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 August 2017

A Tea in Celebration of Tasha Tudor


Tea is a time in which we were perfectly contented with ourselves and one another. ~ Charles Dickens

Hello dear friends and welcome to my tea celebrating Tasha Tudor. I almost didn't get a tea post ready because I broke a rib last week but it had been a while since I participated in a party and I wanted to join my friend for her special Tea. Thank you Bernideen for hosting this special event and thank you for all the joy and beauty you bring to the world.



Believe it or not, I didn't know much about Tasha Tudor until I started blogging. But I have always loved Beatrix Potter and fairy tales. 




If I can share a secret with you all...

We moved around a lot when I was growing up so making friends was difficult for me. Oftentimes, I would lose myself in those fairy tales which I would read for hours at the library and imagined that I was Cinderella or Snow White and the little creatures were my friends. 

In one neighbourhood we lived, there was a grove of trees with a little brook flowing through it behind our house. I spent hours in that little grove watching the small creatures that lived there and spent time drawing them. 
I would always have an affinity for the little creatures and it's still part of who I am today. I am one of those people who is not afraid of mice or any such creature.

My mother was an artist and she would sit and draw pictures of little animals as well as all the Disney characters. I eventually started to do the same. I made my own paper dolls too. When my children were growing up I used to draw for them and one of my sons has also acquired the gift. So you see, I really do have a special place in my heart for Tasha Tudor, Miss Potter, and Disney.


For Tasha's Tea, I couldn't think of a more fitting tablecloth to use than the one Bernideen sent me a few months ago. It is old-fashioned, charming, and is the perfect backdrop for a Tasha Tudor tea. I'm sure Tasha herself would approve.



As you know, Tasha loved her flowers and wee creatures. My teacups I chose especially for our tea today and I think they look pretty sitting on the tablecloth. 



I have some bunnies joining us as well as a couple of kitties. {The lighting is very bad today; sorry!}




These teacups are all made by Royal Albert. My favourite of course is Summer with the quaint English cottage depicted on the front of the cup.


This is Petit Point


Tasha wrote and illustrated books which appeal to both children and the child within us all. She lived her life just the way she wanted to; surrounded by the things she loved including her lovely gardens. 



I guess you could say she lived "a charmed life." She is much admired by ladies everywhere and we remember her fondly for the gifts she gave the world.

Thank you for joining me today and I hope you all enjoy the long weekend!



I am joining the following parties as well~

 Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Tea in the Garden
 Home Sweet Home


Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Thursday 24 August 2017

Some of My Summer Highlights

Like roses in a garden, kindess fills the air with a certain bit of sweetness as it touches everywhere. ~ Helen Steiner Rice


Hello my lovely friends! I have been away for a while and having a fabulous Summer. I hope your Summer has been lovely as well. Can you believe August is winding down?



Seems like summer just started but what a summer we have had! Hubby and I have had a very busy one with our boys all home and because our youngest just got married, there was a big family get together to celebrate that. His visit home was quite productive this year because he has been researching the family tree and he learned much including where his great great great grandparents are laid to rest. They emigrated from England in the seventeen hundreds.



We all spent time at the beach and savoured food at several restaurants as well as did some sight seeing. Hubby and I also went over to Moncton and Shediac, NB, to visit my beloved Auntie P and some other relatives.

My pictures will tell the story.


This is one of our favourite beaches; Watts Beach.


The Beach... the only place where salt lowers your blood pressure. ~ unknown

We all went for breakfast one morning in the tea room at the Prince Edward Island Preserve Co. Isn't it charming? The windows look out on to the gardens and the river.



A pleasant spot to sit and enjoy the view of the river.


Hubby and me in the gardens behind the tea room.



My middle guy.

This is what I treated myself to from the Prince Edward Island Preserve Co. I have a couple of two tiered cake stands but I have always wanted a three tiered stand. I love the pattern on this one because it's so whimsical. And it's pink!


After our guys left, Hubby and I took a short trip to New Brunswick to visit some of my family. This is my cousin's beautiful home overlooking the bay.


For my tea loving friends, a peek at some of her treasures. As you can see, she collects blue china. That teacup pattern is featured on the front of Laura Childs' tea shop mystery, "Devonshire Scream," which I found interesting because I am re-reading the book at the moment.



A close up of the tea set.



The pattern is St. Petersburg, Russia.



The plate is Royal Stafford and the blue is beautiful!



This is a peek at her garden where she has a family of pheasants making themselves at home.



I love her clock!



Chatting on the back deck on a lovely summer afternoon was bliss!



Back home on the Island, some of the sights one might see is a cruise ship, the Holland America, passing beneath the Confederation Bridge which links the Island to New Brunswick. This picture is courtesy of Trish Jacobs.




At the western end of the Island is Thunder Cove where the ocean has sculpted some rather interesting shapes from the rock. This formation is called the Teapot. The handle and spout have been worn away but you can see the top of the rock still resembles the top of a teapot. 



This is the Teacup Rock. This photo was taken by Carrie Gregory.



I will end this post with a few photos from one of our favourite places this time of year; Victoria Park.







Alas, Hubby is back to work and so ends another summer vacation. However it has been a lovely summer with new memories made and time spent with our loved ones. 

Thank you for visiting and I will be back again soon. Have a wonderful weekend and God bless you, dear friends!

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi