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.

Monday 30 October 2017

A Tale of Two Kitties

It was the best of times; It was the worst of times... ~ Charles Dickens from A Tale of Two Cities.



Hello dear friends! Did my title catch your attention? Well, this post is not about the book written by Charles Dickens nor is it about two cities but rather two kitties. My son's kitties to be specific.

I didn't realize when I was preparing this post that yesterday, Sunday, was National Cat Day here in Canada! So I guess I picked a seredipitous time to write this post. 

A year and a half ago, my son adopted a kitten from the Humane Society he named Merlin. Merlin was found on the streets of Denver and was suffering with a broken hip. Today Merlin has a home, he's healthy, and well loved. 



He is a Russian Blue and he's a big cat! However, Merlin sometimes gets lonely and requires a lot of attention. Attention that my son wasn't always able to give him because he worked all day and when he was home in the evenings, he often had work to do which he brought home with him from the office. 

A few weeks ago my son and his spouse adopted another kitty to keep Merlin company. 



Say Hello to Minnie, short for Minerva! This kitty was a four month old female. Isn't she cute? Love her booties!


She, being a kitten, just wanted to play. Well, Merlin didn't take too kindly to this strange cat in his domain. There was a lot of hissing going on.



Anyone who has ever owned a cat is well aware that your home is the cat's castle and whether you like it or not, the cat thinks you are his property. So, there have been some issues with the two kitties. Merlin wasn't fussy about sharing his castle and rather resented this newcomer. Minnie, on the other hand, wanted to play with him. Minnie is very affectionate and she probably didn't understand why Merlin was being such a "cat"! Apparently, Minnie gave Merlin's head a swat right after this picture was taken and that didn't go over very well.

Here you can see Minnie has been relegated to the bottom of the cat tree. One can just tell by the way Merlin looks here that his message is loud and clear, "I'm the King, don't bother me!"



But as they say, time heals all wounds and the two have been playing a little more. Minnie now has permission to snuggle on the rung next to Merlin so they're making progress. As you can see, Merlin still has one eye open however!



Anyhow, I am happy to report that the two kitties are beginning to bond although sometimes the play-fighting tends to get out of hand. 

Are any of you cat people?

Today's cup of tea is accompanied by my kitties. My china kitties, made by Avon, are very well behaved. I can set them anywhere and they stay put. 



The pink teapot was a Mother's Day gift one year. It is made by Ganz and a nice size for a couple of cuppas.

Come and share a pot of tea. There's just enough for you and me. And if by chance we drink it up, we'll make ourselves another cup. ~ unknown 

One last time using my October Cosmos teacup made by Royal Albert. 



And my stack of pretty teacups in pink for breast cancer awareness. A Serena on the bottom and next a Lady Carlyle both made by Royal Albert. October Cosmos on top.



This kitty is made of ceramic and was gifted to me by a good friend when my second son was born. She wanted to give me something different so she made this for me.



My ceramic kitty has weathered many moves and never sustained a scratch. She's getting up there in years but she's looking great!

This is my last post in October. It has been a pink month in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness and I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of my pink tea wares. 

When one has been diagnosed with breast cancer, life takes on a whole new meaning. I remember my best friend squeezed every little bit of joy out of each day. We would take walks through the park and be entertained by our little red squirrels scampering up trees while others busied themselves gathering acorns. 
We noticed how blue the sky was and how the laugh of a child was the best sound in the world. We enjoyed many cups of coffee at the coffee shop and always managed a giggle or two. Christmastime rekindled the joy of being a little child again and family was more precious than ever. I learned a lot from her; to never take life for granted! 

My friend lost her battle and I still miss her and all the times we spent together. Every season and every holiday brings back memories of lovely times spent with her and I remember how beautiful she was inside and out.

I used to wonder why she was taken and I was still here. I came to the conclusion that her job here on earth was done but God still had work for me to do.

The other night I was watching Chesapeake Shores where Mick and his son were in deep conversation about people they had lost. 
Mick said, "No matter the reason we're still here and they're not, we have a responsibility to live not just for ourselves but for them as well." I thought that a wise statement but I also think we should live in such a way that we are a blessing to one another; to represent God's love and grace here on earth. I know that is my heart's cry. 

I do hope you ladies are taking care of yourselves and please be sure to get your mammogram!



November is on its way and soon I will be preparing my home and my pantry for Christmas. It is wonderful to start thinking about the Holidays again.

Before I close I have to show off the bracelet my little six year old granddaughter made me. She made this all by herself and sent it in an envelope to me the other day. I wear it all the time. Of course, it is pink!



They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything. ~ Bill Keane

Thank you for joining me today for tea and a chat. Have a wonderful week and God bless each one of you! Hugs to you.


 I am joining the following parties as well~

 Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Friends Sharing Tea
 Share Your Cup Thursday
 Home Sweet Home

 Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Monday 23 October 2017

Pumpkin Tales and Cinderella

Fall....the time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale. ~ Lauren DeStefano

Welcome to Rose Chintz Cottage, dear friends! 


My flowers were purchased to support breast cancer research

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so I am sharing more pink today.



I like the softer side of Fall and I love pumpkins. I especially like the white ones because they are just wonderful for decorating with. 


I do love anything that sparkles like this mercury glass pumpkin.



I have painted a few Baby Boos over the years.


Pumpkin under glass.

Of course some of the wee ones have to have a little sparkle such as this pink one. Glitter makes everything prettier, right?



However, even I can't resist a field full of orange pumpkins especially when there is a wee munchkin sitting amidst them all.



What is it about pumpkins that fascinates us so anyway? 



I think deep down, it is our love of Cinderella whose coach was magically transformed from a pumpkin and she was whisked away to the castle to meet her Prince. It is that sweet innocent fairy tale that lives on inside of each of us since we were little girls. At least for we girly-girls, I believe that to be true.


Courtesy of the Internet

I thought the last Disney Cinderella movie was simply charming! Hubby watched it with me on TV and we both really enjoyed it. Downton Abbey's Rose, played by Lily James, was simply splendid as Cinderella!


I still love the story of the young girl who was orphaned then forced to become a servant to her wicked step-mother and step-sisters. 


Courtesy of the Internet - Disney's Cinderella

Because she had such a kind heart, she was adored by all but her step family. She had a very special rapport with all the little critters too and they were the best of friends. 
  
These are my niece's three adorable baby hamsters {three weeks old} and she carved the pumpkin for them to play in. They are so tiny that all three of them can fit in your hand. I know Cinderella would have loved them and I thought how serendipitous it was that my niece posted this picture while I was getting this post ready.

....Getting back to the story, one day Cinderella had a visitor who transformed a pumpkin into a beautiful carriage. 

Courtesy of the Internet - Disney's Cinderella


The carriage whisked her away to the castle to meet her Prince. 

When she arrived at the castle, all eyes were turned upon her including those of the Prince.

Courtesy of the Internet - Disney's Cinderella

The Prince and Cinderella only had eyes for one another. They danced away the evening until the clock began to strike midnight...

Courtesy of the Internet - Disney's Cinderella

As we know, Cinderella had to leave the gala quickly and while fleeing to her carriage, she lost one of her glass slippers.

Courtesy of the Internet - Disney's Cinderella

The Prince looked high and low for the maiden who had lost the glass slipper until he found her. Of course the slipper was a perfect fit. 

And as the story goes, they fell in love and lived happily ever after!

All stories should have such a happy ending! 

Every second brings a fresh beginning,
Every hour holds a new promise,
Every night our dreams can bring hope and
Every day is what you choose to make it. ~ unknown author


Time for Tea ....


This is my Cinderella. Well, we'll pretend she's Cinderella.


This Royal Dalton figurine reminds me of Cinderella so she is joining us for tea today. As you can see her frock is the Royal Albert Lavender Rose pattern.


A Dream is a wish your Heart makes. ~ Cinderella


I am using my Royal Albert October Cosmos teacup to display my little golden bejewelled Baby Boo in. Kind of reminds me of Cinderella's coach....Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo! - from Cinderella



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




For tea time, I am using another Aynsley teacup. It is a favourite because I love the crocus shape with the pink roses sprinkled all over the cup and saucer. The roses inside the cup add a little something special too. 



My Royal Albert New Country Roses teapot which was a Christmas gift a few years ago, holds our tea.


My tea is David's Tea Pumpkin Chai.



It is a black tea with cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, squash, carrot, caramel, and wee pumpkin candies. The perfect tea for autumn and dare I say, Cinderella?

I have home made Cranberry muffins. The crunchy sugar topping makes them a sweet treat with the tart cranberries. 


The vintage butter knife is part of a set that once belonged to my mother.


Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.


Happiness cannot be travelled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. ~ Denis Waitley




To all you beautiful ladies who have survived breast cancer, to those of you who are living with breast cancer, and to those of you who have lost a loved one to breast cancer or any cancer, my thoughts and prayers go out to you. God bless you all!

Thank you for stopping by today and I hope you enjoyed my post. I realize it was longer than usual but it had to be to get everything in. I consider you my friends and I thank you for keeping me company for just a little while. Have a beautiful day everyone!

May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer. ~ An Irish prayer

 I am sharing this with the following parties ~


 Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Friends Sharing Tea
Share Your Cup Thursday
 Home Sweet Home

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Monday 16 October 2017

Country Roads and Pretty Teacups

October was a beautiful month at Green Gables, when the birches in the hollow turned as golden as sunshine and the maples behind the orchard were royal crimson and the wild cherry trees along the lane put on the loveliest shades of dark red and bronzy green, while the fields sunned themselves in aftermaths. ~ Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery


Hello my lovely friends and welcome to Rose Chintz Cottage! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Hubby and I took a drive through the beautiful countryside and found some hidden treasures in the way of red clay roads and woods filled with golden hues thanks in part to the changing of the leaves.


This is a clay road that is about a half mile long which runs through the woods connecting one small community to another.


With fall's crisp air comes a wealth of beauty as the landscape is redecorated in a prismatic array. ~ Victoria Bliss magazine


You never know what peace is until you walk on the shores or in the fields or along the winding red roads of Prince Edward Island ... ~ LM Montgomery


This is another clay road on PEI photographed by Ian Harper.



I would love to take a walk through Green Gables' Haunted Wood and Lover's Lane this time of year but I don't think they are open now. I must check that out. 

The next two photos are paths through the woods near one of our nursing homes. It's a beautiful spot!



October gave a party,
The leaves by hundreds came-
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name. ~ George Cooper


And this pretty trail is near our home. 

It was once part of the railroad tracks that ran from one end of the Island to the other. 

It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon. ~ Sarah Addison Allen

I like this quote I read in my devotions, "Heavenly Father, You have put us here to enjoy and ponder Your marvellous creation. May everything You have made remind us of Your goodness, love, and care."

Back home, I saw an arrangement on Pinterest and I thought I would do a copy cat version. Mine is a little different but basically the same idea. The teacups are all Royal Albert except for one. The middle cup on the middle tray is made by Aynsley.


Wouldn't this be a cute way to display your teacups for a tea party?

The mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the mind to happy repose. ~ George Gissing 

I had a bit of fun with Picasa too.




I have featured pink tea things again this week in honour of all the ladies who are fighting, have fought, or have lost their lives to breast cancer. 
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and dear friends, please take good care of yourselves and get a mammogram regularly.

How did you spend your weekend? 

I am joining the following parties as well~

 Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Friends Sharing Tea
 Share Your Cup Thursday
 Home Sweet Home

 Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi