Tea with childhood friends...

Today I am sharing with yall a very special tea set...It was my first "real" tea set..But that just makes it special, what makes it VERY special is that it was a gift from my big brother to me for Christmas when I was just 7yrs old, (He was 11yrs old at the time)...It was a surprisingly thoughtful gift from the brother that was more inclined to ditch me walking home from school, than to spend his hard earned money on something so sweet....and because of that, it will always be my very favorite tea set.


The full set includes two more cups and another saucer all of which I left off the table since I only had two guests for tea today...(we will get to them in a moment)..It also has a sugar bowl that is currently somewhere buried with some of my Silkstone doll house props (makes a great vase for flowers in their dining room) and the lid to the teapot is also missing for the moment, but I am sure it will turn up as I unpack more boxes from my doll studio.

My guests and I have enjoyed many a cup of tea from this very set over the years.

This is "Dolly"...I am sure at one point I gave her a name but I have long forgotten it...She arrived that same Christmas from my older sister. My sister is 10yrs older than I and it would surprise me if she was not responsible for nudging my brother to give me the tea set...But back to Dolly...She was my first china doll and the beginning of my doll collecting...So I guess that would also make this doll the first step towards my career as a doll fashion designer....Goes to show, you just never know how a gift to a child could some day shape their future.

And Teddy...This lovely antique bear was given to me when I was just 9 months old, she had belonged to my Father's older sister and while our family was visiting that side of the family in Holland, this bear was waiting for me in the crib at Grandma's house...Teddy has fully jointed arms and legs and is stuffed with straw and we guestimate she is pushing 90yrs or more old...MUM will correct me if I am wrong :)

These scrumptious miniatures are handmade by a wonderful artist Dawn K Anderson whom I am honored to call a dear friend...She is so gifted in both painting and sculpture, her works of art can be found in doll collections around the world...you can see her amazing work on her website http://onesixthsense.com

She signed each slice of cake...
To give you a better idea of the size, these pieces were actually created for Barbie size dolls.

I am so glad you could join me and my childhood friends for tea today...

We are also joining the following Tea Parties this week...

Rose Chintz Cottage & Inspirations - Tea Time Tuesday

Lady Katherine Tea Parlor - Tea Time Tuesday

Wander Lee and Pam's - Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday

and party Co-hosts:

Martha's Favorites - Tea Cup Tuesday
&
Terri, Artful Afirmations - Tea Cup Tuesday