I think, deep down, every girl (even one like me that played with G.I. Joes and super hero action figures) loves a tea party.
There’s just something special about sitting down to pretty little coordinating pieces of porcelain and sipping on a warm drink and nibbling something baked and sweet.
So today I did something I rarely ever do.
After going to my union and finding out that for the first time in a long time the Belgian system has actually worked to my advantage, I found myself walking, not back to the bus stop to head home, but rather in the direction of somewhere a bit more special.
I ended up standing in front of Julie’s House, the only place I know in Gent that combines cottage cozy with tea party and Anglo-style baked goodies. Half the time Julie’s House is so full that we aren’t able to get a seat, but this morning it was still early and I was by myself. So I settled down with a new book and treated myself to a breakfast of scones with jam and clotted cream and a big steaming cup of Anastasia tea.
One of the things I really like about Julie’s House, aside from the muted mauve and beige colors accented by old brick walls and weathered looking but comfortable furniture, is the way they serve the food and drinks. The tea is served in a teapot/cup combination made of pink porcelain and swirled with gold and the accompaniments (cream, jam, small piece of brownie to go with the tea) are all presented on a matching pink, swirly tray. The tea is loose leaf and given in an open do it yourself tea bag. The silverware and plates are tan with white polka-dots and the obsessive little troll living in the back of my brain that derives extreme pleasure from matching items practically does somersaults when everything is sitting in its proper place in front of me.
It’s like having your own little personal tea party, somewhere in the Shire or somewhere equally cute and cozy. And it was a really great place to celebrate a tiny little personal triumph.
A Patchwork of Daydreams 