A Little Bit of England

Karleen brought a little bit of England home with her.  The part she gave to me arrived in a golden shopping bag with the words Buckingham Palace marked across the front.  It was so much fun to open!  She knew that I have several "Princess Diana" decorative plates and that I would really love to have one from the royal wedding to go with my collection.  She found not just one, but two lovely plates that she gave to me.  The first is quite royal looking.  The colors are a deep royal blue with gold trim.  They encircle pictures of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  Their pictures are surrounded by their names, their royal coat of arms, and English flags.  I will be hanging this plate in a set that includes a decorative plate that my dad gave to me years ago when Prince William was born.  It commemorates his birth.

The second plate is somewhat smaller, but more romantic than royal.  It's very sweet in mauve with flowers circling a picture of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  It includes their names and the place and date of their marriage.

My package also contained a set of votive candles from Buckingham Palace.  Can you see the royal coat of arms?  The candle fragrance is English lavender and they smell wonderful!  Even when unlit, their fragrance fills the room.

I decided that the candles look best on the mantle and I love how they cast their lavender fragrance throughout the room.

An official program from the royal wedding was included in my package.  Karleen knew exactly what I'd enjoy!  After all, I'm probably the only person in her group of friends who got up in the middle of the night to watch the royal wedding live!

Lastly, the package contained a beautifully decorated box of English Afternoon Tea from Buckingham Palace.  The same lovely lavender color and golden logo is used on the tea box as was embossed on the votive candles.  I haven't tried the tea yet.  My tendency is to save it for a special occasion.  Maybe I should invite Karleen over soon for a cuppa!  That would be the perfect conclusion to a delightful bag of gifts!  Thank you, Karleen!