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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.

Saturday 19 December 2015

Christmas Roses for Tea Time

Each Christmas I remember
The ones of long ago;
I see our mantelpiece adorned
With stockings in a row.
Each Christmas finds me dreaming
Of days that used to be,
When we hid presents here and there,
For all the family.
Each Christmas I remember
The fragrance in the air,
Of roasting turkey and mince pies
And cookies everywhere.
Each Christmas finds me longing
For Christmases now past,
And I am back in childhood
As long as memories last. ~ from Christmas Past by Carice Williams




Welcome sweet friends to my last tea time before Christmas! Can you believe it is almost here?



This is my tree this year. It is much the same as last year only with all white lights instead of a mixture of white and coloured. As you can see, I have a lot of pink and teal/aqua in my decor; two of my favourite colours.


What is the Christmas spirit? It is the spirit which brings a smile to the lips and tenderness to the heart; It is the spirit which warms one into friendship with all the world, which impels one to hold out the hand of fellowship to every man and woman. ~ Anonymous

Every December I bring out my Royal Albert Old Country Roses.



This pattern boasts a rich array of red, golden yellow, and deep pink roses; perfect for December. It reminds me of days gone by; a time when good manners were still in vogue.


It also reminds me of my daddy who always admired this pattern. When I see OCR, I always think of him, because he brought my mother roses every week and he really loved Christmas. 


The teapot, you remember, was a birthday gift from my family a few years ago.

God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December. ~ JM Barrie

I found another teacup and a dessert plate at Home Sense a few months ago and am happy to add them to my collection. 




Tykes on sleds and shouts of glee, icy-window filigree, sugarplums and candle glow, part of Christmas long ago. ~ Jo Geis


My decorating is finished and now I just have to finish up the baking. There will be lots of company this year as we will have family joining us. 

The holidays are a time of family traditions and gatherings with friends - simple moments to savour like a cup of tea. 


Do you remember the little twelve inch trees I found for next to nothing after last Christmas? I glued one into a Santa boot which had been a part of a floral arrangement and then I decorated it with little ornaments and Timothy the teddy bear.



The other one I decorated to match the OCR china. This is the little angel on the top of the tree.


She was put together by hand and the ornaments are all the colours in the china.


Notice the wee roses. This little tree will be part of my tea table today.



May I pour you some tea? I am having Celestial Seasonings Sugar Plum Spice which has hibiscus, roasted chicory, chamomile, rosehips, roasted carob, ginger, and cardamon in it.



Doesn't it sound delicious? I think it will go well with my Sugar Plums, gingerbread cookies, and pumpkin nut bread.



I love to capture the lights and have them reflecting in the tea!



Love and friendship are the best sweeteners of tea. ~ Unknown


In the light of that star, Lie the ages impearled;
And that song from afar Has swept over the world.
Every hearth is aflame, and the beautiful sing
In the homes of the nations That Jesus is King! ~ From the Christmas Song, "There's a Song in the Air"- Josiah G. Holland {1819-1881} Karl P. Harrington {1861-1953}



I am so happy you could stop by for a visit and I hope you can join me on Monday for my last No Place Like Home before the holidays. Enjoy your weekend dear friends and bask in the loveliness we call Christmas!



 I am joining the following parties as well~

Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Bernideen's Tea Time, Cottage and Garden Blog Party
 Tea Cup Tuesday
 Share Your Cup Thursday

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

16 comments :

  1. Hi I have just discovered your blog. I stumbled across it when I searched for Lavender teapots. I found the lovely lavender fairy teapot your you blog in February of 2013. My husband and I have a lavender farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains and I am hoping to have a lavender tea when the lavender is blooming this coming spring before the harvest. I have collected tea pots for years and have the OCR's regular sized teapot and demitasse as well. I am very interested in the lovely teapot with the lavender fairy on it.....could you please let me know where I can purchase one.....I would love to be able to have one for my first Lavender Tea this spring. Thank you, Louine

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    1. Hi Louine,
      Thank you for visiting today. I found that fairy teapot several years ago at a little shop that's only open here on the Island in the summertime. Sorry, I really don't know where you would find one unless you went on the internet and looked up Cecily Mary Barker's flower fairies. Merry Christmas!

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    2. I have searched and can find nothing..are there any markings on your pot...a company name? and country? anything? that might help me find a teapot? Thank you,Louine

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    3. I'm sorry, Louine, there is no mark on the teapot. It was just sitting out on a shelf, in that little shop, no box, nothing, and I picked it up. Sorry I can't be of more help.

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  2. Hi Sandi,

    Your tree is lovely as are all your Christmas goodies. I love the Old Country Rose pattern....so gracious.

    Wishing you and your family a most blessed and happy Christmas.

    Barb ♥

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  3. Your tea is just beautiful. The China is one of my favorite patterns. Have a wonderful time as you celebrate Christmas with your friends and family! Merry Christmas!

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  4. Beautiful and YUMMY ! as always . Thanks for sharing , Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year !

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  5. Sandi, you always set an inviting tea table and today is no different with your pretty trees, large and small. The goodies look yummy and I'm wondering if the roses are from your hubby?
    Merry Christmas.

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  6. Your Christmas decor is lovely, Sandi! I especially loved the rocking horses and OCR-inspired miniature tree. I'm having a friend over for lunch tomorrow and your pretty OCR tea set has inspired me to use my own OCR plates. My mom gifted the OCR set to me earlier this year, but I've never used them until now.

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  7. Dear Sandi:
    I am loving your pink and aqua theme! It looks very sweet and your tree is lovely. Your baked goodies get an A+ too. I wish you a very Merry Christmas and thanks for sharing your lovely home!

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  8. Beautiful as always, Sandi! Old Country Roses is my favorite. The pattern always reminds me of my daughter who loved roses as a young girl and as a teen and often would sign a card with these words: "your little rose girl." Now she is a busy mother of six. Where does the time go?

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  9. Sandi,
    Such a beautiful post!! Your Tree is so pretty and I love the rises on the smaller one!! Of course, I love your Old Country Rose pieces...
    Wish you a very Merry Christmas to you and your family!!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  10. Your site has been such a calm before all the festivities. I have a cup and saucer that matches your tea set,beautiful piece of work. Tomorrow I will have to see if I can find the sugar plum tea. This year for Christmas we are having all the children and grandchildren over for Christmas brunch, I have beautiful poinsettia china which everyone will use including the 3 year old and all the boys. It's actually kind of sweet seeing them all being careful as to not break grandma's tea cups. I wouldn't be upset I would just pick up the pieces and hand them a new one. Thank-you for always having the calming site that you do. MERRY CHRISTMAS

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  11. Dear Sandi:
    I am back again to just wish you a very Merry Christmas with time for family and friends.

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  12. Old Country Roses is everyone's favorite! I sometimes wish I had saved a teaset of the hundreds I have sold, but...no room! Your setting is wonderful! We are having a Christmas tea at the Empress in Victoria, BC on the 26th which will be fun! I know you will have a fabulous Christmas celebrating with family! Thanks so much for linking to Tuesday Cuppa Tea!
    Merry Christmas!
    Ruth

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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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