How To Get Your Fancy On.
I’m not afraid to admit that I like fanciness. I am all but certain that I get this peculiarity from my grandmother Myrtle. I say peculiarity because, well, I don’t exactly have any rich uncles, yet as my father once so eloquently said to me: “Girl, you got champagne tastes on a beer budget!”
Touché Dad. Touché.
My grandparents were far from being rich, but that never stopped my Granny from treating herself to fancy perfumes, fancy hats and fancy costume jewelry. From my Granny I learned that sometimes, life is rough, but that doesn’t have to stop you from gettin’ your fancy on. In fact when life is rough you MUST get your fancy on!
Lucky for me I have friends that also like to get their fancy on. Everytime I’m in London I meet up with my friend Janice who keeps on the ready a list of fan-tabulous tea salons in London.
Touché Dad. Touché.
My grandparents were far from being rich, but that never stopped my Granny from treating herself to fancy perfumes, fancy hats and fancy costume jewelry. From my Granny I learned that sometimes, life is rough, but that doesn’t have to stop you from gettin’ your fancy on. In fact when life is rough you MUST get your fancy on!
Lucky for me I have friends that also like to get their fancy on. Everytime I’m in London I meet up with my friend Janice who keeps on the ready a list of fan-tabulous tea salons in London.
This past visit we went to The Mandeville, which was specifically chosen because they have a separate “man menu” which included larger hardier sandwiches. FrenchBoy even got to eat off of manly blue china instead of the standard pink floral patterned stuff.
However I don’t know how manly one can feel whilst munching a scone topped with clotted cream and strawberry jam on “Tiffany Blue” fine bone china…But you can certainly try.
For those who don’t wanna cross the pond, there is of course my old Paris stand-by: the tea salon at Hôtel de Crillon. A few weeks ago I met up with my friend Liz for a weekend in Paris and I took her on a "friend date" there. In fact Hôtel de Crillon has become my default friend date whenever I’m in the neighborhood with someone from out of town. I drag all my friends and family there and afterwards they gush about how lovely it was and I get to say “Duh I know.”, because well, I am sure my Granny Myrtle would agree that having fancy tea is fancy perfection!
p.s. Am I the only person who called their grandmother “Granny” or am I the lone reject? Discuss.
15 comments:
Ah, I love a good high tea!! There is something about eating finger sandwiches washed down with lashings of tea. FTR, I've always called my grandmother Gran...
:)
I would love to visit a proper tea salon, not sure if we have any here though. And no, you are not a lame. My maternal grandmother was called Granny, as a matter of fact I started the practice of calling her that as I am the oldest grandchild. I miss her everyday..
i call my grandma "Old Lady", as does pretty much everyone else who knows her, then again that's Ghana where it is sweet to be old. i never knew my american grandmother...
Those plates are pretty darn manly.
That tea looks fabulous!
Everyone called my grandmother Sister and forms of grandmother never entered my vocabulary ever, at least on my mother's side of the family. I could not pronounce "sister" as a child so I called my grandma, "sœur". I didn't know it had a proper spelling until much later in life!!!
Well, hopefully someday I'll be able to visit those places. As it stands, I'm stuck in St. Louis at least until May (after I graduate, whoot!). And hecks no you're not the only one who called your grandmother "Granny". Like Andrea, I call my maternal grandmother "Granny". When my paternal grandmother was alive, I called her (and still do) Grandma [her first name]. And that's how I address my still-living great-grandmother (she's 96, praise God).
I love tea!! Drank it a lot when I was growing up in Barbados
But it gives me a kind of heartburn I've noticed in the last 3-4 yrs so now I stick to Ginger Tea.
Tea in France is such an interesting experience. In Nantes we need tea to stay warm because they don't heat the buildings and houses like we do back home. On another note about fancy-- if you ever get back to Des Moines try La Mie (sic) Bakery on 42nd. It is alright for Iowa French food.
Clotted cream sounds extremely dangerous. That's cute and sensible that Mandeville has a menu for men.
@Camille Acey I really dig the concept of calling one's grandma "Old Lady."
My paternal grandmother had already pegged herself as "Granny" for the grandchildren who'd hit earth before me so I fell in line with the others. We kept it simple in my family.
My Paternal Grandmother [who was from Quimper en Bretagne]was always referred to as "Gram-Mee"...my Maternal Grandmother[French and Swedish]was called Nana. Love the extended "pinkies" in the Tea Salon!! How chic! ;-)
Sorry so late on the Granny thing. I called my Granny "Granny". My mother is now "Granny" and one day (a long ways off) I will be Granny.
OMGosh, those treats look mad
delish! I called my grandmother
Gran Parker.
I love tea. I think its the East African in me .. we can always go for a few cups.
You are lovely, by the way..
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