In seemingly perfect synchronicity with the calendar's announcement of Autumn's arrival the leaves around my home and community have instantly turned from their usual peaceful green to colorful blazes of reds, oranges and yellows. As we gaze out across the fields to the mountains surrounding us we also notice these same autumnal colors gracing spots here and there as if the fairies took out their paintbrushes and went right to work. They have not finished their masterpieces yet, still needing to fill in many green leaves along the roads and forests. I enjoy seeing this work in progress and look forward to viewing the finished work in all of its glory!
On this day we chose to celebrate Fall by having a tea party!
The children and I enjoyed the entire process of preparing for this celebratory tea. We woke up and went straight to preparing. Three little ones by my side helped me mix and stir and add eggs and milk to the batter that soon became a spongy golden mini cupcake treat! Off we went into the gardens as our cupcakes went into the oven.
We chose yellow for our party theme that was reminiscent of the golden sun of summer and the golden fields of autumn. Each of us took great care in picking a golden bouquet for the centerpiece of our tea celebration. My husband recently brought home a sweet miniature tea set from a tag sale, and this was the first time we had drank from its cups and eaten from its plates. It was fun to imagine just how many other celebrations it had seen before this moment!
The table was set and ready to go. Into the kitchen we went to retrieve our cupcakes and to start the hot water for our tea. We gathered up all of the loose teas from our collection of vintage Mason jars in hopes of savoring their floral nuances at our seasonal celebration!
Chamomile flowers from our gardens joined us on this day, along with a "fairy tea" blend of colorful dried flowers from my favorite peace garden. The unique textures of dried herbs and flowers happily sat in small wooden bowls waiting to release their soothing energies as they steeped in our tiny tea cups.
We each lit a candle on our cupcake and made wishes for this new season. Today was a lovely day to celebrate life and family and all that we are thankful for as we leave one season and embark into another.
