tea time – French Ethereal

Welcome to our August Pinterest Challenge hosted by my friend Cindy of County Road 407, and if you are new to my blog, French Ethereal, a hearty welcome to you! For all of my friends and for everyone stopping by from Lora B. at Create and Ponder, I’m glad you are back for a visit.

This month’s Pinterest Challenge is all about creating a coffee table display gathering ideas and inspiration from a beloved Pinterest photograph. Let’s check it out, shall we?

Yvonne who writes at Stone Gable created this lovely tabletop display on her gorgeous wood coffee table. Don’t you just love it? It was part of her summer home tour this past year.

Let’s look at this coffee table in more detail:

Yvonne has an old packing crate used here as a tray to corral a fun grouping of objects. The warm woods of the tray, the gorgeous coffee table itself and a woven basket down below bring in a nice warm wood-look ~ perfect for that transitional look from summer to fall.

Yvonne also used three pieces of white stoneware which lighten up this tabletop display: an Italian pitcher holding those gorgeous hydrangeas from her yard, a small white vase topped with a sweet boxwood ball and a white acorn finial.

The finishing touches are three burlap-wrapped books used to add height for the boxwood vase, a metal mixing ball, and a polka dot insert for the bottom of her tray.

Florals and greenery bring in a nice touch of nature to this coffee table setting. My coffee-table display looks very different but still uses many of the same elements.

Here is my tabletop display again:

Whites are always part of my decor ever since I made slipcovers for these two sofas and painted this coffee table. I looked through my collection of baskets as I was going for a wood-themed basket to gather my collected pieces. I had already used the white tobacco basket in our spring Pinterest Challenge and again when I created another summer coffee table display for the 4th of July.

And since I do have an old crate but it’s buried somewhere in our garage at present, I looked instead to my tea cart where all of our silver and tin serving pieces are stacked for another way to corral my goodies!

LOVE this photo! It was taken late in the day with the sunlight streaming through our back living room windows. A mirror project piece is in the background waiting to be fixed (previously moved out of today’s photos).

That’s the beauty of finding a photograph of something you like on Pinterest is that you can adapt it to fit your style and what you already own. I like an English and French country style so this is what I normally look to do.

It’s not always necessary to go right out and buy something new though I certainly love to do that, too. Just look around your home and pull in pieces from your home decor stash and begin to build your look.

🙂

The elements I pulled from our inspiration photo were having a tray to gather some of my elements, using whites and wood in my tabletop decor, and adding bits of nature and a few books for height.

The coffee table adds its wood look with the two 1/4″ thick birch luan wood inserts replacing broken glass from long ago plus the table itself is painted carved wood.

Here I’ve brought in pearly white Sarah’s Garden tea cups from my Wedgwood tea set, a gift from my husband for Mother’s Day one year. I’ve paired them with my Royal Winton’s Welbeck teapot bringing in pops of yellow and some much-needed florals.

Two interior design books by favorite authors, Charles Faudrée and Courtney Allison (who writes the blog French Country Cottage blog), plus an English flower press bring in the stacked look and add lift to my father’s retirement present, a life-size American Goldfinch crafted by renowned Fairfield, Connecticut wood carver Dave Farrington.

My gardening gloves were over in the laundry room as they are freshly cleaned (I’d pulled a noxious poison ivy weed with them!) so I added them here for even more nods to nature.

For a bit of metal candle holders in sparkly gold and ombré were brought in. Inside are two pumpkin-scented tea light candles which will scent our home nicely as we move into fall next month.

Since I was going for a late summer-early fall look, I brought over the bee skep pillow I found at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center summer-sale in June, and added the pumpkin pillow found at HomeGoods during an end-of-season sale last fall with its bright pops of teal.

These two pillows round out the look I wanted with repeats of yellow, a look of golden grasses and a bit more florals. They also really complement the chintz flowers in the Welbeck teapot and tie everything together in this early fall coffee table vignette.

A quick recap:

Although my tabletop look is different than the inspiration photograph, I’ve carried over all of the same elements of the Stone Gable coffee table with the use of whites, stoneware, florals, woods and a bit of metal. The use of all of these elements together create a nice balance and welcoming coffee table look.

How will you use this to inspire you in your home decor?

Many thanks again to Cindy of County Road 407 for hosting our Pinterest Challenge and I hope you’ll stop over and visit Paula at Sweet Pea who is next as well as the other ladies on today’s tour. Please come back by if you don’t have time to visit everyone today ~ the links will be here!

Cindy ~ County Road 407

Lora ~ Lora B. Create and Ponder

Barbara ~ French Ethereal

Paula ~ Sweet Pea

Julie ~ My Wee Abode

Benita ~ Chasing Quaintness

Leslea ~ A Heart Filled Home

Crissy ~ First Day of Home

Terrie ~ Decorate and More With Tip

Carol ~ Blue Sky at Home

Christy ~ Our Southern Home

Katie ~ Walls of Wonderland

Amber ~ Follow the Yellow Brick Home

Sharing with

Wonderful Wednesday ~ Stilettos and Shiplap

Share Your Style ~ French Ethereal

Tuesday Turnabout ~ First Day of Home

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Sunday Sentiments ~ Fill My Cup, Lord

July 29, 2019 French Ethereal

Sunday Sentiments this month is about giving our best. I was invited to a friend’s birthday party and last minute I realized I hadn’t picked up a present. What is one to do? Look for a treasure of one’s own to pass on… 🙂

My friend Carrie is the same friend whom I shared a post about organizing her trailer when we lived at Wagon Master RV Park. I helped to re-organize her kitchen and her trailer’s closets over a couple of weeks and this little bit of kindness really helped my friend!

July is her birthday month and as I previously mentioned I did not have a gift for her, so… I shopped my home! In my corner-round display hutch I have probably 50+ teacups and saucers. Mr. Ethereal and I are seriously looking at all the items we had shipped back to Texas from our two storage units. What should stay and what should go? More and more is heading into the garage for a future garage sale, and rightly these things should pass on to new homes. 😉

I do love this teacup set with its expression of faith but I thought my friend would enjoy it more. Carefully I wrapped up this green, tan and pink set placing it inside a pretty gift bag. I found a perfectly new journal already tied with a bow that I had never used and placed that inside the bag, too.

Time came for the birthday party and Carrie was thrilled with all the lovely gifts she received from her friends! She now lives in a group home so these sweet gifts from friends will be happy mementos for her.

“Like the woman at the well, I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy.
And then I heard my Savior speaking—
“Draw from My well that never shall run dry.”

Fill my cup, Lord; I lift it up Lord;
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.
Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more.
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.

There are millions in this world who are seeking
For pleasures earthly goods afford.
But none can match the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.

So my brother if the things that this world gives you
Leave hungers that won’t pass away,
My blessed Lord will come and save you
If you kneel to Him and humbly pray—”

hymn by Richard Blanchard, 1925 – 2004

I am happy to give Carrie a special memory of the teas we shared at the park after our walks on cold and rainy days. We both miss those sweet and precious times.

God always finds the right gifts… 🙂

Sharing with

Party in Your PJ’s ~ The Apple Street Cottage

Keep in Touch #79 ~ Let’s Add Sprinkles

Happy tea,

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An English Breakfast tea in the Garden…

July 22, 2019 French Ethereal

Summertime breakfast enjoyed outdoors is heavenly and on this lovely, perfect summer morning a breakfast table set for two was laid…

Ready for a friend to visit and a morning tête a tête as soft breezes whisper through shady overhead branches…

Lord, grant that our time together be steeped in serenity, sweetened by sharing, and surrounded by the warm fragrance of your love. Amen.

A Teatime Blessing ~ If Teacups Could Talk, Emilie Barnes

We settle in for a nice breakfast warmed by the summer sun complete with fresh cranberry biscotti and a chocolate croissant

to share. German wine glasses provide cool water while hot tea (just one cup, please!) and a small prayer warm the soul.

A bit of a European breakfast, really! 😉

A mid-century rose-strewn tablecloth begins the scene for this rosy tea. Goldenrod placemats are laid next reminding us of summertime harvests coming soon.

English pink transferware plates act as chargers and repeat the deep pink of the tablecloth’s roses.

Vining Limoges luncheon plates are last to be set on this summery table and another chair is pulled up in case another friend shows. This chair adds it’s warm wicker beauty to the day…

English Breakfast tea is served in mismatched teacups; a silver spoon rests casually alongside. Simple napkins with pink checked edging are older Simply Shabby Chic ~ large enough to cover one’s lap and dainty enough for this casual breakfast.

Previously two visitors came for their own tasty treats…

😉

Late this week my mother-in-love is coming for a visit with my father-in-law. This table setting may just well appear again for my tea drinking family!

“If you are cold, tea will warm you; If you are too heated it will cool you; If you are depressed, it will cheer you; If you are exhausted, it will calm you.”

William Ewart Gladstone, shared in If Teacups Could Talk

by Emilie Barnes

A stack of dishes when breakfast is done… Prettiness in a cup.

Sharing with

All About Home ~ Follow the Yellow Brick Home

Friday at the Fire Station ~ A Fireman’s Wife

Party in Your PJ’s ~ The Apple Street Cottage

Happy tea to you,

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A Victoria-Worthy Tea in the Library

May 7, 2019June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Evening light is beautiful in “The Library” as the living room is now affectionately called. The bookcases are coming along, the corner hutch is filled, and the mantel is decorated for summer.

But today is all about reading, ethereal light and tea…

Victoria is my favorite magazine of all times ever since my sister-in-law Linnea left a few issues at my mother and father’s new home then in the early 1990’s. I came to visit and found something I didn’t even know I was looking for ~ ethereal photography in a magazine fresh and light and utterly beautiful.

The Library bathed in sunlight is the best place for reading in the late afternoon with its ethereal lighting. Beautiful light ~ a bit overblown but the light changes rapidly as the sun continues its descent beyond the oaks and fence and neighboring home outside.

Capturing a bit of the essence of Victoria’s now retired photographer Toshi Otsuki was the ideal for me…

Just beyond crickets are beginning their evening song. The robins snack at the birdfeeder just hung beyond the windows and Mr. Squirrel scoots around picking up fallen treats along the ground.

Peaceful and airy and dressed in white ~ the Golden Hour has come and one must capture it as best one can…

“Take a break,” the tea table calls to me.

“Come read a bit and let your heart be free!”

Pulling up a chair I do sit for a bit thumbing and revisiting

Old Friends…

Sip by sip the tiredness washes away on the dust particles floating by in the waning light.

To be lost and forgotten in a world of one’s imagination…

😉

Sharing with

Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage

Homestyle Gathering ~ My Wee Abode

Share Your Style ~ Here!

Style Showcase ~ Stone Gable

Party in Your PJ’s #261 ~ Apple Street Cottage

Félicité,

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French Ethereal Reloaded: A Valentine’s Cake & Recipe

January 9, 2019June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

In honor of St.Valentine’s Day

I baked a scrumptious German Chocolate Cakefor tea and had friends stop by to partake.:)’

*I am republishing this post with updates for you as it was a good one! Everyone seems to love chocolate cake so with that, here’s this updated post for you.{almost as good as Alton Brown’s Good Eats Reloaded!}

The recipe is for this deliciously decadent chocolate and coconut cake is from The Hershey Chocolate Treasury Cookbook {linked but not affiliate}

a lovely recipe book my husband and I picked up at the Hershey factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania the summer after we were married.

I think Amy was about 20 years old in this photo. She is 26 years old now and lives with her roomy down in Austin, Texas.

This is my daughter’s favorite recipe book and she was always baking us something wonderful from it when we were still together in our last family home.

You know… that gives me an idea of what I could send each of the kids for Valentine’s this year…?

Kind of excited about this!

If you are looking for something, anything chocolate ~ this cookbook is for you and has loads and loads of delicious recipes from cookie squares to cakes to ice cream cake rolls ~ most of them tested by my family!

Photographs are from our last home in California ~ still looking for a kitchen window here in Texas which has a nice view out to a yard.

So, here’s the promised cake recipe and the cookbook:

This book is linked for you if you’d like to order it online. I am not currently an Amazon affiliate but thought you’d like this book. It’s One to Order.

Hopefully you can see the recipe on the page. Nice thing about computers is we can make our pages MUCH BIGGER when we need to by resizing, Lol! Because this is an updated post, I can’t mess with this photo, sorry! (I tried.)

This German Chocolate Cake recipe is easy to whip up and the icing is placed in the bottom of the cake pan making it an easy cake to make, indeed!

Here is our former dining room table set for a festive Valentine’s Day tea ~ with mixed sets of Limoges china dessert plates and various cups and saucers. The table is brightened up with a homemade tablecloth and napkins set.

I did find some cute tablecloth and napkin fabric available at Joann’s online and here is a link for similar fabric so you can make your own set! {affiliate link ~ thank you for checking this out.}

Quick Sewing Tip

Tablecloths and napkins are some of the easiest things to sew if you are new to sewing: all straight edges and squares and rectangles. Just buy 2 1/2 yards of 45″ wide Valentine’s fabric, wash and dry (some widths may be less).

Iron out the wrinkles and then cut off a 1 1/4 yd. piece (45″). Turn under 1/4″, twice, on each side to the fabric’s wrong side, ironing flat. Fold each corner in creating a triangle and tuck that in mitering the corners as you finish straight stitching each seam. Easy peasy!

The remaining 1 1/4 yard you’ll divide into squares to create the napkins. Here’s where you’ll need to do a little math:

If you want to make 10″x 10″ finished napkins, you need to cut 11″x11″ squares (which takes into account turning under all the edges), and so on.

From 1 1/2 yards we can create (6) roughly 14″ sq. maximum napkins (45″/3 pieces across = 15″x 15″ cut squares). Fabric is rarely true to 45″ so plan on cutting 14″ squares to create 13″x13″ finished napkins.

For (4) 20″ finished napkins, cut four 21″x21″ squares. It’s all personal preference.

There are etiquette books which tell what size napkins you need for what type of meal (and when) you are serving, whether it is a luncheon, a tea, or a dinner. I personally don’t think that it is always necessary to be particular with all that; however, it is fun if you are serving a formal dinner.

Check out my post linked here to see my review of this napkin etiquette book.

Since my birthday just passed, it would be wonderful to have this for a treat for this coming weekend…

I might be baking another of these later this week… ;)’

Sharing with

Friday Features ~ Oh, My Heartsie Girl

Wonderful Wednesday

Dishing It and Digging It

Vintage Charm ~ My Thriftstore Addiction

Friday at the Fire Station ~ A Fireman’s Wife

Happy salivating, 😉

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It’s Always Tea and Roses at French Ethereal!

May 25, 2018June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Tea and roses is an ever recurrent theme at a great many

of the tea parties I have shared here at French Ethereal.

Those two words for me go hand in hand…

Classic cream scones recipe shared in a past post around Christmas time ~ our previous trailer.

Whether having tea in our backyard at our previous homes

or in either our current or past “RV prairie home”

sharing photos from tea parties with you and

sharing photographs of roses from my yard or in

store-bought bouquets is something

I truly enjoy.

Often it is just me for tea as my husband enjoys iced tea but he prefers coffee in the mornings when we breakfast together

on the weekends.

Sometimes I’ll bring tea cakes or scones with me to our

Bible Study group to share while we talk through

what we’ve just been learning.

A tea for two.

“The very act of preparing and serving tea encourages conversation. The little spaces in time created by teatime rituals call out to be filled with conversation. Even the tea itself ~ warm and comforting ~ inspires a feeling of relaxation and trust that fosters shared confidences.” — Emily Barnes

One of many vintage teacups and saucer sets I have ~ most currently packed away but ready to come out again soon. 🙂

The addition of roses at my teas came naturally as I began

growing roses at our very first apartments ~ it all began

innocently enough with three roses in pots.

A lovely rose found in the Biltmore rose garden.

In the past I had many teas at my home for friends

I met through a group in Riverside County, California

called the Victorian Tea Society.

The group is still together and although it is just a small

group of women now compared to 20 years ago

they still get together for lunch once a month at

each other’s homes.

The friendships begun so many years ago are firmly

cemented in “taking tea.”

I am thinking that once we find our *next house I’d like

to start a new tea group.

Isn’t it always fun to have a few friends come over for a

tea luncheon?

🙂

*We are looking at houses on a little land and I took my

hubby Mr. Ethereal to see one this week.

I hadn’t looked up the for-sale price until we returned

home from our drive…

It was listed only at $849,000.

Just a little over my price range ~

but perfectly situated!

A small pond, stables and corral, large metal workshop,

12 acres, a large home of 3800 sq. ft. {really too big}.

It sits up on a small bluff and the workshop, doughboy pool

and stables are down below.

Nice black angus relaxing out in the field near the pond.

Nice view of some of the surrounding area…

Our former Big House in Murrieta, California ~ still love this living room and the travertine marble floors we hand-laid.
The corner round cupboard held many of my rose strewn teacups and other sentimental treasures from my children.

For now though a new home will have to wait.

🙂

But tea and roses

lives on…

🙂

My mother-in-law baked this chocolate cake with coconut

frosting for me for my birthday back when the above

photograph was taken.

Love her vintage transferware china with its colorful ethereal

flowers winding along each piece’s edges!

Souvenir de Malmaison pink roses and mini purple agapanthus ~ a favorite bouquet in summer.

This bouquet of roses was extra special as it was the bouquet

cut from our yard at its most beautiful in June ~ the day our

last home went on the market.

Some favorite roses since…

Loved this little garden we had when we first began

camping full-time.

The nice thing about having tea and roses together is

that like “home” they can travel with you

wherever you go.

🙂

Sharing with
Make It Pretty Monday ~ The Dedicated House
Tea in the Garden ~ Bernideene’s
Wow ~ Savvy Southern Style
Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage
Style Showcase 31 ~ Shabbyfufu

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Thank you for stopping by from the

Spring Tea Link Party!

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Royal Week ~ Keep Calm and Drink Tea!

May 17, 2018June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

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Royal Wedding week for HRH Prince Harry and his fiancée Ms. Meghan Markle and it wouldn’t be complete
without a small discussion and a little history about
“taking tea.”

Warming us when it’s chilly outside and cooling us down

when poured over ice cubes in the summer ~ tea is
the perfect drink no matter what side of
the Pond one lives on!

😉

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Tea and Brits

Tea and the British go together like… well…

tea and biscuits…

This week I shared a post about porcelain fit for a king
so today I thought I’d share a little about how tea time
as we know it came to be.

Tea as a drink has its origins in China in the year 2737 BC
when Emperor Shennong was away from home with his army.
His servant was preparing hot water for him to drink and a leaf
from the camellia sinensis bush blew into his cup.
The leaf went undetected and Emperor Shennong drank from
the cup and found the brew to his liking.

By English wikipedia, Public Domain, Link

In the 1500’s, Portuguese priests and merchants were offered tea to drink in China and they enjoyed it and brought tea leaves back to their part of the Western world.
Tea became a popular drink in the United Kingdom
during the next century.
The East India Tea Company brought tea production to India
during this time in order to compete with China.
Consumption of tea was mostly for the upper classes initially
as tea was expensive but with England being able to
produce its own tea the drink was made available
to everyone.

Anna Maria, Marchioness of Tavistock.jpg

Anna, Duchess of Bedford By Unknown – http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2716693070094285158FiYlXt, Public Domain, Link

Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, started the tradition of afternoon tea back in 1840 by inviting in a few friends to share a light meal to stave off hunger between the noon meal and dinner

which then was served at 8:00p.m.

The idea took off as apparently everyone was hungry and

high tea became very fashionable.

What’s the difference between the different tea repasts

you ask?

According to a nice post by Tea Time magazine afternoon tea

{also called a low tea} is a light afternoon snack where little finger or tea sandwiches, scones and cake is served.

High tea is a little more substantial with savories and meats included with the tea and is more like what we would call supper.

High tea is served at 5:00p.m.

Not really a tea but too beautiful not to share. 🙂

Here is a table set for a light dinner at the Biltmore Estate

that I shared in my Biltmore at Christmas post last December.

A cream tea is a tea that serves scones with clotted cream and a small pot of jam.

In the Victorian Tea Society when we had teas at each other’s

homes we really had an afternoon tea.

Once in a while if a friend just happened to stop by

then I might have a cream tea as a mid-morning snack

but actually a cream tea is a type of afternoon tea

in the United Kingdom.

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Tea accoutrements

Tea tins

Earlier this year I found this tea tin at HomeGoods and

since it works with our British tea theme today plus it’s my

favorite color… Just had to share here with you today!

On the back of this sweet pink tin of black tea by the

Keep Calm and Carry On Beverage company, Ltd.

there is a summary of how

the famous saying on WWII British posters came to be:

“On the eve of WWII the British Government printed 2.5 million Keep Calm and Carry On posters. The aim of the simple five word statement was to convey tot he country a message of reassurance for the troubled times that lay ahead.

“The posters went unused and subsequently destroyed at the end of the war. Some 55 years later a second hand book dealer in the North of England discovered a copy of the poster in a box of books bought for auction. That find marked the rebirth and launch of the Keep Calm and Carry On message into the 20th Century.”

Tea tins have been in production for over a century now but tea was first stored in small locked tea chests or boxes within the home {think the Boston Tea Party of Dec. 16, 1773}.

Tea bags

There are first cutting and second cuttings of tea with the first cut referred to as the best tea for that harvest from the camellia sinensis bushes at a tea plantation. Brewing a cup or pot of loose leaf tea is still the best tasting way to enjoy tea.

There are differing types of tea ~ white, black, oolong, rooibos, green tea and more.

There are also tisanes which are herbal blends and not really teas but most people call them tea anyway.

The invention of the tea bag is considered as 1908 with little hand-sewn bags of fabric, usually silk. Patents were applied for as early as 1903 with production beginning in 1904 and successful marketing of tea bags by 1908, hence the date.

Tea spoons

Spoons specifically for tea were originally called mote spoons and were created by Colonial pewter and silversmiths here in America.

These spoons were long-handled with slots in the spoon face itself for removing tea leaves from one’s cup and from the crevices of the tea pot’s spout.

Pretty interesting stuff, huh?

🙂

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this little history of tea today and

please check some of my other posts featuring tea

by just searching “tea,” “teatime” and “table settings” in

the search bar along the top, I believe it is.

🙂

*Set your recorder to record the royal wedding which

will begin at 4am EST this coming Saturday morning on all

the major news channels starting at various times.

Check there programming for the correct time for that

station ~ especially if you aren’t planning to

get up to watch it live.

😉

Sharing with

Feathered Nest Friday
Thursday Favorite Things

Sweet Inspiration
Inspire Me Monday
Friday Features
Hearth and Soul
Create Bake Grow and Gather
Tablescape Thursday
Best of the Weekend ~ Pender and Peony
Tuesday Cup of Tea ~ Antiques and Teacups

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Happy tea to you,

Uncategorized

Napkin Folding and a Little Book Review

April 26, 2018June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

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Napkin folding is an old art and there are sooo many styles to go with your tablescapes and to go with

whatever meal you are serving.
Today I thought I’d share just a couple of napkin folding
techniques and the book I found with you all
in a little book review.

I love looking for books and tea and etiquette books are
BIG on my list of “must haves” so when I found a newish
book on folding napkins which could help me
with setting a pretty table
I was all over it.

The photograph above is from a tea I photographed recently and here I’ve created a cute little floral napkin pocket ~
one of the napkin folding ideas I found in this
exciting little book.

Let’s get to this book review and tutorial
shall we?

🙂

*This is the original printing. There may be minor differences in the two.

Credited to Liz Belton, et al

Here a napkin style called The Pocket makes an informal tea table fun!

The Art of Napkin Folding

by Liz Belton and the editors of Ryland, Peters and Small

London and New York
rating: 5 stars
(an updated version ~ new cover ~ not credited to Ms. Belton, et al )

*This is the second publishing with some changes. I purchased the first printing.

I found this book to be charming with full high resolution color photographs throughout showing detailed step-by-step

instructions on creating more than a dozen folded napkin styles.

Each photograph shows how to recreate each napkin style and

is very thorough with the details.

My favorite of all the photographs ~ Love this kitchen prep photo with the Fleur de Lys napkins guarding the silver.

My nemesis has been the above photographed… the

Fleur de Lys.

I have another book written by the late Diana, Princess of Wales’
former butler Paul Burrell and I never could get this napkin
to work so I’m particularly glad that this book

does the job.

When I was trying several years ago to recreate the Fleur de Lys from Mr. Burrell’s book there must have been a step missing.

For this reason only is why I gave it four stars out of five.

Otherwise, for interesting tidbits about royal life and some wonderful stories about the princess and Mr. Burrell’s

time spent in her service ~ this is a lovely book and

I do enjoy reading it!

Both books are wonderful for the

aforementioned reasons.

In the Royal Manner:

Expert Advice on Etiquette and Entertaining

from the Former Butler to Diana, Princess of Wales

Grand Central Publishing, London

rating: 4 stars

I am an Amazon affiliate but any purchases you make here won’t cost you

a cent more. Please see my full disclosure here.

So, on to the today’s tutorial…

🙂

How to fold a Fleur de Lys napkin

*Starch and iron your 20″ x 20″ or similar

square napkin flat.

Press by folding to lightly create four squares

for future guide.

Open out and iron flat.

{The lines of each square should still be slightly visible.}

*Turn the napkin on the diagonal and fold the top point down

to meet the bottom point creating a large triangle.

*Bring both outer triangle points down to meet the bottom
point ~ as seen above.
Lightly press as you go through each step.

*Now fold each of these top points back towards the top.

*Fold the lower points up to touch the above folds
then fold up again a second time ~ as shown here.

*Fold a third time creating what looks like an old paper hat

many of us created out of newspaper as a kid.

Press again.

*Flip the napkin over and continue with the next step:

*Fold the left side and the right sides in by 1/3 each

and slip the right side into the pocket created

by the rolls of the left side ~ above.

*Pick up the napkin and round out the bottom to

make the napkin stand.

*Turn the napkin around to face you and fluff the

lily’s top “petal” and pull down the side petals.

That’s all there is to it.

Turns out it wasn’t so difficult after all.

🙂

The editors of The Art of Napkin Folding show even

more photographs than I’ve recreated here but I didn’t

want to spoil the book for you!

The Art of Napkin Folding shares tutorials for

napkins for contemporary occasions as well as for

classically vintage stylings.

The editors discuss traditional napkin sizes and the

history of napkins and relates napkin use to what occasions

certain sized napkins are used today.

Funny names for some of the napkin foldings are:

the water lily

the fan

guard of honor

the tuxedo

the rose

and perfect points

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this little napkin post and

I look forward to creating more napkins in future

tablesettings with you in mind.

🙂

Sharing with

Thursday Favorite Things

Feathered Nest Friday

Wow

Friday at the Fire Station

Sweet Inspiration

Dishing It and Digging It

Sew It Cook It Craft It ~ Sew Historically

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Happy decorating,

Uncategorized

TBT ~ A Day of Throw Back Tea Parties

April 21, 2018June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

It’s Saturday and a spring rain is falling off and on

outside today ~ making this a perfect day to sip another

cup of tea and reflect on past springs and teas here at

French Ethereal…

In our last house I was always setting our large oak

dining room table or this smaller round pedestal table for tea.

On this occasion I created at Easter time I decorated with some

of my favorite vintage tableware and this

sweet little birdie.

Sometimes my tea times could be just tea for a few friends such as in this little tea for my birthday above.

Other times it could be a tea for one as this

little tea was.

🙂

At the peacock tea there were real peacock feathers decorating the table and over on the teacart as well.
Little peacock notebook favors were gifts from the hostess to her guests to take home.

On this day we had a peacock-blue themed tea party

and the ladies I’d met through the Victorian Tea Society

almost 20 years ago now came and enjoyed the day.

Here Monsieur Rabbit came to a little tea at our desert camp home in the spring two years ago ~ it was a lot of fun!

Another recent post with M. Rabbit hiding in the garden

shared this spring’s garden and our little lettuces and

other herbs growing.

Last spring I was saying goodbye to two new friends

I’d just met when we moved here to Texas as they were moving

down to Florida to be with family.

We shared a special luncheon and I cooked my specialty ~

zucchini quiche.

Barbara’s tearoom was a lovely place to go for

any occasion to enjoy a tea time being pampered.

Another wonderful place I found after moving to Texas

was the Chocolate Angel Tearoom, below

and in a second post here.

These two photographs were from the day I found

the Chocolate Angel tearoom and I ended up

sharing just my little early dinner one day.

Later I shared the whole tearoom and giftshop ~ a really

pretty place in Richardson, Texas to come and enjoy

teatime with that special someone

or special friends!

This was a another fun spring tea last year again

around Easter time ~ a breakfast tea.

And a little patriotic tablesettings with some set for tea

since we are coming up on Memorial Day.

Looking back I was quite surprised to see how many

tea and tablesettings I’ve shared in the past with

all of you!

And these are just a few of them.

😉

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little blogpost of “throw back teas.”

Sharing with
Feathered Nest Friday
Dishing It and Digging It

Happy weekend,

Uncategorized

Spring Tablescapes ~ A Tulip Tea

April 12, 2018April 28, 2021 French Ethereal

Last week’s trip to the Texas Tulip Farm was a

step back in time and also an inspiration to redecorate

a bit and share a new way to set your tea table…

I love redecorating the window every couple of weeks

and adding the bouquet of candy striped tulips to the

windowscape really inspired me to get creative!

The striping on these ruffled tulips and the deep pink color

spoke to me saying, “Bring out the pink transferware!”

I think this is my absolute favorite photograph from

this day’s photoshoot ~ I love the toile like bowl set on a

stand I rescued from when we were cleaning out a

closet at the Odd Fellows and Rebekah’s hall.

Plus I love bringing out the teapot with its bulbous

shaped bottom and the little creamer which mimics

that shape.

Kinda like those tulip bulbs I pulled up when picking

these tulips!

There’s something about tulips and playing with decor

that just really says springtime to me!

When I was taking these photos it was such a pretty

spring day outside.

For this step back in time tulip tea add some decorating

accessories that look antique or vintage to your

tablesetting along with your china pieces.

Here I’ve used a vintage white ironstone sugar bowl with

light pink faux roses and a couple of other ironstone

pitchers and one of my “Girls” to add to the

vintage feel.

I also added in the little Shabby Chic mugs I used in a

bridal shower tea at our California camp host site ~

a Target find from a couple of years ago.

Bringing in the little “Annette” sugar bowl by Theodore Haviland keeps the J. Broadhurst “Constable Series:

Bicentennial 1776-1976 set from getting

a little too twee.

I love layering china for each course during a meal and this

tea setting is no different!

Little bread plates for the first course of scones are set on top

with a white ironstone salad plate next for the

salad fresh from the garden.

The vintage Limoges plate for the main course of

tea sandwiches and fruit is the final plate

and also acts as a charger.

Today’s tablesetting was the first time I’ve played with

creating a different napkin style and this little

napkin pocket is fun and perfect for our spring tea table

and yours.

I’ll share more from this little napkin folding book and

a lot more about creating the perfect napkin creation

for your upcoming tablesetting

in a couple of weeks.

🙂

Sharing with these link parties ~

Wow

Feathered Nest Friday

Sweet Inspiration

Thursday Favorite Things

Over the Moon

Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Titanic China ~ Antiques and Teacups

Hearth and Soul ~ April J. Harris

Happy tea to you,

Barb 🙂

Tag: tea time

Decorate Your Coffee Table for Fall ~ August Pinterest Challenge

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Sunday Sentiments ~ Fill My Cup, Lord

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An English Breakfast tea in the Garden…

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A Victoria-Worthy Tea in the Library

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French Ethereal Reloaded: A Valentine’s Cake & Recipe

In honor of St.Valentine’s Day

Quick Sewing Tip

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It’s Always Tea and Roses at French Ethereal!

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Napkin Folding and a Little Book Review

How to fold a Fleur de Lys napkin

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TBT ~ A Day of Throw Back Tea Parties

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Spring Tablescapes ~ A Tulip Tea

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Let’s look at this coffee table in more detail:

Here is my tabletop display again:

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In honor of St.Valentine’s Day

Quick Sewing Tip

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Tea tins

Tea bags

There are first cutting and second cuttings of tea with the first cut referred to as the best tea for that harvest from the camellia sinensis bushes at a tea plantation. Brewing a cup or pot of loose leaf tea is still the best tasting way to enjoy tea.

There are differing types of tea ~ white, black, oolong, rooibos, green tea and more.

Tea spoons

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How to fold a Fleur de Lys napkin

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