The T-Cozy

The Merry Month of May

Ahhh May. . . my favorite month. Not only do we celebrate our anniversary, my birthday and Mother's Day; this month is the time of year we set up our screened porch. In the winter, this room is used for storing our teak deck furniture and outdoor ping pong table. But come May, it gets transformed into our favorite warm weather spot.

It's a simple room with very few furnishings. So once I washed the wainscoting and floor this week, it took me about an hour to get the porch in order. All that's left to do is to take the glass windows out and pop in the screens. But first I'm waiting for the oak trees in our backyard to finish dropping their oak dust. Last year, I put the screens in too early and then there was a fine layer of dust all over everything. And I am really allergic to oak dust! So we'll be enjoying those warm spring breezes in our back porch soon.

Isn't this a lovely time of year?

Susan

Studio Sneak Preview

Steady progress is being made on the painting of my home studio. Here's my fabulous painter, Carlos, hard at work . . .

Remember that I mentioned I wanted to do something special with the plywood sub-floor in the lower portion of my studio? Here's what I decided to do: I spent my day off from T-Party on Sunday carefully measuring out a checkerboard on a diagonal for Carlos to paint. I chose a light warm gray and an aqua one shade darker than the walls . By keeping the contrast down between the two colors, the pattern won't be too overwhelming in the small space. We decided to use porch and patio paint that is an epoxy reinforced latex enamel. It should hold up well.

The reclaimed upper portion of my studio (where John's weights used to be) has hardwood which we refinished. And now the lower portion is so funky and fun. Doesn't it look great? I'm so excited; I've always wanted to try this!

Susan

Going Dutch

Featured for sale this month on my sister blog, Kitsch Encounter, are vintage items with a Dutch theme. Here's a peek . . .

By the late 1940's, kitchens were becoming family gathering places. Brightly colored textiles became popular as well as items bearing flowers, fruits and a Dutch motif. These themes could be found on kitchenware, shelving paper, tablecloths and decals that were used to dress up just about anything.

These six items embody that colorful postwar era. Click here, Kitsch Encounter, to be redirected to where you'll find detailed descriptions and prices for each item.

Susan

Big Little Fans

T-Party's fans come in all sizes.

These two girls (along with their dolls) came in for tea on Saturday and brought a handmade sign expressing their feelings about our tea room. Too cute!

Susan

Parting Gifts

This week, Cynthia and I gave our valued patrons the sad news; T-Party will be closing at the end of June. The 1890 farmhouse we rent is being torn down as part of a downtown revitalization in Darien. Although we've had five successful years here, we have been unable to find an affordable new location. All of the properties we've seen have rents that are triple what we currently pay! That just won't do, so we have no choice but to close our doors.

We'll miss so many of our wonderful customers. And as I've said so many times in the past; we really do have the BEST customers. Linda Rose and Mary, a couple of our favorite patrons, brought us gifts this week after they heard the news of our closing.

Linda Rose is a devoted T-Party patron who is so nice. She comes in for tea often and stops by for our freshly baked scones almost every Saturday. Her gifts to us were charming tea cup note cards.

Linda Rose also sent us a heartfelt email that stated, "You and Cynthia have given so many wonderful memories to so many people that have passed through your doors. This alone is an accomplishment that not many could take away with them. As I said before, you have your hearts in the right place."

Mary has been coming to T-Party for several years. A great fan of tea rooms, she seeks them out wherever she finds herself. When Mary came for tea yesterday with her daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, she brought Cynthia and I the loveliest gifts; cute cloth butterfly napkins and a pretty tray for Cynthia and a beautiful floral teapot with a butterfly on its lid for me.

The kindness of our customers never ceases to amaze me. Thank you Linda Rose and Mary!

At least we still have a couple of months left in which to enjoy the company of our wonderful patrons. I plan to cherish these remaining moments.

Susan

Put the Kettle On

The soft pink walls of T-Party's tea room are covered with framed sepia-toned photographs of people enjoying tea through the ages. From Alice in Wonderland to FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt, our patrons can look up and see that they are taking part in the long-standing tradition of afternoon tea.

In an old folder recently, I found more interesting historic tea shots that didn't make it to our tea room walls. Aren't they fun?

 

Makes you want to pour yourself a cup! I'm off to put the kettle on...

Susan

Spring Mark-Downs

If you're in the mood for some kitschy savings, mosey on over to my sister blog, Kitsch Encounter, for some spring mark-downs.

And stop back to check out the new vintage items that will be listed for sale next week.

Susan

April Showers

Saturdays are our busiest days at T-Party. Often times, patrons reserve our tea room for baby or bridal showers. Yesterday we hosted a shower for bride-to-be Polly.

Check out Polly's fabulous tiara; it's a giant diamond ring crown with a veil attached! Always a highlight of each celebration is the opening of the presents.

Polly received practical items along with fun ones. Below left, she peers inside a vintage jewelry box filled with family heirlooms.

All of Polly's relatives and family friends looked on as she opened her gifts.

After the last present was opened, Polly was handed her "bouquet" made from of all of the bows and ribbons from each gift.

She will use this as her stand-in bouquet at the rehearsal dinner the night before her wedding in July. We wish Polly all the best.

As my 20th wedding anniversary approached next month, showers like these bring back fond memories. And at T-Party, we are honored to host these special, joyous events.

Susan

Here We Go Again

Almost a year ago, I shared what I consider the most special room in our house with you, my home studio. It's the place I spend most of my time at home. For over a dozen years, I ran my graphic design business from this space. With a separate entrance, it once had large oak flat files and a conference table where I met with clients. Now that my graphic design days are behind me, this is where I work at the computer, sew, and get creative.

My painter, Carlos, is back to spruce up my studio. This should be our last painting project for a while as we've just about painted every room on our first floor. (In the fall, we'll move on to our master bedroom upstairs.) Like all of the others rooms we've recently painted, John and I once again loaded it's contents into our garage.

What was this . . .

Now looks like this . . .

We were happy to remove the old, worn carpeting revealing hard wood on the upper portion and plywood on the lower half. I hope to do something special with the plywood floor that I'll reveal in another post, once it's done.

For a few years, I sacrificed the upper level of my studio to John's workout equipment. But I really wanted to reclaim the space, so we moved the weights into our garage. It's a good thing I drive a tiny Prius that can still fit in alongside our new workout area.

I love having my own space in our house, a place where I can be surrounded by inspiration and all of my favorite things. Once this painting project is complete, I look forward sharing my spruced up studio with you.

Susan

Big Fun

Last week, we visited my hometown of Cleveland. For my family, a trip there would not be complete without a stop at one of our favorite stores called "Big Fun."

The shop is in Coventry Village, an area of Cleveland Heights that has been the heart of the city's counterculture since the 1960s hippie-era. Owned by Steve Presser, a fellow grade school classmate of mine, they carry everything from vintage toys to whoopee cushions. It's filled literally floor to ceiling with things from the 1950s onward. You'll find all the nostalgic toys from when you were little with small items displayed just like an old Five and Dime Store, in bins that you can rummage through. Classic collectibles are under glass and behind the counters. Brimming with both new and old stock, they sell metal lunch boxes, trolls, comic books, action figures, matchbox cars, gag gifts, wind-up toys, retro candy, kitschy refrigerator magnets, and so much more. Here's a little tour . . .

Steve Presser, a collector extraordinaire, has owned Big Fun for 17 years. He has created a most unique toy store where kids will have a blast perusing the wacky wares and grown-ups also enjoy the trip down memory lane. You can find Big Fun at 1814 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. (They don't have a web site, which is probably a good thing for my wallet!) Their phone number is (216) 371-4386.

This shop's motto is, "Come shopping, leave smiling." Big Fun certainly lives up to its name.

Susan

Home Again

We're back home . . . and what a busy week we had! Hannah's college search is over at last; this trip enabled her to make her final decision. Since we hadn't visited a few of the schools she was accepted to, we decided to attend two "admitted student open houses." Our first destination was Maine with a quick stop in Massachusetts along the way.

I've learned that selecting a college is a lot like buying a house; you know it when you see it. We've heard stories of kids who drive up to a campus and don't want to get out of the car because they can tell it doesn't feel right. That's just what Hannah experienced at the school she was accepted at in Massachusetts. So we continued northward.

A trip to Maine wouldn't be complete without a stop in quaint Freeport, the home of L.L. Bean and a myriad of other outlet stores. After a little shopping, on we went.

The college we toured in Maine, above, was scenic but secluded. One has to really like cold weather in this locale. They received 111 inches of snow this past winter! Hannah was quite taken with the beautiful campus and friendly students.

Next we went home for a night and then we were off to Maryland.

The university we visited there was picture perfect and Hannah was smitten. Larger than the one in Maine, it has more to offer academically. Located in a vibrant urban setting, this school just felt right to Hannah.

With the college decision finally behind us, we drove back to Connecticut for one more night at home. The next day, we left on our final trip; we flew to Cleveland to visit my sister and her family. I grew up in Ohio so it's always fun for me to go back to my old stomping ground. The highlight of the weekend was a beautiful Passover Seder at my sister's---great food, lively company, lots of matzoh!

After being in (or driving through) ten states, it's nice to be home. And we are thrilled that Hannah is happy with her decision. It was a long, arduous process but worth all of the hard work. Hannah is so excited about the school she will be attending this fall.

Thank you for patiently waiting for this new post after our spring break. And thank you to my hubby for being my guest blogger on the last one. I was wiped out after a super busy day at T-Party but I didn't want to go away without letting you know. John was kind enough to fill in for me and I think he did a great job. Don't you?

Susan

Our Birthday Girl

Today was extraordinarily hectic at T-Party, so I thought I'd assume the role of "blog master" for the day and let Susan put her feet up. I'm sure I will be a pale imitation of what you've become accustomed to, however, here goes:

This evening we celebrated our daughter Hannah's 18th birthday at one of our favorite restaurants, the Dressing Room. It just doesn't seem possible that the little one we fed, cradled in our arms, and rocked to sleep is now a bona fide adult. (Hannah at the age of one is shown at left.) However, despite these occasional pangs of longing for the days when she would have needed a high chair at a restaurant like this; the more powerful emotions are ones of pride and joy at the remarkable young woman she has become.

The four of us had a wonderful evening. We laughed, shared the news of the day and generally enjoyed just being together. The food was terrific and as you can see, Hannah's table manners have progressed to the point where she is able to keep her bowl off her head.

Tomorrow is the start of our spring break so Susan will be taking a respite from blogging for a few days. We are off to Maine, Massachusetts and Maryland to look at some of the colleges Hannah has been accepted to.

We're not sure what Hannah may have wished for as she blew out the candle on her birthday dessert, however, we know our wish came true by being blessed with her.

Happy birthday Hannah. We love you.

Dad (John, Susan's hubby)

A Chair of Flowers Revisited

Welcome to our home!

As you approach our front door, you are greeted by a beautiful chair planter made by my talented friend Nancy who is one of the dealers at T-Party. It has graced my front stoop for several years now and I just love it.

Now that spring has sprung, I wanted to share this little tutorial with you once again. Here's how you can make a chair planter of your own . . .

1. First you'll need an old dining chair with a cane seat. You may come across one with damaged cane for free discarded at the curb or for very little money at a thrift store.
2. Remove the damaged caning and attach a bowl-shaped double layer of chicken wire where the seat used to be using a heavy-duty staple gun.
3. Next, line the chicken wire with a good layer of pre-soaked sphagnum moss as this will help stop the soil from falling through the wire. With your moss in place, put a flower pot saucer or shallow dish on top of it to retain water and prevent excessive dripping.

4. Then fill your moss lined chicken wire with soil or compost and add your plants. I usually start our with pansies and then move on to impatiens later in the spring. Climbing plants, such as sweet peas, will wrap their tendrils around the chair back. Ivies or other trailing plants work well, too.

I hope you come across an old chair and give this project a try. Even if you don't have a front porch, a chair of flowers is charming on a back deck or terrace. Or you can place it right in the middle of your flower bed for a touch of whimsy.

Susan

Powder Room Before & After

Last month, I blogged on about how we spruced up our living room, dining room and powder room with some fresh paint. So now that I've finally figured out how to use my daughter's camera (mine is out being repaired), I'd like to take you on a powder room tour.

The "before" photo, left, shows the powder room's former paint. In a way, this is also an "after" shot because back about ten years ago, we did a minor renovation of this bathroom. Though we were able to keep the tub and toilet, the room's garish pink wallpaper, plywood vanity, yellowed vinyl floor and plastic fake marble around the bathtub had to go. I wish I had photos of the old "before" bathroom. It was horrid.

Here's our "after" color scheme, above, which is more in keeping with the new wall colors in our family room and kitchen. I used the same neutral on the walls as the adjoining kitchen. And the wainscoting is a bit less green; now it's a soothing aqua blue, similar to the walls of the family room.

When I began to plan our powder room redo a decade ago, I went straight to my Inspiration Book. I had several tear sheets of bathrooms I loved (below) and they all had wainscoting in common. So I decided it was time for wainscoting in our bath, too.

Above is the original quick sketch I drew for my carpenter. I was trying to show him how I wanted the beadboard to wrap around the mirror above a tall vanity. He used my drawing as a guide and even took a look at my Inspiration Book. The end result was perfect . . . just what I wanted!

Here are more views of our powder room proudly wearing its fresh new paint.

An antique oak medicine cabinet fits nicely above the sink and my collection of little tole trays looks right at home resting on the molding above the wainscoting. Plus, I love the small hooked area rug I found for the floor. With its black background and flowers, it looks just like a tole tray.

I hope you've enjoyed this little tour of our powder room. And if you haven't put together your Inspiration Book yet, I highly recommend starting one. Because you never know when it will come in handy!

Susan

Crazy Busy

It's been crazy busy here. Those of you who have (or have had) a high school senior, I know you will relate. This has been the time of year to hear about college admissions and the past couple of weeks have been filled with emails and letters from the schools to which Hannah has applied. And we couldn't be more proud of her. She's at the very top of her senior class and was accepted at four excellent universities, three of which we hasn't even visited. So during our spring break a week from now, we'll be traveling to Maine, Massachusetts and Maryland!

Please excuse my blogging etiquette as of late. During this hectic time, I haven't had the chance to respond to some of the nice comments that have been left on The T-Cozy. I'd also like to apologize to all of my favorite bloggers out there as I've been too strapped for time to read your wonderful blogs lately. After our college tour, I hope to catch up.

And lastly, my digital camera is still out of commission. What I thought was just a worn out battery ended up being much more serious. So I had to send the camera off to be repaired and until I get familiar with Hannah's camera, you will see some recycled photos on The T-Cozy for a little while. (So sorry!) Here are some of my favorites since I began blogging back in March 2007. I hope you'll enjoy this little photo montage.

Have a lovely Sunday.

Susan

Home Sweet Home Embroidery Pattern

It doesn't get any sweeter than this Home Sweet Home embroidered picture! And for those of you who have some embroidery experience and want to try your hand at this charming sampler, I am now offering a pattern of this design for purchase.

A digitally-traced embroidery pattern was expertly produced for me by the talented Janet McCaffrey of Primrose Design. (Thank you Janet!) The black and white pattern is 8.5" x 11" and comes with a color reproduction of the original to use as a color and stitch guide. Both come packaged in a plastic sleeve.

Please note that the pattern is not iron-on, so you'll need to trace it yourself. Janet suggests using an air-soluble marker and a light box for tracing patterns onto fabric, but you can also use transfer paper. Another method is to use iron-on transfer paper for your ink jet printer. Simply scan the pattern and print it onto the transfer paper.

To purchase this embroidery pattern, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will email you an invoice. You can use your credit card, e-check or cash funds, via PayPal only. The cost is $4.00 which includes shipping and handling to anywhere in the U.S. For overseas shipping, please leave a comment with your location and I'll get back to you with your total.

Happy stitching!

Susan

Tablecloth Transformations: Part 2

Like the tea towels in my last post, I made these four tea cozies out of vintage cutter tablecloths.

Small enough to fit T-Party's personal size Bee House teapots, these cozies sport floral and fruit patterns.

Aren't they pretty? Let's have tea!

Susan

Tablecloth Transformations: Part 1

The great tablecloth transformation has begun! I've started recycling my lovely cutters into useful and pretty new items. I decided to begin by sewing up some tea towels, which turned out to be more of a challenge than I expected. I like making ample-sized towels measuring about 20 by 28 inches. But these "used and abused" vintage tablecloths have so many tears, small holes and little spots, it was difficult to find enough fabric to work with. I was able to make just five tea towels! Have a look . . .

Here they all are on display at T-Party . . .

Sewing smaller items that require less continuous fabric should be a lot easier. I've already started on some tea cozies that I hope to share with you soon. Unfortunately, my digital camera's rechargeable battery has finally burned out and I'm waiting for a new one to arrive in the mail. Luckily, I shot these tea towel photos before it died.

I never paid attention to how often I whip out my camera for blogging until now. It feels really weird without it. I'm going to try my hand at my daughter's camera in the meantime. We'll see how that goes.

Susan

An Enchanting Archipelago

Last week, we had a most interesting group visit T-Party. The Antigua Board of Tourism hosted an after hours tea for 20 travel agents to acquaint them with their beautiful Caribbean island.

This lovely lady, who is an author, read her poetry and stories about island life to the group. She wore what is considered the island's national dress featuring a madras frock with a gathered waist and puff sleeves over a starched white apron. These aprons are sewn by hand, having frills, lace, several tucks and pockets. This garb was fashioned after the outfit worn by market vendors and cake makers in Antigua and Barbuda as far back as 1834. It was selected as the island's national dress in 1992. The madras used was chosen for its symbolism; the red, gold and green represent the dynamism of the Antiguan people and their African heritage.

The travel agents, who came to learn about what this enchanting archipelago has to offer, got into the tea spirit and donned hats for the occasion. Some were stylish, some were silly, all were fun.

A contest was held for the best hat and Cynthia and I were asked to be the judges. We picked the lady in the straw hat and brown blazer whose hat featured sea shells, mini beach umbrellas and witty verbiage relating to Antigua. It was a clear winner for both effort and creativity. She was awarded three free nights at a resort in Antigua! Kudos also went to the woman with the hat covered with blue feathers and exotic birds and to the brave gent sporting the springtime creation featuring the bunny.

This was our second year hosting this special tea. (Last May, Anguilla was the focus.) What a fun and lively group. It's always interesting to see what hats they will come up with and also learn about a beautiful vacation destination.

Susan

Vintage Variety

I've put together an array of the very sweetest vintage items which will be offered for sale on our sister blog, Kitsch Encounter, starting on Friday. Have a look . . .

Left: a charming bonneted girl planter in lovely spring pastels. Right: a vintage soap powder dispenser, similar to the ones in my collection.

Left: a pretty and versatile planter, like the ones I use to corral small items around my house. Right: an unusual shelf in the shape of a ball jug pitcher. Wouldn't this look great hanging in the kitchen?

Left: a framed Mother's Day verse with a very nice sentiment. Right: a vintage tea towel with a fruit design. Very Carmen Miranda!

Left: a wooden napkin holder with a Dutch motif decal. Right: a cute little crochet pot holder dress from my personal collection.

Left: a small glass ball jug pitcher with an orange design. Right: a sturdy vintage floral tablecloth with a flower and grid pattern.

Click here, Kitsch Encounter, to be redirected to where you'll find more photos, prices and detailed descriptions of each item. (But remember, they won't be listed until Friday.)

Cute stuff, don't you think?

Susan

Basic Black

I bit the bullet at last and listed some of that huge vintage hat collection on eBay this week.

Why, you ask, do I hate doing eBay listings so much? Because I find them tedious and tiresome! They involve very little creativity and bore me to no end. But alas, sometimes eBay is the only way to move certain specialized merchandise. These hats will most likely find their way into the hands of some grateful vintage hat collectors, so that's a good thing.

Here are the 24 hats, all basic black, that I got around to listing . . .

This black hat lot is in a nice array of styles from the 1930's and 40's in various materials; wool, felt, velvet, satin, straw, and velour. Most of them have pretty embellishments like grosgrain ribbon, feathers or netting.

Well maybe listing these hats wasn't so bad after all. And since I have about 40 more, if I don't sell them at T-Party, there probably will be a lot more eBaying in my future.

Susan

Spring Flowers

Vintage tablecloths from the 1940s and 50s are one of my passions. I love their charmingly optimistic and cheerful patterns.

This newly acquired stack of 15 tablecloths has spring flowers and fruit designs. Most were made from sturdy cotton of a quality not found in today's textiles. But these have been so well-loved by previous owners that they are considered "cutters." Because of certain flaws, such as large irreparable holes or stubborn stains, they are no longer usable as table coverings. But I will give them new life and cut them up for small sewing projects.

I'm always on the lookout for cutters. These cloths will be perfect to make into pillows, napkins, table runners, tea towels and tea cozies. I may even make some eyeglass cases or slip-covered journals. Aren't they pretty?

Having freshly laundered and ironed these cloths, they are all ready for me to recycle them into useful new things. I'll certainly be busy sewing this spring!

Susan

A Special Story to Welcome Spring

Yesterday was the start of T-Party's Welcome Spring Teas.

Along with our delicious tea sandwiches and signature fruit scones, Cynthia has created some delectable treats. Here's what is on our menu through March 29:
Tea Sandwiches: English cucumber; chive egg salad; basil chicken salad; cream cheese and ginger preserves; watercress and sharp cheddar cheese.
Scones: Assorted fruit scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserves.
Desserts: Sweet mini cupcake; spring flower cookie; strawberry tartlet; chocolate brownie cake.

And here is that special story I'd like to share with you . . .