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.

Wednesday 17 April 2019

A Look Back At Some Easter Tables

At Easter time the flowers bloom
The skies are bright and blue
The world's as joyous as can be

So is my thought of you. ~ Author unknown


Hello dear friends and Happy Easter

I have been blogging for a long time; ten and a half years, actually. During that time, I have hosted many tea parties. These are a few of the settings from over those years. I hope you enjoy.

My beloved Rose Chintz coffee pot from my Auntie P.  I have several cloches too and under this one is a bunny and a bird's nest my son found for me years ago.

This one is from last year when I used the darling bunny and basket I had won from an artist friend, Celeste, who lives in Texas. Just a wee peek at my favourite table cloth from my friend Bernideen. The pretty dessert is a recipe another aunt gave me; Banana Split Cake. Most of my recipes you can find on my sidebar under Search This Blog.

My aunt and uncle had sent me those little chicks so I used them in this setting.

This yummy dessert is Sudden Pudding/Baked Caramel Pudding. I am using a Royal Albert teapot and teacup.

Yellow tulips, a hydrangea wreath I made, home made coconut cake, and different makers of china are joined by some bunnies for this one.

Three mini cakes; two adorned with Easter eggs and a third with a carnation from a bouquet.

While we're at it, why not enjoy a tea sandwich too? These are chicken salad on white bread and peach chutney on cream cheese, whole wheat bread rounds. 


It's not the tea that makes teatime special, it's the spirit of the tea party. ~ Emilie Barnes, "If Teacups Could Talk."

My final setting, some lovely pink and yellow tulips are the centrepiece for this table.

I miss my virtual Tea Time Tuesday parties and No Place Like Home parties. I stopped mine for health reasons as many of you know. Have you noticed how few Tea/Home parties there are now? It's rather sad! 



Moving on...
What does Easter mean to you? As a little girl, Peter Cottontail hopping down the bunny trail was really what I cared about. Of course my parents indulged my brother and me with pretty Easter baskets filled with chocolate, marshmallow and coloured eggs. We were never disappointed. But as time went by, Easter took on a whole new meaning!

I still enjoy the lovely pastel colours of Easter, the bunnies and chicks. Obviously, I enjoy decorating with them too. However, Easter is really a celebration of a more serious nature.

Easter
is akin to Christmas... The celebration began in remembrance of our Saviour and Lord Jesus. At Christmastime, we celebrate His coming as a Babe in the stable so long ago.  At Easter time, we celebrate His death and resurrection. Because He lives!....and the good news is, He's coming again!


"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16

I wish you all a lovely and Happy Easter during this holy week. May the Lord bless you and your loved ones!


Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Saturday 13 April 2019

Beautiful Blues

Let your joy burst forth like the flowers in the spring. ~ unknown




Hello dear friends! I have some luscious shades of blue to share with you today. Isn't the hydrangea simply gorgeous? I love the petals, as delicate as butterfly wings in varying shades of blue.


I have tucked a little bird's nest into it, just because. The little twigs accompanied the nest when my son found it for me. 


This bird's nest was once home to a red-eyed vireo.

I have been sick with the flu bug this past week. Actually, it really started two weeks ago with headaches. I generally don't have trouble with headaches and I have been mostly housebound but this too will soon pass. 

Tea today is with lemon. I've been drinking gallons of lemon water and lemon ginger tea.


Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book. ~ Bill Watterson

It is raining here today although it is mild. For me, it's a good day to stay put. 



Tea with lemon.



Flowers, books and tea, what could be better when one is down with a bug?

When you have flowers, books and tea, you are never alone. ~ Alexandra Stoddard




My Churchill Blue Willow teapot and Johnson Brothers Blue Willow teacup are being put to use today as well as this Enoch Wedgwood teacup which depicts Royal Homes of Britain.



Homemade peach danish for my hubby.

My youngest son is celebrating a birthday today. Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Thank you for your visit today and I hope you are all keeping well. I wish you a weekend filled with joy!


When you wish someone joy, you wish them peace, love, prosperity, happiness...all the good things. ~ Maya Angelou


Sharing from my heartSandi

Friday 5 April 2019

Of Bunnies and Family


Spring had come once more to Green Gables - the beautiful, capricious Canadian spring, lingering along through April and May in a succession of sweet, fresh, chilly days, with pink sunsets and miracles of resurrection and growth. ~ L M Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

Well, here we are in the merry month of April. Are you glad it's April? I certainly am and I look forward to the earth waking up this month. The grass turning green, a few flowers poking up from the ground, and other delightful surprises await us after the long cold winter. I'm not sorry to see winter come to an end. No, not for a moment.

We had a wicked storm overnight on Wednesday into Thursday with hurricane force winds. The wind just about uprooted our bird feeder but Hubby put it back in place when he got home from work. Today, the wind is much calmer and the goldfinches are happily filling their tummies. I love springtime!

Looking out our kitchen window the other day, we noticed the little brook behind our house was running freely. We also saw a little bunny in our neighbour's back yard feasting on something tasty. This was the best shot I could get because he was a distance away but you can see a few brown patches on his white fur. 


Soon he will be completely brown and we will not recognize him when he visits the back yard again. There are a few bunny rabbits around. The next day he was in our back yard but our next door neighbour's dog started barking and scared our little bunny away. Thankfully, the bunny has been back several times so he braved the barking of the dog. I am so glad we live on the outskirts of the city where we are only five minutes from the shops but nature abounds in our neighbourhood.

I don't share a lot about my family but March brought some wonderful surprises our way.

Two of my grandchildren won medals in their competitions. Zachary won a gold medal in Jiu Jitsu. He is the little guy in the middle.
His little sister Jenna-Lynn won silver with her team in gymnastics/cheer leading. She is the little girl on the far left holding hands with the girl at the top.
These little sprigs are my middle son's children. I love how family traits are carried from one generation to another. 

My thirteen year old grandson drew this picture the other day. He also plays football.

My youngest son just bought his first home and he's pretty excited! 
He left home at eighteen to follow his dream of becoming a Math professor. He began his formal education in Alberta, far from home. After that he went to U of T and then his post doc took him to the US. Last year he achieved his goal by becoming Assistant Professor. He and his little family will be moving into their first home as soon as it is completed. My son has worked very hard for this and we are thrilled for him! He also has a birthday coming up next week; Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Our oldest boy, who has been suffering with that bad concussion, went out to the beach to take a walk on Sunday. It was the first warm stretch of weather we've had although I dare say it wasn't overly warm out on the North Shore. He came across this lovely piece of driftwood on his walk. 


He is coming along but he's still experiencing some rather unpleasant issues. Unfortunately, he will go back to work next week because his benefits have not kicked in yet and he has a family to care for. 

Other things may change us but we start and end with Family. Family is everything! ~ unknown

My beloved auntie had her picture taken last week by my cousin. Doesn't she look lovely! I'm hoping to visit my auntie this summer. We live in  different provinces so I don't see her as often as I like. Miss you, Auntie P!

Before I go, I will pour some tea. I made a cottage pudding yesterday with a nice warm sauce over it. One of my bunnies is joining me. Would you care to join me too?
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely. ~ Roald Dahl


Sharing from my heart ~
Sandi