Faith Family Friends

Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Sunday 30 September 2012

Thoughts On A Sunday Morning


If you feel you have lost your way, read this. It's a good road map!


"Thy word is a lamp to my feet,
And a light to my path." ~ Psalm 119:105


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Saturday 29 September 2012

You Are Invited To A Party!

Happy Weekend, everyone!

I am hosting a "What's In Your Cabinet?" Party next week for Tea Time Tuesday and I would like to invite you all to join me.



Most of us have a special treasure or collection of something that holds sentimental value. It may be a piece which has been passed down to us, gifted to us, or found on a treasure hunt. Well, I am giving you an opportunity to share it with everyone.

You may share anything from china to glass, silver to wood, etc...; anything and everything that holds a special place in your heart! Just share it with a cup of tea or coffee and I'll come visit you.

Linking begins at 1:00 Monday afternoon. Hope to see you there!
In the meantime have a delightful weekend!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Thursday 27 September 2012

Thrifty Finds

Hello everyone~ Hope you are all enjoying your first week of Autumn! I have been out thrifting again and brought these goodies home for under five dollars.

I love pretty plates, especially when they're a bargain! This pretty ten and a quarter inch cake plate which is adorned with 22kt gold filigree was 75 cents at the Salvation Army.



And these two nine inch plates I thought would look pretty hung on the wall. 


All three of these plates have the Briar Rose on them and made by Dominion China.



I also found this pink candle holder for fifty cents. There were two of them but I only got one. Perhaps I should have gotten both.







Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your weekend.

I am sharing this post with the following parties~

Thrifty Things Friday
Open House
Pink Saturday


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Monday 24 September 2012

An Autumn Tea for Tea Time


 
"Don't you love New York in the Fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." ~ Joe Fox - 'You've Got Mail'


Welcome to tea time, dear friends! I don't live in NY but I thought the quote was cute!  Autumn has arrived and with this new season comes a wonderful warm colour palette.

It's time for picking apples and running through the pumpkin patch. My little grandson enjoyed himself at the pumpkin patch....


The leaves are changing into vibrant shades of orange, red, and golden yellow.


And it is the natural beauty of the season which has inspired my tea setting today. I really don't have any Autumn inspired china so I just used what I had for today.

Please make yourselves comfy and let's sit and enjoy a pot of tea together if only for a few moments before we get on with our day.


Pumpkin muffins are fresh from the oven; please help yourself.


I think one reason why I enjoy tea time so much is because I feel like a little girl again playing with my tea set. How about you?

"Would you like an adventure now, or shall we have our tea first?" ~ Peter Pan


I have been having fun decorating pumpkins. Adding glitter to some of them just makes them look like they have been kissed with frost...."When the frost is on the punkin" .... James Whitcomb Riley 

The pretty table covering you see is part of a fabulous win I received from our friend Bernideen a couple of years ago. Every Autumn I bring it out and it stays out until the Christmas season.



This beautiful teacup is called Buckingham made by Royal Stafford of England. It was a shower gift from my brother. I guess it would be classed as vintage now. Isn't it stunning?

Tea Tip: To help prevent a fine teacup from cracking while pouring in your tea, try using a silver spoon in the cup and pour the tea onto it. 

I envision every teacup as a little work of art. You see, I come from a family of artists so I appreciate each one; its shape, size, and pattern adorning each lovely receptacle.

Take for instance this famous Royal Albert teacup! Everyone is familiar with this Old Country Roses pattern but I have a story which goes along with this beauty.....


My father appreciated beautiful things but he never indulged in his favourite china pattern because he didn't want to infringe upon the pattern that I had started for my mother years ago. He did however purchase a couple of pieces for my mother just because he liked them....

A little china basket.


And this darling little boot which I sometimes place my tea spoons in.


When he passed away and my mother down-sized, she passed on to me the china I had started for her as well as the pieces my father had. 




Daddy did not have a teacup in the Old Country Roses pattern and I always wanted one because it reminded me of him.

On my Daddy's birthday this year, my darling hubby gifted me with a teacup in the OCR pattern in remembrance of my father. So that is how I acquired this beautiful teacup.




I cherish it, and the one who gifted me with it, as well as the memory of the one it reminds me of!

I think it looks splendid with the Autumnal table setting, don't you? Deep rich red and pink, and golden yellow roses make it the perfect teacup for today.

"It is at the tea table that soul meets soul." ~ Unknown

For your sipping pleasure, there is Chai tea.


In the little OCR basket are almonds. Please help yourself.


This time of year when I am drinking spicy teas like Chai, I often  use a cinnamon stick to stir my tea. It adds just a wee bit of flavour to the tea.



Tea time is a time to pamper oneself and taking time for these little extras helps to make your tea time more enjoyable.




A lovely little treat at tea time can be some simple strawberries dipped in luscious chocolate; Yum!! Little tea bag holders make a perfect serving dish for one.


"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." ~ Albert Camus


All of the lovely Autumn magazines are coming out and I like to sip my tea and peruse these issues leading up to my favourite holiday, Christmas!


Next week I am hosting  "What's In Your Cabinet?"  for Tea Time.

Do you have a special piece of china or a collection that was gifted to you or passed down to you which holds much sentimental value? Perhaps you have something very unique which you have found at a thrift shop or flea market and you're simply bursting to share it with us.  Well, this is your chance to do just that.....

Simply share your special treasure/collection with a cup of tea or coffee and write a post about it. Your treasure doesn't necessarily have to be made of china either. It can be glass or crystal, ivory, metal, silver, or even wood, such as a tea cart, a special table, or the cabinet itself.

I am looking forward to seeing all your special treasures and I hope you will join me next week for that!

The button is available to use in your post or place on your sidebar if you wish.



"You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your Presence." ~ Psalm 16:11

I am delighted you have stopped by for tea today! Your presence always makes my tea party that much more special and I am happy to see all your tea things, whether you have shared them before or not. This tea party is all about sharing your joy of tea time and any thoughts you might have on the subject. You may be as creative, fancy, or as laid back with your tea time as you wish!

Do you have a favourite teacup/teapot or mug that you would like to share with us today? I would love to see it and I'm sure others would too!
If you wish, you may do coffee instead of tea or the following is acceptable too:

Hot Apple Cider
Hot Chocolate
Lemonade
Iced Tea or iced coffee
Punch in a lovely bowl.
No alcoholic beverages please.

The Tea Time Tuesday button on my sidebar is available for you to use in your post or place on your sidebar if you wish. A poem, tea quote, or scripture verse would be more than welcome!
To be sure everyone has a visit, it would be nice if you visited the participant before and after your name.

Inlinkz is available below for you to sign up for my tea party.

As a courtesy, please link back to me so that your visitors may find their way here to visit with all my lovely participants.

I am joining the following parties as well~

Heart and Home ~ http://angelwingsandapronstrings.blogspot.com/
A Return to Loveliness ~ http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Table Top Tuesday~ http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tea in the Garden~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Thursday~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Potpourri Friday~ http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Sunday 23 September 2012

Thoughts on a Sunday Morning


"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven -
A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted."
~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Have a beautiful Autumn everyone and God bless you!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Friday 21 September 2012

Pink Saturday

Hello bloggerettes~ Can you believe the weekend is here already? Before we know it, the Christmas trees will be going up!




It has been a very noisy couple of weeks on my street. They are filling in the ditches so there has been much rumbling, thumping, back-up beeping, and red clay floating in the air outside my front door.


What normally is a very quiet neighborhood has been turned into a construction zone! Early in the morning it starts and goes until supper time, oftentimes until dark. Talk about noisy and messy!

Whew! I am so happy we are getting our very deep ditches filled in but I will be glad when they're done! Even my music doesn't drown out the racket.

In spite of all the ruckus going on, one last brave little rose opened up on one of my bushes. I had to rescue it from the noise and chaos going on out there.


I think it's quite content to have been brought inside where it can be enjoyed, sitting in a little lead crystal vase on the window sill. There are some raindrops still clinging to its petals.

And here it lends itself to a little vignette; a cottagey candle lamp and my vintage teacups. These teacups were found in thrift shops and cost seven dollars each. Being Royal Albert and in perfect condition, I am thrilled to have them!


A little candle light makes everything more beautiful as does a pink rose!



Hope your weekend is beautiful and filled with pink! Happy Autumn! I am joining Beverly for Pink Saturday.


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Monday 17 September 2012

Cinnamon Blossoms for Tea Time


"Life should be savoured; sipped like a cup of tea." ~ Unknown

Hello everyone and welcome to another Tea Time Tuesday! Today's tea party is number 138; imagine that! That's a lot of tea parties and I'm so happy you have come today!




I thought it would be fun to share the most viewed tea posts from last week. It was a tie actually!

Jocelyn at Just A Little Southern Hospitality shared her pretty Johnson Bros. Flavia china for tea with a good book.




And Diann at The Thrifty Groove served up a pretty yellow rose inspired tea. If you missed her post, you can find it here.


 Congratulations ladies....!


Now, let's have some tea, shall we? As I mentioned in my post last week, I have found a number of  teacups over the Summer and today I am sharing one of them with you.

This one, my hubby actually bought for me. Isn't he the best?



Most of you will recognize this pattern. It is Royal Albert Old English Rose. It was less than seven dollars which makes it a fabulous buy, being in perfect condition!


It is beautiful with the roses inside the cup and on the saucer. Adorned with a slight pedestal, brushed on gold trim, and a rather plain handle, it makes the perfect companion to the other one I have.


This is the same pattern, just a different shape. I found this teacup at a thrift shop last Summer for about seven dollars.



This second cup has the roses outside the cup. Both saucers are alike. Aren't they splendid together!



Is this fun or what!



"One sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits in delight, beyond the bliss of dreams." ~ {Quote by - Milton}




I made a sweet for our tea today which I haven't made in years.



When Hubby and I were first married, I made these goodies all the time.


They are pretty, simple to make, and delightful with a cup of tea!

Cinnamon Blossoms
You use your basic Tea Biscuit recipe. Cut into biscuits and then snip each biscuit almost to the center to give five petals. Dip  the tops into melted butter and then dip the tops into a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. I opted to brush the tops with melted butter and then dip or sprinkle on the cinnamon-sugar mixture. It's less messy this way.
Use 1/3 cup sugar. I used brown.
1/2 teasp. cinnamon
1/4 teasp. nutmeg
Place a quarter of a maraschino cherry or candied cherry in the center of each blossom and bake for 12-14 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees. Makes about 15 blossoms. Enjoy!



Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.




Next week I will be sharing an Autumn Tea and I hope you will join me for that.

Then two weeks from today, on October 1st, I am hosting a "What's In Your Cabinet?" party for Tea Time Tuesday. You may take the button below for your post or sidebar if you wish.




Do you have a special piece of china or a collection which was gifted to you or passed down from someone? Or perhaps you have something very unique which you picked up at a thrift shop or flea market and you're simply bursting to share? Well, here's your chance to do that....
Just share your special treasure with a cup of tea or coffee and write a post about it. Your special treasure doesn't necessarily have to be china either. It could be made of glass or crystal, ivory, silver, or even wood, such as a tea cart, etc. I am looking forward to seeing all your special treasures!

So remember those two dates- next week for an "Autumn Tea" and the 1st of October for "What's In Your Cabinet?" 

Have a lovely day everyone and please save a cup for me!



"You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your Presence." ~ Psalm 16:11

I am delighted you have stopped by for tea today! Your presence always makes my tea party that much more special and I am happy to see all your tea things, whether you have shared them before or not. This tea party is all about sharing your joy of tea time and any thoughts you might have on the subject. You may be as creative, fancy, or as laid back with your tea time as you wish!


If you wish, you may do coffee instead of tea or the following is acceptable too:

Hot apple cider
Hot chocolate
Lemonade
Iced tea or iced coffee
Punch in a beautiful bowl.
No alcoholic beverages please.

The Tea Time Tuesday button on my sidebar is available for you to use in your post or place on your sidebar if you wish. A poem, tea quote, or scripture verse would be more than welcome! To be sure everyone has a visit, it would be nice if you visited the participant before and after your name.

Inlinkz is available below for you to sign up for my tea party. As a courtesy, please link back to me so your visitors will know where to find all my lovely participants.





I am joining the following parties as well~

Heart and Home~ http://angelwingsandapronstrings.blogspot.com/
A Return to Loveliness~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Table Top Tuesday~  http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Teacup Tuesday~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Teacup Tuesday~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~  http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tea in the Garden~  http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Thursday~  http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Thrifty Things Friday~ http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~  http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Potpourri Friday~ http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Sunday 16 September 2012

Thoughts On A Sunday Morning

Hello dear friends! I hope your weekend is going well.

I was going through a box of old cards yesterday and I came upon this poem I used to keep on the fridge when my children were growing up. I don't know who the author is but I hope it will be a blessing to you moms out there, especially those of you who are raising your little ones. And for we grammies, it is lovely to contemplate too....

"Lord, give me a kitchen big enough
to preserve the innocence of youth in my children;
where the lessons of life are kept in storage
until they come of age.

Fill my kitchen with breakfast smells, noise, and laughter.
Color it yellow and make it warm like summer 12 months of the year.....
A place where frozen silences will melt like Popsicles in July.

Provide me with a thick cellulose sponge
to sop up the mistakes that are made
and give us all the courage to try again.

I need ample room to mold their characters
with tried and true recipes
found in Your Book of Life.
Yes, Lord, give an old-fashioned kitchen
with spider plants, kettles, and children,
the kind of kitchen where the work is never done." ~ Author unknown



Source from the Internet


"Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from Him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one's youth.

Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them." ~ Psalm 127:3-5

Hope you're all having a blessed weekend!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Friday 14 September 2012

Pink Saturday ~ Guest Post

Hello dear friends and welcome to Pink Saturday!
Today I am honoured to be Beverly's featured guest. I have been pinking with Beverly for close to four years now and it has been through her pink party, that I have met so many of you, my lovely friends.

Thank you Beverly for your faithfulness in hosting every week and a Very Happy Anniversary is wished for you and your hubby next Tuesday!


Beverly asked me to share a wee bit about myself~
I am a home-maker at heart and Mom to three wonderful sons and Nanny to five adorable grandchildren. My hubby and I have been married for forty years and we are still very much sweethearts.

I enjoy reading, writing/blogging, music, crafting, decorating, afternoon tea, photography, and thrifting.
I love taking walks along the beach and through the woods. I also host my own tea party meme called Tea Time Tuesday here every week and I would love to have you join me.




"Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is where I have spent most of my Summer.



We have the nicest beaches here on the Island! Yup, I wear pink flip-flops too!



Please help yourself to a cup of tea in one of my pink teacups.
I am a girly-girl and anyone who knows me, understands that I love tea things. Teapots, teacups, and different kinds of tea are some of the collections you will find in my home.


Over the years, I have collected many things; dolls, thimbles, SnowBabies, etc:, but I have always had a passion for pretty china and tea things. Now that my children are all grown up and on their own, I can indulge in my fantasy.

This is one of my favourite tea sets. 


Underneath it is a favourite table cloth. Did I tell you that I love  pretty linens too?



Being the girly-girl that I am, I had to have a pink Princess phone....


I adore pink roses too....


This past Spring, when I was in a crafting mood, I made some topiaries for the mantel. They will be replaced with something Autumnal very shortly.



It's just about that time again, and I am lovin pink pumpkins! I painted this wee pumpkin pink and added glitter and posies.




Last year Hubby and I treated ourselves to a new bedroom set and so I have been on the hunt for a toile bedspread/quilt. I found one a couple of months ago and decided to share it with you today....



"Friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life." ~ Thomas Jefferson






Auntie P's pink handmade afghan looks fabulous with it!


I still have some tweaking to do in the room so I have given you just a wee glimpse.

Before you go, I would like to share my favourite collection of all; some of my Rose Chintz china.







This china really makes my heart go pitter pat!


Breena, my little fairy friend, and I would like to thank you for stopping by today. I hope you have enjoyed my pink. Now, please  visit our hostess and see her parade of pinkies. Simply click on the link below. Wishing you all a fabulously pink weekend. God bless!

Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi