8th Annual Tea - Polka Dots and Posies

A couple hours on Friday to set up and have a "blank" slate ready for the ladies to decorate for the tea.

Then comes Saturday morning and they are off and running.  This year we had 10 members on the tea committee and they each did an outstanding job.

Start time at 10:00 am with the finishing touches.  (Remember you can click on the pictures and have them come in larger so you can check out closer up.)

Carol and Sara did a beautiful job on the sign in table.  Don't you just love Carol's "posie" quilt?  And look at all those door prizes in the box.

Teas and teapots with cozies - hot water, iced tea - everything ready for the ladies. 

And so many choices.

From bagged flavors to loose tea that everyone could experiment and make their own combination teas.

The kitchen is a bee hive of activity.  Of course I was able to get a couple shots of some much needed down time.

You can only take so much on your feet time.

Even the Show and Tell table was decked out in flowers.

Hayley and Sara spent a few moments with our guest speaker Judy, to go over introduction information.

And then - the tables are ready.

Chicken, cucumber and bologna salad sandwiches........

Deluxe egg salad and Challah bread roses...........

Veggies, dip, cheese and crackers and fruit...............

More fruit, coconut walnut bread, cream cheese scones and brownie strawberry bites.................

Red velvet cupcakes, carrot cupcakes, Matcha green tea shortbread, Lemon cornmeal short bread, Amaretto sugar cookies, Peanut butter energy balls............

Hawaiian bars, pistachio balls, rose peppermint mints  and Oreo truffles.

Oh - wow - scrumptious - delicious

need I go on?

Thank you ladies for all the wonderful tea items you put your heart and souls into.

And thank you Debrah for coming all dressed up in the spirit.

Ask her about her great find at the Lighthouse.

Looking great lady.

But then all of our ladies looked great.

Teresa, Jeanette D's sister, and her daughter Kassady came this year with Jeanette, and Debrah.

Dixie, Twila and Shirley down in front 

and Cindy (daughter of) Virginia, are in the back

Jeanette and Deb O, along with Ginny and guest, Jane.  

Janet and Carol along with Nancy and (I think) Evelyn

Carol B and Ruth Ann in the back

Juanita, Janet and Susie sitting

Connie, Sara and Judy in the front

(Oh boy) Marion ? in back with Hayley

Myrna (?), Sister Wagner and Verna Lee

Jenell and Marilyn sitting with Machelle and Vevia standing.

A few of our guests were unable to make it, but to those that could and to all the members that signed up - thank you for coming out and enjoying the tea with everyone.

Judy Stitt was our guest speaker with a presentation on getting those pots ready for spring.

What do you think of her propane bottle planter?

Isn't that the greatest.  Her husband cut off the top, drilled some holes in the bottom and then painted it outside and down on the inside for about 4".

Judy says you can place a piece of garden cloth, coffee filter or even sewing stabilizer over the holes to allow water to drain out, but not your dirt.

In the bag was the soda cans she brought, all washed out, to fill in the bottom.  Think she put in 8 of them.  Makes your pot a lot lighter and not so much dirt is needed.

Succulents were on the agenda for the day.  Make sure you use good dirt - but no water keeping stuff - succulents do not like to have their feet soaked.

After the dirt and the succulents (please don't ask me the names), Judy placed stones, pebbles, a little clay pot for a home, along with a little rabbit.  Showed us a trick on placing things in and keeping them in place - don't throw away your pizza box inside stand.  Ask one of us - we'll give you the tips.

And presto!  You have a darling little garden to brighten up any porch.  I do remember that the plant on the right front will grow and hang down the pot.

Maybe you want to do posies?!  Well get one of your gorgeous, valuable flower "vases".  hahahaha yep, here it is a quart jar.  And if you don't have anything blooming yet - use silk greenery, add a few colors of this and that - change them for the time of the season or the colors you are looking for.  And if you don't like seeing the stems - use marbles, beans, rice, what ever to hide them.  Place a bow of jute string around your vase.......

and now you have a lovely arrangement for the table inside.

Thank you Judy for all the ideas and tips you gave us.

Then it was time for Polka Dots and Posies Show and Tell!

Jenell picked up some fabric at a sale and inside was - Polka Dot material.  So she made up some place-mats using the fabric along with some flower fabric from her stash.  Lovely and in grand time to bring them in.  We will have to find out if there is a name for those blocks put together - they look great.

Marilyn stated that she was her own show and tell.

Polka dot skirt with flowers on her top.  hahaha  Marilyn thank you for sharing your humor and your smile.

Verna Lee stated that when you have guests - you should show off the good stuff.  She brought her Biltmore Estates china teacups and pot in to do just that.

Sara brought in her Dresdan Challenge of a few years ago, as it is full of posies and polka dots.

She also brought in her BOM  - "Tisket and a Tasket in a Basket" from 2009 or 2010.  That's when three of our members presented the BOM to show several ways to do a pattern:  Barb C. did the wool, Iowana did the embroider and Susie did the regular applique.  Course Sara put a few of her own tweaks into her quilt.

Jenette D. is also her own Show and Tell.  Love the polka dots.  Remember when polka dots were the rage?  They should come back - look at how smart our ladies look in them.

Twila brought in a favorite heart that has lots of posies in the fabric.

Shirley had one with polka dots.....

and one with posies.  This is a really cool table runner pattern Shirley.

Ginny thinks these posies might be almost 100 years old.  The flowers were painted on silk by a family member.  Ginny is thinking about framing it to keep it safe and to be able to display.

Janet has several fields of flowers in this quilt.

And Carol brought in her fields of flowers.  This is one that Janet's sister made one, then Janet made one and then Carol made one, and there is still fabric left.  Small, medium and large flowers are in these fields.  Imagine laying down under this quilt and just dreaming of being in a field wild with flowers.  I can.

And Carol told us how she had bid on the white quilt with the bright flowers on one of the on air auctions and got it.  Sure added a lot to our Tea theme.

Thank you to all the ladies that brought in your show and tells

Brought your guests

Brought yourselves

And enjoyed a fun day.

And a special thank you to everyone that pitched right in = in hardly anytime at all, everything was washed, put away, packed up - etc.  ready for everyone to go home at a decent time.

Praying for God's blessing on you all - as you were a great blessing to the tea committee members.

And of course - thank you to all the committee members for a great job.

And now that 2017's tea is over

time to think of next years - right?  hahahaha

Throwing out an idea - let us know what you think

2018 - 9th annual tea

REHEARSAL REVERSAL TEA

Idea:  Committee members think up a theme, set up the venue, and the guests bring the vittles.

Looking forward to your comments.  :^)

Have a great day!