Happy New Year!

I want to be the first to wish you a Happy New Year.
Christmas is over and I want you to still be happy and enjoy the holiday season. I always get a let down feeling the day after Christmas, so I sit back with my favorite cup of tea and find something to be happy about. It's a sad feeling when Christmas is over. I would love to have it all year round. Just the spirit of Christmas, family togetherness, and festive decorating.... not the crazy hustle and bustle of shopping.
Enjoy your tea and your day!

CHristmas Tea Greetings!

Merry Christmas from Lady Estelle's Tea Salon!

I missed Miss Spencers's Tea Cup Thursday, but I would like to share my Christmas tea with you.

Decorating the Tea Salon!

I spent the last two weeks decorating the hotel, where I work and The Hearthside House, where I am a docent.
Now, it was time to decorate my favorite place..... my tea salon.

Welcome, come right in and make yourself at home.

This will be a true step back in time. Relax and enjoy a cup of tea in the parlor.

I will play some classical music, if you like.

Maybe Swan Lake or the Nutcracker

But, whatever your pleasure, please do not hesitate to ask. Come into the tea Salon for high tea.
I have just put the kettle on.

This Christmas tea pot was a gift from last year. I could not wait to pull it out.

I love the color maroon. So,my Christmas theme this year is cranberries and snowmen.

The water is hot and it's time for tea. Let's enjoy!

Christmas at Heathside

Sharing my Christmas enjoyments!
I am a docent at The beautiful Hearthside House in Lincoln, RI.

This season each volunteer had to pick a room to decorated for Christmas.
I picked one of the children rooms.
In this room is a child's dream, a Sleigh Bed This is one of two sleigh beds remaining in the house. A hand-crocheted bedspread, which was donated to Hearthside, is displayed on the bed. 

When decorating a child room in the 1800's, one must not want to over decorate this room.
So I decide to make it warm and cozy, but not overly done.

You want the child to go to sleep thinking of the coming of Santa, not sitting up, looking at blinking tree lights and Christmas decor.

I did add a tree to the room , but the lights were soft light, "no blinking or colored lights". It was so shuttle that it worked well as a night light.

Decorating the home is one of my favorite duties of Christmas time. I added a cute little Christmas Village on the mantle. It was so much fun  building the little winter scene and placing the little figures in just the right spot. It even has a little skating pond. I felt like a child again!

The doll has a story and has been in the house for many years. She 100 years old and has been in every part of the house, but she likes it better here. The story is that she has a spirit living in her. Most people who vist the house say,"What a strange looking doll."
I have taken to her and put here in my room. She is at peace! She do not photograph well. Most people can not get a good shot of her.

A lot of thought went into this decorating this room in a true Victorian style.
Next Monday I will show you more of the decorating of the Hearthside House

November tea swap!

I received my package from the November tea swap. I just love all my little gifts from my swap partner Valerie.

 My beautiful Red Hat Victorian Lady is fulled with Lavender to make my room smell oh-so-lovely.
The lovely Christmas tea coaster is to hang from my "tea tree".
Valerie send her thanks and good greetings in this beautiful card fill with tea cups on it.

adagio tea                                      

  Pomegranate and white Pear  

Harney & Sons

                         Hot Cinnamon Spice and Cranberry Autumn                                                        

I am excited about the tea.
(4) Bags of whole tea. I have never had this tea before. I love when I get something new for my tea experience.

Special Tea Writing Cards. I love to send greeting to my Tea and Victorian friends with cards. As you can see Valerie knows me very well.
Tea Swaps is a very good way to make new friends and get to know what they like. I hope all will join and have fun.

With the Christmas holidays coming up, I feel it would be to much to have a Tea Swap for the Month of December. I am sure we all have a lot on our plate! So, enjoy your holiday giving and we will look for our first tea swap for the New Year in January 2011.

Victorian Tea With Lady Estelle

By the end of the 19th century,taking afternoon and high tea was a daily ritual, complete with rules of etiquette that could make or break a lady of consequence.

Afternoon tea was taken in the late afternoon,usually in a drawing room or sitting room with finger-sized,dainty tea sandwiches, scones and sweets,beautifully arranged on low tables.

Tea was served with the best linens and china of the household,and making tea to perfection was a serious matter.

It was a social occasion, time to relax and converse and satisfy late afternoon hunger pangs.

High tea was actually dinner, served later in the evening,full meal with, of course, tea.

It was high tea because it was served formally at the "high" dining table, rather than on low side tables.

Tea rooms were very popular,catering to the affluent in beautifully decorated rooms complete with fancy linen,superb porcelain or silver tea services and culinary delights.

Tea gardens offered the same in garden settings resplendent with flowers and greenery.

These days, tea parties have once again become popular and women of all ages are enjoying visiting tea rooms that are all decked out Victorian style.

Ladies dress up period style and take great pride on putting on lovely tea parties in their homes


Tea Links

Victorian Bridal Shower Tea

Victorian Baby Shower Tea



Victorian Tea Society have popped up all over the county today.It have become very fashionable to belong to a Lady's Society and carry on the traditions of high society women of day's gone by.

Society List:

http://www.thevictorianteasociety.com/


http://www.orgsites.com/ri/teatime/


http://ladieshistorictea.blogspot.com/

Good Old Fashion Tetley Tea!

I enjoy the taking of tea. I remember my first time having a cup. It was when I was six years old. I woke up one morning with a stuffed nose, coughing and a high fever. My grandmother was visiting us that month and she was good with at old fashion sick remedies. She gave me a cup of Tetley tea with lemon and Jamaican Run. I stayed in bed all morning feeling cozy and loved. So, that was my first introduction to Tetly Tea.

I found this old can at a flee market last week and it brought back that wonderful memory.

The Early Years of Tetley Tea 

 In 1822, brothers Joseph and Edward Tetley began their business by peddling salt from the back of a pack horse in Yorkshire. Later they added tea to their supplies. Eventually the brothers began "Joseph Tetley & Co." in 1837.

Seeking to expand their business, the brothers relocated to London in 1856. London, at the time, was the center of the world's tea trade. The brothers began to focus on tea supplies.

The brothers parted company and Joseph Tetley renamed the company, "Joseph Tetley and Co., Wholesale Tea Dealers."

In 1871, Joseph Tetley took his son, Joseph Tetley Junior into the business.

Tetley Tea expanded into the blending and packing of tea. By 1888, Tetley Tea expanded into the United States, and began to distribute tea in the country.

Joseph Tetley Junior took over the business in 1889, after the death of his father. Tetley Tea continued to expand in America, and by 1913 Tetley Tea had established plants in New York City.

The Tetley Tea Bag has now become one of Tetley's largest sources of income, and Tetley Tea has continued to design new tea bags. Aside from the drawstring tea bag, where the tea bag has two strings for easy wringing, Tetley has also recently designed the round tea bag for easier and more consistent brewing.

I have put some round tea bags in the old tin tea can and I am going to give it away in my November Tea Swap.  I hope they will enjoy an Old Fashion History of Tetley Tea.

It Time For Tea!

You are invited to consider this a retreat, a nostalgic spot for day dreaming of times gone by and to enjoy the enduring traditions of “Tea.” It is our desire that all the working women, homemakers, mothers and caretakers feel like a Queen when having tea at Lady Estelle's Tea Salon.
Small groups of 12 and private parties are welcome only.
It is a small tea salon, I have decorated my parlor and dinning for taking of tea. I opened it up to anyone who would love to come and relax, socialize and have tea and treats with me. I dress in Victorian clothes and entertain by showing you what women worn in the 1800's. My dinning room table is always set for high tea.

My parlor is set up for low tea and is a great place for clothes demonstration.

You ladies will have a wonderful time and so will I.
The gentle men may enjoy a glass of Cherry or Port after tea while they sit and read or enjoy music.

Find more photos like this on Victorian Tea Lover's Corner

Reservations By Email: Reservations may be requested by emailing me
at tea_ladyestel@yahoo.com and putting "Requesting tea time" in the subject box.

A Tea Gift from Ireland

I love receiving unexpected gifts.
Today was Columbus day, so I was not expecting mail nor any delivery on this day.
But to my surprise UPS knock on the door with a small package from a dear friend on my tea network. Recently, she had spent some in Ireland and found this lovely tea coaster and thought of me.

I was so pleased. Along with the Coaster was a  weeks supply of  Bewley's of Island Tea.

Bewley's Tea of Ireland offers a broad range of quality tea.
I had never heard of this, so I was thrilled to be introduced to it.
And speaking of a rare find, she sent me tea from the Java Republic Roasting Company.

I can't wait to relax and enjoy this "Real Luxury Tea!"