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 7 March 2011

Tea Time Tuesday


There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.~ Henry James

Welcome dear friends to my 58th Tea Time Tuesday party!

Another new week is upon us and I am so happy to see the snow going down! We are well into the month of March with Spring on its way and I love walking into the stores now and seeing all the Spring and Summer items on the shelves! Wood stoves have given way to lawn mowers and Christmas tree ornaments have been replaced by gardening trowels and seed packets; Hooray! I don't know about you, but I enjoy watching the lawn mower and RVing commericals! Winter tire commericals are just a distant memory now...Sigh! I'm even looking forward to the dandelions!

Next week we will be celebrating St. Paddy's Day so I will be sharing some green. If you have some green, perhaps, you would like to do the same. You don't have to be Irish to enjoy the lush colour!
Then the following week, March 21, I will be having my Spring Tea Party as well as joining Kathy @ A Delightsome Life, for her Celebrate Spring With Victoria party. See her button on my sidebar.

Now on to today's tea~ I had been sick with the flu most of last week and I had also pulled a muscle in my lower back, so Hubby brought me some flowers to perk things up. These posies, which are a little departure from pink, whisper of springtime and look nice with my choice of teacup today.

Little flower, but if I could understand, what you are, root and all in all, I should know what God and man is." ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson


Please make yourself at home and I'll pour you a cup. I am serving a white chai tea today.

This teacup is another Skye McGhie and it is called Garden Whispers. Don't you just love the sound of that?

Garden Whispers is made of porcelain and features a creamy background which is then adorned with dragonflies, honeybees and spring flowers. A band of gold leaves finishes it off nicely. I like the shape of this cup! The photos don't really do her justice. She really is a sweet and whimsical thing!

My dear, if you could give me a cup of tea to clear my muddle of a head I should better understand your affairs.~ Charles Dickens


A delectable Cranberry-Almond butter tart, warm from the oven, accompanies our tea today. I didn't get any baking done this past week because I was under the weather but these tarts are very good. They come frozen and you just pop them in the oven for ten minutes, then enjoy.


So, please help yourself, they really are delicious!
Plump cranberries and slivered almonds make a lovely topping for the butterscotch filling... Yum!
A sweet candle lends itself to our tea today. I had found this at a garden center not long ago and it was calling my name! I love anything cottagey and the Fleur de Lis encompassing the votive, is so romantic!


Happiness is having tea with a friend.

Speaking of romance, the newest issue of Victoria is out and it is filled with lovely photos of Spring blossoms and lush greenery. Isn't the bouquet on the cover of this issue simply gorgeous? Shot through with vibrant colour, it is a lovely mixture of tulips and other blooms.

The magazine has featured Ireland and captured the timelessness which is the Emerald Isle. "Magical and untouched, Ireland is filled with misty moors and grassy knolls stretching as far as the eye can see." {Excerpt from Victoria magazine}

As I was perusing its pages, I couldn't help but compare the countryside with that of our Island here in Atlantic Canada. Although our Island lacks the ancient architecture and history, both islands are similar in many ways.
If any of you are familiar with the Celtic gospel singer, Robin Mark, who hails from Ireland, he claims our Island is much like his own and he loves it here! In fact, he has been here several times!

Do pick up an issue. It makes for some delightful reading!

Tea Tip: For guests who don't care for tea or coffee but still want to join in the teatime festivities, why not serve a lovely punch in a beautiful cut-glass bowl.

Thank you for coming by for tea today. I hope you have enjoyed your visit and you will stop by again soon. If you would like to participate, please share something tea related; a teacup, china mug, or teapot. You may choose to do coffee, iced tea, or hot chocolate instead. A poem, tea quote, or scripture verse would be more than welcome! 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. Please be sure to link back to me so your visitors may find their way here to visit all my lovely participants.
Hope you all have a lovely sunshine-filled week!

" He has brought me to His banquet hall, And His banner over me is love." ~ Song of Solomon 2:4



I am joining the following hostesses for their parties too:

Kathy~ http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/ - A Return to Loveliness

Martha~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ - Teacup Tuesday
Terri~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ - Teacup Tuesday

Wanda Lee~ http://silkenpurse.blgspot.com/ - Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday
Pam~ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com/ - Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday
Wanda Lee~ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/ - Tuesday Tea For Two and Wednesday Tea For Me and Thee

Donna~ http://thehomemakingarts.blogspot.com/ - Tuesday Tea

Miss Spenser~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/ - Teacup Thursday





Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

43 comments :

  1. Sandi,
    I am ready for the lawn mowers too and the gas grills! Love your Garden Whispers teacup. It's delightful!
    Thanks for having us.
    Sherry

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  2. Dear Sandi,
    I love your lovely post , especially this Garden Whispers teacup, so delicate and pretty! Thank you for hosting this tea party !

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  3. Hello Sandi,
    so sorry to hear, you have been sick. How nice that you feel better now. Your tea is again so lovely, the Garden Whispers teacup is really so charming. Thank you for this nice Tea Time. I have today a Carnical post because that is, what in Germany has season at the moment.
    Greetings, Johanna

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  4. Hello Sandi: Hope you are feeling on-the-mend. I just loved your photos of the perky yellow flowers in the sweet white vase. The cup, too, was so attractive. Thanks for sharing! Susan

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  5. I always love visiting you for tea, Sandi. Your place is delightful and welcoming.

    What a stunning teacup!! Dragonflies are one of God's most beautiful creations, I think. They have such lovely wings.

    I hope your little granddaughter is completely well.

    Love,
    Patti

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  6. I just love your teacup. I see that you have a linky so I link up from here. I hope you do feel better soon.

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  7. Hello Sandi
    Good to be back for tea, only had one cup while away - the water was not the best for flavour.
    Garden Whispers is my kind of teacup and the tart is calling my name! :-)
    Hope you are feeling better; much flu going around here too before we left but we escaped it.
    Looking forward to our spring tea.
    Judith

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  8. OMGoodness that cup is soooooooo sweet you would not even need to add sugar to your tea...It it the perfect spring time tea cup.

    Thank you for stopping by to join Sara and friends for our quick on our feet tea party...Her and Poppa were eating before all the dishes had even been placed at the table lol.

    Hope you are feeling better, the pink carnations are GORGEOUS...my all time favorite cut flowers for sure.

    Blessings Kelsie

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  9. There's so much to love about this post! I love your bright sunny flowers! The teacup is amazing - love the bees and dragonflies - I put that same Tennyson quote on our chalkboard in the kitchen a while back! So thankful for your sharing my upcoming Celebrate Spring With Victoria - I truly appreciate you!
    So much fun sharing tea with you!
    God Bless,
    Kathy

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  10. Sandi, I love your tea cup - how whimsical!Hope you are feeling better. Glad Jenna-Lynn is improving.
    Blessings, Beth

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  11. Garden Whispers, fabulous name for such a pretty teacup. Love it!!! Have a wonderful tea and take care. Hope you are feeling better.

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  12. Oh how I love your tea cups, Sandi. My favorite is the dragonfly. The flowers are gorgeous too!...Christine

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  13. I hope you will be feeling better soon...the flu is an excuse to drink more tea...so that's a silver lining!
    Lovely post.
    Ruth

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  14. Sandi, your tea cup this week is just lovely! The dainty gold details and the bee's and dragonflies are so pretty on the cup.
    Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
    Hugs,
    Terri

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  15. Hello Sandi,
    I appreciate you joining me at A Return to Loveliness!
    Kathy

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  16. What a lovely bouquet of flowers. And your teacup is so beautiful! I have a teapot that is very similar, although I don't think it is the same line. Hope you are feeling better :-)

    Jocelyn
    http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com

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  18. I love the garden bugs and flowers on these cups. Never saw any tea cups quite like this before!

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  19. Sandi, what a darling tea cup! I love that it looks so delicate! I would like to try those tarts some time! Happy Tea-day!
    ~Donna~

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  20. Sandi: Your post is lovely. I hope you have been feeling better. I just love visiting you for tea. It is like coming home to an old friend. Have a wonderful week. I am still praying for you. Blessings, Martha

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  21. I love your sweet teacup...it's so dainty and whimsical, perfect for a garden tea party.

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  22. Hi Sandi, Wow! You Canadians are way ahead of me! Got to go to bed now, but wanted to link up. Your tea cups and things are just exquisite! I love them! The frilly china makes my heart ache. Ah...I gave the only frilly cup I ever found at an antique store to my mother. I still miss it!

    xo
    Donna @ Comin' Home

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  23. I'm sooo ready for Spring! those are lovely posies that your husband gave it to you, how sweet!! what a fitting name for that lovely teacup, Garden Whispers...ahhhhh..gorgeous! the cake is looking yummylicious too! Thanks for hosting the tea party and sharing your beautiful teacup!!

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  24. ahhh spring is coming! don't you just love spring! sooo, I pray for your fast recovery so that you could enjoy spring and drink some tea from your beautiful teacups! this teacup in your post today is just lovely! love the butterflies on it!.. thanks for sharing and thanks for being my inspiration! I finally got my Veronica just like yours!

    wishing you great week!
    xo
    fitty

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  25. Sandi,
    I am so sorry to hear that you have hurt your back! Believe me, I know how that feels as I am recovering from an injury incurred at work myself.
    What a lovely Tea Cup you have showed us today! it just beams with Spring!!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  26. Oh that teacup with the bees is so cute. I hope you are feeling much better with each day!

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  27. Hi Sandi, Good to be back, but not so good to read you have been ill with the nasty flu and hurt your back! Ouch and yuck! You post today is charming with the delightful Spring flowers and that tea cup is just beautiful. Especially love the teacup with the flower. All through the Gulf states, LA, AL, MS and of course here in Florida Spring is blooming. We had such a wonderful trip, but it is so lovely to come home again and have your delightful Tuesday party to look forward to. Blessings and do take it easy, backs are tricky things, I know from personal experience.

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  28. Hi Sandi,
    Sorry to hear you have been sick and hope you feel better soon.
    I love your pretty tea cup and the tarts looks yummy too- I will have to look for those!
    It is wonderful to see that snow going and to feel some spring in the air.
    Thank you for hosting,
    Carolyn

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  29. Sandi, I like your vignette very much. I just love bees and dragonflies, flowers, and pretty crocheted doilies...(In fact I'm crocheting one now).

    Thank you for giving me a breath of freshness!

    Have a happy day,
    Marianne

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  30. What a beautiful tea Cup!!!!!!!!!!
    I love it!!!!!!!!!!
    It is really pretty!
    I have loved visiting you
    Hugs

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  31. Dear Sandi,
    I so enjoyed having tea with you today - your precious teacup is just beyond adorable. I love the candle! Thank you for hosting such a lovely party.
    <><
    Concetta

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  32. Everything looks like spring! My mom has tulips popping out, but nothing here yet. When we had our first garden I planted peas on March 17. The ground will most likely still be frozen solid next week and nothing ready for planting.

    I always enjoy stopping by for tea and I will have to agree with C. Dickens! That's exactly why I have tea every morning! ♥♫

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  33. What a clever idea - Tea Time Tuesday! So sweet and elegant. I am visiting via Lavender Cottage. Saw you were on PEI and wanted to stop by and say hello! I visit occasionally, from Cape Breton, and your island is beautiful! So is your site!! I'll certainly be back for a visit soon. ~karen

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  34. Your Garden Whispers cup is just the kind of thing I love to look at! SO beautiful and appealing! One of the loveliest I've seen!

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  35. Sandi,I enjoyed your post today.I agree,I do like the shape of your cup and the handle too.I need a cup that my hand feels comfortable holding and one that gives me about 8oz. of tea.I was also delighted about this Victoria,Ireland!how wonderful.

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  36. That IS a lovely teacup, with the dragonfly and honeybee it is perfect for tea time dreams of sunny and warm days soon to come!( along with the dandelions )

    I hope you are feeling much better.

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  37. I do love your tea cup with the dragon fly on it

    I just got back from an antique vintage show and seen your entire set of dishes Rose Chintz and thought of you

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  38. I thoroughly enjoyed this post and what a pretty and delightful teacup...Tea with you is always special.

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  39. Yes! I think that's an amazing and perfect name for that pattern. So pretty. I saw the Victoria magazine yesterday and started to pick it up. I chose Romantic Home instead. I only allow myself one magazine per grocery store trip. By the looks of my rack, you'd think I go everyday! Have a great weekend!

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  40. Spring will be welcome here! My pedigree is the same as yours. More the fun!
    I can see why the votive spoke to you...
    Thankyou for a lovely tea, with a wee bit of whimsy. I look forward to seeing you each week.
    Blessings,
    Pam

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  41. What a lovely post. Your fairy door and that green tea cup with the pink rosebuds are my favorites.

    Love,
    Susan and Bentley
    xxoo

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I am delighted to have you visit me and I read every comment. Please forgive me for not being able to visit you all as there are so many of you lovely bloggy friends now. I will visit as much as possible. I wish you a day filled with JOY!

Also, due to the amount of spam I've been getting, I have had to set Comment Moderation. ~ Sandi

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