Springtime Tea

 

Who could have known that the day I chose to have a clothes swap and tea would be the day we woke up to a snowstorm with blustery winds to create whiteout conditions?

 

 

But with all the baking ready to be consumed, there was nothing for it but to forge ahead. It was rather ironic that I had picked a yellow and green "spring" theme!

 

With vanilla cake Lemon Queens filled with freshly made lemon curd, as well as

 

 

lemon tarts, amond crescents and two types of shortbread: the soft kind with piped yellow icing flowers and traditional Scottish shortbread.

 

 

We ignored the snowy conditions outside, making pot after pot of tea. After all, there's nothing like a treat-filled tea to raise the spirits!   

Warming Up Winter with Ikebana

After attending an Ikebana Exhibition at the Japanese Embassy, I was inspired to create an arrangement of my own.

So I took myself off to Belfiore, a favourite flower shop of mine, to see what wonderful exotic blooms they had to offer that day.

 

I chose some beautiful orange Star of Bethlehem,

some mimosa with its cascading tiny yellow pompom buds,

 

as well as some long-lasting orange and yellow alstroemeria.

 

combined with a glossy green leaf and interesting pieces of driftwood. Et voila!