Sweetheart Tea and Dining Room Tour

Good afternoon my dears.

We recently hosted a Sweetheart Tea in our formal dining room. You are cordially invited to join us too, please pick a seat. We served Earl Grey tea from Harney and Sons, in this teapot (technically a coffee pot) from Bavaria, which we acquired around the time of our engagement at Farm Chicks in Spokane, WA.

Tea I acquired from London, England during the summer of 2017.

Fresh floral arrangements from the farm and market.

My favorite sweethearts. My parents on their wedding day on August 10th, 1985.

We served lemon curd tea sandwiches with twisted lemon, vanilla meringues with strawberry preserve, and strawberry shortcakes with fresh strawberries and mint. 

We had the most splendid time.

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When did you last host or attend a tea party?

-Kiki Nakita-

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin' or YouTube

5th Annual Valentine's at the Ballantyne

Good afternoon my dears.

We recently celebrated our 5th annual Valentine's at The Ballantyne. Its always delightful to have an excuse to dress up; chit chat over pots of loose leaf tea, nibble on delectable tea sandwiches, and taste tasty treats. You'd be surprised at how filling a three-tier cake stand can be, we didn't make it to the top tier - the third course. 

After tea, we asked for someone to take our picture under the arbor. The view overlooks the golf course and all the beautiful trees in bloom. One of my favorite things about the south, is that you often see rocking chairs under arbors or on front porches.  

We enjoy having traditions. Once you establish traditions it becomes effortless to think about what to do on certain holidays. I'm so thankful to live in this beautiful state, where there's so many places to dress up and go for tea. It reminds me of my childhood days in the heart of England. 

1st Annual, 2nd Annual, 3rd Annual, 4th Annual 

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Wishing you and yours a happy Valentine's Day. 

Tell me, do you have a tradition of how you celebrate?

-Kiki Nakita-

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin' or YouTube

2nd Annual Valentine's At The Ballantyne

Firstly, I'd like to wish you and yours a happy Valentine's Day.

On Valentine's Day we went to go get our picture taken at a studio.

Cheesy!

We get our picture taken a few times a year. I think we'll appreciate looking back over the years.

Do you get your picture taken?

Then we drove a few minutes to the Ballantyne. It's a upscale hotel in the south of Charlotte, and somehow both grand, and simple at the same time. This is the architectural detailing above the stairs, with a crystal chandelier.

Maybe it's the interior designer in me, but I appreciate all the architectural details.

A girl's got to twirl...

I especially appreciate all the floral arrangements. These were orchids with greenery.

The walls adorn artwork, from various artists as you navigate yourself through the hallways.

Which do you prefer?

This is the entrance to The Gallery, a gourmet restaurant we eat at on occasion. We also like to come for Sunday brunch, and surprisingly it's as affordable as IHOP (for brunch that is).

Outside has lot's of balconies that overlook the golf course. Perfect for wives whose husbands like to play.

Now for the sweet part. Our tea. We came here last year for Valentine's and declared it a tradition. We make a reservation in advance, and enjoyed a few hours by the fireplace. I enjoy people watching, and seeing couples, families, or even moms with their daughters getting dressed up and pretending we're in an episode of Downton Abbey. We can dream, right?

The lobby floral arrangements, darlings.

After we were seated, we were offered a glass of bubbly. We seldom drink, so having a glass of champagne with a berry and sugar rim made it special.

Cheers!

Our table.

We were served a pot of loose tea, with three layers of treats. An English lady knows to start at the bottom, and work your way up.

We had ten different treats.

If you got through all those pictures, your a champ.

How did you celebrate with your sweetheart?

Blessings to you and yours,

Kiki Nakita

You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Bloglovin'

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