The Gossamer Tearoom

How Could I Resist?

2012-01-30T07:58:00.002-05:00

This collage is my submission for The Three Muses Collage Challenge. The prompt this week was "Oooh-La-La!". Now, how exactly, was I going to resist that?

(Please click on the image for the larger version.)

(Thank you to Julia at Cemerony, Cristina at Asunder Ephemera, Ella at Calico Collage, Mark at Memories Emporium and Karen of The Graphics Fairy for the images I used.)

Today, He Returns....

2012-01-29T09:41:00.001-05:00

As gossiped about earlier, The Balloon Vendor returns today....

Balloon Vendor One

Balloon Vendor Two

(These are more from my new silk pillow card line.
Available only here.)

A Debut....

2012-01-26T20:39:00.007-05:00

Tonight, I debut a new line of very special cards in
The Gossamer Tearoom shop.

The first two called....

I Can See You

and

I Think She Heard Us

are the first in a new line of silk pillow-topped cards.
The collages are my own design,
printed on silk
(like my brooches,
also in The Tearoom shop)
and then applied to small cards.

I lovingly decorate each one
with twinkly bits of glitter for sparkle.

Inspired by a time when you could buy
big, beautiful cards, printed on padded satin...

Very special.

A beautiful idea, now re-born....
Only available here.

From the Laboratories of The Gossamer Tearoom....

2012-01-24T21:22:00.001-05:00

....coming soon....

Scenes from Two Shops....

2012-01-22T22:55:00.000-05:00

Just in case shopping for Valentine's Day is on your agenda...

from Mirabella Morello:

Vintage Valentines

Vintage brooches

Vintage ring boxes (the top one in peach has just sold,
but the other two are just waiting to be sent to you!)

...and from The Gossamer Tearoom Shop:

Silk pillow brooches of...
...hearts that are sweet...

....and some that seem slightly sinister...

...lovers beautiful and beastly....

....and that most romantic symbol
of that most romantic place....
twinkling in the twilight....

And if you remember this and this
(and even if you don't),
keep checking back.
Our friend The Balloon Vendor has returned
in a completely different form!

Left for me in my e-mail...

2012-01-15T21:58:00.004-05:00

My Dearest Mr. V left this quote for me in my e-mail and I thought it was just too interesting not to share! I have the flu again (for the second time this month) and so I think it took me much longer to make a little mini poster of it than it should have. But it speaks to me on a whole lot of levels and so I hope it does you too, My Dear Friends of The Tearoom!

The Eyes Are The Windows To The Soul...

2012-01-12T23:40:00.001-05:00

The topic of "Eyes" is the subject of the challenge at Collage Obsession this week. This is my submission. (Click to better see detail.)

Get out the paper doilies...

2012-01-10T12:39:00.001-05:00

(No...really, it is!!!)

This is Me...

2012-01-02T23:23:00.004-05:00

(This is my submission for the collage challenge this week on the Three Muses blog. I would like to thank Marsha of Tumblefish Studios, Karen of The Graphics Fairy and Kirsi of Itkupilli for the use of their images in my collage.)
This is me...
Standing on the edge of the most wonderful year EVER!
Just taking a moment of peace and still gathering my strength after last year....

A few things about me you may or may not know:
-I love the color purple and consider it to be a good luck color for me (who doesn't know purple is my favorite color??)

-I love the way they look, but I'm actually trying to get over my life-long fear of butterflies (yes, butterflies!). I have been afraid of them for as long as I can remember, but just last year, I was able to sit on my porch and watch them as long as they didn't get too close! So, my wearing butterfly wings symbolizes my facing my fears.

-This is the first time I have ever done a self-portrait, so that stands for all the new things I have to be willing to try in order for our lives to take a different direction.

-I'm dressed comfortably, even though I think I am waiting for something very important! It is vital to be very comfortable for these sorts of situations.

-I don’t like the cold, which is not good when you live in New England. Doing art keeps me from hibernating all togehter until April or so. If it was announced that winter was over for the year, you would find me doing The Dance of Joy until I passed out! I'm dressed for summer here because I can't wait for it to be here!

-Even though I lost both of my parents last year, I feel pretty strong and empowered because I am still in “warrior” mode. I was their medical advocate and I hope I helped make their last months and weeks and days on this planet as comfortable as possible.

-I found a quote from Mark Twain that I think is the perfect accompaniment to my collage:
“Twenty years from now
you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do
than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore.

Dream.

Discover.”

A New Year's Wish....

2012-01-01T01:10:00.002-05:00

....received in my inbox from Fauchon last night....

Carpe Diem....Seize the Day...The New Year's Promise we should keep everyday.

(My apologies to my friends who don't love caviar. Maybe you can pretend it's licorice candy!!)

xoxo,

Betty

Wishing You All...

2011-12-31T16:58:00.005-05:00

May we all have a Happy, Bright, Creative and Prosperous 2012!

I will be doing my visiting to say hello to most of my blog friends tomorrow!

With hugs,

Betty

(I know this is a bit of a low-key celebration of what I hope will be a great year, so if you are in the mood for more festivities, please see my post from New Year's Eve last year! xoxo)

The Illusionist and His Assistant...

2011-12-29T13:29:00.005-05:00

...my new Etsy Treasury...

A Wish for All of Friends of The Tearoom...

2011-12-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

Wishing a Merry Christmas and a Most Happy Holiday Season to all of our lovely friends all over the world!

You are our angels.

Betty & Victor

A Christmas Fairy Tale...

2011-12-24T13:35:00.000-05:00

It is Christmas Eve.
And still,
snow swirls past our windowsill in silky silence.

You’ve not a care in the world, Dear Ones.
In our comfy nest of pillows, Mommy tucks us into bed.

Our little hands hold her most special espresso cups,
filled with rich hot chocolate.
The sweet steam tantalizes our noses and warms our faces.
“Please sip carefully, so as not to spill," reminds Mommy.

What a special treat it is to drink
hot chocolate in bed while Mommy reads to us
this Christmas Eve night!
As we snuggle closer together in the bed
(oh! there is the hot water bottle at your feet, you selfish thing!),
miraculous tales unfold.
There are no surprises,
as we know all the stories by heart.
Our eyes lose their battle with sleep and
we find ourselves boarding that Aeroship of Slumber,
which will rise into The Aether of Dreams.

Our fellow passengers accompany us there...

...the Red Riding Hoods,
Fairy Princesses
and
Maids in Distress.

But worry not, the prince in never far behind...

....and just when you thought Mommy was done,
she reads more stories of princes and princesses...

(the empty cups are gently taken from our hands,
so as not to wake us...)

Our Mommy is a clever one, she is!
She has lured us to our slumber,
knowing that Santa will only visit while you are sleeping...

...Is it sleighbells you hear?
Is it the prancing of reindeer hoofs on the roof?
The sliding down the chimney of that Wonderful Dear Santa?
The shuffling of his big black boots as he fills your stockings
with all of the treats you like the best?
Go back to sleep, Dear Ones.
All is quiet again as Santa partakes of the yummy snack
you have left for him!
Mommy knew he would be cold,
so she has left a large serving of the hot chocolate for him in the samovar,
where it will stay warm for a while.
She has also left some of those cookies that we helped her to make today.

Happy Christmas to you, my Dear Ones.
"...and to all, a Good Night!"

Snow White and Rose Red Christmas Tea

2011-12-23T21:45:00.001-05:00

It's Christmas and the snowflakes fall without sound outside...
Inside, we are cozy, warm and safe.

It's so fun when it is just you and I
having tea together here,
but it really is a bit of an extra treat
to see so many friends here in The Tearoom tonight.

Welcome back, Dear Friends,
to the refuge of our imaginations.
Real Life is turned away at the door tonight.

And what for tea?
Only just a few jewel-like treats...

(Since it is a virtual tea,
we may be as extravagant as we wish.
It is Christmas, after all.)

Of course, there is tea....
I love Christmas, but I love Spring and Summer and more.
So, I could not resist selecting the Summer Blend Tea
from Betjeman & Barton of Paris
(Those beautiful citrus flavors will perfectly complement
the other treats
and remind us that
warm weather will be with us again soon...

...and a Buche de Nöel
(this one is called "Ella"
from The House of Pierre Hermé),
all shiny and crimson
with the flavors of red berries,
lemon
and
olive oil.

....and a most beautiful and savory treat,
a Lobster and Asparagus Charlotte
from The House of Dalloyau

(I'm not certain who has invited the squirrels,
but all are welcome here.
Of course it would be rude
not to provide a treat for them,
as well as all of the other
sweet and furry ones who are visiting)

The Secret Chef of The Tearoom
has quickly whipped up some little round
nut biscuits for the squirrels,
bone-shaped peanut-butter biscuits for Twisby
(the sweet whippet who is the companion
of Lady Tweaze-Whickle,
seen arriving at the party in the first
of the pictures of the guests),
and fish-shaped salmon biscuits for
our own Dear Dapple.

More of our Dear Friends, chatting with each other...

My Aunt Hazel once told me
that if a squirrel takes something from you,
they leave something in return.

And look...

What polite guests they were!

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit today.
Mr. V and I are wishing you and your family
a beautiful Christmas and Holiday Season.

(Please check back tomorrow as there will be one more treat....
Please wear your most comfy jammies
and bring your favorite friend...)

Worry Not, Dear Ones...

2011-12-19T12:34:00.001-05:00

Santa will still be coming to The Tearoom this year. Even Real Life cannot stop him.

Promise.

For My Father....

2011-12-16T10:31:00.003-05:00

Dearest Friends,
In more sad news from Real Life, my father passed yesterday morning.

He is at peace and we are grateful.

We did not always understand each other, but he is now in a place where all is understood and forgiven.

Above is a moment of happiness from a Christmas before I was born, found in my mother's locket.

Good-bye Daddy.

An Invitation...

2011-12-08T00:32:00.002-05:00

...more lovely surprises to come...

A Gift for You...

2011-11-27T14:06:00.006-05:00

I'm happy to offer you
25% everything
(except for special listings)
in both shops...

The Etsy coupon code is:
CYBERWEEKEND

Sale applies for both
The Gossamer Tearoom Shop
and
Mirabella Morello...
Until midnight on Tuesday...

Happy Shopping!

What Is New at Mirabella Morello today?

2011-11-26T14:47:00.004-05:00

The door is open, come right in...

Welcome to Christmas Time!

2011-11-25T00:40:00.001-05:00

Have you ever read the story of Snow White and Rose Red? If not, you can read a very nice abridged version here or a more complete version here. I had a set of little story books that came with little yellow records. Before I could read, My Mommy and I would listen to the records as we turned the pages of the little story books (as the story was read, there was a "ping" sound when it was time to turn the pages!) This sweet story was a favorite of My Mommy's, as well as mine. I remember she got this one for me sometime around Christmas, so it always made me think of her at this time of the year. So, in honor of her and her great love of roses and fairy tales, my theme for this Christmas season is "Snow White and Rose Red". You will find red and white roses nearly everywhere in my world between now and Christmas Morning. There will be vintage Christmas items in Mirabella Morello and a new line of silk brooches in The Gossamer Tearoom Shop. And won't you please keep checking back for even more surprises...more roses....more fairy tales...and of course, this being The Tearoom of The Aether, another virtual tea, just in time for Christmas...

Above is my own rendition of this image of Snow White and Rose Red. I started with this beautiful image, painted by Jessie Wilcox Smith in 1911. We had not heard from The dAdA Dolls in such a long time, but when they heard I was working on this project, Rose de Blanc and Blanc de Rose begged to be included. Blanc de Rose transformed herself into Rouge de Rose for the occasion and so they appear here as Snow White and Rose Red.

I look forward to spending Christmas here with you, Dearest Friends of The Tearoom!

Keep Watching...

2011-11-24T00:45:00.003-05:00

...for the newest from The Tearoom....

A Christmas holiday filled with red and white roses....

and Faerie Tales,

A Christmas Tea,

and The Very Sweetest of Dreams

For Love of Black Cats (and Dogs)

2011-11-09T19:47:00.004-05:00

My Dearest Sweet Friends,
Above, you can see our Dearest Violetta, holding her Dear Purr-Muffin, who answers to "Dapple" most of the time (as in "dappled sunlight). Dapple is here to tell you something. Even though he is black like the night, he is just like any other kitty cat. He loves ear scratchings, cat crunchies and taking a nap in that spot of sunshine on your bed. If he runs across your path, it is just because he is checking if it is time for more crunchies (and he knows that anytime is a good time to have your ears scratched!)

This collage started out as my contribution to one of the collage challenges whose subject this week was "black cats". I wanted to post it there, but decided to only post it here because they are having some fun with the superstitions that still follow black cats like Dapple around and I would prefer to stand on my soapbox in The Tearoom and not dampen anyone's fun.

Have you ever heard of Black Dog/Black Cat Syndrome? I was not aware until a couple of years ago that animal shelters have problems finding forever homes for black dogs and black cats. In addition, some shelters have made it a policy not to let anyone adopt black cats anytime in the month of October, due to abuse and neglect.

Dear Love Muffins like Dapple are just like any other cat and we are so happy he is a family member here at The Tearoom.

My Dear Mr. V and myself have not adopted a Baby of Fur of our very own yet, but someday, when our lives are settled, we will. When we do, we will definitely be looking at Sweet Ones of ALL colors. If you are considering adopting a pet from a shelter, please don't overlook black cats and black dogs.

Thank you to Karen of The Graphics Fairy and Marsha of Tumblefish Studios for the components of this collage.

A Simple Explanation. . .

2011-10-31T09:00:00.001-04:00

(When last you left us at The Halloween Blog Party...)

Dear Lina!!

What is the meaning of this??

You cannot mean...

Oh no, please...!

Oh, Miss Lina!

But, of course...

It is obvious to me now...

This is your costume for Halloween!

You gave me SUCH a fright!
You are such a silly, silly thing, aren't you?

And of course, there is a most simple explanation...

...an over-exposure to MOONLIGHT!

I must admit to you, Dear Friends, that I too, have shown the obvious effects of entirely too much moonlight.
(And yet, I seek pools of moonlight on the carpet and the bed when the moon is full in the same way a cat seeks the pool of sunlight on a bright day...)

So, although I freely admit to indulging in moonlight to excess, I feel fairly compelled to provide to you irrefutable evidence that too much moonlight can just render you quite silly...!

Lina has asked me to tell you that she was only joking when she said she was thinking of leaving us! What good news this is! I regard her as a Dear Friend, as I am sure you all do and I cannot imagine This Lovely Den of Distraction without her. But she has also said that she found Transylvania MOST interesting and is not ruling out other possible visits in the future. Perhaps we will have to keep a close eye on her after all..

An additional note to you...
Thank you again for all of the kind words you all have sent me this week. They mean the world to me. I dedicate this post to My Dear Mommy, who was not the biggest fan of Halloween, but made my costumes, took me trick-or-treating and watched The Addams Family with me. She did have an occasional taste for the darkness herself, however. She adored the original Dark Shadows series and scared me nearly to death with them when I was little! She was also a huge fan of those fun and awful B-movies like "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and "The Blob"!

Wishing you all a wonderfully spooky and fun Halloween!

Just added: Can you believe I forgot this last year and nearly forgot it this year too? I hope if you have not made acquaintance with Charlotte and Vendetta yet, you will take this chance to do so:
Just click the section of the picture labelled "Web Episodes".

Tee-Hee! I heard you laughing from HERE!!!

A Note to The Friends of The Tearoom

2011-10-28T08:54:00.000-04:00

Dearest Friends,
This is a short note of sincere thanks to all who have left notes of comfort regarding the passing of My Dear Mommy. I cannot tell you how much each note has meant to me. I will be responding to every person individually throughout the course of the weekend.

Wishing you a wonderful night.
I am hoping to be able to return to the business of The Tearoom by Monday.

Biggest hugs to you all,

Betty

How She Will Be Remembered...

2011-10-23T20:14:00.008-04:00

These are pictures of My Mommy and I, five years ago. My Darling Mr. V had just moved to Washington to start our life together and he had asked me to marry him during Fourth of July fireworks about two weeks before. He took these pictures and we both adored him (can you tell?).

This morning, just before 1 a.m., I got the call telling me that My Mommy's struggle with life was over and that her soul was no longer a hostage of a body and mind that were too ill to hold it.

I will miss her, but I am happy in the thought that she is at the big party in Heaven that I had told her was waiting for her. Her mother, her beloved older sister and so many other people she had loved and lost were waiting for her there. And she could drink root beer again (I hope she had left some for someone else!). And My Darling Mr. V's Beloved Daddy Russell is there, meeting my mother for the first time. He's riding his motorcycle around and she's got all the tuna and peanut butter sandwiches she can eat.

I love you Mommy and I am glad you are finally Home.

Blood and Chocolate

2011-10-22T17:00:00.000-04:00

(Before we begin, please allow me to thank the following for their wonderfully inspirational collage sheets and blogs:
Marsha of Tumblefish Studios
Karen of The Graphics Fairy
Kirsi of Itkupilli
Cristina of Asunder Ephemera and
Hollie of Holliewood Studios
And especially to My Dear Mr. V for his amazing photos of shadows and spiderwebs, which I then turned into wallpaper and tablecloths for The Tearoom. Thank you, My Love!)

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
Tonight, there is something so special in the air, isn't there?

I am so glad you have made your way through the fog...

I welcome you to the annual Halloween blog party, which is hosted by the brilliantly creative Mademoiselle Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist. Please be certain to visit her party, as well as the other participants in this creative gathering of souls, here in The Aether.

I have been so remiss, Dear Ones. I have hosted Teas of the Aether for you with so many types of tea and so many sweets, but I had not yet given a special tea, just for my friends who love chocolate. So, please sit, make yourself comfortable and indulge in that which is rich and dark, sweet and irresistible.

The Tearoom is simply enveloped in the scent of chocolate tonight...
It just might be Kusmi's Chocolate Tea! I imagine it must be just perfect with cream and sugar. Or a cloud of vanilla-scented whipped cream...

Our treats are from The House of Pierre Hermé, where I am happy to introduce you to his newest macaron flavor: Caraquillo. It's an intriguing mix of chocolate, coffee and anise, dark and warm. It comes to you in one of his newest macaron boxes, designed by Nicolas Vial, embellished with a lovely chocolate-colored kittykat! And please, won't you help yourself to some lovely chocolates too! (Did you notice how slick and gorgeous Monsieur Hermé's new site is? I have been sadly remiss in pointing it out to you before, so I hope you will take a moment to browse and dream now...)

Ladurée's new macaron flavor is Black Forest! They describe it thus: "Its mahogany shells contain a delicious chocolate ganache combined with cherry jam and tasty bursts of cherry-flavoured Kirsch." I'm sure this is sublime! Black Forest is one of my favorite flavor combinations!

Our special guest tonight is Mademoiselle Madeleine. She specializes in growing a particular type of flower. She developed a variation of the dragon lily, which is spectacular, but generally smells very bad! Her variation has kept the lush, beautiful color and shape, but changed the fragrance to chocolate! As you saw when you had a seat, she has gifted us with them for this very special Halloween soirée and the entire Tearoom has smelled wonderful all day! Merci Beaucoup, Mademoiselle Madeleine!

As promised, Lina shares with us tonight some of her photos from her recent trip to Transylvania!

The lovely hotel where she stayed...

And, nearby...The Chocolate Garden. Along with the marble chocolate pansies and white chocolate tulips. The very special Chocolate Dragon Lilies are growing there as well.

As you saw when she returned to The Tearoom, she had spent much time in the rays of the full moon, which gave her skin that lovely pallor...

What a lovely beach it was...All of the girls she met seemed to have their own beautiful beach cabanas.
They seemed to spend a lot of time in them during the day, but at night, they came out to play in the moonlight and surf.

The moon looked on as the beach balls bobbed in the tide....
So sweet...
But what do you think those odd sea-birds are?

Here are some lovely pictures that Lina took of her new friends that she met there at the beach...

Lina tells us that she feel very compelled to return there soon, perhaps to stay. Oh, we hope not, we would miss her so...
LINA! Why are you standing so close to me?....
You really are making me quite uncomfortable...

(To Be Continued...)

It's Nearly Time...

2011-10-22T02:21:00.002-04:00

Please check back later today to join the party at The Tearoom! Lina said she would like a bit more time preparing her photo album for you!

It Has Arrived!

2011-10-17T17:07:00.008-04:00

Dearest Friends,
How many of you remember my post about the book PastryParis by Susan Hochbaum from a year ago August (and another one here)? It seems like we've waited forever, but now the wait is over! PastryParis is now available, published by The Little Bookroom! Congratulations to Susan! How gratifying it must be to see a project such as this come to fruition! Truly a beautiful gem of a book! In it, she demonstrates to us that, indeed, "In Paris, everything looks like dessert."! Such a treat this book is, with its beautiful photography of the beauty of Paris and also of luscious pastries that resemble many of the landmarks! I have to tell you that one of the things that I also appreciate is how she discusses not only the historical significance of the places pictured, but also explains what each pastry is and how it is made. So, please treat yourself and get a copy of this lovely, lovely book! Make yourself a cup of your favorite tea and imagine yourself here in one of the comfiest chairs, devouring this book like it was one of the pastries pictured inside!

A special note to my friends in Paris, Susan will be signing her book at the following places:

Author Presentation, Champagne and Pastry Tasting
Thursday, October 20, 7 pm
WH Smith
248 rue de Rivoli
(Metro Concorde)
RSVP: books@whsmith.fr
(Subject line: Réservation-Soirée dédicace avec Susan Hochbaum)

Booksigning
Saturday October 22, 2pm - 3 pm
Salon du Chocolat
Paris Expo Porte de Versailles
1 place de la Porte de Versailles
75015 Paris
Telephone: 01.40.68.22.22
www.salon-du-chocolat.com

Cure for the Blues

2011-10-12T20:02:00.004-04:00

Dearest Friends,
I must share with you a little secret...sometimes (more often than I like to admit), life just seems to be a bit too much (and not in the good way). But, I actually have a rather unusual way to counteract the effects of that fairly-common malady commonly called "The Blues". If I am able, I watch a very sweet movie called "Les Vacances de M. Hulot's" or in English "Mr. Hulot's Holiday". It never fails to cheer me up and if you have never seen it, I suggest you do so the next time you feel the need for a little pick-me-up. It is the story of the dearest, most eccentric man called Monsieur Hulot (you will fall in love with him right away), who is on vacation in a tiny sea-side town in the south of France. It is funny and sweet and you will feel as if you have been on a vacation yourself.

Ironically, Jacques Tati, who wrote and starred in this (and other classic gems, such as "Mon Oncle", another bit of cinematic sunshine) died a very sad man.

Monsieur Tati, if you can hear me wherever you are, please know how much pleasure you have brought to people and please know that the funny little song that is played over and over again in this movie is one that I hear in my head when I feel the need to escape. Thank you so much, Monsieur. Your genius made our lives so much richer.

Wonderful News!

2011-10-11T13:07:00.003-04:00

Dear Friends,
Today I have great news! I have been accepted to the artistic group called "Creative Souls"! Please see the button to the right!! I am very excited and am spending the day getting myself organized there!

The Tearoom Shop Re-Opens...

2011-10-07T18:33:00.000-04:00

It is so nice to see the lights and hear the music on in The Gossamer Tearoom Shop once again! We have missed Mademoiselle Lina but now she is ready to get back to work!

I hope you have fun browsing amongst the fun new items I have made, some just for Halloween (and there's plenty of time to order!):

First, any brooch design can easily be made into a pendant with the help of black organza ribbon!

Next, here are some of the new designs, just in time for our favorite holiday of the year, Halloween!

A vintage Ouija board...

And another one...

I am especially excited about some digital collages made into brooches, based on spirit photography from the early part of the last century. However, please take a careful look at the backgrounds. On all three, the backgrounds were created from photographs taken by My Dear Mr. V! I am very excited about them and I think they would be so much fun to wear for the Halloween season!

Also included are some classic favorites from earlier in the year, which just happen to be perfect for Halloween!...

The Cat-Woman...

La Belle et La Bête...

and The Countess!

So, get your iPod loaded with appropriately spooky tunes for your train ride back to The Tearoom for The Halloween Blog Party on Saturday, October 22! You know you won't want to miss it!

Tonight...

2011-10-06T23:37:00.007-04:00

...there is a light on in The Gossamer Tearoom Shop once again. Lina has returned from her holiday. The light from the full moon in Transylvania has turned her skin the color of a candle-flame. She has so many pictures to share with us. She has decided to give us a peek into her photo album at the Halloween Blog Party on the 22nd! In the meanwhile, I have so many new things to show you at The Tearoom Shop! If you have not yet taken a peek, Tomorrow, I will be showing all of the new silk brooches and pendants I have made for Halloween.

I bid you all a Sweet Good-Night...

(Lina's swim-wear from that famous couturier Marsha of Tumble Fish Studio)

So Very Nice...

2011-10-05T08:14:00.009-04:00

Dearest Friends,
I have said this before, but I would like to tell you again, I am so very pleased at how many nice people there are out there in The Blogosphere!! Small acts of kindness come your way from people you don't even know. It makes me so happy to wake up to e-mails like the convo I just read from an Etsy seller who listed one of my items from my vintage shop,Mirabella Morello in one of her Treasuries. I love Treasuries because you see your things in a totally different light when you see the other items that were selected to go along with it. It's fun, it's creative, it's free publicity (one of my favorite things) and so I am happy to blog about being featured in Sandy's Treasury. She has posted my collection of cobalt blue glass items on Facebook and in Twitter. Since I don't do either (don't ask me why, maybe because I already spend way too many hours a day on the computer!!), I'm telling all of my nice Tearoom Friends, in the hope that your will visit her too!

Now, it's back to work for me! I have so many new things to show you in The Gossamer Tearoom Shop when it re-opens tomorrow!

(Don't know why, I'm just in some sort of Bowie mood today and this is one of my favorite clips from his "Glass Spiders" Tour. By the way, check out her shoes!)

Oh Look...

2011-10-02T10:45:00.004-04:00

A note has appeared in the window of The Gossamer Tearoom Shop:

Mademoiselle Lina tells us that being the full-time face model for this shop and the blog is hard work and it is time we all took a vacation. She says she is headed for the beaches of Transylvania (Is there a beach there? We didn’t think so either, but, then we did our research and while it is not what the rest of us think of as "beach weather", it is that time of the year for visiting Transylvania!!) I won’t be resting while she is gone. In fact, I will be burning the midnight oil to finish some beautiful new items I hope you will love...

The shop will re-open on October 6th with some exciting new finds!

Welcome...

2011-10-02T09:17:00.002-04:00

Even though it is one day late, I'm wishing all of my Dearest Friends of The Tearoom A Most Happy October! As My Dear Mr. V very wisely says, "It is the spook-liest month of the year!!"

Please keep checking back for some spook-liness!

Halloween Blog Party 2011!

2011-09-20T19:00:00.000-04:00

Hello Again, Dear Friends!
As promised, I'm back tonight to announce that I will happily be participating in the Halloween Blog Party on A Fanciful Twist again this year!!! The date is October 22! I am so very excited and I hope you are too! Simply click on the button on the right for more information and Vanessa's fantastic post announcing the party! Spooky thoughts are already churning in my head!! I hope you will join me and the rest of the participants this year!!

Tiger Tea

2011-09-20T17:55:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for your patience with me in my absence. Luckily, I have found my way back to my imaginary world and hope to be able to keep Real Life away for a while. I have missed you all so much.

Please join me for tea today.
Here is an equation for you . . .

. . .inspired by the playful, fruit-and-flower-forward flavor of Opus Oil's Tiger Tea.:

The fruits and flowers collide in one cup to remind of summer days quickly slipping past us...

For my friends who have had their first frost (like we have), I invite you to try this tea hot. For my friends who are lucky enough to still have some warm weather in their world, it is equally delicious iced! Just a squooge of lime juice and sweetener of your choice (blue agave would be lovely!) will make it complete!

I am a bit sad to tell you that this is my final tea review for Opus Oils' Jitterbug Tea Parlour. Thank you again to Lili and Kedra for providing me with the inspiration and opportunity to share my thoughts about their wonderful, fragrant teas!

Please continue to follow Kedra's fascinating blog Scents of Imagination!

And please come back later tonight for a very important announcement of an upcoming event!

My First Treasury....

2011-07-18T15:31:00.015-04:00

Here are only some of the gorgeous things I picked:

Valerie Galloway

Paris Photographer (Kitty L'Wren)

Tilly Bloom

Yann Pendaries

Saturated Color

Please look at all the rest here:
My Imaginary Apartment

Thank you so much to all of the talented artists and sellers of Etsy!

Steampunked!

2011-07-14T19:43:00.003-04:00

I'm having a bit of well-deserved fun tonight, Dear Friends! This is my submission for the collage challenge on the Three Muses Challenge blog! The theme was "I Got Steampunked!" and they asked that we add steampunk details to either the image of a famous person or to a famous painting. So, Our Patron Saint of The Tearoom Mademoiselle Lina Cavalieri has been steampunked glammed up a bit!

I have to thank the following for the images I used:
The Graphics Fairy
Percy & Bloom
A Secret Soon-To-Be-Revealed Source!

Happy Birthday to a Friend!

2011-07-06T20:55:00.006-04:00

A message to J from Purple Lips,

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!
We love you and miss you!!

B & V

(P.S. I've been saving this image just for you!)

A Winner of the Giveaway!!

2011-07-01T22:46:00.004-04:00

Oh Dearest Friends!
Thank you all so very, very much for visiting with me last Saturday!!! I hope you have all eaten that special cake so you are now back to normal size (unless you have decided to join that tiny world and which case, congratulations! You are welcome to stay for as long as you wish!) Really, my parties never really end....

I do have to apologize for not having announced this earlier today, but there is a winner in my giveaway!!!

Monsieur Le Chat Cheshire would like to announce...

The winner of the lavender sachet and matching gift tag is....

Kathy of A Spectacular Mess!!!!

Congratulations to you Kathy and thank you for coming to visit with me at The Mad Tea Party!!!

Again, I am so grateful to everyone who came to visit!
And a very big thank you goes out to the very nice ladies of The $5 French Market for making such lovely things! Please visit them and treat yourself to a little something nice very soon!

Biggest hugs,

Betty

A Mad Tea Party 2011

2011-06-25T02:45:00.004-04:00

Greetings to you, My Dear Friends of The Tearoom,
Can you believe it has been a year since we met at the last Mad Tea Party? It is so wonderful to be here with you again, my dear friends (and ones I have not yet met).

Today's party is inspired in part by a tiny visitor we had a few nights ago. I walked past my studio late at night and there in the dark was a blinking chartreuse-colored light in the corner. I had to look at it for a minute to understand what it was and then I realized! A firefly had somehow come inside and was lighting up the room with his tiny light! It was very late and I was hoping he would find his way back out the way he came in (but didn't really expect he would). I looked for him the next day and didn't find him. But the next night, Dear Mr. V told me the little lightning bug was in the bathroom! I scurried upstairs, captured him and set him free outside (the insect, not Mr. V!!)! Whew! Luckily, the clever little thing had gotten into a house which is inhabited by card-carrying members of The Friends of Fireflies Foundation!!! (Is there really such an organization? I would join if there was, you know!)

So, with much twinkling and not much more ado, please join me on an adventure! And it will only cost you a nickel and a piece of lint from your pocket! Oh! And you did wear your gossamer wings, didn't you? You didn't? No worries! I keep extra sets in the closet just for such an occasion for folks who do not normally travel with an item such as this!

First, we must stop and get a drink. Here's where you must spend the nickel I gave you!

Now, quickly, please drink up! We must be very tiny to get where we are going!

Now, please look in your pocket! That wasn't a piece of lint after all, but a ticket for tonight's festivities!! Now that you are smaller, you can read it!

Right this way, please!

Have you ever been to one of the beautiful old classic movie theatres, the ones that seem to just have velvet everywhere? Tonight, we will be viewing a film, the first "Alice in Wonderland" movie, filmed in 1903!!! It is showing in a place with velvet everywhere too, the black velvet of night! It is a small bit of beauty and decadence, located in a remote corner of the garden and it even has a beautiful, glittering chandelier, suspended from the stars above by a spider web! While we are watching, we will be nesting inside the chandelier for the best, most twinkliest view and the most decadent place in which to have our tea-picnic! Isn't it just too exciting!!

Our dear friend Mademoiselle Violette Plantagenet is here to greet us! Now, spread your wings and up, up, up we go, into the chandelier!

Go ahead and make yourself comfy! Here is a nest I have made of old maps, a pretty cushion with a picture of Alice herself on it (Doesn't it smell so nice? I love lavender, don't you?). Now, please allow me to fill your thimble-cup with fairy-mint tea and please take a bottlecap-plate of treats for yourself. Mademoiselle Violette helped me to gather all that I needed today and she herself has picked the violet petals and wild strawberries, just for you! All comfy now?

Princess Sugar Verbena is welcoming us to the movie and tea party! Isn't she just the dearest thing? I do so admire the way she has her own practical style! Pink and frilly is just fine for some, but doesn't she look so smart in black? It's my favorite summer-time color, how about you? And really, her crown of cream is the envy of all here! Always an appropriate choice for tea! Royalty-watching is so much fun in this tiny world!

The movie is about to begin! I do think you will enjoy it!

Wasn't it just pure enchantment??

And now, for the surprise, if you will only just leave a comment, I will add your name to the giveaway! On July 1, I will draw a winner's name from the teapot. And what will you win? Why, the very pillow on which you reclined at tea and a matching gift tag! It is a pretty sachet, handmade by the dear ladies of The 5 Dollar French Market on Etsy! It has such a pretty picture of Our Dear Alice on it, with a bit of twinkly glitter in her hair! It is filled with beautiful lavender and it just smells so nice! The ladies who run this shop are so nice and make such nice things and they only cost $5 each!! I would like to thank them for the use of their photo!

Thanks also go to all the talented people who make the collage sheets that I have used in this post:
Hollie Haradon of Holliewood Studios@Deviant Scrap
Marsha of Tumblefish Studios@Deviant Scrap
Kirsi of Itkupilli
Karen of The Graphics Fairy
Kathy of KF Collection
Mark of Memories Emporium

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win the Alice lavender sachet and gift tag! And thank you so much for visiting my party today! Please take a minute to visit Vanessa, our hostess, at her party at A Fanciful Twist and the other participants as well!

A Little Reminder...

2011-06-22T00:41:00.004-04:00

Dearest Friends,
Please don't forget that Saturday is the day! The day of the Magical Mademoiselle Vanessa's Marvelous Mad Tea Party at her magnificent home in the Aether, A Fanciful Twist! Monsieur Le Chat Cheshire wanted to drop in and remind you himself!

(He also wants you to know that he is wearing one of the extra-fun party hats from the always-wonderful modiste Marsha of Tumble Fish Studio at Deviant Scrap!)

We cannot wait to see you next at the party!

Our Dream...

2011-06-17T10:23:00.008-04:00

Dear Friends,
Do you love books? We do!!! I mean, we REALLY love books.

And so did my mother.

The same ones I did.

So....

we have...

LOTS!

It has always been our dream to own a bookstore. I am so pleased to announce that a new bookstore is now open, in the same block as The Gossamer Tearoom and Mirabella Morello. My Dear Mr. V has opened a shop on Amazon.com, called VixMixx, where he is selling used books, DVDs and CDs. We are so pleased with how well it is doing so far! It is definitely still under construction, but that does not mean that we don't already have some wonderful things there! You will find it is a very eclectic collection and wide range of prices, starting from 1 cent for some paper backs (you basically only pay the postage to send them) to some very unusual and collectable art books! Won't you please come in and dig through the stacks of wonderful words and images, sights and sounds!!

Burlesque Tea Review + Real Paris Adventure

2011-06-10T22:11:00.009-04:00

Found backstage at Paris' famous Moulin Rouge:

next to one of the dressing room doors...

...a heart-shaped box of chocolates filled with luscious rose cream,

roses of a very rare chocolate and cream variety,
grown in only one greenhouse
by one especially eccentric count,

and a note:
When you are on stage, you belong to everyone.
When you are not, please say you will belong to me.....

(Inspired by the luxurious, decadent and romantic combination of roses and chocolate in Opus Oils' luxurious Burlesque Tea from their Jitterbug Perfume Parlour Tea Collection! With its combination of Congou Tea, Rose Oolong Tea, Rose Absolute Infused Premium Grade Organic Edible Rose Petals and Cocoa Nibs, it is a singularly sensuous experience. I could not have imagined that the flavors of two of the most highly recognized symbols of love and sensuality could combine in such a perfect way! This really is a brilliant combination!)

And for all Friends of The Tearoom who reside in Paris (and those who might be visiting), I have a treat for you! I have an invitation for you all from Adam of Paris Patisseries. Adam has organized an event at the patisserie Jacques Genin, in the 3rd Arrondissment. You will get to meet him and other people who will gather to buy treats and then walk to the parc de la rue Perrée to enjoy them! You can learn all about it here! We so wish we were going to be there with you, but I promised Adam I would let you all know so you could join him instead!

New to Mirabella Morello

2011-06-05T21:33:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends of The Tearoom,
I am so sorry I have been away so long, but I have so many fun things planned for you....! As usual, I am scurrying from attic to cellar, working on so many things at once! It seems that each day I find new things to sell at Mirabella Morello, my little vintage shop on Etsy! But I had so much fun taking pictures of some of the newest items that I would like to share some of the other images I caught too!

We have so many lovely flowers in our yard right now, so I gathered some of the lilacs, lilies-of-the-valley and pansies to show off some of the little vases and bottles I have for sale. The scents that surrounded me yesterday...the depth of the purple lilacs, the lighter, more honey-ed notes of the white ones, the lemon-y, chartreuse scent of the lily-of-the-valley. These scents take me back to my childhood so quickly, so easily. My mother would fill the house with lilacs she had picked from our yard and on hot summer afternoons, she would draw all the curtains in the house to try and block the summer heat. On those hot, dark summer days, the scent would nearly be stifling, but in the nicest way. And that bright scent of lilies-of-the-valley takes me to hot summer days as well. In one of the two tiny guest rooms in my Grandmother Parker's house, she had a container of talcum powder in this scent. I would sneak a sniff everytime I went in and my memories are filled with hot, stifling days in that tiny room with the faded floral wallpaper and low ceilings. I can see the bed-spread, the night lights in the headboard bookcase, only weakly illuminating the room at night and I can still smell the bright, lightly lemon scent....

And from my Grandmother Cleaveland, I think I inherited (among many other things), her love of pansies and violas! She was always fascinated with their "dear little faces", as she always said. But I must admit, I don't think to look for faces when I look at them because I am always so enchanted by their myriad of colors. Of course I love their infinite ranges of purple to blue, but also the magentas, the heliotropes, the orchids, their bright yellow accents...instant happiness.

Oh, by the way, that delicious warm vanilla color in the background of the first and fourth pictures is the wall of our new studio! It's just a sneak peek. I promise you'll get to have a full tour as soon as it's a bit more organized.

Four Years Ago Today...

2011-05-31T10:43:00.011-04:00

...as witnessed by almost everyone they loved, this silly, sometimes disorganized girl with an imagination like a garage sale on The Yellow Submarine married this sweet, funny, lovely, funny, handsome, loving, funny man.

Their life is not always easy and has included as many serious situations as happy ones. But they can cry together, as well as laugh, and that's how it still stays a Fairy Tale.

(Today, we celebrate only in our hearts as this happens to also be the day that we move My Mommy to a new home. It is located in what used to be an old hotel and some of that spirit lives on there now. There are screened porches and pretty gardens. I hope My Mommy has even a few moments of awareness of the beauty there and finds some peace from it.)

I have missed all of my lovely Friends of The Tearoom, but I will be back soon.

Oh the Excitement...!

2011-05-26T00:09:00.003-04:00

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
It comes to my attention, by way of our most lovely Friend of The Tearoom, Mademoiselle Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist, that again this year she will be hosting her Beautiful and Extraordinary Mad Tea Party!!! She has graciously issued invitations, as usual and again, as usual, The Tearoom will be participating! And what Unexpected and Unusual Delights can you expect? Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now, would it? But, the one thing I can tell you is that I have already planned for a very sweet giveaway....!!!

So, please reserve Saturday, June 25th as a day for fun and madness as you visit Vanessa's party (which is always beyond wonderful), the party here at The Tearoom and the other participants as well!!!

Also, keep watch as I treat you all to the yummiest summer Parisian treats very, very soon!

To Our Mommies...

2011-05-08T18:38:00.005-04:00

...and all Mommies everywhere,
Happy Mother's Day to

Agnes

&

Elfriede

We love you.

Betty & Victor

Happy May Day!

2011-05-01T16:41:00.001-04:00

Won't you please enjoy
a muguet (lily-of-the-valley-flavored) macaron
and
a cup of lime-blossom tea!

A Gothic Victorian Tea Party and Poetry Reading

2011-04-27T20:48:00.000-04:00

You...
of the heart tattoos in places unmentionable,
lipstick and matching nail polish
in nightshade or abyss
...enter here...
and indulge in the celebration of crimson and ebon..
join our sacred salon of sisterhood

the samovar steeps a tea of
exceptional fragrance and flavor tonight
please share a cup with us as we ask for silence
the poetry reading is about to begin...

depth of red, barely visible through the dark
a firefly in crimson descends to the edge of the teacup
in the aether
a plume of red,
brighter,
rises
first the deeper essence of tea
the black tulle veil through which the other flavors are visible
the dark, sweet notes of black cherry
velvet so dark, it is nearly black
bleeding into the red purple of plum
intense dark and light, all at once
followed by the flash of grenadine organza
bright red in flavor, scent, essence
and meanwhile...
a fantasy rock performance slithers from a radio,
lit from within
a cover of a Runaways classic,
Meg White’s primative drums,
Chrissie Hynde’s searing guitar
And from the voice of Siouxie Sioux: “Ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb”!
black and white notes
in a depth of red, barely visible through the dark

(This post was inspired by the fabulous Roller Girl Tea from Opus Oil's Jitterbug Perfume Parlour. Deviously delicious. And iced, with a bit of lime? Sinfully sublime.)

My thanks to all the wonderful artists whose collage sheets, clip art sites and blogs that I use in my work:
Jerry (Shadowhouse Creations),
Josie (Charmed Memory Collage),
Kirsi (Itkupilli),
Marsha (Tumble Fish Studio),
Julia (Cemerony)
and
Karen (The Graphics Fairy)
and of course, a big thank you to
Lili and Kedra of Opus Oils!
(Don't forget to check out Kedra's fascinating blog Scents of Imagination.)

...And just when I was about to serve tea and no sweet today (Oh! the shame of it!), this showed up in my e-mail box from the venerable House of Pierre Hermé, a delicious-looking pastry in flavors ranging from black, to purple, to red: his Fetish Envie!
It starts with a dacquoise base, which is an interesting meringue made with almond flour, so that it is vaguely similar to a macaron, with slivered almonds, black current compote, a vanilla cream, scented with violets and decorated with red fruits...because roller girls or rock and roller girls all love to have a little something with their tea!

Serenity...

2011-04-25T23:32:00.007-04:00

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
Welcome to the serenity of an empty room...

I don't often get a chance to participate in the challenges that I love, but here I am with my submission for this week's challenge on Collage Obsession.

It represents the warm, yummy cream we are painting in several places in our house, including the new studio space on the second floor, the old shabby rose wallpaper we can't afford to replace right now (not shabby chic, just shabby) which is OK because we actually like it and the clouds represent our hopes and dreams for our future.

We have found that an empty room, in the process of being beautified, can be such a serene place!

An Easter Wish...

2011-04-23T02:29:00.005-04:00

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
Mademoiselle Rose Lapin and I would like to wish you all a Very Happy Easter!

She has also left this for you. I wonder what flavor it is. What do you think...?

My thanks to all the wonderful artists whose collage sheets, clip art sites and blogs that I use in my work:
Kirsi (Itkupilli), Marsha (Tumble Fish Studios), Julia (Cemerony), Karen (The Graphics Fairy) and Harmonica Goldfish.

Inspiration...

2011-04-09T11:19:00.005-04:00

Dear Friends of The Tearoom,
You all know that I have been so busy cleaning out the attic of The Tearoom, adding adorable things to my shop Mirabella Morello. I am finding sweet tea cups, demi-tasse cups, cream and sugar sets, tiny vases, all manner of items such as this. I'm also finding ephemera that can be used in your art projects (and there will be more of that to come soon!). And recently, I have been adding little music box works that can be made into bigger music boxes or just enjoyed on their own. Very soon, I will have some new things, certain to provide extra inspiration for you!

First, in some of the secret spaces of this house, I have found my mother's and my first rubber stamp collections. No, really! My grandfather built this house with hidden spaces behind bookcases, where my mother stashed all manner of things! There were a lot of stamps I had forgotten about and am ecstatic to find again, but there are a lot that I no longer have a use for. They are in very good condition (some have ink stains on the wood blocks, but only on the underneath, so they will still look very nice in your stamp drawer. And most importantly, they are great examples of what is said: well-taken care of stamps will last a very long time (some of these are from the late 1970's and early 1980's). I have just stamped with all of these and they still work just fine! I am making up some sets of these stamps and I will be selling these at very reasonable prices in Mirabella!

Here are the titles of the sets I am compiling and will be selling:
-Hearts and Flowers and Love
-Animals, Birds and Nature
-Correspondence
-In the Playroom
-My American Vacation (includes stamps of L.A., NYC and Boston for my friends who live in or have visited those cities. But it could also be ordered by my friends from outside the U.S.! Remember, I am always so happy to ship all over the world, just convo me through Etsy so I can list shipping to your country! So far, I have shipped orders to France, Spain and Hong Kong!)

And...do any of you remember this...? My Marie Antoinette collage was featured in the April 2009 edition of Stampington magazine "Marie". At that time, I bought several copies. I only have use for one and now I have three left over that I am going to be selling in Mirabella, for a very special price. In case you didn't get to see it, it is just full of beautiful projects, all inspired by the beauty and style of Marie Antoinette.

Please stop in my vintage Etsy shop here later this afternoon when I will put the magazines on sale and again later this weekend when the rubber stamp sets will go on sale.

The tea is brewing there, waiting for you to come by and shop (courtesy of The Gossamer Tearoom, of course!)

The Sunshine That Was Needed...

2011-04-03T16:45:00.001-04:00

Dearest Friends of the Tearoom,

Two nights ago, on the final night of March, my Mr. V and I were ensconced here alone in The Tearoom, waiting for our very late season snow storm to begin (which we hope is our last.) I was craving warmth and the sunshine of spring so much when I brewed one of Opus Oils’ Jitterbug Perfume Parlour Teas, Island Girl. And at 10 pm, under a cold sky of white, I found the sunshine I was looking for in this tea! My first sniff brought the stored sunlight from the mango tea, but my first sip was nothing but luscious, buttery, tropical tea cake! The mango is still there, but the coconut tea, the exotic richness of vanilla tea and vanilla bean pieces (so luscious), punctuated with the floral notes of the osmanthus and marigold flowers and pieces of rock crystal sugar bring such a deeply golden flavor to the mix! Warm and yummy, it was just perfect for watching for the first snowflakes to fall (Did I mention we hope it’s the last? I am so missing my DC weather!). And two days later, with blue skies overhead and sun streaming in every window in the house, I drank it again, but this time iced. Equally luscious, refreshing and so, so clear! Perfection. Really.

My thanks again to Lili and Kedra of Opus Oils for giving me the chance to sample another of their beautiful teas! Don't forget to check out Kedra's fascinating blog Scents of Imagination.

Keep checking back as I share with My Dear Friends of The Tearoom our experiences as we sample more of their very creative and deicious teas!

Thank you also to Mr. Jerry of Shadowhouse Creations for the black background I used in my collage from his Black Magick Texture Set.

Now

2011-03-31T20:52:00.003-04:00

While we wait for a possible
14 inches of snow on this April Eve...

Here I sit...

Listening to Seal's "Amazing" on repeat...

("I want you to always feel you're amazing...")

All I can say is this:

Frida and I are ready for spring! NOW!

(Frida's fabulous spring fashion
from the venerable House of Tumble Fish Studios,
head couturier, the Marvelous Mademoiselle Marsha!)

Monsieur Hermé Raids the Garden Again...

2011-03-23T05:22:00.001-04:00

My Dearest Friends,
You know you can trust me to bring you some of the most interesting, thinking-outside-of-the-box sorts of desserts. So, once again, I bring you something that may not be for everyone, but you're not here for a devil's food cupcake, are you?

You may remember my post from almost two years ago when Pierre Hermé paired lemon, strawberry and tomato into something surreally divine. (And if not, please feel free to click here!). Once again, he is pursuing what may seem to be unusual combinations in some of his recent macaron flavors, but really the stretch is not so far:

-Métissé: Carotte, Orange et Canelle (Carrot, Orange and Cinnamon) - This seems a very natural pairing to me. I used to drink a combination of carrot and orange or carrot and tangerine juice quite often and I can easily imagine cinnamon pairing with it ina very natural way. So many vegetables are normally seen as being savory, but many, like carrots, possess so much natural sweetness that they pair very easily with fruit.

-Dépaysé: Thé Vert Matcha, Haricot Rouge Azuki, Citron Vert & Gingembre (Matcha Green Tea, Red Adzuki Beans, Lime and Ginger) - This seems another natural matching, only with an Asian twist. The deeply intense matcha with the bright/deep lime and the bite of the ginger would be fantastic together. And utilizing red adzuki beans is brilliant because they are ground into a paste and made into desserts in China and Japan, as well as other dishes in Somalia and India.

-Asperge Verte et Huile de Noisette (Green Asperagus and Hazelnut oil) - This would be the challenging flavor combination, but I can see how the common earthy notes in the asperagus and the hazelnut could combine to make something very unique! And, once again, there is a note of sweetness in the freshest of spring asperagus.

But of course, if you are one of those picky kids who just refuses to have their vegetables, I won't make you sit at the table and pout! Please go pick something else for yourself from the dear little brochures that are given at his stores!

Just for today...

2011-03-19T00:13:00.000-04:00

...the curtains are drawn and the "closed" signs are on the doors of The Gossamer Tearoom and Mirabella Morello as we celebrate My Dear Mr. V's Birthday!

Updates...

2011-03-17T11:26:00.002-04:00

Dearest Friends,
It makes me so very happy to know that I have such lovely friends out there in the Aether! Thank you to each and every one of you that takes the time to stop here, wether you leave a comment or not. Of course I love to read your comments, but anytime you would like to come in, quietly have a look around and a cup of tea and leave, that is perfectly OK!

Updating what has been happening in The Tearoom, my tea review from my last post was enjoyed by Lili and Kedra of Opus Oils, they posted a link to it in their news section and Kedra blogged about me on her beautiful and creative blog, Scents of Imagination! She used the very cool picture I have added above in her post about the review, which I re-post here with much gratitude!

Now, when you visit Mirabella Morello, you will be greeted by the cheerful, twinkly sounds of music boxes:

Moonlight Sonata Music Box Works

Braham's Lullaby Music Box Works

Happy Birthday Music Box Works

There has been much to keep me busy in my little vintage shop! I have so many new lovely things to list that I can barely keep up! But I can tell you that the very newest items there are for your creative art projects! I have listed only the first batch of sweet little music boxes! Also, I have just finished some tiny projects that I am using as examples of how to use some vintage shorthand pages and 1950's road maps, now on sale in the shop. They are perfect for your altered art and collage projects!

Jar decorated with paper from vintage shorthand magazines

Card and envelope made using paper from a vintage road atlas

I have so much more coming up...rubber stamps....lovely teacups....sweet cream and sugar sets....more music boxes....

And there are even more projects to come, in case you are worried that The Gossamer Tearoom Shop is being neglected...

But on a sad note, a very dear friend has closed her blogs, due to theft of her artwork. Karma plays a big part in how this blogging/online art world works. My heart is sad for her at the contamination of her sacred art space and for her followers.

Apparently, Dreaming Is Essential

2011-03-08T23:05:00.000-05:00

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
Everyone who attends my virtual tea parties here at The Tearoom knows that a great deal of dreaming goes into their planning. I find pastries and teas online, imagine how their combinations of flavors would taste and match them together for our virtual Salons de Thé. But most of the teas I write about are on my wishlist to be tried.

What a great opportunity is is for me to bring to you today a review of a very special tea from Opus Oils of Los Angeles and Paris. I was sent a sample of their Absinthe Tea, along with my order of perfume samples, which I was testing for my use in a top secret art project. And, of course, being the creature of curiosity that I am, I had to explore their entire website, which is really fun and glamourous!

Opus Oils creates highly creative and original scents and “Perfumed Teas, Hand Infused with Floral Absolutes”. I was very honored to have the chance to sample one of their Jitterbug Perfume Parlour Teas for myself.

This is what they had to say about their Absinthe Tea:
“Sweet & nostalgic, this unique black tea blend is delicious, enchanting, and extremely addictive…
Made with Green Pear Black Tea ~ Violet Black Tea ~ Vanilla Black Tea ~ Violet Leaf Absolute Infused Blue Malva flowers ~ Anise Seeds”

They have added just a few crystals of rock sugar to this tea when they blended it, so try it just as it is before adding anything else. (As one should always do when tasting either a tea or a coffee for the first time. Even if you dislike drinking your tea or coffee black, you will better appreciate the more subtle flavors and learn to identify them easier. As a fellow dreamer told me when he taught me to taste coffee, “Just close your eyes and listen...” And if you appreciate wine, you already know how to “listen”!).

This tea starts out with strong tannic notes, but the next note is a divine, complex combination of herbal, flowery and creamy notes, with just a touch of anise flavor. At this point, I added a bit of sugar to bring out these notes even more. (Of course you may add whatever sweetening you prefer, but I find white sugar is more neutral in flavor.) The black tea adds the rich, resinous base, followed up with the green herbal notes from the pear and violet leaf absolute, the deeply floral violet, the creamy, but exotic note of the vanilla and anise seeds for a final note of absinthe; a unique and luxurious experience. This is a tea to be savored, sipped slowly and as they say it is “extremely addictive”! This tea was delicious hot and they do suggest serving it iced as well. I’m certain that sipping it iced on a hot summer night would be a decadent experience!

Thank you to Lili of Opus Oils for letting me experience your beautiful and creative tea!

(And by the way, two nights after drinking this, I tasted it again, in a dream I had, so apparently, dreaming is essential to tea-tasting!)

Can't Tell You Yet...

2011-03-04T09:16:00.008-05:00

Dearest Friends,
Just a short note to keep you up to date on what sorts of lovely new things are brewing for The Tearoom:

A new range of my beautiful silk brooches for The Gossamer Tearoom. . .

A secret project...I can only tell you that it involves silk and the delightful participation of two fragrance designers...

A review of a tea that I dreamed about after I drank it...
All coming very, very soon!

And, as always, more and more sweet vintage items at Mirabella Morello!

I hope you will keep checking back for all the new surprises!

Or Perhaps Something Else?

2011-02-28T10:04:00.002-05:00

For those who are not fans of
the blood-orange's brand of creepy sunshine,
I will be happy to share with you some cookies
I received in my in-box this morning
from our friend Monsieur Pierre Hermé!

(The first thing to know is that a sablé is a beautiful butter cookie,
topped in sugar to resemble the sablé, or sand)

May I offer you...

Sablés Infiniment Chocolat
(Infinite Chocolate Sablé)

Sablés Citron
(Lemon Sablé)

Sablés Diamante Vanille
(Diamond Vanilla Sablé)

Sablés Florentins
(sablée dough, garnished with chestnut-blossom honey,
orange confit and slivered almonds)

Sacristains
(Glazed flakey pastry, twisted, crusty and caramelized with sugar.
"A greediness to nibble constantly all day.", to quote him!
Who are we to refuse?)

If you are wandering by his shops,
he offers them in the Coffret Croquant (The Crunching Box)
or
Coffret Craquant (The Cracking Box).
"Miam", as one would say!

And now for your tea to go with them....

Wishing you a warm and delicious day!

Amazing...

2011-02-26T15:17:00.001-05:00

There are many miracles in this world.

Blood oranges are only one of them.

Look Who Is On His Way To Paris!

2011-02-22T14:21:00.004-05:00

My very Dear Friend Marie-France in Paris
has been my first customer in my new shop,

Mirabella Morello!

So, as of today, Sweet Little Him, is on his way to our favorite place in the world!
We tried to fit into the box with him,
but it just didn't work!
How very sad!

There are so many more sweet things just waiting to come to you from my new shop! Please click the link above or the new banner in the right hand column to get there! I have just added this new banner and also one that takes you to The Gossamer Tearoom shop. Please, feel free to post these banners if you would like! I just love making new friends! And keep checking back! I am posting new items everyday!

Since we were not able to leave for Paris today *sniff, sniff*,
we will be continuing to practice our French:

(This video comes to us from "French Essence", the beautiful blog by Vicki Archer. Her "Daily Click" can make your day so happy!)

Keep checking back for more news on a new collection of my beautiful silk brooches!

Won't You Please Come In and Browse?

2011-02-19T23:35:00.001-05:00

The following are images from the opening day of my new vintage shop Mirabella Morello, just next door to The Gossamer Tearoom:

(All the background images I am using are from digital collage sheets from my creative Etsy friend Josie from Charmed Memory Collage.)

Thank you for shopping at Mirabella Morello!
I hope to see you again soon!

Ooooh...What Is This Little Shop Next To The Tearoom?

2011-02-17T13:24:00.004-05:00

And so you have just finished your tea and sweets once again at The Tearoom and something catches your eye...

"Down a narrow cobblestone street, in a beloved, ever-ancient, ever-modern city, there are all those sweet little shops that you have to visit everytime you are here. There’s a small bookshop, a tearoom and a tiny shop containing very sweet vintage items. That’s my shop, Mirabella Morello and I am just now parting the lace curtains on the door, letting you know I am open. Welcome!

(I hope you left room in your suitcase. There is much to fall in love with here...)"

Coming (Very) Soon...An Irresistible New Next Door Neighbor for The Gossamer Tearoom shop on Etsy...

Valentine Cream Tea Deluxe

2011-02-14T01:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome, Dear Friends of The Tearoom,
It is so very nice to spend time with you again!! A Most Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

Won't you please have a seat? For a lot of us, it is still cold and for some of us, there's a lot of snow where you are (for others like me, a lot more!!). I have hung tapestries around the room to make it cozier for us!

And to remind us that spring is only around the corner, I have placed a fountain with a profusion of violets growing around it, in the middle of The Tearoom!

Today, we are having a traditional British cream tea (with just a few revisions of my own)!

Of course we start with lovely Devonshire scones,with clotted cream and jam. Traditionally, scones are served with either strawberry (or occasionally, raspberry) jam or lemon curd. But who can say no to a bit of Pierre Hermé's Ispahan Confiture instead, his beautifully passionate red jam made of two layers, rose-scented litchi and raspberry, which you mix upon opening the jar? What a romantic combination and entirely appropriate for our Valentine Tea, don't you think?

And we must not have a Valentine's tea that does not include some sort of macarons! Here are some very interesting ones from a patisserie in Paris called Acide. These are fraise/poivre (strawberry/pepper)! Just imagine that sweet, yet slightly hot flavor! I would definitely try these, should we find ourselves in the 17th Arr. in Paris!

From the House of Ladurée comes a religieuse griotte (sour cherry religieuse).

And you must try the Black Forest Cheesecake from the blog Tastes of Mine!

To pair with all of these beautiful red flavors of raspberry, rose, strawberry and cherry, I thought it best to have a black tea, which should also go well with the pepper in the macaron and the chocolate in the cheesecake, perhaps a Ceylon from Kusmi or an Earl Grey with Blue Flower Petals from Monsieur Hermé. Do you take yours with cream?

To end our lovely party, won't you please have some beautiful chocolates from Rococo Chocolates in London? They must be as yummy as they look. One of these must be the favorite you didn't know you had yet...

...Jasmine tea, Manjari Madagascar, lychee rose and raspberry, Irish coffee, sour cherry with dark chocolate, and Jivara marc de champagne, passionfruit and mango, crushed lemon praline with milk chocolate and these four very special flavors, invented just for this collection:

And, because I can never spoil you enough, I have added Acide in Paris and The Cake Opera of Toronto to the ever-growing list of beautiful sweets and teas to peruse in the "Tea and Sweets" links to the right!

Please keep checking back as I have many new projects coming up including the opening of my new vintage shop just down the rue d'Etsy from The Gossamer Tearoom, called Mirabella Morello and new collections of silk brooches just for spring!!

I wish you all A Most Happy Valentine's Day

For a really beautiful description of a proper cream tea, please read Nigel Slater's excellent description in The Guardian, complete with recipes for scones and plum jam.

February 11th

2011-02-11T18:20:00.001-05:00

Happy 85th Birthday to My Mommy.

2011-02-08T12:30:00.000-05:00

Surprise Treats for Us!

2011-02-05T09:05:00.005-05:00

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
The time of the Valentine Tea draws near....

But in searching out only the best treats for our Tea in the Aether, look what I have found! The House of Ladurée has updated their site (at least the French part, so far!). You can spend a great deal of time browsing and dreaming here (just click the package to open it!)!

There are beautiful new charts of religieuses (like the one above), macarons and even a very cute video!

This "carte" above just makes me so happy! We get to see some of the religieuses they have not pictured on the website before. Here are the flavors shown, left to right, top to bottom:
-Rose, Violet, Chocolate
-Caramel, Pistachio, Strawberry
-Sour Cherry, Orange Flower, Raspberry Anise
-Mango Caramel, Passionfruit Pineapple, Apple Cedar Lemon

Hint: (if you don't read French): Anytime you see the phrase "en savoir plus", click the link to see more information.

I am currently scurrying about The Tearoom, from attic to cellar, with multiple projects! You have The Valentine Tea to look forward to, but also, a new Etsy shop! In the meanwhile, don't forget to shop The Gossamer Tearoom shop to "ooooh" and "aaaahhh" over the new brooches to be found there!

Just to wish you...

2011-02-01T16:37:00.004-05:00

Won't you please join me here for tea on Valentine's Day?

Betty

Because Everyday of Your Life is Valentine's Day...

2011-01-30T23:05:00.000-05:00

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
I try very hard to keep our little tearoom as our imaginary salon of escapism, but sometimes I have to come back to real life. I am posting a new collection of my silk brooches in my Etsy shop this weekend, and I have created two brooches in honor of "Wear Red Day", which is February 4th. Starting today and throughout all of February, I will be donating 50% of the proceeds of the sale of my red and black anatomical heart brooches to The American Heart Association.

If you aren't aware of it, "Wear Red Day" brings more attention to the issue of heart disease in women. Contributions assist with continuing public education. Many people do not know that heart disease is the number one killer of women and you do not have to be older for heart disease to affect you. I had my first heart attack at 38. On Christmas Eve, I quietly celebrated my 10th year of survival. My most recent incident happened this past May (I blogged about it here.) At that time, they implanted a stent into my heart and they do not expect me to have any other problems.

Because so many women miss their symptoms, and they are often different in women than they are in men, here are some of the ones you might not expect:

-Shortness of breath
-Dizziness or lightheadedness
-Sudden pain in your jaw, back, arms or stomach (mine starts in my jaw, but quickly moves to a heavy, painful pressure in my chest, followed by severe pain and tingling in my arms and hands.)
-Nausea and/or cold sweats (one of my hospital room-mates thought she had the flu)
-Depression, anxiety and very often, an impeding sense of dread (Is this our intuition speaking to us?)
-Sudden and unexplained fatigue
-Increasing or worsening bouts of heartburn.
-Sleeping difficulties (many middle aged women experience this, but when it occurs when other symptoms, you should take it as a warning.)

You do not have to be overweight, you do not have to have a high cholesterol reading, you do not have to have any sort of sugar problem, you do not have to be older and you do not have to have previous family history.

If you experience these symptoms, call 911 IMMEDIATELY. I felt terrible in a way I had never felt before, but it can be much quieter than that. DO NOT drive yourself to the hospital and do not let someone else take you. The EMTs have treatment they can administer even before you reach the ambulance.

Stay alert. Stay alive.

(There's great information at the Livestrong site too.)

And what will I be wearing on February 4th? I will be wearing this t-shirt. I got it in Paris when Mr. V and I were there for our first anniversary. If doctors hadn't known how to help me 10 years ago, so many things in my life wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't have been married. And I wouldn't have gone to Paris at all.

Everyday with my love Mr. V is Valentine's Day for me.

Am I The Last?

2011-01-27T23:48:00.001-05:00

Hello Again, Dear Friends!
Above is my submission for the weekly challenge from The Three Muses. The topic this week is "Fashion". As I have been visiting my fellow participants in collage challenges, I have thought to myself, "Am I really the last person to have not yet done something with the Mona Lisa in a collage?" I cannot think of another icon of fashion I would love to work with for a collage challenge on fashion!

I gave her just a bit of an update with some rather goth make-up and by straightening her hair. I let her wear the same outfit she has worn since she first put it on in the 16th Century. However, I did add some touches of purple and a black rose! Since she has been living for such a long time inside The Louvre, I chose to place her outside in Paris, on the banks of the Seine, in front of the beautiful, intricate Hôtel de Ville.

And on her head, she wears a beret of sorts. But if you look carefully, you will see there is something a bit unusual about it. I constructed it from an image of a drop of water, which proves that you can make a hat out of anything in the Virtual World!

I do hope that Lisa del Giocondo, the subject of the painting would approve of her make-over!

(I was able to see her from afar, during our visit to The Louvre. Behind the pane of glass which separates her from her adoring fans, hundreds of flashes from cameras lit the room! It struck me how like the paparazzi her visitors to the Louvre were and what a celebrity she remains!

(Original image of the Mona Lisa and image of the painting behind glass from Wikipedia. Image of drop from Flickr. Image of Hôtel de Ville from Harmonica Goldfish. Black rose from Itkupilli.)

In Which Painting Would You Sit?

2011-01-22T16:37:00.007-05:00

Dear Friends of The Tearoom,
The Faery of Creativity must have paid me an extended visit from the Aether in the last few days! I have been inspired to create collages for not one, but two of my very favorite challenge blogs! Above is my submission for the challenge on the Three Muses blog for their excellent challenge "Artist of Choice".

When we lived in Washington, I used to visit The Philips Collection, a museum close to where we lived. The museum has several paintings by Pierre Bonnard. I loved them all and could have sat in front of them for just hours and hours. I have chosen "Le Fenêtre Ouverte, 1921" (The Open Window) as a currently favorite piece. I have wished many times I could sit inside one of the paintings like this painting and so here I am! Of course, that is not a picture of me now, but maybe it is me from another time?. Whoever this lady is, she is enjoying a cup of tea, the sunshine, the singing birds, the scent of flowers...

Thank you to the nice ladies at The Three Muses for coming up with such a fun challenge!

And so, I would like to know, in which painting would you like to sit?

Very, VERY Late...

2011-01-21T22:31:00.001-05:00

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
I do so hope you remember The Midnight Carnival you attended here in October. Well, a few days later, this poor thing wandered into the festivities quite late. However, he was forgiven because of his cuteness. We now have a VERY tardy participant, Monsieur Bruno, the Amazing Neon Tattoo-ed Man! He had wandered this way because of Mr. Rick, one of the new contributors to Kirsi's extra fun collage challenge, Collage Obsession. M. Bruno is my submission to The Carnivale Pazzo (Crazy Carnival), Rick's first challenge for us.

In the future, I will be expecting a bit of promptness and decorum when it comes to the events held at The Tearoom!

Very naughty indeed.

(I do believe he already has eyes for Mademoiselle Absynthia, who sells beautiful treats at The Carnival! But his heart is still mending from a torrid affair with our very own Mademoiselle Lina, as you can still see the tattoo he bears of her lovely face! Such scandal!)

Images for Monsieur Bruno: Original image from Rick from Collage Obsession, black roses from Kirsi of Itkupilli, Lina from Keeper of the Nest, top hat from Karen of The Graphics Fairy and "Blue Moon" and backgrounds from Marsha of Tumblefish Studios.

Today is the Day!

2011-01-15T09:09:00.012-05:00

Greetings Dear Friends!
Our Dear Friend Mimi of Bonjour Romance has outdone herself this time! The January edition of "Belle Inspiration" is out and there are just so many beautiful articles and photos inside!! If you haven't subscribed yet, here is a link so that you can see what I am so excited about! I have been loving this magazine since it first came out this fall and as I mentioned yesterday, having my tutorial for my "We'll Always Have Paris" banner included in this issue is such an honor!

And, here are some images of some of my new silk brooches, available on my Etsy site. When ordering, please use the code "belleinspiration" for 10% off on your entire order until February 14th!

The Lovers -One

Rose de Blanc

Watching You

Soyons Discrets (Let's Be Discrete)

Heliotrope Parfum

Rose Verité

A Day of Surprises!

2011-01-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends,
You may wonder where I have been hiding. I have been tucked away in the Attic of Creativity, away from The Tearoom, but now I am back! I have some surprises for you!

First, the most recent edition of "Belle Inspiration" will be published tomorrow. For those who don't know, it is published by Mimi, of the "Bonjour Romance" blog in Paris! "Belle Inspiration" is the online magazine she publishes and she is graciously running a tutorial that I wrote in the newest edition!! I am so honored! In the tutorial, I explain how I have made a "We'll Always Have Paris" banner to decorate your home! I have so much fun creating art projects like this and I am just so happy to share my ideas with you! If you haven't yet, you can order your copy of "Belle Inspiration" here. It is just so beautiful and so much fun! I love looking at it, sipping a cup of tea, making note of all the great recipes and ideas from it that I will try.

Second, I have also been busy creating a new line of items for my Etsy shop (which is also called "The Gossamer Tearoom", in case you haven't visited yet!). In the past, I have mainly made cards and cardsets, bookmarks, calendars and a few small collage sheets. But what I have been working on recently is something completely different! I have created a line of beautiful brooches made of silk! I have many images to choose from (and I'm creating more all the time), but if you have an image that you would like to have made into a custom design brooch, please contact me, either through e-mail or Etsy convo. Also, if you happen to want to buy them without the pin backs, I am happy to sell them to you! They would make the sweetest little pillows in a dollhouse or vignette! These silk brooches are beautiful and unique. The images are gorgeous printed on the silk and they are so soft!

Below is a very brief video preview I made of some of the designs I will be offering in my first collection. (The music is "Burnout Eyess" by oOooo.) The new collection will debut tomorrow in my Etsy shop!

It is so nice to see you all again, Dear Friends and thank you for stopping in to see what is new in The Tearoom!

All Is Not As It Seems...

2011-01-10T15:03:00.006-05:00

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,

Won't you please have a seat on this comfy couch?

But wait, is this really what it looks like?

You won't know until I reveal all on Friday!

Happy 2011!

2010-12-30T22:27:00.009-05:00

(image from Marie's Freebie's)

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...

2010-12-24T19:27:00.000-05:00

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...

2010-12-22T10:58:00.004-05:00

(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...

2010-12-16T00:03:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-12-13T20:40:00.003-05:00

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...

2010-12-12T01:40:00.009-05:00

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...

2010-12-06T12:55:00.003-05:00

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)

Roses in the Snow...

2010-11-21T17:30:00.014-05:00

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
I sincerely hope you all are having a fun and happy Holiday Season so far. It is quiet for Mr. and I here in The Tearoom, all the better for us.

However, as much as I enjoy a hot cup of tea from the samovar, I have never been that much of a fan of fall and winter. Now, I know that a great many people list this as their favorite time of the year. I, however, have an overwhelming desire to hibernate until I see the first daffodil bloom!

I assumed that it was with hibernation in mind that, of all things, roses persisted in creeping their way into my mind. But now I see that I am not the only one thinking of roses!

First, both the venerable Houses of Ladurée and Pierre Hermé had roses on their minds when creating their newest macaron creations!

Ladurée's newest flavor is their Rose Gingembre (Rose Ginger). It is a collaboration between the patissier and the designer John Galliano, whose new fragrance "Parlez-moi d'Amour (Speak to Me of Love)" includes the essences of rose and ginger.

Next, from the house of Monsieur Hermé is a special collection called "Show Chaud Noël" (Hot Christmas Show) including these flavors:

Rose (flavored with rose and rose petals)
Arabella (milk chocolate, banana, passionfruit & ginger confit)
Infiniment Caramel (salted butter caramel)
Infiniment chocolat (Venezuela Porcelana single origin chocolate)
Crème Brulée (vanilla & bits of caramel)
Mogador (milk chocolate & passionfruit)

I recently became aware of another patisserie, which will surely make our "must visit" list the next time we visit Paris! How can you not think of a rose garden when visiting the site of Maison Boissier? The beautiful soft colors and the flavors! I dare you to tell me that the list of flavors of their guimauves (it is very nearly an insult to call them "marshmallows") does not make you dream!. . .

fleur d’oranger (orange blossom), abricot (apricot), citron (lemon),
fraise (strawberry), framboise (raspberry),
mandarine (mandarine orange), myrtille (blueberry),
noix de coco (coconut), citron vert (lime),
vanille (vanilla), violette (violet).

Oh, and "Les Pétales", petals of chocolate in these divine flavors...
Parfums aux fruits : citron vert (lime), clémentine, fraise (strawberry),
pétale lait et noir (milk and dark chocolate petals)
Parfums aux fleurs : rose, violette, verveine (lemon verbena), lavande, jasmin
grué noir (dark chocolate nibs), caramel thé (caramel tea),
menthe lait et noir (mint with milk and dark chocolate).

So, until I can relish the warmth of spring as life returns once again to the earth, these roses are here to bring their stored sunshine to us! Before we know it, we will all be exchanging sprigs of lily-of-valley once again on May Day!

(How nice that the DaDa Dolls will keep us company while we wait!)

I Want to Be Haunted. . .

2010-11-01T22:47:00.004-04:00

This is for my love, Mr. V. He brought this song to my attention a few days ago from the "Sid and Nancy" soundtrack and then left this video on the desktop of the computer tonight and so I dedicate it to him. Since 1984, he has brought music, love and light into my life. His influence haunted my life for 18 years while we were apart and now we are together. He is my rock when I don't feel steady. I would be lost without him.

From B to V, my love always.

The Fog Creeps In On Little Cat Feet . . .

2010-10-28T20:12:00.000-04:00

Won't you join me, Dearest Friends of The Tearoom? It's a quiet, foggy night. Doesn't the fog make it feel quite cozy in here?

Last year, at this time, it was quite a bit more lively, but this year, I hope you will not mind a bit of quiet.

In the background floats the haunting notes of our playlist for the night:
Violet Town by The Church
Under the Milky Way by The Church
Temperamental (Pull Timewarp Remix) by Everything But the Girl
As the Rush Comes (Gabriel & Dresden Chillout Mix) - Motorcycle
Ohureo by Baka Beyond
Svefn-G-Englar by Sigur Rós
Terrorist by The Teardrop Explodes

And of course I have treats...

Our dessert tonight comes by most gracious permission of Joyti of Darjeeling Dreams (Thank you, Joyti). She has the most wonderful blog full of her own recipes for delicious desserts, complete with beautiful photographs. Tonight, won't you please have a piece of her blackberry and champagne cake? And to drink with it? A lushly scented tea, Trois Fruits Noirs (Three Black Fruits) by Betjeman & Barton of Paris, perfumed with the scents of blackberry, black currant and bilberry. Won't you please help yourself to a cup waiting for you in the samovar?

As a special treat, my love Mr. V has agreed to share with us some photographs he took of the foggy evening outside. . .

And so in quiet repose, we spend a Halloween evening in reflection, wrapped in the fog, warmed by candlelight and the steam from your tea.

Now, if you will please excuse me. The Countess' teacup is nearly empty. . .

"They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." -Edgar Allen Poe

Happy Halloween

Where Have You Been, My Deer?

2010-10-24T15:30:00.000-04:00

This dear (deer?) creature is late for the Carnival. He is very sorry but he has a good excuse. During the creation of the Carnival, he was rattling around in my imagination, as part of the Menagerie. It wasn't until after the Carnival that I found the exactly perfect image I needed to make him come to life from The Magical Karen of The Graphics Fairy!! She always has such great images!!! And it is like Christmas everyday when you look at her blog because all of her images are free! Thank you, Karen!!

So, won't you please offer him a handful of raspberries to show him that his tardiness is forgiven?

(Both deer and hand with raspberries images from The Graphics Fairy.)

Midnight Carnival

2010-10-16T02:45:00.000-04:00

Dearest Friends,
Welcome Once Again to The Tearoom!

Oh, I have waited so long for this!
I have counted my pennies.
I have counted the days on the calendar!

And now it is here!

I am so very happy to see you again, my dearest friends!
I have been away too long.

Do you still have the ticket I gave you earlier?
Here are the rest!

Welcome to The Midnight Carnival at The Gossamer Tearoom!
I am so very happy to be part of the festivities at Mademoiselle Vanessa's Halloween Party at A Fanciful Twist! Don't forget to visit her and the other attendees!

What is your favorite thing to do at a carnival?
Wouldn't it be fun to begin by having our fortunes told?

Please step right this way!

This is Madame Circe, teller of fortunes, revealer of futures...

This is the card she has drawn for you...

(Sometimes Madame Circe surprises us by telling us not just what we need to know for later, but what we need to know right now.)

So many fun things to do and see!

Don't miss the Tightrope Walker
Mademoiselle Bon-Bon Oiseau!
(And, no, I don't think it's cheating to be a tightrope walker if you have wings! It just makes it a bit easier!!)

Please follow Mademoiselle Blanchette de Noire, Mistress of the Menagerie...

These animals are a bit unusual. But do not let their appearance frighten you...

(I promise they do not bite!)

Wouldn't you love a ride on the Cherry Velvet Ferris Wheel?

Or on the Magical Flying Cars?

I'm sure you are ready for a treat.
Please walk this way...

This is Mademoiselle Absynthia...

...She is so happy to see you and would like to offer you a delicious treat!

Our extra-fun carnival would not be possible today without the inspiration and images by some of the most talented people I have ever known. I am so grateful for all of the lovely people I have met here and with great pleasure, I would like you to meet some of them:
-Marsha of Tumblefish
(Thank you so much for all of the fresh inspiration! I hope you like what I have done!)
-Jerry of Shadowhouse Design
(Thank you for the great backgrounds!)
-Kathy of KF Collection
(Yes, I will be letting you know when we are in town next! Thank you!)
And hugs to my dear friends Marie-France, Julia and Kirsi:
-Marie-France of Marie's Freebies and
nigéArt
-Julia of Cemerony and Cemerony Share
-Kirsi of Itkupilli
And thank you so much to those I don't know as well, but appreciate so much all the same:
-Cristina of Asunder Ephemera
-Alison of Harmonica Goldfish
-Karen of Graphics Fairy
-Sabrina of Sabrina Zanetti

Our Dear Friend Mademoiselle Moon sees us home, dressed as an antique doll, such a sometimes spooky, sometimes silly friend she is to us!

And so we wish "Good-Night" to our new friends of the Carnival!

Happiest of Halloweens to all Friends of The Tearoom!

Betty

Are You Curious?

2010-10-07T12:43:00.005-04:00

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom!
Are you wondering what I have planned for the blog party at A Fanciful Twist?

I can't tell you that yet...

But, I can tell you that you will need tickets to attend...

I hope to see you (and your ticket) here at The Tearoom on October 16th!

(Background by Jerry of Shadowhouse Creations and components of the card thanks to Marsha of Tumble Fish Studio - tumblefishstudio.etsy.com.)

Because of My Mommy...

2010-09-22T09:08:00.005-04:00

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
Your patience with my infrequent visits here means the world to me. For those who don't remember the reason for my absence, please click her picture on the sidebar to the right and read the post I made in May.

It has been a very hard part of my and Mr. V's life, but we have found some measure of relief now. As of a week ago, my mother now lives in a home for people with severe dementia and they now have her very involved in all the fun activities they have for them and she sometimes forgets to miss us now. As sad as it is, it is better for her and ultimately, for us.

Above is a picture of My Mommy in a time before I was a part of her life. At the time this picture was taken, she lived in a tiny apartment she loved in Portland, Maine and still held a dream of being a country western singer in her heart. Her life took her away from that life and that dream, but she still kept enough of it to share with me, in the form of memories and inspiration.

You see, when I was a little girl, My Mommy was a Magician!!!! Oh the things she could do! She taught me to sing the songs she loved the best so that I could go on and sing all the songs I love the best now. I watched as she took all of those big red plastic containers on the kitchen cupboard and added some to some eggs and other things and made cookies!! She also showed me how you could put some sort of a stick with fur on the end into a glass of water, rubbed it over some hard things and made color to paint with!! She tried to teach me not to use the glass of lemonade instead of the glass of water to rinse my brush, but I got so caught up in making pictures that soon my lemonade would be a color it did not start out as and I wouldn't be allowed to finish it! (This is why, to this day, I cannot drink and paint at the same time!!). But the most magic thing My Mommy The Magician did was take away almost all of my crayons one day and show me how the blue, yellow and red were the only ones I really needed! How did she know such a thing?? And why didn't the people who made crayons know this?? The Gifts of Creativity and Curiosity were the some of the most important things she ever gave me.

Since we have been here, it has been very hard work to take care of her. And most days, I didn't have the energy left at the end of the day to do some of the things I wanted to do like visit you, my dear friends, here at The Tearoom.

But I know that My Mommy would not want me to stop doing magical things, so it is with love and honor in my heart that I announce my return to The World of Blogovia. My return may still be slow at first as I still go to My Mommy's new home and spend time with her, but I am so, so happy to tell you that I will be participating in The Magical Mademoiselle Vanessa's Halloween Party on October 16, in the Magical Land of A Fanciful Twist!

My Mommy gave me my love of Art and Music and those two things have brought the most joy to my life. Please don't forget to visit The Tearoom on October 16th, share a cup of tea and a bite of cake with me. I will be there to greet you and so will My Mommy in spirit.

An Update. . .

2010-08-28T03:57:00.004-04:00

Dearest Friends,
I am so happy to be able to give you updated information on the little film Pastry/Paris that I posted below.

I have received an e-mail from Susan Hochbaum, thanking me for including her film in my post. But more importantly, she went on to say this:

"I'm thrilled to report that I've gotten a book contract! Pastry|Paris will be published next fall and will include many, many more photos. I could not be more excited..."

It is very exciting! I cannot wait to see the book! Congratulations, Susan! I will be bringing you more news on this book just soon as I learn more! I think it will be the perfect addition to The Library of The Tearoom!

In Paris, Everything Looks Like Dessert

2010-08-16T08:45:00.009-04:00

My Dearest Friends,
It is so good to spend time with you again.

I have a couple of small treats for you...

First, my dear friend Marie-France in Paris sent to me (some time ago, malheureusement!) a link to a blog talking about Mr. V's and my favorite Paris tearoom, Thé Cool, including even more yummy photos! It is from the blog Play Like a Girl. Please go there and spend a quiet moment on the rue de Médicis, relaxing after your stroll through the Jardins de Luxembourgh. I can't help but notice that this blogger was enchanted by the same thing I was and took more than one picture of the bathroom sink, which is tiled in pink iridescent glass tiles. I took one look and wished I was small enough to take a swim! What a gorgeous swimming pool it would be! I came back from the the bathroom and told Mr. V, "You have to go to the bathroom!". "No, I don't!" he retorted. "Yes, you do! And don't forget to wash your hands!" He was thinking I had finally lost it completely for treating him like he was four, when I explained that the bathroom sink was not to be missed!!

Next, I have found a way that you may visit Paris yourself, if only for a minute and a half. On the blog Lola Is Beauty, I found a beautiful little film by Susan Hochbaum called "Pastry/Paris". Please take a moment and watch it. It really does capture something quintessential about the city and the French attitudes about the beauty that surrounds them everyday. It seems to me the perfect treat for visitors to our little salons at The Gossamer Tearoom! Oh, and don't forget to have your speakers or headphones on when you watch!

Chocolates? Yes, Please!

2010-07-31T06:37:00.007-04:00

Dearest Friends,
I must admit that when faced with choices for desserts, I will almost always choose something that is not chocolate. It's not that I don't like chocolate, but a lot of the time, the non-chocolate desserts seem more interesting to me. But when I saw these chocolates, I couldn't help but be interested! They speak the language of simplicity on one level, yet on other levels they are nothing but rococco!

Fauchon in Paris has a new line of chocolates called "Choc Made in F". Decorated only with numbers for the solid chocolates and the letter "F" for the ones with fillings, the new line includes the essential flavors one expects to see in chocolates, but of course done in Fauchon style, described by them this way:

Solid
Numbered 0-9, these morsels offer the ten simple tastes most desired by chocolate lovers, truly universal tastes: vanilla, creamy, coffee, full bodied, fruity, caramel. . .

Filled
A complementary line of ten sweets
Ultra gourmet for more sophisticated characters, multiple buds and notes.
This real range of fruit flavors combines nuggets of voluptuous aromas of flowers and spices to better reveal the facets of chocolate, ganache, praline, dark or milk.

All the simplicity of a praline revisited through the prism of coconut and hazelnut from Piedmont or associated with the more unexpected zest of lemon. Fragile aromas and seductive violet curve along the raspberry in an intense black blanket...

This collection can be enjoyed with eyes closed, a furtive trip to the sensual emotions while immediately-recognizable perfumes envelope textures, leave room for other notes and end on a pure taste of chocolate.

Until you can sample them in real life, please tempt yourself here.

Rococo Chocolates in London just goes out of their way to make sure that everything they make is beautiful! I am just afraid that if I visited, I would not be able to lift my own shopping bag! How could you resist anything they have to offer?

The chocolates above are their floral creams, topped with candied violets and rose petals. According to Kevin Gould writing in Waitrose Food Illustrated, "Rococo's chocolates simply sing in the mouth." and the floral creams are just a small example of the beautiful things they have!

Please let me know if any of you have tried any of these! Since I won't be able to visit either Paris or London for a bit, I would love a review!

An Evening at The Tearoom. . .

2010-07-18T19:00:00.002-04:00

My Very Dear Friends,

Won't you please join me on this sultry summer evening
for a treat?

I have made a fruit salad from yellow nectarines, white nectarines, white peaches, black velvet apricots, saturn peaches and plums, just for us!!

And won't you please join me in a glass of iced tea? My favorite tonight is another from Tazo called Om. It is a mix of black and green teas, haunted by essences of peach and cucumber. It is the perfect match with our salad.

For a night when you can bear only the lightest of meals...

As the velvet of night grows deeper, the fireflies are gathering on the lawn behind The Tearoom for their evening dance. . .

If you walk through the French doors, you will find that I have spread blankets on which you may sit. . .

I will leave you with a poem that I wrote several years ago, which I believe is in keeping with the mood of the evening. . .

the nectarine

on this warm and cloudy night,
at 11:37,
i want to give thanks for nectarines.
i was feeling somewhat gloomy
until i remembered him, small, happy thing he was,
waiting for me in the chill of the fridge.
in the dark, i padded into the kitchen in my favorite pair of bare feet.
as i removed him from the white plastic sack, the kitchen was filled with cool, white refridgerator light.
i held him in my hand.
he was cold but his skin was smooth
and
he glowed burnished yellow and dark orange.
he even blushed dark red on one side where the sun had kissed him.
he submitted himself to my bite.
and his juice, like stored sunshine
dribbled itself down my chin and my throat before i could catch it,
trickling all his sticky coolness,
making me happier than i’d been all day.
what a miracle that such a small thing could make me so happy!
so,
on this warm and cloudy night,
at 11:37,
thank you, little nectarine!

We Have Winners! Are You One?

2010-07-01T19:06:00.002-04:00

Oh, My Dear Friends!
Thank you so much for your patience! It has been one of those days that has kept me away from The Tearoom for longer than I would have liked!

But, as promised, I have randomly drawn two winners of the give-aways from The Mad Tea Party!

First, the winner of "My Life in France" by Julia Child is . . .

. . .Waterrose!!!

and

the winner of "The Patisseries of Paris" by Jamie Cahill is . . .

. . .julietk!!!

Please e-mail me at gossamertearoom@gmail.com and leave your address so I can send your books out to you!

It makes me so happy to give these special books to these nice ladies who came to visit and take tea with me on Saturday!

I would like to thank everyone who came and visited and left such lovely comments!!!

Have a good evening and to those friends in the US, Happy Fourth of July to everyone this weekend!!

Betty

Welcome!

2010-06-25T23:59:00.001-04:00

(A Mad Tea Party With Books)

The love of learning,
the sequestered nooks,
all the sweet serenity of books.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
Welcome to my Mad Tea Party and please go to A Fanciful Twist to see the lovely party Mademoiselle Vanessa is hosting there. While you are there, please check out the other parties too!

I am certain you all know the story by heart, but please indulge me while I read the relevant passage to you aloud:

"The rabbit hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well.

Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything; then she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that there were filled with cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed; it was labelled 'ORANGE MARMALADE', but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody, so managed to put it into of the cupboards as she fell past it."

What sort of books do you suppose were there on those shelves? I would think that only beautiful, colorful, magical books lived there and if only she could have spent a bit more time, she would have read some of them!

And so, if I were to pick the books myself, here is what I would pick (they are all currently in my bedside reading stack of books!)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - illustrated by Camille Rose Garcia
This is a beautifully illustrated edition of the story of Our Alice! Camille Rose Garcia brings her edgy, almost goth vision to the visual re-telling in vivid pastel shades, black and gold. This book is a treat in every way, from the black and purple end-papers to the glossy black accents on the dust-jacket! Her illustrations turn our favorite piece of literary psychedelia into an even more intense visual confection.

Alice I Have Been - Melanie Benjamin
This is quite a fascinating book, a fictionalized account of Alice Liddell's life. To read it is to feel as though one has lived in that time, burdened by the constraints of social mores but steeped in the wonders of the time. As you may know, Alice Liddell was the little girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to write "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".

Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger
This book has received some mixed reviews, but I liked it a great deal. It will undoubtedly push some readers' boundaries, but is that not why we read, to provide us with other perspectives? Sisters, twins, lovers, ghosts and others all swirl through this story and a great deal of it is set in Highgate Cemetery in London.

Paris Patisserie (Forward by Pierre Hermé)
What can I say about this book except this: Read it and dream. If you have not yet visited The Divine Patisseries of Paris, you may now do so vicariously through this book! The photographs are so beautiful that you will have to remind yourself not to lick the pages!

And now, on to our tea. . .

Today, for this special occasion, it is being served from the beautiful and unusual Fornasetti teapot . . .. . . do you take cream and sugar, or lemon perhaps? Here is your cup, Dear Friend.

Our Very Mad Tea is inspired by that tempting jar of marmalade that Alice put back on the shelf on her way down The Rabbit Hole! Please enjoy a cup of Summer Blend with me, from Betjeman & Barton of Paris! They tell us this tea is comprised of black China and Ceylon tea with "essential oils of lemon, lime, orange, blood orange, tangerine, clementine, bergamot orange and grapefruit"!

A very special surprise guest has brought our teatime treat today! The Little Prince visits with us and brings us something delicious named for him, "Le Cake Petit Prince" from The House of Lenôtre in Paris!! It is described as "a soft cake sprinkled with almonds, orange zest and a syrup delicately perfumed with Grand Marnier"! ("Cake" in France is somewhat like what we describe as pound cake here.)
Finally, treats for you! Please don't forget to leave a comment so that your name will be entered into the drawing for the lovely give-aways! The first person drawn will receive "My Life in France" by Julia Child. If you saw "Julie and Julia" and loved Julia Child's story from the movie, you will adore this book.

The second randomly-chosen Mad Tea Party attendee will receive a copy of "The Patisseries of Paris" by Jamie Cahill. This is such a lovely little book and I promise you will love it! It is just small enough to tuck in your bag while travelling for reference while hunting the not-so-elusive pastry in Paris!!!

Each of these lucky winners will also receive one of my lovingly handmade Chapeaux des Gateaux bookmarks for their books!

Since I know this party could go on all weekend (or even into the week!), I will do the drawing for the give-aways on July 1st!

Thank you so very much, Dear Friends, for having visited with me today at The Tearoom!

Betty

Would You Like a Peek?

2010-06-25T10:53:00.005-04:00

Dear Friends,
In my last blog post, we visited with The dAdA Dolls and I am pleased to say that we have been invited to a party where even more of them are in attendance!

I have created a website of the pictures I have taken of my on-going altered book project. It is called The dAdA Doll Party. Please click here to view the pictures and please check back often for additional images as I add them or continue to alter them.

While we are on the topic, who of you would be interested in an online class I am considering teaching called "The Fearless Altered Book"?

I trust I will see you later when our lovely Tea Party Madness will begin! It will begin at midnight EDT (for those friends who live far, far away!)

Until later tonight,

Betty