingdom, a cream tea consists of simply hot tea, scones, and clotted cream or other condiments for the scones. This is an informal time for guests of a household to share tea and conversation with a light snack."

Included is:
*My yummy Cream Scones mix
*My favorite Sweet Cream black tea (one that I serve at my tea parties)
*Creamy Lemon Curd made by Trader Joes (my favorite - not too tart)
*Clotted Cream
*Creamy white teacup & saucer, luncheon plate, tea-for-one teapot
*Pink linen serviette
*Pink feather boa
*ParTea note cards
*Stickers
...all in a cute stripe bread basket (could be used for a small tray)

So ladies, enjoy! And I look forward to seeing your "ParTea" pictures!

Tag, I'm It

Okay, so I've been tagged by Sugar Bear Designs to say 7 Weird/Interesting facts about me.

............hmmmmm...........let me think..................

1. I can handle hearing nails on a chalkboard, but I can't handle hearing someone brush their teeth. Sends shivers down my spine.
2. I have a thing (since childhood) about swallowing pills. Hate it. Hate IT. HATE IT. Watching someone swallow a pill(s) sends shivers down my spine.
3. I have a hard time with written directions (not the map kind, I'm good with navigating). I can't sew with a pattern. Only straight stitch kind of things. Am self-taught on everything (web design, Photoshop, Powerpoint/Word/Excel, my businesses etc.). Don't tell me how to do it, show me how to do it!
4. I was adopted when I was two days old. When I was 17, my folks found my birth mother and I met her, then met my birth father when I was 18. My only daughter looks just like him (and she's a leftie, just like him). My creative gene (and pack-rat tendencies) came from my birth mother. I found out that I am related to Jenny Lind "The Swedish Nightingale", Shirley Temple-Black and Tennessee Williams. I thank God for my mom and dad, and for adopting me - they are the most wonderful people you will ever meet. Now they are full-time RV'ers. I miss them.
5. When I was 19 I moved from Alaska to Michigan with only $20 in my pocket, a suitcase and a Cosmopolitan magazine.
6. Even though my whole blog thing is about tea, I HAVE to have at least three cups of coffee in the morning to get the cobwebs outta my head.
7. I am a night-owl. Usually don't go to bed until 1 or 2:00am, but still have to get up like normal folk and take kids to school, etc. Hence why the #6. This, too, is inherited from birth mother.

Oops, last but not least and one fact over:
I am a follower/lover/fan of the movie Somewhere In Time. It's my dream to go to the INSITE Fan Club's annual SIT Weekend at The Grand Hotel and dress up in the era's costumes. I think in a previous life I was a lady in 1912. I even had my bridesmaids walk down to "Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini".

I wouldn't consider this a fact, but I kind of have an "old soul". For years I've wanted to be a part of the Red Hat Society as a Pink Hatter (even though all the local chapters here are full or they don't reply to interested newbies) and just hang around other ladies who appreciate tea and the gracious/silly things of life. It's on my list of things to do: "Start my own SororiTea".

There, I hope that let's y'all know me a little better.

So, I don't really know who to tag because my audience of three have already been tagged. So if you have not been tagged with this musing thus far, then consider yourself tagged and have at it!

One of my favorite quotes

Pretty in pink flower in my front yard.
Click on photo to view up close.

And the Mother's Day Giveaway Goodies go to...

Driving home from picking up the boys from school today:

"Okay boys. When we get home, I'm going to need your help. I'm having a contest - it's kinda like a game- and I need you guys to draw names for me."

"But Mawm! Ryan can't help you with that!" the eldest one exclaims.

"Why not?"

"Because he doesn't even know how to draw yet!"

Please email me your snail mail so that I can get the goodies out to y'all. There are some kind donations still coming in, so I probably won't get the parcels out until late this week. I will also be updating the ParTea Goodies Giveaway blog with all the photos and links of those who contributed.

Congratulations, and I look forward to seeing you have a quaint tea time with the goodies!

And a huge thank you to all the ladies who graciously donated their talents, gifts and heart to this giveaway. I appreciate it more than words can express...

Risa
The ParTea Planner
email for the giveaway: parteagoodiesgiveaway [at] gmail [dot] com

(P.S. Thanks for ignoring how dirty my kids' fingernails are.)