tea for two (or more).

a few weeks ago i was greeted by my good friends with a nice surprise. a couple of side notes about surprises:
a). true TRUE ones come so few and far between (especially the older you get), and
2). i LOVE them (duh).

my friend charlie's mum had offered up her mother's b-e-a-utiful silver-plated tea/coffee set to little old moi. i squealed (quite loudly) with excitement as visions of girlie tea parties and hosting divine dinners with friends, quickly filled my head and i promptly assembled it all and displayed it in my teeny dining nook.

you see, i had access to a miniature tea set when i was a gal, but some pieces were missing by the time it was passed on to me (ahem, older sister...) and frankly, i was getting a bit too big for the single spot of tea (or water) the pot could hold. this new set was complete with two slender pots (i could hear myself asking: "regular or decaf?" "coffee or tea?"), a stout little creamer and a twin sugar bowl. each piece with four tiny "feet" on the bottom for slight elevation, all resting on an ornate silver tray with a handle on each side, to boot!

all this on top of the fact that i live + die by second-hand treasures, just made this sunday surprise so much sweeter. while i have visions of the previous life this beauty of hosting...accoutrements...had before me - including mid-day coffee, holiday dinners and maybe even a brunch here or there - i also have big plans for it in the future. above all, my heart warms knowing where it's been: in a family of friends that i have come to consider a form of family of my own. and isn't that just the cream to my coffee?

thanks janine!
*yours truly prepared to serve up some goodness at thanksgiving dinner!