Basket of Friendship Tea

One of the ladies who went on the Southern Tea Time Getaway last May used to have a tearoom and gift shop in Defiance, Ohio called Flowers & Friends.  If you remember, one of my blog posts about the trip was Judy treating us to a wonderful traveling tea party on the van the first day.  

Even though Judy's no longer open for business, she said she'd have a combination tea party/reunion to celebrate the friendships made on the trip after she recovered from hip replacement surgery in July.  On August 27th our invitations arrived in the mail.

The tea party was last Saturday [September 15th] at 12:00 noon.   Judy brought her niece, Cheryl, on the Southern Tea Time Getaway, and the two of them hosted the gathering.  It was one of the nicest tea parties I've ever attended.

The tearoom used to be a Grain/Corn Bin House located on a neighboring farm.  Judy and her husband had it moved to their farm where it underwent an amazing transformation, while still maintaining most of its original rustic interior.  Judy was inspired to open a tearoom/gift shop because all the men congregated at a local cafe, and she wanted a place where ladies could gather.  It's mostly used for family gatherings now.

Below is the main entrance.

Four tables were set up and they were stunning.  The invitations and table décor carried out the "Basket" of Friendship theme.  Each table had at least two vintage glass baskets - a large one as a vase/centerpiece, and a smaller one as a candle holder... 

And two lovely teapots, along with two beautiful vintage candlesticks. 

Aren't the vintage glass baskets beautiful?  Judy gave each of us a basket to take home.

Judy - the hostess with the mostess!

~ With her niece, Cheryl ~

Judy is also a gardner and their farm property has beautiful gardens.

~ Lori and Me ~

~ Barb, Linda, and Louise ~

Back inside, iced tea and sparkling limeade awaited us at the bar.

Fancy, fruity ice cubes...

And individual bags of Caramel Corn and Friendship Mix.

Teresa made a fabulous Shutterfly album of all the pictures she took on our trip, and Lori and I enjoyed looking at it.

Our tea meal will be a separate post since this one is already quite lengthy.  Come back to see what Judy served.  I'll give you a hint... it looked as good as it tasted!