I’m thrilled to be hosting and enjoying high tea with Tessa Rose the Traveling Teacup this week!

Have you ever heard of the Traveling Teacup before? Barbara, of Mantel and Table came up with an amazing idea to send a teacup to different parts of the world, for a Traveling Teacup Photo Challenge.

For more  backstory behind the Traveling Teacup, you can find all the details here.

This beautiful pink and green teacup has literally been everywhere! Looking at the list of where she’s visited the last few months, I feel so honored to host her this week!

She just arrived from Calgary, Canada after a lovely stay with the Catswhiskerz. It sounds like she had a lot of fun there.

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High Tea with the Traveling Teacup

Why I’m Thrilled to Have High Tea with the Traveling Teacup

My husband’s family is really into teas and enjoying tea time. During my time with his family for the last 27 years, many afternoons were spent with my mother-in-law, her sisters, my husband’s sisters, and my husband at our favorite local tea room and restaurant, Sally Lunn’s Tea Shoppe and Restaurant.

It’s a lovely spot for some wonderful teas and fresh baked goods. And if you are ever in the area, their scones with clotted cream are OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD delicious!

Sally Lunn’s is one of the reasons my husband and I moved to Chester. We spent our first Valentine’s Day there and visited lots of times before making the move here.

Would you believe he loves to go as much as I do?

The tea shop is so adorable and I think Tessa Rose would love to see it!

Don’t you?

Since my mother-in-law, Pat, fancies tea, my visit with Tessa Rose, the Traveling Teacup and this blog is dedicated to her.

We would stop by and visit Pat with Tessa Rose, but she’s busy wintering in Hawaii with one of my husband’s sisters who lives there!

She’s one lucky lady, am I right?

High Tea with the Traveling Teacup

Welcome Tessa Rose!

Tessa Rose just arrived and I gave her a quick home tour. The house is a bit of a mess since I took Christmas down the day before.

Since I live in New Jersey and we have a little bit of snow, there isn’t much to see in the gardens right now.

But she enjoyed walking the grounds to see how the gardens look during the winter.

While we were touring the backyard, we saw some hellebores in bloom.

Aren’t they so pretty?

Garden Tour with the Traveling Teacup

Hellebores are one of the first blooms of the season.

And now that I’ve seen them, I seriously can’t wait for the 2021 gardening season to start!

Here are some of the highlights of my visit with the Traveling Teacup this week.

High Tea with the Traveling Teacup

Decorating for Winter with the Traveling Teacup

The morning after Tessa Rose’s arrival, we enjoyed a quiet morning with some English Breakfast Tea while I finished working on my latest blogs about Christmas Cactus care and recap of my 2020 cottage garden.

Since Tessa Rose couldn’t tour my cottage gardens in bloom, I showed her some of the photos from my recap and invited her to come back when everything is blooming.

Gardening for Hummingbirds
Gardening for Hummingbirds – June Garden Tour

When I was done, she sat with me in the dining room where I replanted my vintage toolbox centerpiece with winter greens and restyled my hutch cabinet shelves.

High tea with the traveling teacup

And then we headed over to my living room mantel to transition it from Christmas to winter. You’ll see more of the mantel next week when I share my winter home tour.

For now, here’s a sneak peak.

High tea withe the traveling teacup

After a long day getting the house back in order with some fresh winter decor, Tessa Rose and I enjoyed some Earl Grey Tea and a cozy fire while previewing the new Discovery+ network!

Have you seen it yet? I LOVE IT!!!

High Tea with the Traveling Teacup in front of a fire

High Tea with The Traveling Teacup

The next day, Tessa Rose, my husband and I enjoyed high tea at my favorite local tea shop, Sally Lunn’s.

High Tea with the Traveling Teacup at Sally Lunn's Tea Shop

I’m fortunate that my husband opened his business here in town 6 years ago.

We can go to lunch anytime, and our favorite place to go is, you guessed it, Sally Lunn’s.

It’s funny too…after all these years of enjoying high tea at Sally Lunn’s, we still manage to order the same things when we go.

Do you do that too?

He loves their pot pies because it’s very hearty and filling.

I love their tomato, pesto and mozzarella on a baguette with a caesar salad.

High Tea with the Traveling Teacup
Doesn’t my sammy look so good? Seriously, this is our favorite place to eat!

He gets the Lapsang Souchong Tea; and I usually order caramel or butterscotch.

And we ALWAYS always get their fresh baked strawberry scones with clotted cream too.

It’s the best.

I think Tessa Rose enjoyed that part the most too.

Sure we’ve enjoyed different dishes there, but our favorites are our favorites.

What can I say?

High Tea with the Traveling Teacup

Watering My Houseplants with the Traveling Teacup

Now that our Christmas tree is down, I’m putting my houseplants back where they belong.

And it’s watering day!

Watering plants with the Traveling Teacup

After enjoying high tea with Tessa Rose, we gathered all the plants and gave them a quick shower to hose off some of the dust and provide a thorough watering.

I like to do this once a month because getting the dust off helps the plants with photosynethesis and purifying the air.

High Tea with the Traveling Teacup

Since I have so many houseplants, I can’t fit them all in my bathroom to hose down.

Renovating the Bathroom

So I had to bring a few to the kitchen.

Easy Houseplant Care Tips

I never realize how many houseplants I have until I group them together.

My husband thinks I might have a problem.

It’s not THAT many plants though right? LOL!

Houseplants and Amaryllis on Plant Shelf

Although there aren’t many blooms outside, I do have a few inside from my gorgeous amaryllis plants! I planted them in November and they started blooming by Christmas.

They are still going and she was thrilled to see them!

Watering plants with the travceling teacup

In addition to my amaryllis blooms, this gorgeous orchid that my husband surprised me with a few months ago is still blooming too. It loves this spot in my bay window!

Farewell to the Traveling Teacup

As much as I enjoyed my week with Tessa Rose, all good things must come to an end. We enjoyed high tea every day during her stay and it’s time for her to journey to her next visit.

Thanks so much for following along! xoxo

High Tea with the Traveling Teacup

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23 Comments

  1. Stacy what a wonderful time you had with our Traveling Teacup!! I love your gorgeous gardens, and obviously your house plant situation is just as lovely! Plus I love the tea shop! I can’t wait to share your story over on Mantel and Table tomorrow. Thank you so much for hosting – it’s a beautiful stop!

  2. Pingback: High Tea For Our Traveling Teacup ~ So Exciting! ~ Mantel and Table
  3. Good morning! Emjoyed reading aobut your time with Tessa Rose. I love tes rooms also! I also love having tea with my grandchildren.

    1. Thank you Linda! Aren’t they the best? We have been visiting this one for like 27 years now! It’s still my favorite place!

  4. Hi Stacy,

    I have been to Sara Lunns many times. Love it there

    My stepmom and I love tea. We went to Short Hills a few times for a treat. A bit pricey but worth it.

    I love this series.

    Cindy

    1. I literally get it EVERTYIME I go!!! It’s all so fresh and SOOOOO good. I’ve ordered other stuff and like everything I’ve had but I really love this sammy. It’s my favorite and I”ll get it every time I go in the future too. LOL!

  5. What fun! I love all your pretty photos with the traveling teacup. I’ve been to Chester many times but never to that tea shop. I need to add it to my list since I’m a big tea drinker!
    Shelley

    1. It a must visit Shelley! Would you like to go sometime? We can set a day to visit there! Their food is amazing. It’s been awesome since the first day we went! xoxo

  6. Lots of questions!!!
    Where exactly is Sally Lunns?
    I was told to never get water on the leaves of plants. You know was bout this? Help me!
    Also, please share your decor as Ted tool box. I just acquired my husbands box and would like to use it on the mantel and/or table. Thanks!
    I so enjoy your blog as it is a new one to me.

    1. Hi Ethel! Thank you for stopping by! Sally Lunn’s is in Chester, NJ. I only wash the leaves off to get the dust off. The bigger plants just get a wipe down but smaller plants get a shower. It’s not often because I water much less while plants are in dormancy during winter. I have a bunch of blogs dedicated to my toolbox centerpiece and how I’ve recreated different looks with it. If you go to the search bar and type in the word centerpiece, you’ll see them all! It’s so nice to meet you and I’m so glad you are here! Enjoy your day! xoxo

  7. What a fun awesome visit sweet Tessa Rose enjoyed with you, Stacy!

    I think you took some really great photos, your home is gorgeous post-Christmas, your house plants are amazing – you and my daughter would sooooooo get along! And, well, the tea house visit was amazing. I so miss being able to go out with my sisters, daughters or gal-pals to a wonderful tea luncheon. That place sounds GREAT!

    Hope your new year is going well – stay well.

    1. Thank you so much Michele! I bet we would! Going out for high tea is the best…I’m really blessed to have Sally Lunn’s right here. Thank you so much for dropping by! xoxo

  8. High tea – what a perfect place for Tessa Rose! It sounds like she had a lot of fun with you. Love your gardens – they are beautiful!

  9. I’m seriously loving your visit with Tessa Rose. I remember her visit to the PNW fondly. I only wish I could have been there with you having high tea at Sally Lunn’s. Great post!

    1. Thank you! You would LOVE this tea shop! It is awesome – not just by way of food and tea, but also the pretty vintage and floral atmosphere. Someday we will get to hang in person! xoxo