{Meaningful GIFT from The Fairmont Empress Victoria}

Certain days sometimes are full of surprises, such as the mailman delivering an unexpected package. This time it came from dear FRIEND Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista, author and speaker... Carefully unwrapping and finding a very Meaningful gift from the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, Canada. What a joy! Both of us have stayed at two of the Fairmont hotels, the Fairmont Château Frontenac in Québec City on August 13 till 16 of 1998 and the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa from 18 till 20 August of 1998. 

Voilà... A beautiful cobalt blue with gold tin 'TEA at THE EMPRESS with 10 tea bags!

A lovely golden pouch holding this precious tea.

THE FAIRMONT EMPRESS Victoria...

From the Province of British Columbia, Canada where our daughter Liz is born!

THANKS a MILLION Celia for this precious gift and all the fond memories that it did evoke!

We used to live on 304 Fairmont Drive...

As said above, our daughter Liz is born in British Columbia, Canada...

Top seasonal quality tea from e.g. South India... where we have worked!

On our way to work we drove past those tea plantations.

TEA at THE EMPRESS

The South Indian component (Nilgiri mountains)... where we have worked!

So often we passed those tea plantations on our way to work high in the mountains when doing consulting in India for Pond's India for about a decade.

There is one more GIFT from another Canadian blogger FRIEND.

Susan from Ava Grace's Closet sent me this incredibly fine hand crocheted lace table topper; made by her Mama!

So here I did pair it with some fresh Gardenias from our garden on June 22, in our front porch since it was not light enough inside the home. I just finished my photo shoot before another tropical thunderstorm came up!

Using the 1930s teacup and saucer from my dear Mother in Law; blue transferware from Société Céramique Blue Boerenhoeve

Here it is: TEA at THE EMPRESS...

Hope you enjoyed this Meaningful gift of delicious tea!

THANKS again dear Celia and thanks dear Susan!

Related link:

{Our Hydrangea Trio and Tea in 1930s Blue Transfer Ware} | previous post by me

{Mother-in-law's 1930s Société Céramique Blue Boerenhoeve Transferware} | previous post by me

{Difference Between Coffee & Tea Cups} | previous post by me

{Our Gazebo with Chair Cushions}

On August 29, the day that it was exactly 30 years ago that we immigrated to the USA, from The Netherlands, we did have a mud-free gazebo with the washed concrete tile path and entrance being cleaned by husband Pieter. We felt confident that we will have no more tropical thunderstorms changing our outlook. So finally an entire lovely, sunny week with sunshine and lower humidity and also some wind. Perfect for drying out!

It was on July 8, that I wrote my post about {WHAT is THIS?} when I had rescued our gazebo's cushions.

Link you find below this post, for those that missed it...

Here they are! 

On July 12, they had their 15th birthday but we could not use them yet with all our flash flood warnings and reality.

We forgot to place the table back in the center of the gazebo... I saw this only after I uploaded my photos!

Guess we both were too excited of finally being able to use our gazebo!

Our gazebo got a new aluminum roof from Interlock Roofing as well.

We did place a new fan from Wayfair after the painters had finished their painting job here as well.

They did such a meticulous job with their two coatings of Benjamin Moore paint!

This Westinghouse Lighting 30" Wengue 3 Blade Ceiling Fan, has an incredible 18 degrees blade pitch!

It is in Chrome with Wengue Beech Blades.

Stepping back, towards the house...

The Vintage Woodworks ginger bread in the top part is adding such charm.

So does the Aluminum Slate roof in Aged Copper from Interlock Metal Roofing!

This is with the steps in the back, since we live on a slope. The house is now visible to the left.

There is a little patio at the landing of the steps...

Enjoying our tea together! 

With a rice cake and some unsalted mixed nuts... 

The container in the back is where we store those cushions and the top table cloth.

There is a round vinyl tablecloth with elastic underneath. Easy to wipe clean with moist wipes from Costco.

So finally you got to see the cushions in our gazebo!

Wearing my precious 925 silver rose ring (lost that in April of 2019...) and you see the vase with rain lilies with perfect rose bud in silver!

Related links:

{RAIN and MUD} | previous post by me

{New Power Wiring to Our Gazebo} | previous post by me where you also see the gazebo in wrong spot

{What is THIS?} | previous post by me where I did rescue our gazebo's chair cushions...

{AGRITURISMO & GERANIUMS - PELARGONIUM} | previous post by me, showing the geraniums in optima forma in their planter boxes in front of the gazebo

{French Floral Pillow Set and our Gazebo} | previous post by me showing the gazebo very well

{Denim Daisies}

On May 26, I did wear my Denim Daisies from Escada. This was still before we started having all those tropical thunderstorms with heavy rain. The temperature was still pleasant too and our outlook on summer was great. So finally I get to show you these photos. How time flies... We're almost back at the very same climate as we had in May!

Dark blue denim with denim daisies.

What an idea for designing those!

The sleeveless top is all cotton too.

Always hard to make photos when the sun is that bright...

To the right you can see the 'old' bridge over the creek. Now it has the beautiful white balusters for a railing.

Shoes are also from Escada in denim with leather.

On the legs there are two daisies each, at the top of a slit

Teaming up with Searching the Inner Me... Très Chic Style Bits #3 | the little denim jacket…