Welcome to a new series here on the blog-a-roo- it’s called…
Tea With…
Each post will feature a different “guest” or theme. I thought this would be fun because things are really weird around here thanks to our quarantine. Here we go!
This time we are going for the spirit of the Japanese countryside in simpler times. In the wonderful movie “My Neighbor Totoro” the countryside and an old house take center stage in many quiet or idyllic scenes. Time in nature is very important in childhood!
This is my mantra, posted in my studio, above the picture you will see next:
This is one of my favorite pieces of art. It is a print of the lovely two-page spread in my favorite picture book: “The Funny Little Woman” by Arlene Mosel and illustrated by Blair Lent. This book won the Caldecott Medal the year it was published. It goes well with our Asian theme as does a lot of my studio! It also has a lot of my favorite colors in it.
I decided to have the setting for our dinner in the studio because it was already decorated with lots of Asian influences. First thing- a tablecloth! (Sh…this is actually a vintage Hanae Mori sheet.) Then some aqua McCoy Jardiniers. Color is such a uniting factor and so important is theme decorating.
Then I set the table with our Prairie Green Frankoma and some aqua Tupperware cups.
Here is another lovely and fun book by the great Mosel/Lent duo. This book is a big favorite for my children and students.
I even have a little record of the story for my vintage school Califone record player!
The next picture is a favorite too. It’s a print of a Japanese silk painting with a lovely cat chasing a spider. It reminds me so much of our Maddy cat and her obsession with eating spiders!
Here she is in one of her favorite places in my studio- on top of art supplies on the daybed! The cat picture is on the right.
Once the studio was decorated my husband and I started to cook! Then the dishes were brought up by the whole family. Here are rice, green tea, and stir-fried mushrooms.
Then, miso and noodle soup-
Teriaki and sesame seed chicken-
Lastly, broccoli for health.
La
Let’s Eat!
It was a very enjoyable dinner. The birds were chirping and the cool spring air was coming in. I can’t wait to show you our next tea series- stay tuned!
-Jaime
