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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.

Monday 20 November 2017

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

You should always be the best decoration in your own house.~ Phoebe Howard 

Hello dear friends and welcome! It is that time of year when we are all thinking about the Holidays. My American friends are celebrating Thanksgiving this week and then they will move right on into the Christmas season. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!


I have done a bit of decorating and I'm anxious to put the tree up. 



Our main tree is going to be upstairs this year in the front window which means we will have to rearrange the furniture. It should look nice from the street.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." ~ Meredith Willson, 1951

I know all of you have ornaments that are real treasures because of the memories attached to them. Mine are no different and when I hang each one on the tree I am reminded of that special family member or friend who gifted it to me. 






Some are reminders of a special occasion too which is why I always call my tree my Tree of Memories. 


This was my tree two years ago.

Tea time...

I have a little tea set out today and I'm using my green transferware which I haven't used in a long time. 



These pieces were gifts from my hubby one year.


They are Staffordshire and made in England and I love the colour green! Transferware evokes such old-fashioned charm, don't you think?



A pot of chai tea and a plate of macaroons snuggle up to my pink poinsettia. 



A lovely way to relax and think upon the Christmas season while the music plays softly in the background. 




I have many teacups and saucers and a number of teapots collected over the years. Many of them were gifted to me.


Have you ever really looked at teacups and saucers? There are many similarities among them, yet many differences. Yet...all cups and saucers were designed for a common purpose. Perhaps you have heard and in all probability have even used the phrase, "tea service". You see cups and saucers were created to serve. 
Teacups and friends? The comparison is obvious. We too have many similarities, many differences, many unique characteristics. We are all different, yet all needed. Fortunately, it takes all of us, each with her own gifts and talents, to serve the needs of God's children. 

Next time you pick up a teacup, think of a friend. ~ Linda Gaither



Happiness is the realization
of God in the heart.
Happiness is the result
of praise and thanksgiving,
of faith, of acceptance;
a quiet tranquil realization
of the love of God.~ 
White Eagle from the book "A Book of Joy" by Thomas Kinkade

Thank you, dear ones, for visiting and have a lovely week celebrating with family and friends. God bless you all!



I am joining the following parties this week ~

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


Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

20 comments :

  1. Yes, Sandi, transferware to evoke old-fashioned charm, which I dearly love. Your green tea pieces are so special, since your hubby gifted them to you. I'd love to sit with you, and enjoy a cup of tea along with a macaroon. Your analogy of the differences and similarities of teacups and people was such a sweet comparison. Enjoy decorating your home for Christmas time, my friend. xx

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  2. Your Tree of Memories look beautiful, Sandi. Your pretty green transferwares are perfect for holiday tea time; your hubby has great taste in teawares!

    I put up my Christmas decor last weekend. It takes hours to put up my tea-themed tree, but it's always worth it at the end! For my godson, I have a Christmas tradition of giving him an ornament with the year. Hopefully, one day, he'll use these ornaments for his own tree!

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  3. Sandi, I always love your posts. I hope you are well. I love the green transferware made even more special because it came from your honey. You don't see the green often and how pretty it looks getting ready for Christmas.

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  4. Hi Sandi!Love your elegant green transferware teaset,so beautiful!Love your Christmas tree too,just adorable!Hugs!

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  5. Sandi,

    Such a sweet tea set! I love transferware! The green is lovely!

    I can't wait to decorate for Christmas!

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  6. How sweet that you call your tree a Tree of Memories. Mine is much the same, with ornaments from friends and family over the years. In my husband's words, "it's a tree that shines brightly."
    Your transferware tea set is lovely, and the tie in of use to our lives is a good one. Have a great week.

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  7. What a sweet post with beautiful photos and memories.

    I am looking forward to setting up the tree and decorating it with all of the ornaments that are special to me, collected through the years, from friends, family and my dear husband who has been gone now for almost 5 years. (9th of Dec.) Lots of love and memories and prayers will decorate my tree(s). I may put up a smaller one, just because.

    Happy Holidays ~ FlowerLady

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  8. I absolutely love the green transferware. It is beautiful! What a pretty teatime.

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  9. I do prefer the earlier Canadian Thanksgiving... so pretty Sandi! I love the green transferware, and your thoughts about teacups and our manifold gifts is perfect and lovely! What a beautiful post for today. Thanks so much! And thanks for linking to Tuesday Cuppa Tea.
    Ruth

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  10. It's a beautiful green in the transferware. Hope you are doing fine Sandi! Wishing you a lovely week!

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  11. Thank you Sandi! Have a lovely week too and I will see you next week. Blessings to you and your family.
    Sherry

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  12. Sandi, I don't know anyone else who has the lovely green transferware. How my mother would have loved it and, especially, the celadon green teapot. I hope you are taking good care of yourself and not overtaxing yourself with all your decorating.

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  13. What a beautiful tea table you have set Sandi! I love those macaroons, they look soo yummy... and this from me who just feasted on Thanksgiving goodies, lol! I loved all the lovely quotes you shared, and especially the one about friends and teapots, and how they share similarities. I do wish the Americans shared the same Thanksgiving with the Canadians, it would help spread the season out a little bit more, I think! However, they didn't ask me back in the 1700s when they decided on a date for Thanksgiving, lol! I hope you are having a lovely week my dear friend :)

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  14. Sandi, Lovely green tea setting. Reminds me of dishes my Mom had when I was a kid. Thanks for sharing. Sylvia D.

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  15. Your tree is beautiful Sandi! I know it will be just as gorgeous this year. Hubby set ours up today after church and I fluffed it. I will decorate it in the morning. Your green transferware is gorgeous for Christmas! I scored two beautiful green plates at a thrift last week. They are not made in England, but said made in China. I'm wondering if they are reproductions? I put them up on my plate shelf in the living room. They look pretty mixed with my red for Christmas. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  16. Oh dear Sandi I love you green transferware, I have always wanted some but have never bought any. Maybe one day.. as I was looking I was thinking how nice it would be to have a table full for Christmas. I can imagine .. with strings of cranberry running through out.. Happy Holiday with love Janice

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  17. I looked at and read this post last week, but was in the midst of my own Thanksgiving preparations and didn't take the time to comment. Now I've come back and taken a second look, and wanted to tell you that your green table settings are so pretty...with the red cherry on top of the macaroons...perfect for a Christmas tea! I love your tree and all the thoughts expressed here. I pray that you and yours will have a blessed, holy, and beautiful Christmas time!

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  18. Hi Sandi, I got a late start with the party; but wanted to let you know that you are being featured.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  19. A lovely post, Sandi. Such pretty Christmas decorating already underway. I've been putting twinkle lights everywhere... so far that's all. But I'm getting antsy.

    Wishing you a beautiful weekend.
    Brenda
    xox

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  20. I love your tree from two yrs ago! My stuff is up and I am loving the feeling that the soft lights bring to the house. I love Christmas. Have a great week.

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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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