The T-Cozy

A "Just Your Cup of Tea" Giveaway

It's that time of year again. We'll be embarking on our annual vacation to Martha's Vineyard. But before we go, it is my pleasure to announce a new T-Cozy giveaway in honor of . . . you!

It has been rather hectic around here these past two months and your nice comments and emails have really been encouraging during this crazy time. A heartfelt thank you to all of my readers. To show my appreciation, I'm giving away a little sneak preview of what I'll be offering for sale on my new T-Party web site this fall. Along with vintage treasures, I also plan to sell all 15 of T-Party's loose teas and various tea related items just like the array of goodies in this giveaway, below.

The lucky winner will receive these T-ish gifts; a new ceramic Bee House tea mug in a pretty shade of periwinkle blue and a stainless steel mesh tea ball for steeping loose tea by the cup. Included is a tiny glass jar filled with special rough cut cane Comptoir Du Sud sugar cubes. The winner will also get a four ounce tin of Lavender Lace, one of T-Party's most popular blends. Lavender Lace is a flowery, slightly sweet tisane (meaning herbal infusion) made with lemon verbena, spearmint, cinnamon, lavender and rosemary. Soothing, light and fragrant; tasty when iced, too.

I do hope these items are just your cup of tea and you'll participate in my giveaway. Here's what you'll need to do to be included in the random drawing on July 22. Just leave a comment on this post. Sounds easy, right? Well, I do have one request. I'd like to know what your favorite T-Cozy post has been to date and why. (So if you simply write "Enter me in your drawing," that just won't do! And if you reference a post older than the 30 shown as you scroll down, I'll really be impressed!)

If you're shy about leaving a comment, please don't be. I'm not looking for anything profound here, just a little feedback on what has interested you on my blog. New to leaving comments? Read the simple instructions shown on the right.

The deadline for leaving your comment is midnight Monday, July 21. The winner will be announced in a post on Tuesday, July 22.

And now we're off to our most beloved place on the planet. When we return from MV, I look forward to reading your comments and announcing the winner.

Thank you in advance and have a great week,

Susan

I Feel Lighter

All week long I've been chipping away at the many tasks that go along with closing down a shop; things like paying bills, going to the bank, doing a final inventory, meeting with our book keeper and canceling utilities. Our phone was turned off today. Can you believe we were still getting messages from people wanting to make reservations for tea?

So many loose ends to tie up. But every time I cross another task off my list, I feel lighter. All the while, I've been trying to rest my back which is finally feeling better.

John and I headed over to the shop to do one final chore; taking our signage off the house and surrounding lawn. (Nothing like doing that for a little closure!) Patiently waiting for me at the store was the cute little cutting in the terra cotta pot shown below. Martha, one of my favorite tea patrons, left a plant for me and one for Cynthia along with the sweetest card. She explained that this parting offering from her garden is Borage, an herb with gorgeous blue edible flowers. She also mentioned that, in the language of flowers, borage means "courage" which she wished for the both of us as we stride into the future.

How fortunate I feel to have had such extraordinary patrons. And Martha's was not the only parting gift we received recently. There was a journal from Joann, note cards from Linda, a book from Esther, Godiva chocolates from Bob, Corgi prints from Cathy, a teapot from Mary, and more. Thank you all!

I also consider the sweet and encouraging comments left on my last post as wonderful gifts. If you have the chance, please take a peek and read a few of the lovely words from some of the nicest folks out there. Thank you all for lifting me up. Your kind words are truly appreciated.

Now I'm off to stride into the future . . .

Susan

My Tribute to T-Party

I'll be taking a little blogging break for the remainder of this week to give my aching back a rest. All of the lifting and moving has made it difficult for me to even sit at my computer comfortably. But before I put my feet up and switch on the heating pad, here's a little tribute to T-Party. I took a stroll around the shop a few months ago taking photos to help me remember all of its nooks and crannies. So come on in and take a last T-Party tour . . .

 

After five successful years, the brick and mortar T-Party Antiques and Tea Room has now officially closed. And though it was five years of incredibly hard work, it was also a lot of fun. This isn't the first time I've left a job that I really enjoyed. But shutting down T-Party has been entirely different for me since I built it from the ground up.

So this has been a bittersweet week. Certainly I look forward to having more time to do those things I haven't been able to fit in over the last five years; like having time to read and comment on my favorite blogs, hosting more dinner parties, taking a yoga class, going to a museum in New York City on a weekday afternoon, and of course, spending more time with my family. But I also know how much I'll miss my little shop.

I feel so fortunate that my vision of "vintage treasures and afternoon tea" became a reality in T-Party. One of my most exciting moments was early on when we had a full tea room of happy patrons. I listened to their lively conversations and realized that I had done it; my little idea had became reality!

My hope is that T-Party Antiques and Tea Room provided our patrons with something unusual that they couldn't find anywhere else. Its goal was to be a place where it's not unusual to be greeted by name as you walk in the door; a place to unwind and be enveloped in the comfortable warmth of time spent with good friends and family; a place filled with nostalgic items from a simpler time. I'd like to think that our shop was a local gem, unique in today's monolithic, bigger is better world of retail chains.

 

 

So what is the future of T-Party? I'll still be around doing many of the things I love to do. You can keep in touch through this blog, The T-Cozy. My other blog, Kitsch Encounter, will continue to offer fun collectibles for sale. (I also plan to sell on the Etsy web site soon.) And I'll continue T-Party's web site, tpartyantiques.com where you'll find vintage wares along with teapots, loose tea and tea related items. The revamped T-Party site should be up and running by early September. In the meantime, if you are in need of loose tea, a Bee House teapot, or any other vintage or tea item, feel free to email me at info@tpartyantiques.com.

Remember when Seinfeld went off the air? They decided to end their run when they were on top. And though the closing of T-Party is entirely out of our hands since our building is being torn down (and we were unable to relocate due to high rents in our area), I feel a little like Jerry. According to TeaMap.com, T-Party was ranked #1 out of 21 tea rooms in Connecticut and was in the top 100 in the country. Those statistics make me very proud.

 

Rankings like that are nice, but it's really the people who made T-Party so special for me. I'd like to thank everyone who patronized T-Party Antiques and Tea Room over the past five years. I've been so fortunate to have had the very best customers and it was my pleasure to serve you. I'll miss you all.

Susan

All Good Things Must Come To An End

Yesterday was the last tea day at our sweet little antiques shop and tea room. Cynthia and I served 46 people, most of which were our beloved "regulars" who reserved seats for our very last seating at 3 p.m. It was a wonderfully crazy, busy day; so busy in fact that I didn't even have time to get sad. It was simply a celebration of five successful years of T-Party. We tried our best to document the day, grabbing the camera whenever we had a free moment. Cynthia was really sneaky and snapped photos of me surreptitiously.

Shown below, left to right: Cynthia baked, and we sold, 216 scones in these flavors. Devoted tea patron Linda Rose. Devoted tea patrons Angie and Bob. Cynthia's completed tea trays. Sarah, Cynthia's daughter, takes a break after helping us through our last seating. Me making the rounds in the tea room for hot water refills. Devoted tea patron Lynne. Cynthia scoops loose tea into Bee House pots. Me resetting tables between seatings. Devoted tea patrons Katy and Sasha. John brings me and Cynthia flowers. Devoted tea patrons Dorothy and Joanne. Me at the register. Jacob and John help out in the kitchen. John sweeps the tea room. Me imputing sales at the computer after a very long, last tea day at T-Party.



But we're not done just yet. The month of June will be devoted to selling off all sorts of items from our tea room, kitchen and shop. So we still have a fair amount of work ahead of us.

As far as the future; Cynthia plans to keep baking and I will continue T-Party's web site selling vintage treasures, loose tea, Bee House teapots and tea related items. And of course I'll continue The T-Cozy and my Kitsch Encounter blogs. I also hope to start selling on Etsy at some point. Plus, I have a few more ideas up my sleeve that I'll let you in on in the fall.

For those of you who haven't read up on why we are closing; the 1890 farmhouse that we have rented for the past five years is going to be torn down to make way for a larger building. We have been unable to find an affordable new location as most everything we inquired about was triple our current rent.

So as they say; all good things must come to an end. And the "brick and mortar" T-Party Antiques and Tea Room was most definitely a good thing.

Susan

The Big Five-O: My Birthday, a Party, and a Giveaway

Today is my birthday and it's a big one! How fortunate I feel to have a wonderful family and friends that helped me celebrate (a little early) on Sunday.



My birthday gift from John, Hannah and Jacob was a beautiful party that took place at the Boathouse in our little neighborhood. This structure is an unheated wooden building with exposed wooden rafters and windows that you prop open. It is kitschy and fun (just my kind of place) and feels a bit like summer camp.



Though the party wasn't a surprise, everything John and the kids planned for it was. From the centerpieces of retro candy and vintage games that came directly from Big Fun, my favorite store in Cleveland, to the elegant tablecloths and gorgeous flower arrangements. There was even a photo montage on the wall of Susan through the decades!

 

The food, catered by our local Rowayton Market, was delicious. And best of all, I was surrounded by all of my favorite people on a warm, sunny day in a beautiful setting overlooking the Five Mile River.









Before the champagne toast, several people were kind enough to stand up and say a few nice words about me. And my sister Judy, who came in from Ohio, presented me with a scrapbook she put together about my first fifty years. It is the sweetest gift I have ever received and I'll cherish it always.



John really outdid himself on the birthday cake. It was extraordinary . . . a cake in the shape of our favorite place, Martha's Vineyard! Created by pastry artist Michelle Klem of CakeSuite.com, it is an accurate rendition of the island complete with graham cracker sand and fondant sea grass and rocks. Plus, it tastes divine.





As the day wound down, we headed back outside to relax on the beach.



My family really outdid themselves. What a wonderful party; the perfect way to celebrate this milestone birthday. Thank you especially to John for all of his hard work and planning. (Our friends think he has a future as a party planner!)



And now, on to my birthday giveaway. Many thanks to everyone who participated. I loved all of the warm wishes and good advice you shared. John did the honors this morning and picked the lucky winner . . . Clarice of Storybook Woods! The giveaway couldn't have gone to a nicer blogger. Please be sure to check out her site. And Clarice, please get back to me with your address so that I can send you your giveaway goodies.

Now it's time for my morning walk. Then I'm off to T-Party for our last week of afternoon teas. Tonight, we'll be having a little more leftover birthday cake and I'll open the presents my friends were kind enough to give me at the party.

Enjoy the day,

Susan

My Birthday Giveaway

One doesn't turn half a century everyday! So to celebrate my "Big Five-O" birthday coming up on Wednesday, I'm hosting this little giveaway. The winner, chosen at random, will receive all of the eight items shown below.



Here's what you could win:
1. A vintage postcard depicting the home of the village blacksmith in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This postcard is an oldie because it indicates one cent postage on the back.
2. A pretty little tray with a lithographed ivy design.
3. A set of four vintage linen apple blossom place mats.
4. A sweet little plaque that reads "My Garden" with tiny flowers and seed packets hanging off the bottom.
5. A Victorian dance card with the title "Programme" in fancy gold lettering on the front. The inside is unused and lists all of the dances such as Two-Step or Quadrille.
6. A sage green tea cup wall pocket. (I popped some silk flowers inside, but you can get creative and fill it with whatever you'd like.)
7. A vintage handkerchief with a sweet floral pattern.
8. The book entitled "Porches" by Wynn Wheldon. Stated on its back cover, this beautiful book is an unashamedly nostalgic celebration of this great American architectural icon.

 
 
 
 
 

Here's how to enter my Big Five-O Birthday Giveaway:
Leave a comment on this post by midnight (EST) on Wednesday, May 28. (And feel free to offer any advice on my next 50 years.) The lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, May 29.

Any bloggers out there want to increase your chances of winning? I'll enter your name twice if you'd kindly link to this giveaway post on your blog and leave a second comment with your blog's URL.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend,

Susan

It Was the Ride of Our Lives

Twenty years ago today I married the love of my life. Do you believe in love at first sight? I do.

The question John and I get asked all the time is, "How did the two of you meet?" It happened on December 28, 1984 while riding a commuter train between Manhattan and Connecticut. (We still celebrate that fateful day.) But it wasn't easy; it took two months of riding the same train to finally talk to one another. Over the years, our story seems to have captured many people's curiosity, so much so that we were featured on TV's Inside Edition a number of years back when they shot a segment about us. (If I ever get the tape transfered to a DVD and then figure out how to get it on YouTube, I'll share it with you.)

We were also in the New York Times in an article called It Was the Ride of Their Lives by Jack Kadden, originally published on February 2, 2003. Mr. Kaddan wrote about our meeting much more eloquently than I ever could, so if you'd like to read his article, just click on this NY Times link: Commuter's Journal.

When John and I first met, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. And after 20 years of marriage, I still feel that way. Little did I know that I had just met the sweetest man with the kindest heart. He's the type of person you can always count on to be there for you; he has taught both of our kid's a lot about tennis, fishing and life; for five years he tirelessly helped us out when needed at T-Party; and he has cooked the most delicious meals for our family for the last 18 years. I am blessed to have this person to share my life with.

Back when we met on that train, I gave John my business card and wrote my home phone number on the back. And amazingly, he still carries that very card in his wallet.

I’m so grateful that we both decided to take the 5:17 train out of Grand Central Terminal on that cold December evening back in 1984. Happy 20th Anniversary John!

Susan

Parting Gifts

This week, Cynthia and I gave our valued patrons the sad news; T-Party will be closing at the end of June. The 1890 farmhouse we rent is being torn down as part of a downtown revitalization in Darien. Although we've had five successful years here, we have been unable to find an affordable new location. All of the properties we've seen have rents that are triple what we currently pay! That just won't do, so we have no choice but to close our doors.

We'll miss so many of our wonderful customers. And as I've said so many times in the past; we really do have the BEST customers. Linda Rose and Mary, a couple of our favorite patrons, brought us gifts this week after they heard the news of our closing.

Linda Rose is a devoted T-Party patron who is so nice. She comes in for tea often and stops by for our freshly baked scones almost every Saturday. Her gifts to us were charming tea cup note cards.

Linda Rose also sent us a heartfelt email that stated, "You and Cynthia have given so many wonderful memories to so many people that have passed through your doors. This alone is an accomplishment that not many could take away with them. As I said before, you have your hearts in the right place."

Mary has been coming to T-Party for several years. A great fan of tea rooms, she seeks them out wherever she finds herself. When Mary came for tea yesterday with her daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, she brought Cynthia and I the loveliest gifts; cute cloth butterfly napkins and a pretty tray for Cynthia and a beautiful floral teapot with a butterfly on its lid for me.

The kindness of our customers never ceases to amaze me. Thank you Linda Rose and Mary!

At least we still have a couple of months left in which to enjoy the company of our wonderful patrons. I plan to cherish these remaining moments.

Susan

Mittens in March

Here at T-Party, Cynthia and I have been the lucky recipients of several nice gifts lately.

Early last month, Bob, one of our weekly tea patrons, asked us a rather odd question. Instead of his usual "May I have another scone?" he said, " What are your two favorite colors?" I replied aqua and green; Cynthia said green and pink. We thought it was unusual for Bob to suddenly have an interest in our color preferences, but we figured he had something up his sleeve.

A couple of Saturdays later, Bob arrived for tea bearing two pretty gift bags. Each one contained a special handmade gift from Alice, his mother in Pittsburgh who is learning how to knit. Inside the bags we found the coziest mittens . . . in our favorite colors of course!

Aren't these mittens cute? Though spring is approaching, I've been using mine when I walk at seven in the chilly morning air. And they are very cozy indeed. Alice comes to tea sometimes when she is in town visiting her son. We never knew she was such a talented knitter. Thank you Alice!

On to more presents . . .

I received these gifts from Heather, a fellow blogger. She was hosting a mini-giveaway that I apparently won and a box of goodies arrived the other day. Inside was a handmade bracelet, a pretty card, writing paper, a cool magnet and a hand-painted star. All very lovely. Thank you Heather!

Heather has both a blog and a web site called House of Devign and she is having another giveaway running until the end of the this month. Check it out.

And just the other day, Karen and her daughter Farrah were visiting T-Party for the very first time. When they walked in, they handed me a luminous purple gift bag. Inside were two decorative little teapots for Cynthia and myself. How nice of them! They enjoyed their Grand Afternoon Tea and we are enjoying all of our little gifts.

Susan

A T-Cozy Birthday

The T-Cozy turns one year old today! And I've thoroughly enjoyed all of my 366 days of blogging so far. This is post #217, and though I may not have time to write a post every day, I am thinking about new ones all the time and have so many more ideas and places I plan to share with you.

Have you enjoyed this year-long peek into my little corner of the world? I hope I have given you a little inspiration and also some insight into running a shop that also happens to be a tea room. At T-Party, our patrons rely upon us to provide them with things difficult to find anywhere else; a place where it’s not unusual to be greeted by name as you walk in the door; a place to unwind and be enveloped in the comfortable warmth of time spent with good friends and family. I hope that my blog has been that for you.

My surprise for today was to unveil a new banner in honor of this one year milestone. But I have yet to come up with something new that I like as much as the one I've had happily hanging out on the top of this blog for the past year. (I am so picky!) Perhaps this summer when time permits, I'll redesign a new banner that I'll love just as much. In the meantime, I hope you're not too tired of my current one.

In honor of this birthday, here's a brief look back at some of the posts (along with the first line of each and links back to them) from my first blogging year . . .

Nasturtium Happy. In my April 12 post, I promised a peek inside the cabinet in my kitchen that houses all of my favorite vintage kitchenware.

It's Not All Glamour. A lot of people, especially those who have always wanted a shop or tea room of their own, ask me what it's like to own one.

Basking in the Glow. We're back from Martha's Vineyard having had a spectacular week! Here are a few highlights from our trip.

Anatomy of a Tea Sandwich. Cucumber sandwiches are the quintessential tea sandwich.

Mine, All Mine. The place I spend most of my time when I’m home is my studio.

Mamas in Pajamas. Yesterday may very well have been the busiest day we’ve ever had at T-Party.

FAQ: Laundering Vintage Linens. One of my favorite things to collect and to sell at T-Party are vintage linens.

The Elephant's Trunk. Every Sunday between April and early December, a devoted group of antiques dealers from near and far make their way to New Milford, Connecticut . . .

Late Afternoon in the Tea Room. Another Tuesday at T-Party.

Ironing Day. One of the T-Party chores that Cynthia and I share is doing the cloth napkins that are used at our tea room.

My Pretty Porch on May Day. Spring is my favorite time of year.

The Origami Love Note. Here’s what I was up to 19 years ago today.

I'd like to thank you all for stopping by over the past year. And I really appreciate all of your comments as they let me know that I must be doing something right. Those of you who have been too shy to comment in the past, it's never too late to let me know what you're thinking. I'd love to hear from you.

This next year will be filled with lots of changes in my life; a big anniversary, my first child off to college, the probable closing of the "brick and mortar" T-Party, and a milestone birthday. And just as I wished in my very first post, I really do hope you'll come along for the ride.

Susan