Annual Spring Tea at Ashton House

Today I spent the day with my dear friends Merry and Kimber - we had our annual springtime tea at Kimber's amazing home...a cozy 1885 farmhouse, which she lovingly refers to as Ashton House. Every visit to Kimber's beautiful home is such a treat! Merry and I arrived around 10:30 this morning....unpacked all our goodies and got comfortable in Kimber's lovely sitting room, where we spent a couple hours just laughing, catching up, and nibbling on a few delicious little treats. Around 12:30 we headed to the kitchen and dining room and prepared for our special lunch. Kimber provided the lovely ambiance, lots of finger food (including her delicious cucumber watercress sandwiches), and beverages...I provided a fresh fruit salad and my mini sticky buns...and Merry (our resident chef extraordinaire) provided us with a cornucopia of scrumptious delicacies, including: broccoli bacon quiche, deviled quail eggs (so adorable - just larger than a quarter), homemade scones with Meyer lemon curd, and beautiful peach raspberry kolaches. It was such an enjoyable, perfect lunch....and all the while, Poe, Kimber's big black cat was curled up in his royal bed taking an afternoon nap (isn't his "bed" spectacular?!)...

After lunch we chatted for quite some time and I gave Kimber (and Merry too) some tips on making twisted cord. Oh, and I forgot to mention, we all had a few gifts for each other...I brought each of them cute little packages I made from folded cardstock and ribbon that held teabags and cookies...and little packages of my mini sticky buns - Kimber gave us an adorable little wool covered/appliquéd tin with antique buttons inside (since Kimber might be adding these to her line, I can't share a picture with you just yet) along with a quilting book and a cooking magazine - and Merry brought each of us a "brunch box" with all sorts of goodies inside, including: homemade crumpets and a jar of her lemon curd, a jar of fresh local farmed honey, a cute mug, special handmade oatmeal soap and wooden soap dish, and a package of the cutest thank-you cards. While we were sitting in the dining room, I also managed to take a couple snapshots of Kimber's stunning handcrafted dolls...posing perfectly for the camera...

When it was time to leave, Kimber took us on a little tour of her gardens which are already green and will be blooming very soon (quite early for Iowa)...I need to go back in a month or so when it is in full swing and take photos for you, as her gardens are unbelievable! Kimber has the cutest yellow birdhouse emerging from a huge bed of Hosta plants that screams "welcome" to me as I pull in her driveway...she has a lovely fountain with water flowing...and there are a couple miniature cottages waiting to be put in their special places amongst the plants...quaint little details are found throughout the garden paths...I truly envy her gardening knowledge, skills, and green thumb...

It was a picture perfect day with my dear friends...and although my work plate is overflowing right now, I am so glad I took the day off to get recharged...it was just what I needed! I hope you have enjoyed your visit to our annual springtime tea...and that you have the chance to enjoy the company of your close friends...