Teatime with
"The Royal Tea Club"
Ah, the joys of taking time for tea with friends that enjoy it just as much as you do! That is just what I have found to be the case as a member of The Royal Tea Club. I found out about this tea club during a teatime with another tea group. I was so excited to hear that this club has over 265 members and is still growing! Wow...now, that is impressive! Bet you did not know there were so many tea lovers! Well, you are not alone if you love the art of taking tea and just getting together to enjoy tasty treats, tealightful teas, and the fellowship of others. This tea club was started in February 2005 by ladies that just love going to tea! The club meets every month except January and February. The ladies in the group are such fun to be around, and I have met new ladies at each event I have attended. Although I cannot attend all the events, I have had the most "tealightful" time at each one I have been able to attend. The members are from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Georgia, Maine, and Massachusetts. Sharon is the president of the club and what a special lady she is!
She has a great committee of ladies that assist her in helping everything to run smoothly with the tea club, and they choose wonderful tea rooms to visit and really make the club such a treat to be a part of. In July I attended the Second Annual Covered Dish Tea Luncheon held in Loganville, Pennsylvania. What a treat it was to attend this teatime. It was held at a church just off the beaten path, and I must tell you, the drive there was beautiful. It really made me feel close to home. That area is just filled with such breathtaking views of the land, corn fields, beautiful homes, barns, horses, and so much more.
My friend, Janice, and I had a lot of fun just getting to the event since we had such scenery to absorb! Upon arriving, we were greeted by smiling faces and warm welcomes. The fellowship room was decorated so pretty with each table being set with pretty napkins and tealightful favors. We began "oohing and aahing" right as we walked through the door! 
Janice and I wore hats and were thrilled to see so many other ladies wearing stylish hats, too. What fun it is to dress up for teatime! We took our own teacups and enjoyed trying the various teas they offered. And, oh my goodness!...the spread of food was amazing! What to try first! There were delicious pasta salads, chicken salad cups, sweet breads and scones, veggie dishes, and so many more goodies. And, the desserts!!...I am not even sure how many I tried, but each one was a treat!
There was a silent auction that day so we had the opportunity to go around to take at look at all the surprises everyone took to be auctioned off. There were hats, pretty hat boxes, teapots, Red Hat attire, jewelry, and so much more. 
Some of the hats were truly one of a kind! We all loved this stylish hat with a bit o' whimsy! This fashionable lady will surely be the hit of the next tea party she attends! I had fun creating a special signature gift container from my shoppe to be auctioned off. Roxanne, a fellow tea lover, became the proud owner of the surprise I took. 
You had to keep an eye out for the competition though so you could keep check on your bid if you found something you wanted to take home. The money raised went to New Life for Girls, and the club had a wonderful check to present to them. Everyone had fun participating in the auction, and it was a great day for ladies of all ages! 
When I had the tea room open, I did not have time to participate in tea clubs, and although I cannot attend each event now, it is such fun to meet new ladies and explore different tea venues of the area when I can. Maybe there is a tea group in your area you might enjoy joining, or, if not, maybe you might like to start your own. Even if it starts out with just you and a friend, I am sure the word will spread, and before long, you will have more ladies wanting to join in the fun of savoring a good cup o' tea and time with girlfriends. I am also a member of the "MadHatters Tea Club", and it was through one of those teatimes that I found out about this club. Stay tuned...I will share some of those teatimes with you, as well! And, until next time, may the memories of your teatimes warm your heart and remind you to take time for YOU and those things you enjoy in life!
Tealightfully! ~Ann-Margaret