Wednesday, December 17, 2003
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Wednesday, December 17, 2003 |
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Southern Oaks has special tea based on popular film A special “Somewhere in Time”-themed tea was recently held at Southern Oaks in Fayetteville. “Somewhere in Time,” considered by many to be the most romantic love story ever filmed, stars Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. It is a time travel romance set in 1912, filmed at the Grand Hotel, which was built in 1887 on Mackinac Island, Mich. Michele Cox, operator of Southern Oaks, has been a fan of the movie since she first saw it and thought that there may be other women out there who also love the movie. She decided to upon the “Somewhere in Time” theme for the first of the “Special-Teas” offered every month at Southern Oaks. While in the messiness and despair of the restoration work of Southern Oaks, Cox said she had visions of the Grand Hotel interior and costumes from 1912, which helped her through the arduous restoration process. The house was built in 1913, so the outfits that were worn in the movie would be authentic to what was worn by its first residents. The tea party was well attended and even included guests from the International Network of Somewhere In Time Enthusiasts. Members of the club gather each fall for a “Somewhere In Time Weekend” at the Grand Hotel. Many attendees commented on how they have loved the movie for years and were excited to gather together with others of similar interests. Guests were provided with the opportunity to dress up for the occasion. Southern Oaks has a collection of costumes that will fit most any sized woman, so several of the party guests donned turn of the century outfits, while some opted to wear only period hats. It added an extra amount of excitement and beauty to the occasion and just plain fun. The tables were set with antique china and silver tea pots. The centerpieces were especially interesting with replica antique boots and purses, pearls, cameos and period jewelry, intertwined on pink silk, with a real antique pocketwatch and chain at each table. Since a pocketwatch is an important element of the movie, guests were delighted to fins one on each table. Cox’s husband collects antique watches, which came in very handy when time to decorate the tables. Beautiful pink roses completed the centerpieces. Each place setting included a clear glass plate, under which a “Somewhere in Time’ postcard was placed. The ladies especially enjoyed being able to see scenes from the movies as they sat down to tea, and were excited to each be given hers to take home as a keepsake. After a welcome and introduction by Cox, the program began with INSITE members Rolaine Coleman and Henrietta Simmons giving a presentation of their experiences at SIT weekends in Michigan. They also brought collections of movie memorabilia for the group to enjoy. Coleman also had collectibles available for purchase, as well as information available for anyone wishing to be an INSITE member. Especially interesting to the group were Coleman’s Grand Hotel music box and an authentic movie poster. Cox then presented a light hearted game of SIT trivia, with the prize being a movie mousepad. The winner was a homeschooled teenager named Leora who had just been introduced to the movie and had watched it for the very first time the night before the tea. She and her sister Lucie were enthralled with the movie and are now begging their mom to take them to the Grand Hotel in October. Leora even got one question correct that Coleman didn’t know, which was particularly humorous to the group. To bring the event to close on a whimsical note, Cox served Grand Pecan Balls, a specialty of the Grand Hotel, which are vanilla ice cream balls covered in toasted pecans, on top of homemade chocolate sauce. Although it was Cox’s first attempt at making this dessert, the group all agreed that they tasted great. It was a perfect ending to the day’s events. All in attendance agreed that this must not be the last “Somewhere in Time” special tea. The next themed tea event at Southern Oaks will be a “Gone With The Wind” tea Jan. 9. There will be a guest speaker on Margaret Mitchell and her family members who inspired the story. Phone 770-460-0890, e-mail to Victorianlady@mindspring.com for more information, or visit www.victorianadventures.com for more information.
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