One Christmas my husband gave me this customizable handbag. It is so much fun to change it to suite different moods, functions, etc. I like to carry it as a conversation starter; there are always lots of people interested in hearing about my tea theme bag.
This design was put together with mementos from a visit to The Tea Room in Savannah, GA. It was such a surprise when we arrived right in the middle of a photo shoot for Bruce Richardson’s updated book The Best Tea Rooms of America. I have a signed copy of the older version. It was a bit of a shock when the owner asked us if we wanted to meet Bruce and Shelley Richardson.
He was very gracious and allowed us to take photos and interrupt his work (I’m on the right, my friend, Connie is on the left). It has always been my regret that he closed his tea room in Kentucky before I was able to enjoy afternoon tea there. I have been fortunate to have had afternoon tea at four of the tea rooms listed in Great Tea Rooms of America. The Farmhouse Tea Shoppe, Dunwoody, Georgia (now closed), the Grand Floridian Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, the Magnolia & Ivy, Sandestin, Florida (now closed) and The Tea Room, Savannah, Georgia.
Although I didn’t have an opportunity to have tea at the Elmwood Inn (afternoon tea there ended July 31, 2004), I do have the wonderful book A Tea For All Seasons – Celebrating Tea, Art and Music at the Elmwood Inn by Shelley and Bruce Richardson. It has beautiful themed teas by season, such as Fireside Tea (January), Irish Tea (March), Tea In The Rose Garden (June), Kentucky Harvest Tea (October) and so many more. The recipes are fabulous. My favorite flower is the calla lily, so of course I adore the May Flower Tea Sandwiches shaped like these flowers.
If you are interested in the Z becky brown bag try www.zbeckybrown.com
3 comments:
Oh, how much do I love this? Let me count the ways! I've never heard of these handbags but they are awesome! And how wonderful that you got to meet the Richardsons at The Tea Room. I'm like you, though, sad I never got to enjoy tea at their place in Kentucky! I am going to be lusting over this handbag until I get one, I think ... love that you personalized yours with tea. Maybe I could scrapbook some of that vintage tea-themed ephemera ... or wait, no, I'll stitch some teabag wrappers together for an insert, wouldn't that be cool!
Love the handbag. That makes me want to decoupage some of my ephemera related to tea onto a tin lunch box to use as a traveling tea kit when I go to shows. Thanks for the inspiration.
Oh I love it! How nice to be able to change it. What fun it must have been to meet the Richardsons. Oh the envy in me is sinful right now!!!
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