Tea Time...

 Julie and I decided that we wanted to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee

of Queen Elizabeth ll by having our very own tea party. I know that the official jubilee was a couple of week ago but this week both of our husbands were out of town on business and we had time to really make it special.

We went all out and even got dressed up...Julie in her cute hat..

(I don't have a hat but I do have a bow in my hair) and

I have on my pearls.

 Julie made cucumber sandwiches

and I made deviled eggs.

   

 I polished my moms silver...

  

The top one in this picture has my great grandfather's 

initials engraved in the handle ( J.A. for John Thomas Appleby Jr.) or it could be my great, great grandfather's whose name was also John Thomas Appleby Sr. and the sugar spoon has my mom's initials

in the handle... E.A. for Eudora Ellen Appleby.

While I was getting ready I kept thinking how much easier this would be if I had a maid...like they do on Downton Abbey...

But if I lived during that time...I might not have had a maid...

OOHHH...

I might have even been a maid....

I think I am just fine cleaning my own house....

and living with modern conveniences... 

but I think what I would really like is 
to have my own cook!!!

Anyway...I have a few tea cups, which were also my mom's, and

a sugar bowl and creamer but I 

did not have a tea pot...so I decided to go to the antique store

to see if I could find one.

There were probably 20 different tea pots to choose from. Most of them were modern and didn't seem to fit the occasion...

but then I found this one... 

Made in England...it is a Gibson Staffordshire teapot....

and I was surprised and pleased at how reasonable it was.

I don't usually care for gold but I knew my tea cups had gold edges so even though it doesn't match it would look as cute as possible...

Plus it is a bit worn, especially on the handle, but it has personality

and probably a cool history.

I love it!!! 

  

 During tea we watched

"Lost in Austen" a cute take off from

"Pride and Prejudice." 

"

 And we worked on our paper dolls...which are actually fabric...

They are so cute and have a bunch of really cute clothes to go

with them.

We didn't get them quite finished...

The little blond pony-tailed girl is done and has on one of the outfits...

...but we can finish them up during out next tea party...

Sooo fun...!!!

Our first tomato of the season!!!

 Wooo Hoooo!!!!

We have been watching this little tomato for the last few

days because it has finally starting to turn red!!!

So Wayne told me this morning before he went to work

that we had better pick it before our

squirrel friends decided to have a taste.

(That is what happened last year to most of our tomatoes)

The funny thing is....this tomato came off of our smallest plant!!!
Go figure!!!

 We are thinking the tomato plants are not getting enough sun

and maybe next year we will have to move it away from the house. 

We will just keep trying.

Our beans did pretty well...we will probably still get some more

beans before they are through.