Welcome to Makeover Monday Fish, chips and pints. For those of you who have been blessed to meet Mr. Décor in person then you know he has a fantastic sense of humor and loves practical jokes. One thing that is no joke is his love for the old country~ he wears the tartan of Clan Gunn proudly.
Makeover Monday Fish, Chips and Pints
As with most men who have tablescape artist wives, Mr. Décor generally says very little when he comes home to cupboards torn apart when I am making an effort to create an elaborate tablescape. He happily eats all of the leftover “staging” bits. But this last weekend he became inspired as he saw me preparing the table for things such as:
My great grandmother Emma’s biscuit jar. (She received this from my great-grandfather on the occasion of their first Christmas together. It is over 100 years old.)
Carefully polished silver and embroidered linens.
Teacups at the ready.
Large plates.
Small plates.
Tiny covered tureens with additional silver spoons.
A True Table
He couldn’t stand it anymore and asked if he could commandeer the kitchen table. Having lived in England for over four years in his mid 20’s Mr. Décor said that he was an expert on what the U.K. actually enjoys during the high tea hour between 4 ~ 5 pm each day. He would like to point out that the inspiration for his High Tea Tablescape comes from this image of the Queen mum herself.
Mr. Decor’s High Tea Tablescape
My own Royally Frou Frou tablescape will be revealed for the Royal Wedding Wednesday High Tea Tablescape linky party I thought I would share with you Mr. Décor’s take on the High Tea Tablescape.
Begin with a few of your favorite bar towels garnered from various pubs. This is a man’s tea time tablecloth. Your sleeve will serve as your napkin.
Create an impressive centerpiece of Colman’s mustard, HP Sauce, S & P and malt vinegar.
Fry up some thick chunks of potato wedges then reuse the same old oil to cook a few hunks of cod. Use salt liberally since your wife is not in the room.
Pour yourself a tall, cold imperial pint of lager.
Invite a few of your mates and have a grand time.
I hope you have enjoyed Mr. Décor’s High Tea tablescape and have been inspired to create your own.
May your own home be your castle,
Laura, the Duchess of Decor
Hehehe! Quite a contrast between the mats and the beautiful china but we all need variety! 😀
Thanks for sharing your photos! :o)
I adore it! I showed it to my husband Bob, who spent many summers in England, who said, “I need me some real fish and chips.” I think he was impressed!
I must say… his tablescape is pretty rockin'!! Love it! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Good Morning Laura,
You sure have talent for putting together all this wonderful 'eye candy' for us to drool over.
What lovely touches you added. I truly am in love with that biscuit jar and all the lovely linen. How lucky we all get to enjoy the finer, happy things in life.
Enjoy all that this day brings my friend,
~Shirley
That is absolutely hilarious. I thought he was going to copy your style. Very cute blog today. Gave me a smile to start my day!!! ~~Sherry~~
I absolutely love that biscuit jar! How beautiful. I love your rose china plates and your silver. What wonderful eye candy for a Monday morning!
Thomas will happily join Mr Decor for High Tea! No doubt he will bring some of his home brew as a gift to the host.
Thank you for the smile.
Your Friend,
Deborah
I Love Mr. Décor ;).
When you started the post my mind flew, drawing images in my head, and it turned exactly as I imagined. If you don't mind I'm joining his party instead – seems a bunch of fun and he has Queen Mother endorsing it…
And I can see you're in a roll, Laura, looking forward for the results.
Hi Laura,
All your pretty china,linens and such will make an wonderful tea time.
Your hubby's looks great! I love his little friend! Put a smile on my face.
Happy Monday from your snowed in friend..
deb
I LOVE Mr. Decor's version of a tablescape! HP sauce is my favorite and who doesn't love malt vinegar on their chips???? His choice in guests is perfect too. I vote he wins something for sheer creativity! Maybe another pint?
I am planning on joining. Let me tell you, I have lost sleep over this one. Hopefully I will come up with something!!
How fun & creative to boot! I have great respect for a man who supports his wife's blogging and contributes as well.
Have a great week!
Jen
Just to let you know that some restaurants here in Scotland still serve traditional high tea. Your husband is right – often it is fish and chips, can also be steak pie. There's always bread and butter and a cup of tea too. Delicious! Liz
I like Mr. Decor's tablescape!
Your hubby is a big sweetie pie! We are both lucky to have such sweet and understanding husbands. I love your husband's tablescape. Is there a blog in HIS future??
Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo
Laura, Mr. Decor did a fine job! I think the Queen Mum would have love this tablescape, too! 😉 Love the dinner guest…soooo cute!
That's so funny. And, from my recent trip to Scotland and Ireland, right on par for a pub style high tea!! I would love it if you link up to my party, A Marvelous Mess. I will be picking one project to feature on the sidebar of my blog for a week!! Here is the link:
http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com/2011/02/marvelous-mess_20.html
Love the man's high tea. That's the way things ought to be done. Practical. Of course he and his companions may not understand the idea that tea is also time for dishing gossip and sharing all sorts of practical “news”. Thus all the plates and forks and little foods!
I loved this! A masculine “high tea.” Fish and chips with vinegar – so delicious. However, I will NOT be following Mr. Decor's example in the preparation of my own tea table!
Hi Laura, you make me want to hop a plane! what is the best way to contact/email you? I didn't see any contact info on your site. Thanks, Nan
How refreshing to see someone who knows the difference between afternoon tea and high tea. I cringe when I see someone enjoying a cup of tea and a slice of cake, calling it “high” tea.
Like Mr. D, i lived in England and still indulge in a cup of tea and a biscuit or hot toast most afternoons.
Sweet and beautiful piece to have!
Lovely to look at,
d from homehaven
My dear Mr. Adore,
Although your High tea table is coming in a litte early, I dare say, it is a masterpiece! I love your use of color and sparkling aleware!
Need I say, that the the Coleman's mustard took your bountiful culinary centerpiece over-the-top! Who can resist that nose clearing condiment! And the cutting edge lack of napkins is genius. I think a well starched cuff will do just fine.
Please give my best to your jaunty, bow tie wearing friend. He looks honored to be at your tea table…and who wouldn't?
If you could, please resubmit this fabulous table again on Wednesday, preferable under another name. It has such winning potential!
Your highly esteemed judge, Yvonne @ StoneGable
Tea in a Pub! I love it! 🙂
~Liz
That's wonderful! How fantastic that your husband got in on the fun, too! Love that the beer was poured just right to have the perfect head on it. Thanks for sharing.
All I can say is “Tell Mr. Decor, that he did GOOD today!” HA!
I am cracking up because my husband will be wearing his “new Kilt” at our annual St. Patrick's Day event we're having at our house this year and I just finished ordering him a few extra things (belt/buckle/socks/flashes) to go with it.
I only “wish” mine could play the Bagpipes.
This was a cery fun post!!! And we love Fish and Chips.
Mr. Decor is 'right on'! … and certainly love his table mate! Good thing our husbands can tolerate us … They'd be lonely without all our dishes!
I love Mr. Decor's high tea. It's so cute and so relaxed, lol. He should definitely be one of the judges…..Christine
So funny Laura! Our hubby's are just angels for putting up with all our fun silliness aren't they!
bee blessed
mary
What a great collection of mats!!!! And there is nothing wrong with fish and chips and a pint!
Hello Laura,
please give my best greetigns to Mr. Décor and he did a fine job. I can clearly see on the bright eyes of the mate, that it was a great party. The centerpiece made me smile a lot.
Greetings, Johanna
Here I am again as I make my tea visits! Mr. Decor you set a lovely table! Make that manly. Love it all especially the hearty food offerings! 🙂 Nancy
Hi Laura…
Ohhh my gosh…how fun is this! To have a man's view and creation of a High Tea! I just loved it! And…since Mr. Decor was brought up with such personal knowledge…I think this is fabulous! I know that my husband would have loved to join him for cod and fries and a cold one to boot! Hehe! In fact, it is lunch time for me right now and that sounds pretty darn good to me as well!
What good sports our honey's are! I don't know how many times my husband has come home to dishes sprawled all over the counter's, bar, and tables too! He always just grins and tells me that he really does love that I take such enjoyment in setting a pretty table! And…always adding that he appreciates that I have made such a beautiful home for us! He just “melts” me! Anyway, please do tell Mr. Decor how very much that I enjoyed his High Tea!!! This really is awesome!!!
Warmest wishes,
Chari @Happy To Design
O.K., this is totally hilarious! Knowing Mr. Decor, I can absolutely just picture him setting this whole thing up!
I love it!!
your Royal PEAculiar
Oh, this is just wonderful! WHat smiles I am having right now! Thank you for such a delightful post!
I think your hubby's high tea would get two thumbs up from the husbands of other tablescapers…Great job!
My english husband would love this “tea”. He really misses fish and chips since he's been here…and he doesn't really care about all of our lovely china and silver and other tea things! Mr. Darcy, he is not! But I love him to bits!
Your hubby did a great job for the any of the tablescaping husbnds.
I want to commend Mr Decor on his bold use of the color spectrum and his impeccable choice in creating his guest list. This has to be the Velveteen Rabbit of Tea Tables…very real and much loved. Thank you for sharing this charming design. Cherry Kay
Adorable tablescape! Your honey did a great job and I love your humor.
Blessings, Beth
I hate to be a party pooper but what you have here is “afternoon tea” placed on low tables with people seated around chairs and couches, “high tea” describes a dinner meal placed on a table which was usually eaten by working class people. Sorry.