Hello dear bloggy friends! You might remember I tried to do this post a little while ago and everything went pear-shaped on me. Well, I tried it again and we have success! This time we are celebrating America’s Independence Day with a special Colonial Tasha Tudor Tea!
Tasha loved her country as I do and celebrated each Fourth of July by hanging an antique 13-star flag from the second story of her 1700’s New Hampshire Colonial home. Then, according to her daughter, Bethany, writing in “Drawn from New England” the family packed a picnic hamper for the day, took drawing and sketching things too and walked to the Blackwater River on their property to swim and celebrate the day. (Gosh, doesn’t that sound lovely!)
When I was a younger, less sure mother, trying to manage working, raising babies, I struggled to make art. Thankfully, I ran onto this amazing book in my university’s library and it opened doors for me.
This book put me on a better path. It showed me that mothers can still make art and raise their families. The work Tasha was doing on her farm was much more demanding than my teaching job. If Tasha could make art, I could too! She showed me the way. Just look at these beautiful pictures of Tasha and her family captured by her friend, Nell Dorr, a very talented photographer. (Keep in mind these were taken around the early 1950’s. Even though they look much older. They are charming.)
She did her best. As a woman and a mother, I understand that. -Bethany Tudor Holmes
This is my favorite picture of Tasha, a young mother, nursing her baby. I treasure the few pictures I have of mursing my babies and keep the memories in my heart forever.
I hope this post inspires you to make art and the life you want to live. Here is Tasha, and below I found this image of a woman who embodies the spirit. She is my goal when I’m old!
Alrighty, now, time for tea! Unfortunately I do not collect blue-ware, Tasha’s china of choice as it was ballast on her great-grandfather’s ice ships, so I made due with my simple and semi-colonial in taste wedding china, Noritake’s Stoneleigh in platinum. My set is over 20 years old and we use it all the time. We’ve only broken one teacup! For the cooky recipes see my previous post here.
The festive decorations are up:
Let’s make the tea:
The table is set in our colonial revival styled inglenook:
The cookies are set on the plates…
The house is looking happy.
Don’t forget sketching and painting time! Tasha always worked at her kitchen table.
Lastly, fireworks at the end of the night to celebrate!
With lots of patriotic love to you from Kansas Street,
-Jaime
Life on Kansas Street 