Two hearts forever one and one Handsome Devil makes for a tea-rrific anniversary at Torino

Two hearts necklace and flowers for the Lady

Handsome Devil red wine for Lord Gulley

Exactly one month ago today, my husband, Chris, and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary. It's been a fabulous journey so far with three amazing kids (all through college - yahoo!), two homes, one cabin up north and a couple of spoiled mutts. This spring we officially became permanent empty-nesters - save the coddled pooches - and we're on to Chapter Two.

The other Handsome Devil and Mrs. Gulley

We celebrated our 30th anniversary last year at Torino, an up-and-coming restaurant in Ferndale. We love this restaurant and brought our friends back to join us for another great dining experience a few months later. We weren't surprised when The Detroit Free Press named it Restaurant of the Year for 2014 and we decided we'd go back for a repeat anniversary dinner celebration.

The gourmet menu changes monthly

Skip the "and movie" part of the dinner date when you go to Torino:  the multi-course meal will be entertainment enough. We also chose the "drink pairing" option where the chef and bar tender work together for optimal beverage accompaniments for each course.

Fourth course:  chicken, truffles, berries

We ended the evening with a few gourmet chocolates and a selection from their tea menu. I chose "starry night", (an herbal decaf), that couldn't have described the evening any better. With one handsome devil and two hearts forever one, may the next 31 years be as wonderful as the first.

Ending with Starry Night - "a calming herbal blend"

A nice finish, selecting from the tea menu

Hello Tea Garden . . . It's been a long cold (although not-so-lonely) winter

In February, I purchased these "TEA" tiles at the Lewiston ACE Hardware

It's actually hot here in Michigan!

Officially on the books as the record-breaking snowiest winter in Michigan, when May rolled around we finally experienced warmer temps.  Seasonal activities have turned from snow shoveling and skiing to deck sitting and gardening - and the latter includes a little plot of land up north designated for just that purpose.

In April, the snow was starting to melt a bit in my designated tea garden

In February, when we were at our place up north for a family ski trip, I accompanied my husband on quick trip to the local hardware store. They had a clearance section and garden tiles were marked down to $2.00 each. Not many letters were left, but I sorted through what remained and found "T", "E", and "A". Thought that would make a nice addition to this year's tea garden.

When I first placed the garden tiles  in the back clearing of our 20 acres in February, the snow was almost two feet deep. They tiles slipped out of my mittened hands and fell like hot toast slices through the snow. Took me a few minutes to recover them, but when I did, I placed them gingerly on what is to soon be this year's tea garden  and waited patiently. By April, we started observing some thawing.

Tea Garden is ready for plants and lots of tea drinking on the deck.

 Now that it's mid-June, the tea garden is open, ready for planting and lots of tea drinking on the deck. This month also signified the season's re-opening of my favorite vintage china store, The Antiques Depot, in downton Lewiston. Owner, Deborah K., says she will be open seven days a week. Each time we go to our cottage, I will be stopping in!

Warmer temps means Depot is open 7 days!

This weekend's purchase!

A lot has been going on since my last blog entry in March:  a birthday, a wedding anniversary, a Miss America tea, a Downton Abbey tea and a tea presentation I put on for the luxurious Townsend Hotel in my hometown of Birmingham (Michigan). I've got a lot to share, so please stop by frequently so we can all get caught up.

In the meantime, I hope you'll join me for a cup of iced-tea this afternoon. With a nod to my all-time favorite band, I join the chorus in singing:

Little darling, I feel the ice is slowly melting, Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here

Here comes the sun, Here comes the sun, and I say, it's all alright.  .  .!

Japanese tea ceremony at the Detroit Institute of Arts, beautiful demonstration of rituals steeped in history

Hostess (in pink) serves guest of honor (in brown) and other attendee

Last weekend, the Japanese Women’s Club in association with the Japanese Consulate of Detroit demonstrated the rituals of the tea ceremony at the Detroit Institute of Arts as a part of the museum's current special exhibition, "Samurai: Beyond the Sword".  My daughter, Rachel, and I were in attendance of the demonstration, and, having experienced many an English afternoon tea as well as being guests at a Chinese tea ceremony, we were anxious to learn more about this very distinct way of tea.

Guests pay homage to wall hangings and tea preparation area

While the Chinese focus on the tea and the English afternoon tea centers on sumptuous treats and accessories, the Japanese tea ceremony's main emphasis is ritual. The hostess invites a guest of honor, and after that designation is bestowed, she can invite as many other attendees as she wishes. The guests enter the room, but before placing themselves at the station where they will be served, they first work their way around the perimeter paying respect to the wall hangings and tea preparation area.

Hostess wipes down tea accessories with napkin

Sunday's demonstration was a condensed version of a ceremony that, with the inclusion of a meal, can take over four hours. At the DIA stage in the Rivera Room, two guests and a hostess, dressed in beautiful traditional dress performed the ceremony in less than an hour. After giving all the accouterments a ceremonial cleaning with a dry napkin, the hostess prepared matcha, a powdery green tea that is whisked to a frothy consistency with a bamboo whisk.

The hostess serves the guest of honor first, who admires the bowl in which the tea is poured. She drinks quickly and appreciates the design of the bowl, making sure to point the most beautiful part of the pottery away from herself.

Guests may ask to examine tea boxes with carvings

After the other attendees are served, they may ask to see the hostess' tea canister. Guests will admire the lovely carved wooden box and after a respectable time of inspection, hand it back to the hostess. 

Hostess leaves the room with tea equipage

When the guests are done with the tea, the hostess will gather up her tea making equipage and depart. Attendees will retrace their earlier route of the room, again paying homage to the area where the tea was prepared as well as the wall hangings, placing an unopened fan before them to mark a respectable boundary between themselves and the hostess' belongings.

Guests again pay respect to tea area, placing an unopened fan as a boundary

There is very little talk during the ceremony as it is considered a meditative event. Unlike the English afternoon tea which Rachel and I are most familiar with, it is quiet, modest and entirely scripted. Beautiful and amazing to watch, we may not yet be masters at the Japanese tea ceremony, but we did bring back some Japanese green tea from the DIA gift shop and, that my dear friends, is a start.

Rachel looks at tea selection in gift shop

Afternoon tea and chat with Lord Spencer

Interviewing Lord Spencer this week in Royal Oak

It's not often I get to sit down with British aristocracy, but last week I snagged that opportunity when Lord Spencer came to visit Michigan to promote the Althorp Living History collection at Royal Oak's Scott Shuptrine store.

Tall in stature, and in full possession of Patrician charm, Lord Spencer was engaging and accessible. He was surprisingly more handsome in person and unexpectedly humorous.

The Althorpe collection event was held last Wednesday in Scott Shuptrine's upscale furniture showroom and, along with a presentation from Lord Spencer, the retail store also offered afternoon tea fare and musical entertainment for those in attendance.

The "crested caddy" from the Althorp collection now part of  the Gulley collection

The collection is inspired by the Althorp estate, the childhood home of Lord Spencer and his sister, the late Princess Diana. Pieces from the collection include desks, chairs, sofas, beds and accessories, including tea trays and caddies.

The night of the event, the store had one Crested Caddy available, which, as the name suggests is embellished with the Spencer family crest. I scooped it up and Lord Spencer personalized the piece by signing it for me.

When I asked if they still use the tea caddies at Althorp, Lord Spencer said with a wry grin, "yes, but they don't always have tea in them".

Lord Spencer points to the family crest, which was theirs "before Harry Potter stole it".

He pointed to the family crest, noting the griffin below the five-pointed crown. "This was ours" said Lord Spencer, "long before Harry Potter stole it from us".

He told me his favorite tea is Japanese green and that his favorite room to have a cup is the home's library, not only because it's such a lovely space but because that's where the family tends to congregate.

The Althorp collection will strike a chord with Downton Abbey fans as the furniture represents generations of period pieces. I was surprised to learn however, that although Lord Spencer is a close friend of Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey, he doesn't watch the show. He jokingly said that he's probably the only one who hasn't.

As part of the media covering the event, I was thrilled the public relations folks of both Scott Shuptrine and Lord Spencer made time for me to chat with Charles, the 9th Earl of Spencer.  For more details on  the Spencer family and the Althorp furniture and estate, check out my stories on The Examiner:

Real life Downton Abbey furnishings and tea with Lord Spencer of Althorp 

The Earl of Spencer and afternoon tea featured at Royal Oak's Scott Shuptrine

Barb's TEA Shop's In/Out List for 2014: Real Downton Abbey vs Reality TV

In with the new & out with the old

Last weekend, I cleaned out my tea pantry. It was time to take inventory and assess what was staying and what was going. Much like our annual In/Out list, it lead to "out with the old and in with the new (er)".

 A little behind schedule,  a quick glance at the list and you'll get a clue as to what we've been caught up with in the past two months. Even with  the Season 4's finale this Sunday, our obsession will not stop. There's enough to keep us going until Season 5 next January.




In                                                        Out

Downton Abbey    .............................Anything else on Sunday evenings at 9:00

Dowager Countess and Lady Mary.... Honey Boo Boo and Mama June

Downton Tabby .................................Ducky Dynasty

Tom "Cat", the Chau-fur &; Mrs. Catmore .......Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub

Downton Abbey jewellery...................Grillz (unless burgers are on it)

Overhearing secrets at Downton...........Listening to what the fox says

                               










Ringing for Carson ..............................Twerking with Miley

The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes ....Real World (is that still on?)

Ladies Almina &  Catherine books by Lady Carnarvon . . .Real Housewives

Being a Lord (aka Laird) or Lady...................Bachelors or Bachelorettes.

Eating Royally, recipes from Royal Chef. . . Pizza Hut hot dog stuffed pizza crust                                                                                                          

Ringing in both the new year and Carson for the months ahead filled with Downton Abbey! 

Austen-tacious tea at Troy Public Library: Chilly temperatures not so important

Beautiful poster of the event from Troy Library

 In John Mullen's book, "What Matters in Jane Austen?:  Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved", Chapter 7 asks the question, "Why is weather important?" Although Mullan is directing this inquiry to the plot lines of Austen's novels, we saw applicability to the weather's importance with regards to a  Jane Austen tea talk - specifically this past Sunday as Barb's TEA Shop presented "An Austen-tacious Tea" at the Troy Public Library. With single digit temperatures and a threat of another snowfall this weekend, we wondered how many would venture out for tea and Austen. I'm happy to report, the library room was full and, at the end of the presentation, our teapots were depleted!

Almost ready to start as guests finish up in the tea line

We were thrilled to see such a great turnout on a chilly afternoon. Upon arrival, guests hung their coats on the back of their chairs and lined up for some hot and inviting Twinings tea (Jane's favorite!). Rachel (my daughter and business partner) served up the tea and after checking out the variety of tea cups attendees brought, I began the presentation.

Rachel serves guest Twining tea, Jane's favorite!

We touched upon Regency period influences, Austen residences, characters in her novels and even some Downton Abbey tie-ins. We covered a couple centuries in sixty minutes and, as always, the time travel goes by in warp speed. A great time with a delightful group of folks.

Our thanks to all who attended as well as Cassandra S., Librarian at TPL, who invited us to present this fun event.

Lord and Ladies get ready for the premier of Downton Abbey, Season Four

Ringing for Carson to serve tea during DA, Season 4

The countdown to Downton has begun! Tonight, the premiere of Downton Abbey, Season 4, debuts at 9:00 pm.  I shall join Lord Gulley in our drawing room this evening, seated comfortably between the fireplace and the flat screen TV, and ring Carson for a cup of tea. Months in anticipation, I am ready to rejoin the Crawfords as they once again meet life's challenges as the one-percenters of the Edwardian era.

Although fictional characters, they are as real to me as my own Lord Gulley, who, as of this month, may be truly addressed as "Lord" or "Laird", thanks to a Christmas gift of a small plot of land in Scotland, courtesy Highland Titles. (He may also be referred to as "The Much Honoured Gulley, Lord of Glencoe")

And, while we're talking Christmas gifts, I was the recipient of some wonderful DA-themed presents this year. I received the two books in the "Real Downton Abbey" series, written by the current Lady Carnarvon. The first is about Lady Alamina, who married the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and is the inspiration for the Downton Abbey family. (Much of the DA "upstairs" is filmed at the Carnarvon's estate, Highclere Castle.)

Lord Gulley , as estate owner, can empathize with Lord Grantham

The second book continues the family saga to the next generation, focusing on Lady Catherine who married Lady Alamina's son.  I have read the first one and enjoyed it greatly. It provides some interesting tidbits to the real-life aristocracy, however, be prepared for a lot of World War I history. The second half of the book spends a significant amount of time on the subject.

These books were a gift from my brother and sister-in-law and also came with a DA Christmas tree ornament that is pull bell, modeled after one in the servant's hall. I chose to mount this on my own front foyer wall and will ring for tea when necessary.

Another DA-inspired gift came from my other brother, Glenn, another family member who supports my addiction to this show.  This was a book, too, although, on the other end of the spectrum from real-life lords and ladies to an absurd, but hilarious parody, in the feline personification of the Crawley brood, entitled "Downton Tabby".

Studying up with DA books, from real-life lords to funny fat cats

Downton Tabby has all the silly things you might expect from a group of cats dressed in Edwardian garb with names like "Catson" for the head butler and "Tom 'Cat' Blarney", as the "chau-fur", but it also elicits some high-end wit with its insightful comparisons to the aristocracy and the lives of cats. Some of the basics for both groups:  "never do anything for yourself that someone else can do for you, get fed, groom, sleep, groom and, finally, loaf in a decorative chair in a highly charming manner."

My favorite page in Downton Tabby, however, is the diagram for the proper table setting. It includes not only a napkin and place card, but a stoat fork, vole fork, mouse knife, hair plate, four glasses for milk and one milk goblet. A tablescape that would make even  Grumpy Cat smile.

With my Downton Abbey collection close by and a warm cup of tea in hand,  the Lord Gulley and I will tune it at 9:00 pm to watch our favorite Masterpiece Theater drama begin its fourth season. It is how we will conclude our week-end, whatever that may be!