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.

Wednesday 30 October 2013

HOME



"HOME is the nicest place there is." ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Hello dear friends and welcome to my last HOME party in October!


Next week, we will all be thinking about Thanksgivng and Christmas although we already celebrated our Thanksgiving here earlier this month.

This week at my tea party I shared some pumpkins and some pretty purple tea things.

This wee pumpkin in the teacup got some sparkle.





You can check out more of my tea party in the previous post.

I never showed you my Autumn mantel so here is a photo of it. I wanted something simple with just a little bit of bling. Sorry about the reflection. It's difficult to get a picture without moi in it!


A basket of dried hydrangeas in varied colours accompanied by some mercury glass candle sticks and a candle snuffer is the extent of my decorating here. 

The sun was streaming in and it was hard to get a photo of my ceramic pumpkin pie keeper which I have sitting on the coffee table.




 Inside the inscription reads, "Give Thanks for our Family and Friends." I filled it with potato chips for company the other night.


It sits on the coffee table which was once a dark walnut and I painted it white several years ago.



Here are a few of the features from last week's party.

Kitty @ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen shared her recipe for Amish Cheeseburger Soup. I thought her table setting looked as yummy as the soup itself!


Poppy @ With a Dash of Color shared a wonderful pumpkin vignette. I love her use of gourds and mercury glass!



Eileen @ The Art of Living Beautifully shared her stunning fireplace reveal. I love it!



Kathy @ A Delightsome Life shared a simple but beautiful pumpkin and roses vignette.

Pink Roses White Pumpkins 5

Dianne @ Shabby Gals shared her rocking chair makeover. Love the colour!


And who had the most views last week?
My Canadian friend, Millie @ Wreathmaker shared a lovely post about the scents of Autumn and the wonderful memories they evoke.
Congratulations, Millie!

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Thank you everyone for inviting us into your homes every week. If you wish to be featured, please be sure to link back to this party. It is always a delight to have you join me.

If you have something HOME related then please link up below and I will he happy to come and visit you. Enjoy the rest of your week, my friends.

"Lord this humble house we'd keep
Sweet with play and calm with sleep.
Help us so that we may give
Beauty to the lives we live.
Let Thy beauty and Thy grace
Shine upon our dwelling place." ~ Edgar A. Guest

I am joining these parties as well ~

What's It Wednesday ~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Home and Garden Thursday ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Monday 28 October 2013

Pumpkins and Pretty Purple Tea Things for Tea Time Tuesday


"The door of friendship is unlocked with a smile."~ Author unknown

Hello friends and welcome to my Cottage. I am delighted you have stopped by!

This is my last Tea Time in October. Next week, everyone will be talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. We Canadians just celebrated our Thanksgiving two weeks ago so we get a little earlier jump on planning for the Christmas holidays which is always fun. 

Last week I showed you how beautiful our woods and trails were looking all aglow with coloured leaves. Well this week, it's quite a different story!


Looking out the front window, the leaves are pretty much off the maple tree on our front lawn. {Actually, they have all blown off since I took the picture.} The big ole pumpkin sitting in the birdbath is looking rather haggard and some crows decided they needed a drink from the water that accumulated from the last rain we had.

There were three crows on the bird bath but by the time I got the camera, there was only one. The other two were strutting about the yard.

This crow wasn't just getting a drink, he was poking holes in the pumpkin; crazy bird!



The temps are starting to dip and it's cold outside. Time for a nice hot cup of tea....

I have set my tea out on the dining room table.



I have decided to use my purple tea things today. I found some nice little pumpkins so they are coming to the party as well as some carnations from the grocery store. 
The teacups are from Grace Tea Ware and the teapot and plate are by Allison L.L. Fine Porcelain called Purpie Pansy.

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion." ~ Henry David Thoreau



The pretty doilie from Bernideen, which I won in her Giveaway a few years ago, is adorned with pumpkins and purple grapes so it all came together nicely. Please remember our dear friend Bernideen in your prayers as her mother passed away on the weekend.

I am also using my favourite vintage silver spoon gifted to me by another sweet bloggy friend.



"The tea party is a spa for the soul. You leave your cares and work behind." ~ Alexandra Stoddard


With pumpkin season, we have to have pumpkin tea so allow me to pour you a cup of Pumpkin Chai from David's Tea.


This is by far my tea of choice these days. Isn't it pretty with the wee orange hearts?


It is a blend of black tea, cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, squash, carrot, caramel, pumpkin candies,  & natural flavouring. Delicious!



I made some zucchini bread. One loaf has been consumed already and this one was in the freezer. So out it came for today's tea time.



"Autumn is a celebration of nature,
its rarefied air tugging at our senses,
begging for praise to the Creator." ~ June Masters Bacher




If you have a teacup/teapot, coffee mug, or tablescape you would like to share then please create a post around it and link up below. I will be happy to come and visit you. Wishing each of you a delightful day.

"Give yourself a perk.
Condition yourself for joy
   by doing little things
that you love on a regular basis." ~ Thomas Kinkade



I am joining the following parties as well~

A Return to Loveliness ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/
What's It Wednesday ~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Wednesday 23 October 2013

HOME


"The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."~ Maya Angelou

Welcome to my HOME,  a place where I share the H-heart  O-of  M-my  E-environment with you.

This week I took you on a little walk down one of our many trails here on the Island.


As you can see by the leaves on the ground, the colour will soon disappear for another year.  Amost time for Christmas lights; yay!


I hosted another Tea Time with my blue and white china complimented by some yellow mums from the front step.



The collector plate is one my father passed on to me and it is a Sandra Kuck plate called "A Time for Love." It is precious!



Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving and I don't know about you, but I love turkey [or chicken] and I don't really get tired of it. One can do so much with the left overs. I made hot turkey sandwiches,  turkey wraps, a turkey casserole, and soup. Sometimes I make Chicken a la King and Chicken Diablo as well as chicken salad. The possibilites are endless!

Today I will share my recipe for Overnight Chicken or in this case, Overnight Turkey. This makes a large casserole and is wonderful for company served with a salad and hot biscuits or rolls.


Overnight Chicken/Turkey

3-1/2 cups uncooked macaroni
2 cups milk
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 can cream chicken soup
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, diced
1/2 lbs. Velveeta cheese, cubed

Combine all ingredients and put into a buttered casserole dish and refrigerate overnight or all day. Remove and mix well. Top with bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Yummy!



The following posts are my picks from last week's party. 

Joy @ A Vintage Green shared two lovely ideas with us. She turned an old brown chair into a pretty one with paint and adding a stripe. It matches the little box which she also painted.


She cut some frost-bitten mums from her front porch and arranged them in a silver teapot. Pretty!


Jann @  Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson found this old brown wooden table and brought it home. She gave it a new look with some paint and a transfer. Love it!

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Cynthia @ Cloches and Lavender shared a really cute acorn tree.

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Trish @ Lily-Rose Cottage shared the outdoor pizza oven her dear hubby built. Can you imagine all the goodies coming forth from that?



And who had the most views last week?
Penny @ Penny's Vintage Home shared this darling little vintage stove she picked up at an auction and apparently the oven still works!



What a talented and thrifty group you are! Thank you for welcoming us into your homes week after week. It is always a pleasure to visit with you. If you would like to have your post featured, please be sure to link back to my HOME party.

Do you have something HOME related? Please feel free to share it with us. Simply create a post around it and link up below. Wishing you all a  beautiful day!

"Lord, this humble house we'd keep
Sweet with play and calm with sleep.
Help us so that we may give
Beauty to the lives we live.
Let thy bounty and Thy grace
Shine upon our dwelling place." ~ Edgar A. Guest


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~
What's It Wednesday ~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Home and Garden Thursday ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits ~ http://www.stonegableblog.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Monday 21 October 2013

Tea Time Tuesday


"When you have flowers, books, and tea, you are never alone." ~ Alexandra Stoddard

Hello friends and welcome to Tea Time! I would like to thank everyone who participated in my Pink Tea last week. I received some very nice emails from ladies who had read the post. I am so thankful that it was a blessing.


"Now is the time of the illuminated woods....
every leaf glows like a tiny lamp;
one walks through their lighted halls with a curious enjoyment...."  John Burroughs

The trees are ablaze right now with vibrant reds, golds, and oranges. The frost fairy has come and touched the leaves on the trees with her magic wand, turning them into little lanterns.



Here on the Island we have the Confederation Trail which runs from one end of the Island to the other, 470 km or 282 miles long. These trails have replaced the old railway tracks and this time of year the trails are filled with dazzling colour and the sound of crunching leaves underfoot.  Yesterday Hubby and I got a little walking in before the rain started.

Gone is the balmy scent of summer with its floral laden breezes and here to stay for a little while is the clear fresh air with a just little nip in it.

The honking of the geese can still be heard as they prepare to make their way down south and all the song birds have already left for the winter. 



Autumn is a bright and colourful time of year but I also find it to be a lonely time when our feathered friends have left us behind to wait out the long winter months without them. So, I console myself by bringing out a few of my indoor birdies like this swan.



"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad." ~ Edwin Way Teale 



My yellow mums that were gracing the front steps have been hit with the frost and their blooms are looking rather bedraggled. So I cut some off and brought them inside for my Tea today. They seem to have perked up a bit since coming into the warmth of my home.



I am serving tea in my birdie teapot accompanied by Johnson Bros. Old Britain Castles teacups.


"Happiness is sharing tea with a friend."

Two cups; one for you and one for me. Blue and white looks so pretty with the yellow mums.

This beautiful plate is a painting by Sandra Kuck. My father collected plates and he left two of them to me. This is one of them and it is called, "A Time for Love."






The inscription on the back of the plate reads,  "Every child's first instinct is to love - imagine a world where every adult cherished and nurtured that instinct." ~ Sandra Kuck


My Daddy had a soft spot where children were concerned, especially those with disabilities.



I'm drinking lemon tea today, would you like a cup?

How about a lemon tart? I thought lemon would be a nice change from apples and pumpkin.



 A cup of tea, a sweet, and a good book, is a lovely way to spend a little time in the afternoon. Of course I enjoy tea at least two or three times a day. 

I am so happy you could join me today! If you have a teacup, teapot, coffee mug, or a tablescape you would like to share please link up below.



We tea ladies always enjoy a trip to a tea room too if you have an outing to share with us.

"Lord, grant that our time together be steeped in serenity, sweetened by sharing, and surrounded by the warm fragrance of Your love." Amen.~ From the book, "If Teacups Could Talk" by Emilie Barnes


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~

Inspire Me Tuesday ~ http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
A Return to Loveliness ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/
Friends Sharing Tea~ http://blog.bernideens.com/
What's It Wednesday~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Wednesday 16 October 2013

HOME

 

"Where thou art - that- is Home." ~ Emily Dickinson
 
Hello friends and welcome to my HOME!

I hope you are having a wonderful week. We just celebrated our Thanksgiving weekend and I ate far too much turkey and pie. Too much of a good thing, I guess. I will have to go for a few extra rounds on my stationary bike to work it all off.

This week I am hosting my annual Pink Tea in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness. You may click here to go there if you wish.


I set my table with all things pink.



Flowers, china, and pink cupcakes.



My Royal Doulton figurine Shirley joined the party too.



Even my pumpkin pie got some pink whipped cream.



Just the teeniest drop of red food colouring will turn your whipped cream into a bowl of pink scrumptiousness. Is that even a word? lol.

Every year the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation supplies the supermarkets with Cashmere bathroom tissue with a pink floral motif. And every year, I purchase some. Every twenty-five cents goes toward breast cancer research. 




October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Please do regular self examinations and be sure to get a mammogram.

These are some features from last week's party....

Penny @ Penny's Vintage Home received the most views on her salvaged drawers. Very creative, this lady!



Millie @ Wreathmaker purchased a wooden cabinet and painted it white. I think it looks lovely and her autumnal display is beautiful too.

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Wanda @ Victorian 1885 shared some lovely changes in her ensuite. The beautiful towel rack was made by her grandmother. What a treasure!


Pamela @ playingwithmycamera shared her tool box centerpiece which I thought looked very festive.



Lynda @ Birds and Daffodils shared a creative way to fancy up her rain gutters. She even has a visiting frog.



Thank you everyone for welcoming us into your homes every week. You are the ones who make this party so much fun. If you would like to be featured here at my HOME, you must have a link back to my party.

Do you have something HOME related that you would like to share? If so, simply create a post around it and link up below. I will be happy to come and visit you. NO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE! Till next time, take care!

"Lord, this humble house we'd keep
Sweet with play and calm with sleep.
Help us so that we may give
Beauty to the lives we live.
Let Thy bounty and Thy grace
Shine upon our dwelling place." ~ Edgar A. Guest


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi