2026 Orchard Ridge Ladies' Spring Tea

It's been almost a month since I last posted for which I apologize.  I missed blogging about the anniversary of the Titanic's sinking on April 15, May Day, and the 152nd Kentucky Derby which was yesterday, and probably other significant days as well.  Life has been very busy between preparations for a Generations Tea coming up at The Whitney on May 9th which required 120 favors for the attendees, and coordinating the Ladies' Spring Tea at my church yesterday.  Below is the promotional flier.

This is the 22nd tea I've done for the ladies at my church.  This year's theme was 'Bee All You Can Bee'.  I 'borrowed' the U.S. Army slogan but changed it from be to bee.  Bee kitchenware is very popular right now, and while we don't normally liken bees to Christians or use a beehive as a metaphor for the church, there are distinct similarities.  Bees made a very cute tablescape.

55 ladies attended this year's spring tea.  After work at The Whitney on Friday I met two dear friends at the church to set up.  

[Donna, Lori and Me]

When we finished I took a few photos.  Yellow and black were the colors of the tablescape. Normally the tablescape is elegant and formal with bone china teacups, dishes, footed glass water goblets and silver teapots.  But since bees live outdoors I opted for an informal, fun picnic type setting for this tea.  The ladies enjoyed it and a bonus was that it made clean-up much easier when the tea was over.

In place of china teacups, I ordered black glossy stoneware mugs and hot-glued a bee charm of the handle.  It was their favor to take home after the tea was over.

I ordered bee-themed paper plates, napkins and honeycomb cups from Oriental Trading Co.  On top of each paper plate was a clear glass plate to dress things up just a little.  Self-stick bees were attached to the paper cups for a little whismy.

Hobby Lobby had bee-themed ribbon that I used to decorate the tiered servers as well as tying the plastic cutlery together, and they had the cutest bee expresso cups that I bought to hold the sugar cubs.  The bee-themed table markers also came from there.

Seating chart using bee-themed fabric from Hobby Lobby, and there was enough left over to wrap the bear-shaped bottles of honey that sat on each table.  The lady at each table with the birthday closest to the tea party date got to take the honey bottle home.

There were seven tables of 8 and six of them had two white porcelain teapots on each.  I couldn't resist buying an International French Bees teapot from Macy's for my table along with a yellow Chatsford teapot that I already had.

We served Harney & Sons Paris blend black tea and Earl Grey decaf.

Pamela's Catering, who I've used for the last few teas, provided a delicious tea meal.  Below are the gals in the kitchen plating desserts.

Tiered servers waiting to go on the tables after the blessing was said.

This is the first time I selected Pimento Cheese in Phyllo cups for one of the savories and they turned out being my favorite.

~ The yummy desserts ~

I didn't get a photo of the plated scones, but they were delicious.   They were on the tables and when the ladies were seated they started eating them before the blessing was even said!  ;-)

A short devotional about bees.

My hubby is usually my photographer, but he didn't take any group photos this year.  I hurriedly took a few before the ladies began leaving.

My girlfriend, Sandy, seated next to me.  We've been friends since Jr. High School, and standing is a friend she used to work with and has stayed in contact with.

A sweet lady from church wearing a cute bee sweater.  When she left the tea party she went to a Kentucky Derby party so she had a fun, event-filled day!

My daughter, Lori.

And that's a wrap for this year's tea.  The next one will be in September, but I don't have a date yet.  My son suggested a patriotic theme to celebrate our country's 250th birthday.

I hope you enjoyed attending the tea vicariously.

Resurrection Sunday

Happy Easter - He is Risen!

It's been a wonderful week of ministry at our church.  Saturday, March 28th [the day before Palm Sunday] was our annual Easter Egg hunt for the community.  About 450 people attended.

Good Friday was communion from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.  Our pastors were at the altar to individually serve communion and pray with those who came.  Even though it was a work day for many, they served about 150 people.  I'm showing my age, but I remember when businesses closed from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. in observance of the hours Christ hung on the cross. I'm so grateful for God's unmerited love, grace, mercy and forgiveness through His Son.

Today was a glorious day in both morning services as we celebrated Christ's "Triumphant Exit" from the tomb.  Our family all enjoyed dinner together after the service.

Granddaughter, Tiffany, sent the photo below of her family taken after church this morning in California.

Daughter-in-law, Samantha, sent a photo of their family returning from spring break in Florida today.

Sign-up for the Ladies' Spring Tea that will be held on Saturday, May 2nd, began today.   The theme is:  "Bee All That You Can Bee".  After I chose that theme it occurred to me I had heard that phrase in a commercial, so I Googled it to see who used it. "Be All You Can Be" is the recruiting slogan for the U.S. Army reintroduced in 2023 focusing on purpose, passion, and personal growth.  That triggered the Sunday School children's chorus sung in days gone by, "I'm in the Lord's Army".  When combined with the characteristics of a worker bee's intense effort to protect the hive from intruders, the theme all fit together like a puzzle.

On another subject, my daughter just returned yesterday from a trip to California visiting her daughter's family.  It's hard to believe Juliette turned 7 years old last Friday.  I sent gifts with Lori and she took pictures of the celebration to share with me.

~ Jules and Evie ~

~ John, Tiffany, Jules and Evie ~

Tea With The Easter Bunny

There's nothing like a little excitement to accompany a blog post!  I had just sat down at my desktop computer to begin this post when my iPhone started making a loud noice.  I picked it up and a message appeared on the screen with an imminent threat alert by the National Weather Service.  A toronado warning was in the area and we were told to take shelter in a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.  Yikes!  I immediately turned my computer off and my hubby and I listened to weather reports on his laptop until the threat passed.

I've been absent from my blog for a while again.  Life's been busy making 60 Easter baskets for the children attending Tea With the Easter Bunny at The Whitney today.

The first step of the project was shopping for everything.  I ordered the bunny baskets from Oriental Trading Company.

Finally done! My hubby and I delivered them to The Whitney last Thursday.

The tea began today at 12:00 noon with staggered seating every 15 minutes until 1:00 o'clock. 112 parents and children attended.  I took a few candid shots before all the hustle and bustle began.

~ The Tablescape ~

 The Menu.  It was too busy to get pictures of the tiered servers and dessert plates. 

Jenna and Kaylee - the sweet gals at the Reception Desk

The Whitney pianist, Joel, with the Easter Bunny [Avery, one of the servers]

~ The Easter Bunny and Me ~

The Easter Bunny getting ready to distribute the baskets.  

The Easter Bunny with two children that attended.  Last year we got a group photo of all the children in attendance, but not this year.  The children were all so adorable.

Avery and Andrew in the coffee/tea prep room.  The bunny costume was very hot so every so often Avery snuck away from public view to remove her bunny head for a few moments of relief.  She did a great job.

The 2026 Tea With the Easter Bunny is now in the books, and the next big event at The Whitney will be the Generations Tea [commemorating Mother's Day] on May 9th.

St. Patrick's Day Tea Luncheon

The St. Paddy's tea luncheon that I hosted on Tuesday for three ladies from my church has come and gone, but a good time was had by all.  I had a festive St. Paddy's Day flag flying outside to welcome them.  

In addition to my St. Patrick's themed tablescape, I also had a few decorations.

I used the new shamrock dishes and teaware that I recently acquired from HomeGoods.

The Irish Stew turned out good but I'm not sure I would make it again.  I'd be just as happy with Shepherd's Pie.  While I was researching recipes for the Irish Stew I was amazed how many variations there are and decided every Irish cook has her own version with a tweak here and there.   I learned the difference between and Irish stew and American stew [besides the Guinness] is their stew isn't thickened or gravy-like.  It's more of a broth/soup as pictured below.

Photo: Tea For All Reasons

Because I was serving mine in sourdough bread bowls [purchased from Panera], I knew I'd have to thicken mine or the bread would become soggy and collapse.

I didn't take any pictures of the food courses.  Our dessert was Irish Apple Cake and I found it to be like the Irish Stew in that recipes abound and each one is a little bit different.  I made a custard sauce to pour over it before serving which was a nice addition.

The two gals on the right are sisters.

Gifts weren't necessary because the luncheon was my gift to them, but they came bearing gifts. I loved the card that said Dia Beannacht Leat which is Gaelic for God Bless You.  The tin of Irish Breakfast Tea came from Ireland and the adorable Alex & Ani bracelet is tea themed.

I spent yesterday packing everything and putting it away for another year.  The next holiday will be Easter.  Today is the last day of winter - on the calendar anyway.  Here in Michigan we'll probably see a little more snow even though spring begins tomorrow.

Getting Ready for St. Patrick's Day

I've been absent from my blog for a while, but I'm alive and well - just a lot of things going on. I started working on a Saint Patrick's Day Shutterfly album to honor my maternal grandfather and mother [who are of Irish descent].  It's almost completed, but I won't submit it until after next Tuesday [St. Patrick's Day] when I'm having three ladies over for an Irish tea luncheon.  I want to include photos taken that day.

I follow a wonderful blog called Home Is Where the Boat Is.  Mary [the author] shares many lovely tablescape ideas and recipes.  She loves dishes even more than I do!  On February 20 she wrote a post titled, What's New at HomeGoods for Spring & Easter Decorating. Her photos of the shamrock dishes definitely piqued my interest, and sent me on an expedition to several local HomeGoods stores. She's responsible for aiding and abetting my dish addiction!  ;-)

~ Mary's Photos ~

She lives in North Carolina, and I concluded [a] not all HomeGoods stores carry the same merchandise [b] Mary's local store carries a larger inventory with a greater variety [c] I was too late shopping for St. Patrick's Day things. I should have started in January or [d] e-Bay sellers had already visited the HomeGoods stores in my area and pretty much cleaned them out. A quick e-Bay search shows the Gracie teapot and teacups selling for almost three times as much as HomeGoods sold them.  

My expedition wasn't completely in vain, however, because I did manage to find a few things such as a different Gracie shamrock teapot with five matching teacups [shown below] and three luncheon plates. 

I really wanted the shamrock dinner plates for Tuesday, and after many phone calls to HomeGoods stores a little further from my house was able to find some.  They're a little different than the ones in Mary's picture, because mine only have shamrocks around the edge instead of the entire plate, but they are Gracie china and I'm happy with them.   Do you shop at HomeGoods?

The teapot didn't come with a sugar and creamer so I ordered one online from Bewley Irish Imports.  The pattern isn't identical to the teapot, but it has shamrocks on it so it'll work.  I couldn't resist the shamrock charcuterie board.

The dishes got me in the mood to decorate the house a little bit too.  In my tote of Irish things I think I have a St. Patrick's Day flag to fly on Tuesday.

Years ago - when the grandchildren were younger - I used to decorate a miniature artificial Christmas tree for all the major holidays.  I still have the St. Patrick's Day decorations, as well as the miniature tree stored in the basement, but I'm not sure I'll get it decorated for Tuesday.

My menu is set and I grocery shopped today, but I won't start making anything until Sunday afternoon and Monday.  

Irish Soda Bread [instead of scones]

Reuben Soup with rye croutons

Green Fruit Salad in Jasmine Tea Syrup [Grapes, Kiwi & Honeydew] 

Irish Stew in Bread Bowls

Irish Apple Cake

Irish Cream Black Tea

The Irish Stew calls for red wine and Guinness beer, so I had to pay a visit to a nearby liquor & wine shop and pray no one I knew saw me entering or exiting!   The clerk was very helpful in making my selections as I am completely clueless about liquor. The beer and wine are a key flavoring in the stew and the alcohol evaporates during cooking so I don't need to be concerned about making my guests tipsy!  ;-)

Tis the season for tea parties.  The Whitney is doing a Lion King tea this Saturday to coordinate with the Lion King musical being performed at the Detroit Opera House.  I talked to our tea blender about coming up with a tea to coordinate.  She sent me four samples.  Two were Rooibos [representing Africa] and two were black Chai teas [representing India].  I did a tea tasting a week ago for one of the managers and three servers and we all agreed Vanilla Chai

was the winner, so we'll be serving that this Saturday.  

Tea with the Easter Bunny is coming up and I'll be putting Easter baskets together again for the children in attendance.  Then there's the Generations Tea [honoring Mother's Day].  I haven't thought about what the favors will be this year yet.  

And last but certainly not least is the ladies Spring Tea at church.  I've established the theme: "Bee All That You Can Bee".  I have the tablescape in mind and am excited about it.  There's lots of things on the horizon to keep me busy.