Rose Chintz Cottage

Monday, 28 January 2013

Tea Time Tuesday

"To my way of thinking,
there is not a more perfect day
for tea with a friend
than when it is cold
and rainy on the outside
and there is a hot, blazing
fire on the inside." ~ Teatime Anytime ~
A book collection From The Clever Factory

Welcome to another tea time, ladies~

I am so happy with the nice turn-out we had last week! You are all so sweet and really made my Tea Time Tuesday celebration a huge success. Some of you really went out of your way to make it special and I appreciate you all so very much. You shared special quotes about friendship, baked special treats, and shared special pieces of china that you knew I would love. Thank you!

Before I serve our tea today, I want to share a photo from a post last week as it was created just for me. It was a little out of the ordinary and in celebration of Tea Time Tuesday's 3rd Birthday.

Isn't this pretty? I'm sure you will all agree! Thank you Johanna @ Silber-Rosen for creating this gorgeous china rose just for the occasion. If any of you missed her post then please do stop by and visit her.

"Where there is tea, there is love.
Where there is tea, there is hospital-i-tea." ~ Unknown

We are in the dead of winter now and we have been having a stretch of very cold weather. Jack Frost has etched his way upon the window panes but inside, I have the fire burning so it's nice and cozy.

In the grocery stores, I am happy to find perky tulips. They lend a touch of springtime to any room. So, today I have set my tea on the table near the fireplace with some creamy white tulips and a simple tea. Why not curl up on the sofa and I will pour you a nice cuppa tea.

A pretty white teapot is wearing a garland of flowers....

"Usefulness is not impaired by imperfection. You can drink from a chipped cup." Greta Nagel

A beautiful Colclough teacup made in England. Some of the gold has been worn from the handle. Someone obviously enjoyed sipping tea from her. I wonder what parties she has been to!

Filled with Lady Grey tea, she sits ....

.....with her companion, a Windsor teacup to pick up on the romantic feel.

Both teacups are a soft pink with white and lots of gilding. I love both of these sets but I really enjoy seeing the rose in the bottom of the Windsor cup. It's something pretty to look at while sipping my tea. I think both teacups are romantic dressed in their pink and white and gold.

Hubby and I had friends in for tea and I had made some tasty mincemeat tarts. Would you like to try one? So good!

Speaking of romance, Valentines Day is coming up and I am going to be hosting a Valentines Tea to celebrate it. It is only two weeks away so on February 11th, please join me for another special tea. I find this time of year I am inside more and a themed tea is fun to look forward to.
This year, I thought I would have a Tea of Hearts, or shades of pink or red.
What do you think? Would you like to join me for a Valentines Tea? If you cannot do hearts, pink or red, then just share what you love. I will be happy to just have your company!

I am always delighted when you stop by. If you have something tea related or coffee in a pretty mug, please link up below. Have a beautiful day everyone.

"How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand."~ Psalms139: 17-18

I am joining the following parties as well~

Heart and Home ~ http://angelwingsandapronstrings.blogspot.com/
A Return to Loveliness ~ http://adelightsomelife.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/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Cottage Style Linky Party~ http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Wednesday, 23 January 2013

HOME

"The home should be the treasure chest of living." ~ Le Corbusier

Hello my lovely friends and welcome to my HOME~
I hope you're all having a lovely week so far. It's very cold here on the Island right now. You could say, we're in the deep freeze!

It's a good time to curl up with a hot beverage and read or visit one another in Blogland.

One thing I wanted to do today was share the most viewed posts from last week. Blogger finally got the browser button working so I am able to upload pictures now. Yay!
So here are the top viewed posts from last week, beginning with the most viewed and the three runners-up. Congratulations everyone!

Bernideen shared with us the beautiful Lefton china she found while out antiquing. Isn't it gorgeous! Bernideen is a long time bloggy friend who has all sorts of party tips, recipes, and splendid table settings to share with all her bloggy friends. She also runs her own shop in Colorado. If you have never met Bernideen then please be sure to stop by her blog and say Hello. She is sure to have tea and treats waiting for you. Isn't her china just beautiful?

Diane is a fellow Canadian blogger who took an ordinary kitchen and turned it into a warm and cozy space. Just by applying her own special touches and accessories, it made a world of difference. I love her collection of Friendly Village china in the hutch!
Be sure you stop by and say Hello to Diane as well. She will most likely offer you a cup of tea or coffee while she takes you on one of her little adventures.

Jeanetteann shared some of her pretties with us. If you love soft and romantic, then be sure to check out her blog. Don't you just love the bit of bling on her pillow?
She is a beautiful seamstress and has a real gift for turning something ordinary into something extraordinary. Her baby clothes which she makes are unbelievably precious!

Debbie shared the many wonderful bargains she found while out thrifting for after Christmas sales. She came home with an amazing amount of loot for her home and decorating. She's all set now for her next Christmas, as well as Valentines Day, and St Patricks Day. Her hubby didn't do too badly himself! I love that little teapot lamp she found!

Thank you to everyone for your visits and lovely comments every week. My HOME party is the new kid on the block here in blogland and it is encouraging to me that you are taking the time to stop by and participate.

"Charity begins at home, but should not end there." ~ Thomas Fuller

Do you have a beverage center in your home? I know many of you do. This is mine and it sits in a little corner of the kitchen.
I don't have one of those new Keurig or Tassimo machines. I prefer to make my coffee in a simple coffee maker. I also have a little teapot sitting by as well as the cream and sugar.

Do you see the pretty tea cozy?

My bloggy friend, Lorena, made it and sent it to me a couple of years ago. There is a darling pin made out of real clay roses attached. She makes the roses too. I love it and Lorena is such a talented and thoughtful lady. Thank you, my friend!

As promised at this week's tea party, I will share my recipe for Baby Cheesecakes.

Baby Cheesecakes

2 pkg. - 8 oz. Philly Cream cheese softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 T. Lemon juice
1 T. Vanilla
24 vanilla wafers

Place 24 cupcake liners in muffin tins. Place one vanilla wafer in each liner. Mix the batter ingredients until well blended and spoon batter into liners until 3/4 full. Bake @ 350 for 20- 25 minutes.

Now comes the fun part! Top the cheesecakes with strawberry, blueberry, or cherry pie filling. You may also use fresh berries, lemon curd, or whipped cream. For a raspberry jam topping, microwave 2 T. raspberry jam for 25 seconds and spoon over the cheesecakes.