The Tea Party

1/3.  Aunt Augusta was having her annual tea party. She liked peculiar things and the guests always tried to find little curiosities for her as hostess gifts. This worried Freddie quite a bit. He was not what you might call ‘an ideas man’, he never had a clue what to bring. And this year promised to be worse than ever. His crazy cousin Carlos and his friend, horrid Harlod, had just come back from Turkey with quantities of Marzipan. Aunt August was very partial to Marzipan. Oh, what should he bring?

 Next: What is a tea party without tea?

 2/3.  There was a rather interesting story in the morning paper about tea. And not just any tea, Chinese tea! The story used exotic words like wild tea trees, high mountain tea and nutritious tree teas with abundant flavors. It all sounded very Aunt Augusta! Freddie had a good think. There were seven days until the party. With his frequent flyer miles, careful planning and a bit of luck, it could be done. He packed his bag, asked a neighbor to feed the cat, and he was off to China, the Land of Wonders.

 Next: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

 3/3.  The trip was quite long. Freddie found himself hopping from plane to train, taking buses and a ship, there was even a rickshaw involved. The plantation, when he finally reached it, was stunning. Freddie may have been a little deflated to discover that they ship their tea internationally, but he got over that as soon as they brewed him a cup. Oh, it was lovely! He grabbed as much tea as he could carry and started towards home. He made it to the party in the nick of time, flat broke and exhausted. But wasn’t it all worth it for the hint of a smile and a tiny nod from Aunt Augusta as she tried the tea?

♡

Featured: The adventures of an upcycled wine bottle cork.

This story is sponsored by iTeaworld 

https://iteaworld.com/?ref=ay9eddnn

Make Do and Mend

 

Something is wrong,
Cinderella isn’t it!
She tries and tries
but the shoe doesn’t fit.

She explains to the prince:
It’s this awful heat,
my ankles are puffy
and I have swollen feet.
.
(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: My sister's shoes were hit 

with some acid so I made these little 

patches to give them new life.

The Princess and the Pea

 

The little princess

had an awful night,

she tossed and turned

from left to right.

But tonight she

will sleep at ease -

she made the prince promise

to use mushy peas.

♡

Featured: A princess bed

with extra accommodation inside.

Upcycled: a small tin of Barkleys mints

A Small Break

 I'm taking a small blog break.

Meanwhile, you can find me 

on Instagram at (link)

 see you soon!

♡

A chore? A bore!

 The iron is broken,

oh, what a mess,

with a pile of laundry

waiting to press.

The wrinkles! The horror!

It's almost a crime,

and what will I do

with all that free time?

♡

Featured: two new friends

idling about, not doing chores.

A Dark Tale

Last night I dreamed

that I lived in deep space

I played with the stars,

that was some race.

But then I got sucked 

into a very dark hole,

it didn't end well for me

and I mean - not at all!

Then, in my dreams,

I lived under the sea,

it was beautiful there

with so much to see

Until a shark appeared

and boy, was he fast

I have to tell you -

that I did not last.

I woke up to find

I've survived all my dreams,

convinced that our world

is not as bad as it seems.

♡

Featured: A star fleet

upcycled from paper rolls

with my little nephews.

A Five Star Review

 Five reasons I’m giving Five Stars to 

Down a Dark River by Karen Odden:

1. The stage - the year is 1878 and we are in Victorian 

London, a time of discovery and innovation, 

a time when people are still bound by their class and history.

2. The lead - Michael Corravan is an inspector in Scotland 

Yard, a young man with a prickly character and complicated 

history, in no hurry to share his secrets. 

3. The supporting cast - Corravan is surrounded by a motley 

crew of friends and colleagues who all add another 

dimension both to his character and to the story.

4. The plot - the book, the first in a new series, 

begins with the disappearance of one woman, 

the murder of another and a river that runs between them. 

Nothing more from me, this is a spoiler-free zone.

5. The summary - if you are in the market for a 

hard-to-put-down historical mystery with a different voice, 

plenty of atmosphere, plot twists, suspense, quality writing 

and a satisfying end, this could well be the book for you.

♡

Featured: I upcycled these bags

with a tea wash and embroidery.