Happy 2011!

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,

(Fauchon offers you its most precious smile for 2011.)

This came in my e-mail a few days ago from the lovely people at Fauchon. I love this image and although you may have already seen it, I am happy to share it with you...

And don't we all wish we were in Paris this New Year's Eve so we could all go have one of these objects of swooning? This is their "Eclair Paris", filled with dark chocolate cream, covered in dark chocolate icing and then topped with a gold-leaf decoration reminding us that it comes from the one city in the world that could elevate pastry to this highest level of art!
(image from Papilles & Pupilles)

And here is the catering menu, complete with luscious photos, if you would like to see what else can be found at Fauchon for A Beautiful Parisian New Year's Soirée!

My final treat of the night, and of the year, is a fun video I found showing New Year's Eve in Paris!



Bonne Année to all the Dear Friends of The Tearoom!
May we all have beautiful, productive, creative New Years full of love, health and happiness.

Hugs to you all,

Betty

Welcome to Christmas Eve 2010...

My Dearest Friends,
Thank you so much for joining me! And if you are joining me later, of course you are still very most welcome, as you will then get to celebrate two Christmas Eves!

Our celebration of Christmas Eve is a simple one this year.

Won't you please come warm yourself by the fire and help yourself to something delcious from the samovars on the mantlepiece? The one on the left is hot chocolate, steeped with vanilla beans and the one on the left is the hot water, should you prefer tea. I have made tonight's tea selection based on an act of kindness.

My dear friend Anya of Couture Millinery Atelier sent me a very sweet package today. Sweet because it was so nice of her to do it, but also for what it contained!

Mr. V and I love these mints, which have been made at the Abbey in Flavigny, France since 1591! Anya was so nice as to send a package containing these violet candies, but also a tin of rose and a tin of anise. Each candy is deliciously flavored but also contains a single seed of anise. Thank you so much, Anya, for such a delightful surprise!

So, in honor of my dear friend Anya sending me such a lovely gift, I have selected a tea from Kusmi in Paris, which is called "Anastasia", which is also the name of Anya's lovely daughter. This tea is a blend of Earl Grey with lemon and orange blossom. And to honor their Russian heritage, I have also selected Petrushka and Kashmiri Tchai, for our friends who would like to further warm themselves with traditional Nepalese chai spices. I am wishing Anya and Anastasia a beautiful, warm Christmas!

And to accompany our beautiful teas and chocolate? Something simple, yet beautiful: from the House of Pierre Hermé, a contemporary Buche de Nöel in his Infinement Vanille flavor. Since we are spending our Christmas Eve in front of the fire, a "yule log" seems appropriately symbolic and vanilla is the perfect flavor to accompany our drinks. It's perfect with chocolate, tea, citrus fruit or spice.

And our final treat of the night is a gift to us from my very dear husband, Mr. V! Here are some Christmas pictures from our world:

Diningroom, festooned with red and green chili pepper lights!

Livingroom, with electric candles in the window.

The pattern on the livingroom ceiling, cast by the candles and lace curtains.



The staircase upstairs



Christmas Tree

I'm waiting for Santa!

We wish you the sweetest of Christmas memories and dreams...

"...And to all, a Good Night!"

Betty

An Invitation...

(Image of Mademoiselle Lina as Santa adapted from the lovely image of Santa, as himself, from Karen of The Graphics Fairy. Thank you!!)

Long Awaited...

Dearest Friends,
Do any of you remember this post from early this year when Mr. V and I were in the process of moving? I created a collage for my friend Kirsi's Collage Obsession challenge blog. I was beyond honored when another friend Anya, who is a very talented modiste (someone who designs and makes hats!) from Couture Millinery Atelier left this comment for me:

"I absolutely love this fabulous collage - I simply can not get over tea cup on the head.So much so that I decided to create a hat inspired by you!:-)"

And guess what?...


Isn't this just such a spectacular hat? I just love everything about it, the colors, the black and white stripes, the black lace trim, just everything!!


This is another view of the hat that she has included in her super eye-catching "Alice in Wonderland" window display for her Atelier in New York. How could you possibly walk past this without stopping to admire?

I am so honored, Dear Anya, that my collage in some small way inspired you in one of your wonderful creations!

Won't you please visit Anya's Atelier and be amazed by more of her beautiful, colorful and creative hats?

(P.S. It is late...Please forgive me, Dear Anya!)
The photos of Anya's hat is used with her very kind permission!

Happy Christmas...

Dearest Friends,
I have finally decorated The Tearoom for the holiday. I hope you will stop and have a cup of tea from the samovar with me...

It is beginning to snow again...

Loveliest wishes of the season to you and all you love,

Betty

Another From The Balloon Vendor...

Just having fun with this theme right now. This one is called "The Balloon Vendor Two - Lips and Roses" and I did it for the collage challenge for The Three Muses. The theme this week is flowers.

Please forgive me if I am thinking of spring instead of the holidays.

Happy surprises to be announced and new items in the Etsy shop too...

Thank you so much to Debra of Valentine Grimm and Josie of Charmed Memory Collage for a lot of the images I'm using.

The Balloon Vendor...

First in a new series of collages. . .

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday preparations and festivities!

Betty

(Images used in this collage by Valentine Grimm & Asunder Ephemera)