Ever since I was a little girl, I've wanted a silver tea service. With such a service, I could host tea parties or just serve after dinner beverages with greater elegance.

After looking online and in antique stores for ages, I finally found a service I liked that I could afford. Of course, it needs work — lots and lots (and lots and lots) of polishing. As I bring my tea service back to life, I'll post photos so that you can see the progress.

So here's our starting point:The auction photos