Pretty Vintage China for every Occasion

Don't let the bad weather ruin your plans for summery garden parties, quaint teas and English frivolities this Great British summer!

So I've just had a cancellation, the wedding was to have a lovely afternoon tea using my pretty vintage china tea cups, after their wedding ceremony in a marquee. I was shocked to hear that they've scrapped the afternoon tea, as it was too summery for the low temperatures and rain fall expected for this weekend, which I thought was an utter shame. The English pride ourselves on carrying on regardless of the weather, I'm not sure what theme the wedding is having now, maybe mince pies and mulled wine with warm fur coats, probably more fitting with the recent storms. It maybe June and it maybe miserable, but there is nothing better than having a warming cup of tea and piece of cake on a slightly chilly day.

Guest in boating jacket and vintage tea pot to hire only £4

So for bride and grooms wanting a vintage country touch to their summer weddings, wondering what to do in this cooler weather... I say to hell with the weather, this is our summer and if we want it to at least feel like summer we need to don some thermals under our boating jackets and summer dresses.

Vintage tea pots available to hire for weddings and parties only £4

Get lots of hot tea and coffee on the go to warm wedding and garden party guests up, poured from beautiful vintage tea pots. Tea and Coffee pots are only £4 to hire, which adds the vintage touch to every event and the gorgeous designs on the tea cups, which are only £1.20 will distract from the cold!

If you were planning on serving Pimm's or old fashioned lemonade, you can serve winter Pimm's and warm apple juice for the children. Winter Pimm's uses Pimm's No 3, it has a brandy base to it, which you mix with warm apple juice, its delicious and warming, plus it can still be served from a tea pot and you don't have to faff around with all the fruit! Don't give in to the bad British summer, hire some pretty china from Lavinia's Tea Party to add that vintage touch to a splendid afternoon tea party!

Birthday Goodies

I celebrated my birthday with a few close friends for a lovely afternoon into late evening tea!

I spent the morning preparing for my guests, doing some baking and answering the door to lots of surprises. First knock at the door was the postman delivering an awesome pair of trainers, which I'd only mentioned to my boyfriend the day before, then another van arrives with not one but two gorgeous bouquets of pink roses and lillies also from my boyfriend, he clearly out did himself this year, as he's serving abroad with limited phone/internet I wasn't expecting anything! 

Then the regular postman bought some parcels and lots of cards, including a hot water bottle, top and scarf!  All of this was rather overwhelming as I'd said no presents but was even better because of this, and the last man to come to the door was delivering my croquette set I'd ordered, so that was rather exciting aswell!! Can't wait for the weather to clear up and get a game in. I can now offer this to all bespoke tea party customers too.

Here are a few photos I took of the flowers and some of my presents, including a new addition to my china collection, being this gorgeous pink and grey Solano Wear designed by John Wadsworth for Minton.

 This is a stack of books with beautiful polkadot covers my mum bought for me at a fair in Hungary, she knew I'd love them for props and I've already made us of them!

Its not what you know its who you know, my very talented friend Stephanie Cole is a fabric pattern designer, and she treated me to one of her latest designs. Its a fabric bag with a lovely Cirencester (the nearest town to where we live) map design in one of my favourite colours, which matched this tea cup! You can see more of her wonderful work here: www.stephaniecole.co.uk

Lovely necklace for rainy days which also matched a tea pot of mine!

This Battenberg Britain book is amazing, its entertaining and educational, so I pulled out of the cupboard my Camp coffee and Birds Custard and read all about their origins etc.

Flowers and china, with wedding statue!

The rain held off whilst I through this little still life together in the garden.

All in all a wonderful birthday.