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.

Friday 30 November 2012

It's Pink Saturday Time!

Hello bloggerettes and welcome to another Pink Saturday with Beverly at How Sweet the Sound

The other day I made some faux snowballs and if you would like to know out how I made them, please see my previous post for instructions.



I set up a silver tray in front of the window with a feather tree, fresh evergreens, sparkly birdies, and my snowballs.



As the sun was setting, it cast a lovely pink glow on the vignette and I thought it would be pretty for Pink Saturday. I waited for just the right moment and captured its pinkness on my camera.



Here is my pink poinsettia.


I thought I would also share a few of my Christmas tree ornies. This is a little teacup which Hubby gifted me with years ago and I glued it together to hang on the tree.

 
Another teacup with pink posies on it.



And a beautiful ornament my mother gifted me with years ago. It is painted by Lena Lui and made by the Bradford Exchange. This one is green with pink roses and topped with a pink butterfly.


 
And this one is pink topped with a blue butterfly.
 
 


Thank you for visiting today and have a lovely weekend everyone!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Wednesday 28 November 2012

HOME



Hello dear ones and welcome to my HOME!

"Where we love is home.
Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and you're all filled with the Christmas spirit! 

Today I thought I would share the most viewed post from last week. Still Woods Farmhouse shared with us her mini vacation in in Dollywood, TN. Isn't this Christmas chapel simply adorable! If you would like to take a step back in time, then please take a moment and visit her blog. 




Today I am sharing another Christmas craft. Many of you have already seen these around blogland I am sure and I wanted to try my hand at them. This is what I came up with.... 

Snowballs...



I found some white styrofoam Christmas balls and removed the hangers. I made the modge podge using a teaspoon of white glue mixed with about a teaspoon of water. I used an old brush to paint the modge podge on half the ball and then I rolled the ball in epsom salts.



I did one half of the ball at a time and let it dry on an egg carton.


Once dry, I did the other half and allowed it to dry.


They really do resemble snowballs and they don't melt!




I set out a silver tray with my snowballs, some fresh evergreens, and my feather tree in front of the window.  




I added a couple of sparkly birdies and look how pretty it is with the sun setting. The setting sun has cast a lovely pink glow on it all. I waited for just the right moment and caught this on my camera.



I hope you will give these snowballs a try.

Do you have something related to HOME? I would love for you to share it with us. Take a peek at the list below and see if what you have would be something we would all enjoy.

Thank you for your visit to my HOME today and I wish you all a beautiful day!


I am joining these wonderful parties too~

Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home and Garden Thursday~ http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Cottage Style Linky Party~ http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com/
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits ~ http://www.stonegableblog.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Vintage Inspiration ~ http://www.commonground-do.com/
Potpourri Friday~ http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/
Open House ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/
Show and Tell Friday~ http://romantichome.blogspot.com/


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Monday 26 November 2012

Tea Time Tuesday


"November comes and November goes,
With the last red berries And the first white snows.
With night coming early, And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket And frost by the gate.
The fires burn And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest Until next spring." ~ Clyde Watson 

Welcome friends to Tea Time ~ This is my last tea party for the month of November and preparations for Christmas are in full swing now! I am so very thankful for the beautiful season of love and joy which we will be partaking of in the next few weeks. It is a dreary time of the year made bright and cheery by Christmas lights and beautiful music. The scent of holiday baking fills our kitchens and pretty packages wrapped with care are waiting to be opened by those we love. Can you feel the magic in the air?

I had to include my pretty pink poinsettia in my tea post today.


"Gratitude is an opener of locked-up blessings." ~ Marianne Williamson

Today I am sharing two 'new to me' teacups. These are the last of my 'found' teacups. Both of these beauties came from Lori's Time Worn Treasures and Antiques in town.

Some of you may have already seen my Friendship teacup as I had shared this a couple of weeks ago at Pink Saturday.



This is a vintage Royal Albert made around the 1940s and is adorned with pink cosmos. She is waisted and made in the lyric style with a lovely shell imprint in the bone china. She really is a beautiful teacup, isn't she?





The saucer bears the name of the previous owner and I would love to hear the stories this set could tell. Obviously she had been present at a number of tea parties and the owner wanted to make sure it accompanied her home. 



This gorgeous teacup is RA American Beauty which I have had on my Treasure Hunt list for some time.



Actually, it is not a complete set but I didn't notice it until I got it home. 




That's what I get for not wearing my readers in the store! Ha!


In any case, the pretty teacup is Orleans Rose made by Royal Standard in England and is married beautifully to the Royal Albert American Beauty saucer. I actually like how they look together. I don't think I have ever seen a set so perfectly paired and it makes for a very unique set. Wouldn't you agree? I mean, what's not to love?




Lush pink roses adorn both the cup and saucer, and I love the brushed on gold trim which makes them look so charming.




Would you like a cuppa tea and a cookie? I am having Cranberry Pomegranate tea today accompanied by some melt in your mouth Swedish butterballs.




Is this not adorable?



This is from a package of note cards which I received in the mail the other day. I won a delightful Giveaway from Lady B's Time For Tea. It included an assortment of matching gift cards, memo pad, and notebook. There was also an assortment of tea and a tea time pin adorned with Swarovski crystals called 'Pouring Through Time.'  


Thank you Lady B and Dame Ruthie.  

"In this fast paced life we lead,
it's hard to find time for the
things we enjoy." Like tea.

Let's have our tea by the fire.


I do enjoy your company! Thank you for joining me today. Just a reminder that I am hosting a Christmas Tea on December 10th. I hope you will plan to join me. 




"....And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with Child." ~ Luke 2: 4-5 

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 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.

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/
Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Friends Sharing Tea ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/
Home and Garden Thursday ~ http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Thursday~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Cottage Style Linky Party~ http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com/
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits ~ http://www.stonegableblog.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Potpourri Friday~ http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Saturday 24 November 2012

....And the Winner Is....!

Hello everyone ~ I hope you're all having a great weekend! Do you know that one month from today is Christmas Eve? It will be here before we know it.



As you can see by my Followers, I am excited to have passed the 1000 mark! That means it is time for someone's name to be drawn for my Giveaway.



I had my sweet hubby draw a name from the teapot and I am so happy to tell you that  Alaura @ Cottage Rose  is the winner of my Giveaway.




Congratulations Alaura! Please email me your address and I will send you your package.

Thank you dear friends for loving my blog and following. I never dreamed when I started out that so many of you would actually like visiting Rose Chintz Cottage. You are all so sweet and I appreciate each one of you. God bless you!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Friday 23 November 2012

Pink Saturday and Seasonal Sundays

Welcome friends to another Pink Saturday. I hope all my American friends enjoyed a bountiful feast on Thanksgiving Day.

Today I thought I would share with you my Christmas tree and mantel in the living room. Last year I did my tree in mostly traditional colours. I still have a bit of tweaking to do but you get the general idea. This year my tree is in shades of pink, silver, gold, and white, and my hubby doesn't mind a bit!



 
The angel
 
 
Mantel
 
 
 
 
At night...
 
 
 
I have reached 1000 Followers and I am so happy to welcome all my old bloggy friends and new ones too to enter my Giveaway. I will be drawing the name of the winner this weekend so if you would like a chance to win a beautiful tablecloth, a set of Anne and Diana coasters, and a Laura Childs Tea Shop Mystery, then please click on the link here.
 

 
 
UPDATE~ I have drawn the name of the winner. Congrats Alaura @ Cottage Rose!
 
Please join Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound to see more pink and The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays. Have a delightful weekend everyone!
 
 
Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Wednesday 21 November 2012

HOME


Hello friends and Welcome to my HOME ~ I would like to wish all my American friends a Very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

"There is nothing like staying at HOME for real comfort." ~ Jane Austen


While decorating my home the past few days, I have been reflecting upon my many blessings. I am grateful for so many things; my faith, my family, and my friends.
Everyday I awake in a nice warm bed, knowing I am cherished by my loved ones. We drive a nice car and we have clean clothes in the closet. There is food in the refrigerator and this week Hubby and I will go grocery shopping to replenish it. I am free to worship my Lord and go to church on Sunday and the wondrous season of joy is upon us. Lots to be thankful for!

I realize there are many who are not so blessed and my thoughts and prayers go out to all of you. May God bless you and watch over you. I pray your needs will be met this week.

Here are some posts that caught my eye last week:

Sally @ Drinking From My Saucer  shared her wonderful vintage hymnal ornaments.  She used pages from her grandparents' hymn book and filled these Christmas ornaments with them. 



CynthiaCloches and Lavender repurposed her cabinet doors. I think she did a fabulous job! Please be sure to visit her for instructions.


JudyGold Country Cottage shared a beautiful post filled with  Autumn and Thanksgiving vignettes. I loved her harvesters on the mantel. Perhaps you will get inspired by visiting her.



BellaBella's Rose Cottage shared her lovely tablescape. If you like feminine and serene then Bella knows just how to put it together. Isn't it dreamy?



This week I am sharing my Christmas mantel. I used  some evergreen garland as well as some glitzy magnolias. I do have a couple of new mercury glass pieces which I love.




Pine cones, Christmas balls, and fairy lights finish it off.


I had to take the picture on an angle so my reflection wouldn't be in the mirror but you get the idea.


Have you started decorating yet?


It's a busy time of year and one can get worn down fairly quickly what with all the preparations. So, why not take a few moments and indulge yourself in a little pick me upper? I like to pour myself a cup of tea or coffee in a pretty cup and enjoy a little treat like Raspberry Fool. It's quick, it's easy, it's pretty, and oh, so good!
Just taking a few moments of solitude for yourself can restore you before getting back into the groove.



I found this simple yet delightful dessert in an older Victoria magazine. Just gently fold some pureed raspberries into whipped cream and serve in a pretty dish. Why, it's good enough for company!

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." ~ William Arthur Ward

Do you have something special you would like to share? Please refer to the list below and kindly link up. I will be happy to come and visit you.  Have a beautiful day dear friends and once again, Happy Thanksgiving!



I am joining the following parties as well~

Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Cottage Style Linky Party~ http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com/
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits ~ http://www.stonegableblog.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Open House~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/  
Potpourri Friday~ http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi