Wednesday 29 September 2010

My Secret (And Not So Secret) Blog readers....

Yesterday i was THRILLED to see that i had an email waiting in my inbox from a "secret" reader and general fan of my waffling.... and said reader is in fact from my part of the world, the lovely (Not-So-Sunny!) Cambridge...How EXCITING!! : )

She went on to tell me that she is very keen to join The Secluded Tea Party and she sounds like a very interesting guest indeed, so it has been great to get to know her a little, and learn that there are readers out there lurking quietly....following my random posts!

And then there are my not so secret followers, such as the delightful and lovely Julie and Becky (just!) accross the pond! It is just such a shame that my US (virtual!) friends are not able to join the table!

However, the idea of perhaps hosting a tea party that would incorporate my foreign wannabe guests has been discussed, and some very exciting outcomes have been decided! (You will have to hold on for a bit to find out how this will happen i am afraid ; )

So....Worry not!....Should you be stuck at the top of Mount Snowden......stranded at the bottom of Cheddar Gorge.... sailing (Or should that be rowing?!) on Loch Ness...or indeed, from another country entirely! You may well still be able to access The Secluded Tea Party in time : )

Do come and say hello if you are lurking there on the edge...out there in the darkness... reading my blog.... i would love to hear from you!!

MSF

xXx

Monday 27 September 2010

Parcel Hogs!

I Have been away this weekend in not-so-sunny suffolk.

However on my return I did notice that Royal Mail had tried to deliver a parcel for Miss Sue Flay (Exciting...my first parcel under my Alias hurrah : )  and that apparently it was too large to fit through my letter box....EVEN MORE EXCITING!!!!

So today I trundled over to the post office with my card, suddenly realising that my real name and ID was not going to match the card/parcel name....queue PANIC and trying to look as "Normal" and un-Suspect as possible..whilst doing so, I most likely looked the most UN-Normal and MOST suspect person there...haha...how funny I must have looked in that reception trying not to panic that I might not be able to claim my very OWN parcel....

However....the box came out, and the guy passed it straight through...no ID was asked of me, and away I walked....
....Slightly bemused that he hadn't asked me for any form of ID, I could have been anyone (!?!).... but as my secret identity was already confusing things in my own mind, I decided not to complain this time. Probably for the best. The poor old boy behind the counter didn't look like the kind of guy that would appreciate somebody with an alias to come along and confuse him unnecessarily.

So off I skipped.

The parcel was from the lovely Alex at Teapigs.co.uk who had sent me some bits and pieces to put on The Secluded Tea Party table, including some excellent colourful Tea Menus that my guests will be able to select their tea from! - Very helpful indeed. (THANK YOU ALEX!! -YOU ARE A STAR!!! : )

I now also have the start of my tea selection and these include the following:

English Breakfast
Darjeeling Earl Grey
Bollywood Chai Tea
Moroccan Green Tea with Mint
Super Fruit Tea (Caffeine Free)

I have tried all but one of these so far...and they are all equally as refreshing and tasty and I am enjoying each and every one.

I am hoping to try some of the more adventurous sounding teas shortly, such as their Popcorn Tea, or their Rooibos Creme Caramel Tea. They sound very naughty indeed! Just what I like. 

Tea Pigs Tea is the Ideal offering alongside my tasty treats, so I hope that my guests will enjoy them as much as I am enjoying trying them : )





http://www.teapigs.co.uk/

MSF

x

Wednesday 22 September 2010

A Jammy Revelation

All i am going to say is this.

Jam

+

Garlic

= A very Jammy Revelation!

I picked up this interesting sounding condiment from a Cambridgeshire Farm Shop last week, and did consider that my guests could eat this as an interesting filling in my sandwiches..... But i hadn't quite convinced myself that this was a good idea.....

....So when i got home i made a Garlic Jam Sandwich....and do you know, this was really quite tasty, and not as scary as it sounds!

It is a very sweet spread, and although my mother did ask me the next morning if i had eaten garlic for my breakfast (In fact, YES, yes i had.... i had a Garlic Jam sandwich for my breakfast because i was enjoying it so much haha!) - I wasn't going to admit this, but i did. In fact Mr Fley did too ; )

So expect to try something new at The Secluded Tea Party.... If you would care to do so : )
(And if not, then i will have some safe options for you all to try too!....)

MSF

x

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Gaiwan....Gaiwan..... Gaiwan.....

"........A What????!!!" i hear you say.......

......A Gaiwan......Come on..... You know!!!???

Of course you do.......Don't you??

No. I didn't know what a Gaiwan was either, until i found one (Completely unknown to me, including the name whilst looking at this very cute and teacup-like item) in Oxfam the other day.

In fact, i didn't just find one, i found THREE of them! ....A very very tiny looking teacup, with no handle, the most delicate little lid sitting on top, placed in a sturdy but very smart looking saucer, simply decorated with a floral motif on one side.

I stood there scratching my head for a bit, wondering if perhaps i was being silly, and thought that perhaps they were just really lovely matching sugar bowls....????.... but then of course they weren't....why would you have 3 matching sugar bowls in saucers? haha.....I was on to something here!

So i bought them. Just because of the cuteness and dinky-ness of them! And my first and only thought was of course.....WOW....These would look fantastic at The Secluded Tea Party table, in between my other varying colours, shapes and sizes of teacups and saucers. And just how much FUN these will be for my guests to drink out of!

So i purchased them from the very unwelcoming gentleman at the counter... usually that would bother me...manners cost nothing(!)..... but i was so excited about my find that it didn't matter today!

And now i am sat here at my desk with my Gaiwan full of my mid morning Lady Grey, and (ahem) a piece of Toffee, Pecan and Cranberry cake.... It would be rude not to blog about this. Honestly.

The simple things in life..... Gaiwans are the new small joy in my life..... And i hope it to be in my fellow guests life too when they visit The Secluded Tea Party and are lucky enough to have been sat at the place with a Gaiwan waiting to be used.

Sipping from a delicate Gaiwan feels very grown up and very civilised. Almost cultured.
And that was before i had learnt the history of the Gaiwan, first created during the Ming Dynasty.
The Gaiwan is also suitable for any type of tea and is the preferred method for brewing green and white teas as the porcelain absorbs the heat and so does not damage the tea.

So there you go.

Why not visit The Secluded Tea Party and sip your tea from a Gaiwan....?



MSF

x

Friday 10 September 2010

Would you like to get involved with what appears on the Secluded Tea Party Table or at the Venue itself?

I am looking for donations of any kind ... anything you might like to donate to The Secluded Tea Party for the first event? ... Do you have a special
talent that you would like to offer (Perhaps singing, busking or some sort of
entertainment? - or perhaps you know somebody who would like to get involved for a laugh and something a bit different?)

 

...Perhaps you have a craft or item that you might want to see appear at The Secluded Tea Party table? Photos will be taken and items will be mentioned...however weird, wonderful or wacky : ) 


Perhaps you make Handmade Chocolates that you would like to give away to the first 10 guests at the party?

If you would like to get involved in any way you wish, please do get in touch.... i would LOVE to hear from you : )

MSF X

 

 

Sunday 5 September 2010

The Secluded Tea Party is in full swing with preparations....

Here are a few teaser pictures to keep you salivating... and guessing!

I am now taking provisional bookings (NO donations needed at the moment!) for my first Secluded Tea Party, so please do contact me should you be interested in joining us.

The list is growing quickly, so i am VERY excited about making this happen now : ) - Not long to go!

MSF
x







Thursday 2 September 2010

Welcome to the Secluded Tea Party

THE SECLUDED TEA PARTY IS COMING VERY SOON - PLEASE JOIN THE GROUP....AND WE HOPE....THE PARTY.
GUESTS SHOULD BE ENTHUSIASTIC IN ANY ....AND EVERY WAY ABOUT AFTERNOON TEA...CAKE.... CUPCAKES.... CREAM TEAS.... AND ABSOLOUTLY ANYTHING RANDOMLY RELATED TO THE ABOVE!

KEEP YOUR EARS TO THE GROUND....AS THIS WILL BE A VERY EXCLUSIVE INVITATION TO THE BEST TEA PARTY AROUND.

THE MORE CREATIVE AND WHACKY OUR GUESTS ARE THE BETTER! AND EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY WELCOME NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE!

GET IN TOUCH IF YOU WOULD LIKE FURTHER INFORMATION....BUT WE PROMISE ALL WILL BE REVEALED SHORTLY...




HERE IS A LITTLE TEASER PICTURE TO GET YOU SALIVATING.... SHOULD YOU BE AS GEEKY ABOUT TEA PARTIES AS I AM ; ) .........

MISS SUE FLAY
x