{Clerodendrum Ugandense - Blue Butterfly Bush, Blue Glorybower}

Last year our young Clerodendrum Ugandense or Blue Butterfly Bush, Blue Glorybower, almost succumbed to the summer heat. Great was our joy when on May 28, husband Pieter could make two photos from its first blooms. Up till than we kept it inside the greenhouse for protecting its still frail growth. Let me show you first a closeup of this exotic, from an earlier shrub we had in 2004.

Clerodendrum Ugandese or Blue Butterfly Bush and also called Blue Glorybower.

You certainly understand that we wanted to replace this beauty!

This photo shows its beautiful first flowers when the pot got just taken out of the greenhouse.

It is an East African evergreen shrub from Kenya and Uganda, you can find more info below this post.

We found ours in the spring of last year, at Logee's.

Here it is still inside the greenhouse... 

Do you see the almost dead stems to the left and center, from which these new green leaves did branch out? 

Looks like quite a miracle!

It also shows that we should not throw out any plant too soon.

They might come back to life in a surprising way.

Due to the heavy rain and rather dark weather, no more flowers have formed outside but instead it has huge foliage. Looking strong and happy.

Did you know this shrub? 

Related link:
Clerodendrum ugandense | For more info
Logee's | Where we obtained ours

{Dinner for Friends using Nito Place Mats}

On Saturday, June 29, I did not like to use a linen table cloth or place mats for dinner with friends. After just having ironed lots of linens, I opted for the use of our woven Philippine Nito place mats instead. A gift from a dear friend who is like a sister to me. They are really elegant looking and also very easy to wipe clean, if needed. 

Hydrangeas in the Wedgwood vase are in a very special color and were given to us by one of the dinner guests.

Not as a cut flower but years ago as a starter to grow into a bush!

As a starter, we had mussels from Costco, served as amuse bouche, in little porcelain mini sauce pans and spoons.

To the left are two courser rattan place mats, same size.

My china is from the 70s my Seltmann Weiden Mirabell in white.

Crystal is Baccarat, Piccadilly.

Flatware is my Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet and silver Alvin Bridal Rose gumbo soup and dessert spoons. Silber-und-Rosen-Shop; yes Johanna, you will LOVE this Rose silverware... Johanna is a dear friend from Germany who wrote a book about Silver Rose Flatware; 'Rosen-Bestecke' and also loves anything with roses, just like me!

A closeup of my octagonal china by Seltmann Weiden, Mirabell pattern in white and made in Germany.

The porcelain amuse bouche spoons we bought in Yogjakarta, Indonesia while working and living there.

The mini sauce pan amuse bouche servers I bought at a whole sale store in The Netherlands, with my best friend.

Silver napkin rings are custom made for us in Indonesia.

Napkins are from Horchow.

Overview of the table setting.

Yes, the month of June did yield some pretty Gardenias for gracing the dinner table.

Do you also opt for using place mats out of convenience?

The heat of summer is not that inviting for ironing table linens...

We are looking forward to coming Saturday when one of the dinner guests will be hosting at her place.

Always fun for not having to do all the work yourself! 

{TEA = Superb Fat Fighter}

Already in a previous post I did write about a USEFUL TEA REGIME FOR A SLIMMER YOU. See link below. It is a fact that TEA does have lots of ANTIOXIDANTS that are very beneficial for our health. Drinking tea may help prevent chronic illnesses according to a USA Today article. 13 Reasons Tea is Good for You is another great article. Number 1. is about the antioxidants in green tea with an ability to burn fat as fuel. 

This is Dutch Mango Tea from Douwe Egberts Pickwick. 

I used my Japanese Kyusu teapot, a gift from my 2007 trip to Japan as a chaperone with 6 teenagers.

The round wooden tray  was another gift from my host family.

The table runner is also from Japan.

The silver rose spoon is one of my favorites and it would be a great addition to Silber-und-Rosen-Shop or for the book: Rosen-Bestecke by this specialty shop's owner Johanna, as the author.

In the back you see the book Tea with a Twist by Lisa Boalt Richardson who is also from Georgia.

The teacup is Japanese, husband Pieter did bring it home from an antique shop in London.

Dear friend Celia from Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista wrote some excellent posts about taking out time for an afternoon tea. Just check her Google+ page and scroll down to her delightful posts about it.

9 Reasons to Drink Green Tea Daily with number 1. stating it is a SUPERB FAT FIGHTER.

number 2. stating it TARGETS BELLY FAT!

10 Life-Sustaining Reasons to Drink Green Tea with slide number 4 showing that Green Tea helps to 

manage weight. 

Green Tea could be among the superfoods you want to include for our diet!

Slide number 6 shows that Green Tea Boosts Oral Health.

My dental hygienist noticed last week that my tartar build up was a lot less. 

That adds up to another bonus.

Do you have any experience with some of the above mentioned pluses of Tea and/or Green Tea?

Why Drink Tea Every Day Infographic

Related links:
{USEFUL TEA REGIME FOR A SLIMMER YOU} | previous post by me
{Our last Datura Angel's Trumpets and TEA with a Twist} | previous post by me
{Lisa Boalt Richardson another Georgia Tea Aficionado!} | previous post by me about my High Tea