Tea Time

Laura over at Decor to Adore is holding a High Tea linkup party.  I've never had a tea party.  I invite friends over solo for a cuppa, but have never held anything remotely similar to the fantastic teas linking up over there.  Still it's nice to set a pretty table even when it's tea for two.  I set this tea for the most part with all things vintage.

While we were in Rochester for the weekend, my MIL gave me a shoebox full of silverware.  It was really fun to go through.

Some of it was engraved with the initials of people we could find listed in the family bible.

There were 4 different patterns of relish forks.

I love this little sauce spoon.  Ignore my grotesque man hands in the picture.  It was taken at a weird angle.  I swear, I don't have mitts for hands.

I chose a couple of little monogrammed cheese knives for my tablescape to use as spreaders for the berry compote.  They shined up quite nicely once I hit them with the silver polish.

I served the compote in these adorable german pieces.  I'm not sure if they're salt cellars or possibly votive holders, but my MIL gave me 4 of them from Computer Genius's great-aunt's estate.

If anyone recognizes this mark on the bottom, or has any info on them, I'd love to learn more about these little dishes.

I served these little mini-scone fruit triangles on a delicately beautiful Limoges tray also from my MIL.  Who's lucky enough to have Limoges just given to her?  This girl.

My vintage table wouldn't be complete without these fantastic vintage linen napkins found in the bottom drawer of the sideboard that we inherited from CG's great-aunt.

The only things not vintage on this table?  The teacups and saucers.  They're our wedding china - Mikasa Wedding Band Platinum.  I like to pull out our wedding china when it's just adults.  I hate the idea of it sitting in the china cabinet unused.

Behind the teacup you can see another lovely piece.  This sugar bowl is so pretty, and another piece that arrived from my MIL.  It's Bavarian, and signed on the bottom.  I'm assuming the signature belongs to the artisan that painted this piece.

Oh, and the table?  That's a solid cherry butler's table that I snagged off Craigslist for $15.  The young couple selling it said that it was her mother's table and it didn't go with any of their (Walmart pressboard) stuff.

Thanks for popping in and having tea with me.  I'm linking this up to Between Naps on the Porch's Tablescape Thursday and Common Ground's Vintage Inspiration Friday.