Happy almost Valentine’s Day to you all! Today we have a Valentine’s table set for tea. This post is inspired by all the pretty tablescapes shared in posts across the internet this week…
Getting ready for summer travel
As I was ironing this sweetheart tablecloth and napkins I’d sewed a few years ago, I thought about what I’d like to decorate this tablescape. My daughter and I are still planning on going to France this summer for my niece’s wedding. Inspired by that thought: I brought out this small trunk with its Eiffel Tower and roses, my favorite chalkware maiden (an antique find written about in this post), and a clear glass pedestal cake plate given to us as a wedding present.
Inspiration also came from this week’s Share Your Style #334 with a couple of inked posts by Lynne from Thrifting Wonderland who joined a group of bloggers hosted by Rita from Panoply (your post might be in this blog party, too!).
I am not part of this blog hop but thought you might like to visit and enjoy some pretty tablescapes over these wintery days!
So all these lovely tables and home decor were my inspiration…
Sew your own table linens
Do you create your own table linens? Or do you enjoy the hunt for linens while out looking through thrift shops and home decor stores? I’ve had good luck with both but for this tabletop display I wanted to use my homemade pretties…
This 45″ red tablecloth fabric was found online at Joanne Fabrics several years ago. The napkins I made a few years before while we were still in our Big House in Murrieta, California.
Square and rectangular linens are really easy to make out of straight-off-the-bolt fabric and all it requires is a sewing machine and thread, the fabric itself and an iron!
I’ve linked to the instructions here above in case you are new to sewing and would like to whip some table linens up for your Valentine’s table this year.
I’ve set the table for two for an early Valentine’s tea. It’s just my mother-in-law Gini and I here at home this week. Mr. Ethereal is away on business and will be staying in Georgia with the Artic storms hitting all over the South and Mid-West.
We shared an afternoon of cake and conversation over a few cups of tea…
Usually we are over in the family room plunked down on the red L-shaped sofa “taking tea” while watching YouTube or movies in the evening, so this was a nice change!
The snow was bright outdoors with snowbirds in from the North ~ visiting black-capped chickadees, local sparrows and mourning doves ~ and our resident squirrels.
A pair of blackbirds came by in the late afternoon and I caught one on film. He was wondering what I was doing…
An unexpected day off from work is a nice and welcome change of pace! I love teaching our students but it is nice to just be able to be at home and rest…
And having cake after dinner was really a special treat! With the cold creeping through these older window frames, we drank tea all day long…
“Constant Comment” was the perfect tea to have with this carrot cake… I go through boxes and boxes of it during the winter!
(not sponsored)
Both cake sections turned out light and fluffy and I used some leftover buttercream frosting in between the layers.
I tried using a piece of lace to make a pretty design on the cake top and dusting it with powdered sugar, but… Epic fail! That just turned out ugly.
So I did the next best thing: just dust the whole top with the powdered sugar and carefully adding small colored candy pieces in a heart shape in the middle. 😉
And here is our table all set for tea! Inside was bright and cheery with the sweetheart tablecloth and late afternoon sunlight bouncing off the snow from outside.
A pop-up blog hop
So… For a little fun, link up your favorite Valentine’s Day tablescapes and we can have a little party together! Just an impromptu blog hop… Hope you will join the fun!
Just a perfect day!
Barb 🙂
This is wonderful, Barb! What a sweet treat for you & Gini! Happy to join in the party. I’ll be back! Happy weekend!
Rita, I’m so glad! Thank you and I hope you do. 💕⛄️
First things first – I think you’ve been here long enough, you can say Y’all. 😉 Next, I just noticed I stopped getting your emails so your SYS party has left my brain but I’ve subscribed again so hopefully I’ll get it next time. Loved your table setting and that beautiful spice cake. And I did the same for our little furry and feathered friends. There were a lot of visitors! Hope you’re feeling better. Big hugs,
Thank you, Cindy! I’m glad your critters are well fed, too. Big hugs back, y’all! 🤠
What a wonderful afternoon the two of you had around such a pretty table set for tea! I’ve always loved tea parties with tea cups and saucers instead of mugs. A lovely treat to find an impromptu party! Have a wonderful weekend!
This is absolutely beautiful in every single way! I love all your perfect touches — and the Constant Comment, which is a fave of mine, too! I wish I had a pretty table to share.
This sounds like the best way to celebrate having an afternoon to play, relax and celebrate the season. Everything is so pretty and it’s really sweet of you to leave out seeds for the animals too. Hope you get to stay snuggled up and enjoy your Valentine’s Day week! Hugs, CoCo