Monday, 30 August 2010

Tea Time Tuesday and A Giveaway


Hello all my tea loving friends~ Welcome to my 32nd Tea Time Tuesday and how nice it is to have you stop by today!


My hubby and I are once again on vacation for one more week and the weather has been simply amazing for our day trips to the beach! The weather man promises us lovely weather for most of the week! In case any of you are wondering what kind of beach I'm talking about, take a look at the photos below. The sand dunes spread for miles all along our shores and the beaches are the best north of Florida, or at least we think so!

Now I want you to know that we always seek out a quiet spot to relax. We don't much care for noisy surroundings. We like to be able to hear the waves upon the shore.



In fact, I can't think of anything I enjoy more this time of year than...

A gentle breeze,
the sound of lacey edged waves lapping on the shore,
the warm sand beneath my feet,
the bright blue sky overhead,
and the one I love beside me!

Of course, there's the perfect cup of tea too!
One day the guy next to us was flying a kite and it looked so pretty up there in the bright blue sky that I just had to take a picture! We are so blessed to have such lovely beaches here on Prince Edward Island!

Since we are on vacation and enjoying a little bit more of the Summer, I thought I would do a simple tea today, sort of a picnic tea.
"Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors." ~ Alice Walker
A simple white teapot and cup ready for the picnic table. There are no markings on either the teapot or the cup. Would you care for a tea sandwich with some grape tomatoes on the side?


Perhaps a cookie? Chocolate chip!How about a glass of cold iced tea? When the weather is as warm as it is right now, iced tea is welcome too!This is a pattern which I saw at our Canadian Tire years ago and I couldn't resist it. Anything that looks like transferware strikes my fancy!

As you can see from the stamp on the bottom of the plate, it is called 17th century by Staffordshire Engravings made in China. The cups are a good size and are made much like a mug but comes with its own saucer. This pattern is wonderful for a full course meal or a simple picnic. I love pretty dishes and I think the presentation of a pretty table or picnic table, makes the tea or meal that much more inviting.

"I can drink tea until the cows come home and I love the atmosphere in tea-shops." ~ Zola Budd

As I promised last week, I have added a couple more items to my Giveaway.

A little teaspoon from Paderno which is a famous company here in Canada. They make fabulous cookware. Also, a tiny creamer/milk jug, which is perfect for a tea for one or coffee creamer for one, also from Paderno. These are very popular here in our Bed and Breakfasts. You might want to use it for what it was originally intended or you can hang it on the Christmas tree. I have tied a sheer ribbon on it to hang; it's up to you.
So there you have it....a Royal Albert tea strainer, a bag of Prince Edward Island Preserve Company Raspberry Lemon tea, a miniature creamer, and a silver teaspoon.



Last week I mentioned to you that the winner of the Giveaway will be announced next Tea Time Tuesday. All you need to do is let me know in your comment that you would like to enter. I am sorry but due to mailing costs, entries are limited to Canadian and US bloggers only. My sincere apologies to my friends across the pond!


"Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." ~ Matthew 4:4

I'm so happy you stopped by for tea today. If you would like to participate in my Tea Time Tuesday party, please let me know in your comment and I will gladly add your link for you. Just share a teacup, teapot, or some china used in a tea. You may also do coffee, iced tea, or chocolate. A poem, tea quote, or scripture verse would be most welcome too.
Either of the two Tea Time buttons near the top of my sidebar are available for you to use in your post if you wish. As a courtesy, please link back to me so that your visitors may find their way here to visit all my lovely participants.


Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

Please also take some time to visit the other tea party hostesses today. You will find their links with the asterisks ** in front of their names.
The list of participants below are in the order in which they first began to participate.

PARTICIPANTS










































































Tea Cup Tuesday




















Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday





















Lady Katherine Tea Parlor



Sharing from my heart~ Sandi
at 49 comments:

Friday, 27 August 2010

A Special Pink Saturday and Spiritual Sundays Weekend


It's a Good Thing!
Happy Weekend, bloggerettes! This weekend, both of these blog parties are all about A Miracle Makeover!


Beverly at Pink Saturday http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/ and our own Pink Saturday participant Sherry at Country Wings in Phoenix http://countrywingsinphoenix.blogspot.com/ are joining with
Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/ and Kelee at The Katillac Shack http://www.katillacshack.com/ for a very special weekend event to honour Colette, a very special lady. Please go to Kelee's blog to read this very moving story.


Kelee and her team at Guideposts Magazine http://www.facebook.com/guideposts went in and created a 'healing room' for Colette Gauthier, a cancer patient. Please go to Kelee's site to watch a very special video about how they transformed an ordinary room into a beautiful space for Colette to recover in; a room filled with beauty and peacefulness.

Thank you Kelee for giving us each a chance to give in some small way to a wonderful cause. For every comment left on Kelee's post and the others mentioned above, one dollar will be donated to help someone else receive a Miracle Makeover. There are also some wonderful Giveaways too. So please check out Kelee's blog and all the others today.

We were asked by Beverly, Charlotte, and Ginger to share a short story of inspiration, a poem, or photo which will inspire others.


This is my offering of what I pray will be an inspiration to you ~

A pink stained glass butterfly was one of the last gifts my friend Carol gifted me with.


Carol and I were best friends and she was the only best friend I ever had because when I was growing up my family moved around a lot. I moved from one province to another and from one community to another. Her family also moved around a lot. In fact, her family moved from one coast of Canada to the other. This was one factor which drew the two of us together, for we were both lonely and in search of a good friend. Well, actually it was God who drew us together! I guess you could say we were more like sisters as we had so much in common.


Carol and I were both passionate about our love for the Lord and we both adored our families. We both had three sons and we loved all the same things when it came to home decorating. We loved music, pretty clothes, and the beauty of nature. We loved walking through the woods together and enjoying fields of flowers.
Christmas was an especially wonderful time because we both shed our more mature facade for the little girl within. We loved everything about Christmas and we both decorated our homes to the hilt in celebration of our Lord's birth.

In 1987, Carol was struck with Breast cancer and she had to have a masectomy. For several years she led a fairly normal life and then tragedy struck again in 1990 when the cancer came back. We spent as much time together as possible because we didn't know how long she would be with us.

Sadly, for her family and for me, and all those who loved her, Carol lost her battle in November of 1990 and she went home to be with the Lord. Sometimes it just seems like yesterday that she left us! She is in a better place, I realize that. She is free from pain and surrounded by beauty which no one can fathom. I still miss her terribly as I never knew anyone as much like myself as she was. The good news is, I will see her again someday and we will once again skip through fields of daisies and walk through the woods enjoying God's nature.


Carol's pink butterfly adorns the window of my china cabinet. It reminds me of the beautiful lady who was my friend and just like the caterpillar once caught in its cocoon, Carol is now free and has spread her wings to enjoy a better place filled with peace and beauty.


Carol left behind a legacy of faith, grace, love and of life. She was one of the gentlest people I have ever known and she inspired me to live my life to its fullest every day.
One never knows what lies around the corner!


I am myself stricken with a form of Muscular Dystrophy but even on a bad day, I try to glean as much happiness as I can from it for there is always something to be thankful for!


We are reminded in the Bible to, " Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ Ephesians 5:19


To Carol and Colette, and all you beautiful and brave ladies and gentlemen who are fighting or have fought breast cancer, or indeed any kind of cancer, I salute you! You are special! You have showed us how to live graciously in the midst of the storm.

Thank you for stopping by today and thank you Kelee and Guideposts Magazine for making this weekend possible. Thanks also go out to Beverly, Charlotte, and Ginger for hosting so faithfully week after week.



God bless you and have a wonderful weekend, my friends.

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

at 43 comments:

Monday, 23 August 2010

Tea Time Tuesday


Hello friends and welcome to Tea Time Tuesday! I'm so happy to invite you all to my 31st tea party!

Since last week's tea party, I have been blessed with over 300 followers. That's quite an honour as I never in my wildest dreams thought that many lovely folks would be interested in my little blog! One day in October of 2008, I took a deep breath and created my blog and what an adventure it has been! How lovely it has been to 'meet' all you sweet blogging friends. You're the best!

Among my sweet friends is a precious lady who has been such a blessing to me.... We are kindred spirits, she and I, as we both love the Lord, we both collect the same china, Rose Chintz, and we enjoy all things related to tea. Lorena @ Rose Chic Friends http://rosechicfriends.blogspot.com/ gifted me with a hand made tea cozy
and her special clay roses; a magnet and a lovely brooch. Are these not absolutely gorgeous?
Yes, she made these pretties herself! Believe it or not, I didn't have a tea cozy and she so graciously gifted me with this one which is perfect in my kitchen! Isn't it beautiful with its pretty toile fabric and lace? I just love it! Thank you my sweet friend!
Lorena is one of my regular tea party participants and she is having a Giveaway herself.

She has her own Esty shop too where she sells her lovely clay roses and tea cozies. Please take some time to visit her blog and enter her Giveaway today. I know she would love to hear from you!


Now, as I promised last week, I am going to have a Giveaway myself to celebrate two milestones; my 30th tea post which was last week and 300 plus followers. Further down, I will share with you one of the little gifts in my Giveaway. But first, let's have a cup of tea, shall we?



Today's tea will be a white tea. That is, tea will be served from my white teapot.
This teapot is called Cream Lace and it is a pattern by Skye McGhie. I love anything made in this pattern because it is feminine and lacey with its cutouts around the top of the pot. I also love the Fleur-de-lis adorning it.
"One sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits in delight, beyond the bliss of dreams." ~ Milton

The teacup is Queen Anne and it is made of bone china in England.

This teacup with its assortment of flowers and edged with gold trim was once a shower gift. It is a very thin china and very delicate. I like the handle on it.

"Tea- the cups that cheer but not inebriate." ~ William Cowper


The tea is from the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company and it is called Raspberry Lemon. It is a delicious blend of Ceylon black tea, essence of raspberry, lemon peel, and raspberry leaves. It oftentimes looks pink in the cup. This is the first gift in my Giveaway. The second I will share further down.

Today I am serving simple tea biscuits with some home made Strawberry apple sauce and clotted cream.

My little teacup looks pretty all dolled up with a pink rose, don't you think?
There is also some fresh fruit to enjoy.

Since I am sharing about the love of friends today, I would like to share this lovely poem with you.

Beauty of Our Friendship
Friendship is a Priceless gift that cannot be bought or sold,
But its value is far greater than a mountain made of Gold.
For gold is cold and lifeless, it can neither see nor hear
And in the time of trouble it is powerless to cheer...
It has no ears to listen nor heart to understand,
It cannot bring you comfort or reach out a helping hand
So when you ask God for a gift
Be thankful if HE sends not diamonds, pearls, or riches
But The Love of Real True Friends. ~ Helen Steiner Rice




"There is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother." ~ Proverbs 18:24

This is the second offering in my Giveaway.....a tea strainer. This too came from the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company. As with any really good tea, one should have a tea strainer on hand.
The last of my Giveaway gifts I will share in my tea post next week and I will announce the winner in my tea post of September 6th. In order to win this Giveaway, you must leave a comment on this post or next week's tea post indicating you would like to enter. Due to the high cost of mailing I am sorry to have to limit entries to my friends in Canada and the US. My sincere apologies to my friends across the pond.

Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

I am so happy you stopped by today and I hope you will come again soon. I do love the company! If you would like to participate in Tea Time Tuesday please let me know in your comment. Just share your favourite teacup, teapot, or china used in a tea. You may also do coffee, chocolate, or iced tea. A poem, tea quote, or scripture verse would be most welcome too. Either of the two Tea Time buttons near the top of my sidebar are available for you to use in your post if you wish. Please link back to me so that your visitors may find their way here to visit my lovely participants.

Today I am also linking with the other tea party hostesses. You will find them with the asterisks ** before their links.

The participants listed below are in the order in which they first began participating.




PARTICIPANTS





Tea Cup Tuesday

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday and Tuesday Tea For Two





Lady Katherine's Tea Time Tuesday


China and accompaniments used in this post:
Cream Lace teapot made of fine porcelain in China by Skye McGhie
Queen Anne teacup produced in England by Ridgway Potteries Ltd
Cream Lace spreader and jam pot by Skye McGhie is made of fine porcelain in China
Silver spoon is Oneida and was my youngest son's baby spoon
Coventry Garden dessert plate by Skye McGhie is made of fine porcelain in China
Rose Chintz creamer made by Johnson Bros and produced in England
Alicia Rose tea plate from my first set of dishes made in England
Martha Stewart lace table runner
Lace table cloth was a gift from a friend





Sharing from my heart~ Sandi
at 47 comments:

Friday, 20 August 2010

Pink Saturday


Happy Pink Saturday my pink bloggie friends! How quickly this fun event rolls around every week! I'm glad I found something to share with you all. But before I do that I want to extend my thanks to Beverly for hosting Pink Saturday so faithfully every week. I know the time and effort it takes to keep a meme going as I have my own on Tuesdays.
Please click on the link to visit her and her party of pinkettes. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/


I would like to begin with a little something sweet I received in the mail about three weeks ago.... There are so many lovely and thoughtful people in the land of blogging. Patti, a lovely friend in the States, had found a piece of my favourite Rose Chintz china on one of her treasure hunts and she thoughtfully sent it on to me here in Canada; just because she wanted to bless me! It arrived wrapped sweetly in rosy pink tissue paper and a bow. How delighted I was to receive her gift with a beautifully written pink card!
I love this little fruit nappie with its pink rose and posies adorning the creamy background; another precious piece to add to my collection! Thank you, Patti. Patti is an old-fashioned kind of girl who loves all things vintage, including music. When you visit her blog, you will find a down-to-earth friend and wonderful music playing in the background. Please take a few moments to visit Patti @ Fill My Cup....with Beauty ~ http://pattiannsblog.blogspot.com/ She will make you feel more than welcome!


A few weeks ago, my hubby surprised me with a 'Rose Bud' teapot. You can see it in a post further down. Some of you suggested I go back and get the matching teacup; so I did! I don't normally splurge on china as I prefer to receive it as a gift from someone else, that way there is a sentiment attached to it.

However, last weekend Hubby and I went out for breakfast with some friends at our favourite tea room. While there I treated myself to this Maxwell and Williams teacup which comes with its own dessert plate. Love this pattern with the pink roses sprinkled all over the white background! Gold trim sets it off perfectly. Now we each have one, Judith! I'll bring my teapot and we'll sit and have some tea.


Here is the scenery outside the tea room. Gorgeous pink roses set off the lovely vistas in the background. It really is a lovely spot to go for tea!


That is the river Clyde in the background. The Lord has made us a beautiful world to live in, hasn't He?

One of my last pink summer roses snuggles up to the teacup. The pinks are a perfect match!
Does tea taste better in china teacup? Why, yes, it does!

Happy Pink Saturday everyone and enjoy your weekend!
I invite you all to stop by and join me on Tuesdays for my tea party, Tea Time Tuesday. I would love to have you! There is also a Giveaway on the horizon!
Sharing from my heart~ Sandi
at 28 comments:

Monday, 16 August 2010

Tea Time Tuesday


Hello my sweet friends and welcome to Tea Time Tuesday!
I am back from my holiday and I'm pleased to invite you to my 30th Tea Time post!
Did you all enjoy your weekend? I sure did! Even though it was sad to see my son and his family leave, Hubby and I got out to the beach three times over the weekend, once with our grandson Brent who's six. He's as cute as a button!
We also met friends for breakfast at my favourite tea room.
I am still experiencing much pain in my lower back but I am thankful for so many things!
Today I am celebrating my 30th post by sharing a few pieces of my favourite china; my Rose Chintz. This pattern makes me swoon as I just love the roses and pretty posies sprinkled all over the creamy white background.
I realize many of you have seen some of these pieces before but there is a reason for my madness!

Two reasons why I have chosen to share this pattern today; firstly it reminds me of my childhood and a very special lady in my life. Secondly, two wonderful ladies have gifted me with one or more pieces of it and I want to pay homage to them!


Now, please come in and I'll pour you a cup of tea. Are you comfortable? I hope you will allow me to regale you with how my love for this pretty pattern first began.
As you know, I adore teapots and teacups; anything related to tea, really.
There are so many lovely patterns out on the market but there is just something about Rose Chintz that makes my heart go pitter-patter like no other! It is called sentiment.



When I was a little girl, my Daddy moved us to Prince Edward Island. Moving here made me very homesick for my home in New Brunswick and all the family we had left behind. Our family traveled to NB almost every weekend and every holiday to visit the family. Sometimes the whole summer was spent over there. It was a very long trip but worth it when we got there. I loved seeing my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins!


While visiting the home we left behind, my Auntie P, whom I'm very close to, always used her Rose Chintz china at mealtime and I fell in love with her dishes at a very young age. I found it to be a happy pattern which was how I felt when I was over there with all the family.


Auntie P's Rose Chintz china brought a great deal of comfort to this lonely little girl and to this day, it conjures up such wonderful memories whenever I look at it. I just love the pink florals. I find it charming, feminine, and romantic; very girly. Some might find it too busy but I like it just fine!
"Tea is instant wisdom - just add water!" ~ Astrid Alauda


When I got married, I searched high and low for Rose Chintz but could not find it, and to my dismay, I learned they were no longer making it! Then one day, a few years ago, I discovered by accident this lovely china on eBay and I was able to purchase several pieces with the help of my savy computer-skilled son. I felt like I had struck the jackpot! Funny thing is, up until that day, I hadn't even looked on eBay. I hardly knew what eBay was, believe it or not!

I had just given away a whole set of dishes I only used once a year to a worthy cause and I felt like God was rewarding me for doing so. I was so excited!

Shortly afterwards, my auntie sold her home and moved into a condo. How thrilled I was when she gifted me with many more pieces of it; plates, bowls, teapot, coffee pot, and platters!

Since then, I have attained a good collection of it, I'm happy to say. There are still some pieces I don't have but hope to find sooner or later.


How pretty the strawberry shortcake looks in the rimmed bowl; so summery! The presentation of food can look so much better in a pretty dish, don't you agree?

I have a couple of adorable demi-tasses nestled together under glass; gifts from my auntie.

I love square plates, don't you?

Along with the many pieces of Rose Chintz which my auntie gave me were the mugs, perfect for tea, coffee, or chocolate.


Rose Chintz is a pattern produced by Johnson Bros. in England and although they stopped producing the pattern years ago, there are reproductions around today. The originals had a pink or green mark on them such as you see below on this saucer.
A Rose Chintz pitcher, another gift from Auntie P, is good for many things including a vase for pretty flowers!


"A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you forget about afterwards." ~ A.A. Milne


Thank you Auntie for gifting me with this beloved china. Everytime I look at it, I think of you. I love you and I am blessed that you are a part of my life!


I haven't added to my Rose Chintz collection for some time now but about a month ago I received an email from someone special.....


One thing I love about Blogland is the wonderful opportunity we have to 'meet' lovely friends. One such friend is Patti @ Fill My Cup.... with Beauty. This sweet lady found a piece of Rose Chintz on one of her treasure hunts, and she wanted to bless me with it. She sent it all the way from her home in the States to me here in Canada, just because! Let me tell you; my hubby was impressed and I feel so blessed that Patti wanted to do this for me! A lovely card accompanied the piece.


How sweet is that and what a lovely thing for Patti to do!

This pretty little fruit nappie arrived a couple of weeks ago, all wrapped up in pink tissue paper and ribbon. I am so happy to be the recipient of such generosity. I really love it! Thank you Patti, I so appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness!


I do hope all you lovely ladies out there will pay my sweet friend a visit at her blog. Patti @ Fill My Cup...with Beauty ~ http://pattiannsblog.blogspot.com/ I just know you will be happy you did!



"The first sip of tea is always the best.....you cringe as it burns the back of your throat, knowing that you just had the hottest carpe-diem portion." ~ Terri Guillemets

The scripture I am sharing today is from one of my favourite chapters in the Bible. I felt it appropriate considering all the love which has been lavished upon me.

"Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." ~ 1 Corinthians 13: 13


NOTE: I am nearing 300 followers and when I reach the big 300, I am going to have a little Giveaway which will probably be tea related! Perhaps next week?
UPDATE: I just reached 300 wonderful kindred spirits following my blog! Looks like there will be a Giveaway on the horizon! Stay tuned and thank you everyone!

I am also contemplating the changing of the name of my tea time meme from Tea Time Tuesday to Tea Party Tuesday as some may find it confusing with two of us having the same tea party title. What do you think, should I change it?

Thank you for visiting today. I especially want to thank you all for your lovely comments while I was away. Many of you continued to link up with me even though I was not able to reciprocate. You are wonderful friends and I do love every one of you!


If you are new to my blog and you wish to participate in Tea Time Tuesday, please let me know in your comment. I will gladly add your link to my post; just share a teacup, teapot, or some china used in a tea. You may also do coffee, chocolate, or iced tea. A poem, quote, or scripture verse is also most welcome. Either of the two Tea Time Tuesday buttons near the top of my sidebar are available for you to use in your post if you wish. Please link back to me so that your visitors may find their way here to visit my other lovely participants.

Today I am also linking with Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for her Table Top Tuesday and the other tea party hostesses, Martha & Terri, Wanda Lee & Pam, and Lady Katherine.
You will find them all with the stars ** before their names.


Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.


The participants listed below are in the order in which they first started to participate.



PARTICIPANTS





TEA CUP TUESDAY





TEA POT and TEA THINGS TUESDAY





TEA TIME TUESDAY


TABLE TOP TUESDAY
Sharing from my heart~ Sandi
at 47 comments: