Spring Time is Tea Time: Tablescapes

Spring is the perfect season for celebrating new beginnings. With the end of the cold and dark of Winter comes Easter, weddings, babies and Mother’s Day. There is no better way to mark these special and festive occasions than with an afternoon tea!

Afternoon tea is a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a few hours out of your day. It is entirely about enjoying the moment, something we rush right past most of the time. Many of us wait for a special event like a bridal shower or holiday before we’ll take the time to pause and just sit, chat, and enjoy a delicious meal. We leave our china in the cabinet to collect dust and favorite recipes become consigned to our memories only. It’s a shame.

So, if you’re like most people, waiting for a reason to get out that china and bake Grandma’s famous cake, Spring gives you plenty of reasons to choose from. Pick one and get cracking. No more excuses!

While working on this post, I’ve learned that several of my friends are secret china hoarders. They have stacks of beautiful dishes in all sorts of gorgeous patterns, colors, shapes and sizes tucked away like buried treasure behind innocent-looking cabinet doors. (Y’all know who you are.)  Which was AWESOME for me, because I got to borrow their beautiful china for the Spring tablescapes you see here!

I guarantee that you know at least one secret china hoarder. It’s not hard to winkle them out. They are usually quite proud to show off their collection when asked. Pool your resources! Mix and match that china with whatever you’ve got on hand and you can pull together the foundation of a great table display in no time flat. Then you just fluff it out with flowers, a few accessories, and BOOM. Done. Pass the scones.

Setting the table for an Easter tea is especially fun. Who doesn’t love bunnies?

If you don’t love bunnies, I don’t want to know you.

Just kidding. These bunnies in glasses and bows just kill me, though.  And there’s no reason you can’t have some fun with your table settings. Easter is a happy time. Get into the spirit and throw caution to the wind.

Not into bunnies? Okaaaay…(raises eyebrows skeptically)…

Here’s another take on a Spring tablescape, set for tea for one. Super simple and rustic. Green and white with a pop of yellow and lots of botanical details, without a lot of stuff.

Plus, there’s Italian pear cake. PEAR CAKE.

I know what you’re saying. “I would never do all that just for myself.” I get it. But all you have to do is throw out a few more placemats and settings around the table like this one, and it’s a party. Believe it or not, I probably wouldn’t do all this just for my own tea, either. But we could. And maybe we SHOULD. Because why not? Maybe not every day, but more often than we do. You deserve it. Isn’t that better than allowing yourself a few stolen moments in the pantry just long enough to snarf down a Milano cookie or two (if you’re lucky) before one of your darling family members interrupts?

You bet your sweet pear cake it is.

When it comes right down to it, it’s just tea and cake. We just prettied up the table without making too much effort. And surely, you should be enjoying the things you bought and tucked away, whether you’d call yourself a secret china hoarder or not. (Before the little ones come home from school, please.)

Did I mention the pear cake? It’s the prettiest thing on this table, hands down. I’ll post the recipe for you soon.

And now, back to the bunnies.

Just allow me one more variation for Easter, with some understated bunnies this time. By understated, I mean fewer bunnies in outfits.

This table is definitely fancier than the rustic-style tea for one. You can get as fancy as you like! The more layers you add, the dressier your tablescape. If you’re like me, you tend to forego table linens for day-to-day dining. We probably shouldn’t, considering they really do for your table what paint does for a room. They can be a very effective background for all the other elements you choose, adding softness, color and pattern. They also communicate to your guests that you care enough about them to wash their napkins, which should make them feel pretty special. For an afternoon tea with guests, they are essential.

This tablescape coordinates well with the homeowner’s dining room, making it easy for her to leave the table at least partially set for everyday dining once the tea is over. The linens and accessories can stay where they are until it’s time for a new look.

So there you have it. There are so many great sources for fun tableware. While I did borrow from friends a bit for these pictures, several of the items you see here came from Home Goods. I love Home Goods. They have great decor items at reasonable prices, and they always have fun holiday decorations. The same goes for World Market (also a great place to get tea and tea snacks). My bunny plates from the pink tablescape are from Pier 1 a few years ago, and they still sell a similar set, which are on clearance at the moment, you lucky ducks.

I hope you will take some time this Spring to celebrate, whatever the occasion. Even if it’s only that you baked a cake and had a free half hour to yourself.

Enjoy!

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All links are provided merely to be helpful.