Tea Set in Gray Wood

Today I'm looking forward to finally sharing the lovely tea set my mother gave me. I don't know much about this history of this set. I do appreciate that it came from a respectable maker, Noritake china, though the Gray Wood pattern has been discontinued. It is a soft white with silvery and gray leaves in a delicate pattern on it, the lines are I think of a more modern, sleek design. Nothing I would call particulary fancy, not very frilly in paint or style. I have come to really admire its understated elegance and it has great sentimental value for me.

My mother bought this set off her sister, a woman prone to packing up everything she owned and traveling across country to settle where she landed for a few months or a couple of years, until the urge to roam uprooted her again. My aunt collected and purged countless items in her travels, including a few houses and more than a few husbands. On one of her trips back to stay near her family, she had this china set and a full set of Royal Doulton Old English Roses dinnerware. I don't know what my mother paid for it, but I'm sure she got them for a bargain price. My older sister got the Royal Doulton, I got this set. That was over 30 years ago, and the set has remained one of my most treasured items.

Here is the full service for six, so everyone find a seat while I take the scones out of the oven. Heehee, now I'm reminded of a sign I saw today, 'Tea is on me, the gossip is free.'

Do you like my centerpiece I'm using?  It is a lovely Lennox vase my husband and I bought many years ago, in the early part of our marriage, before we accumulated kids and cats and put this and other pretties away behind glass. I brought it out for our little gathering, because you're special. Thank you so much for stopping by for tea. I'm joining this lovely folks at their parties as well.

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday

Katherine at Lady Katherines for Tea Time Tuesday
Martha at Martha's Favorites for Tea Tuesday