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, 8 January 2016

Tea with Anne ~ That's Anne with an E!


The beauty of winter is that it makes you appreciate spring. ~ L.M. Montgomery 


Springtime, oh yes, I'm already thinking about it!

Welcome dear friends and kindred spirits! I hope your new year is off to a delightful start. 

As I was pondering what to share this week I thought about Anne of Green Gables. I've been thinking about her a lot lately. 



I suppose it's because I remember one New Years Eve my hubby, our youngest son who was eight years old at the time, and me curled up in the family room with some munchies to watch the Anne movies. That was a wonderful way to welcome in the new year. It's one of those lovely memories of when my children were growing up.



Have you seen the Anne movies or read the books? If you haven't then you are missing out on a treat. I have all the books but I have only a couple of them in my post today.


Anne is our beloved heroine here on the Island and she is joining me for tea today. 



Most of you have seen the Anne doll that my father blessed me with his last Christmas. I cherish her and always think about Daddy whenever I look at her. My father knew of my love for Anne and he gifted me with two dolls actually but my porcelain Anne will join us today.

She is dressed in her best pinafore and a calico dress. A pert straw hat with matching ribbon sits upon her head which is of course a full crop of red hair braided into pigtails. She has green eyes and freckles sprinkled upon her nose and cheeks.



When Anne was a young girl she possessed great 'scope for imagination' and she loved to dream about what it would be like to be a grown up. Well, today we will enjoy a grown up tea with some treats left over from Christmas.

That is my Granny's pancake jug holding the ivy sitting behind the teapot. The jug is over a hundred years old.



My hubby gifted me with this teapot for my birthday. I'm sure Anne would like it too! I had admired this teapot for a few years and he decided to surprise me with it. It is adorned with an embossed snowflake motif which means I can use it until the end of March. What fun!

Won't you join me? I am having David's Tea Salted Caramel today and it compliments the Christmas treats, I think.

Today we will live in the moment 
unless it's unpleasant in which case 
we will eat a cookie. ~ Cookie Monster



That quote made me smile and I just had to share it. 


Life is worth living as long as there's a laugh in it. ~ Anne of Green Gables

One thing we can all agree on; Anne made us laugh! I am very blessed to have someone in my life who makes me laugh everyday. My hubby is such a clown and he loves to make me giggle. If I am upset or a bit down about something he will say, "Oh, there they are! I see your dimples!" Dimples really are my downfall at times. They're a dead giveaway when trying to keep a straight face.

I have set out three pretty teacups; one for you, one for Anne, and one for me. 



Colclough made in England


Another Colclough. I have two of these teacups. I had one and then the other I received from Nancy a couple of years ago.      

This teacup and saucer is Elizabethan. This is the Island's provincial flower; the Lady's Slipper.

Each cup of tea represents an imaginary journey. ~ Catherine Douzel

My treats are all home made. 



Donut bits, chocolate peanut butter bars, mincemeat tarts, sugar plums, and fruit cake. Please help yourself. 



"She had a good sleep that night and had awakened in the morning to find herself and the world transformed. It had snowed softly and thickly all through the hours of darkness and the beautiful whiteness, glittering in the frosty sunshine, looked like a mantle of charity cast over all the mistakes and humiliations of the past." ~ from LM Montgomery- Anne of Green Gables. 

Snow is like that. It covers all the ugly dried up leaves and brown grass making the earth appear as though a glistening white blanket had been flung down upon it making it fresh and beautiful again.

Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it. ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables


It's kind of like the new year! There are no mistakes in it ...Yet! May we all use a little kindness toward others, use wisdom when we need it, talk less, listen more, and not waste a moment. 

Life is precious! 

Offer someone a smile even if you don't feel like it. It will make you feel better and it might just make someone else's day.

A smile is the best facelift. 

Make mistakes and learn from them and may we all be like a light in the darkness. 

God's mercies are new every morning and the next breath you take is a gift from Him so you should thank Him for it!

"Dear old world," she murmured, "you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you." ~ Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery 


I'm so glad you are all a part of my world! I have made some very dear friends here in Blogland since I created this little blog of mine. I hope 2018 will allow me to keep sharing from my heart and maybe bring a little happiness or a smile into your day. 



Thank you for joining Anne and me today and the Lord bless you all!


The Lord bless you, and keep you; 
The Lord make His face shine on you,
...And give you peace. ~ Numbers 6:24-26



I am sharing this with the following parties as well~

Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Bernideen's TTCG Blog Party
 Tea Cup Tuesday
 Share Your Cup Thursday
 Home Sweet Home


 Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Monday, 4 January 2016

No Place Like Home # 9

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
For loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
Like the bells and lights and tinsel, 
In some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others 
Is good you do yourself. ~ Norman Wesley Brooks

Happy New Year dear friends and welcome to my first No Place Like Home of 2016! 

I hope you all had a splendid Christmas and a lovely New Year celebration. Here at my home, all is quiet. The snow is falling softly outside my window, Hubby has returned to work, and my company left on the weekend.


I thought I would start my post off with a picture of my son's ceramic tree he made when he was twelve years old. I brought it out for Christmas in the guest room and the teddy bear was a gift from my son. I thought it only appropriate that Teddy would be propped up by the tree. 

My son and his friend baked me a beautiful carrot cake from scratch for my birthday. 



Happy Birthday to me!



It was a lovely surprise because having raised three sons and my birthday falling at such a busy time of year, Birthday cake hasn't been a part of my life for many years. So, it was very much appreciated and might I say, enjoyed as well! 


Isn't it lovely?  Filled with carrots and walnuts with a wonderful cream cheese icing, it's moist and delicious. It is also my son's friend's great-grandmother's recipe so I do not have permission to share the recipe; sorry.

We all enjoyed a slice! 


The plate is The Victorian English Pottery Est. 1819 by Edward Challinor.

And what would go better with cake than a lovely cup of tea? Harney and Son's Holiday Tea, a gift from a blogger friend.


Spode Blue Room teacup.



Johnson Bros. Devon Cottage plate.



I prefer a teacup but my son is quite happy with his mug. You can see by his elbow he did manage to bring some work home with him. You know the old adage, "A woman's work is never done?" Well, I think the same applies to a professor. Isn't he adorable! He also drinks his tea black just like his mom.



"I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month." ~ Harlan Miller


Do you regret that Christmas is over? As busy as the holidays are, there is such an air of anticipation and joyfulness. This year we celebrated Christmas with two of our sons and three grandchildren. One son lives here on the Island while the other came all the way from Colorado to spend the holidays with us. So it has been a lovely time.

The birth of a New Year is a time of reflection, bringing with it an opportunity for change....for developing a greater appreciation of what is most important in life. ~ Victoria magazine

Anyway, feet planted firmly back on the ground once again, it's time to return to the everyday occurrences. My son has returned to the States thoroughly hugged and kissed and the tree has been boxed up and put away for another year. I do have a few sparkly things around yet. Wintertime calls for a little sparkle, wouldn't you agree?



Did you all watch Downton Abbey last night? I had to tape it because it was on too late but I am looking forward to snuggling up with Hubby and watching it. Of course tea will be sipped! 

Because the last two weeks have been such a busy time for me, I have only a couple of features for you this week. You are all so talented and generous in sharing your homes and ideas with us. Thank you!

These are from my last party a couple of weeks ago. If you have been featured you are welcome to take this button for your blog. Just copy and paste.



Karen @ Karen's Castle and Cottage shared her lovely Victorian Christmas tree adorned with beaded garland and china teacups. Gorgeous! She also shared her recipe for Peppermint Square which takes care of my featured recipe from my party of two weeks ago.






And Debbie @ A Debbie-Dabble Christmas   shared her wonderful Christmas kitchen. I can imagine how big the eyes of children would get if they walked into her home! A child's and grown up's delight!



Thank you everyone for your participation. 

Now let's see what you are creating in your home to make it a cozy place to come home to for your family, your friends, and yourself.


Winter is the time for comfort,
For food, and warmth,
For the touch of a friendly hand 
and a talk beside the fire: 
It is the time for home. ~ Dame Edith Sitwell



I am sharing this with ~

Tuesday Cuppa Tea
Bernideen's BTTCG Blog Party
Teacup Tuesday
Home Sweet Home


Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi