Rose Chintz Cottage: 12/20/10

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas;

Soon the bells will start,

And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing

Right within your heart.

Welcome dear friends to my Christmas Tea and my 48th Tea Time Tuesday. This will be my last tea party until after the holidays. So please come in and make yourself at home. I am delighted you have stopped by.

Are you ready for the holidays? I'm almost there. My home is decorated, the presents are all wrapped, and most of the baking has been done. My youngest son, who has been away at university, just flew in this afternoon to spend Christmas with us and it's wonderful having him home again! It has been a long year and we haven't seen him since last Christmas. These reunions are always sweet!

Today I have the inlinkz thingy hooked up so you can just add your link at the bottom of my post.

Today I am serving tea in my favourite red transferware teapot. I found this lovely teapot at the hospital's gift shop several years ago and I love it. It's not a Christmas pattern but the red toile is always right for any season. This pot is such a pretty shape and is adorned with raised roses.

Are you comfortable? Let me pour you a nice cup of tea. The refreshments are being served on my red transferware tray today. There are festive sugar cookies, cherry macaroons, and Swedish butterballs. There are some homemade Cranberry Pumpkin muffins fresh out of the oven waiting under the cheese keeper. I have fruit cake too if you'd like to try a piece of that.

Tea is instant wisdom - just add water~ Astrid Alauda.

A fruit cake is always pretty with tea this time of year. This is the Sultana cake which I make every year and it is my mother's recipe. One nice thing about the holidays is there are always lots of goodies around!

I thought we would enjoy our tea once again by the Christmas tree.

The plates on which the muffins and fruit cake sit is a pattern made by Johnson Bros. called Historic America, a view of Boston, and they were given to me by my friend Heather who is a local artist. The little plate was a gift from my Aunt Judy and it is also made by JB and is called English Gardens. The pretty lacey spreader is a Cream Lace pattern by Skye McGhie, as well as the saucer under the teacup.

The muffins are still warm so they are steaming up the cheese keeper.

The teacup is part of a snack set and I am using it without its mate today. The saucer is from my Cream Lace set. I think it looks pretty mismatched.

Each of the tea things bear this mark on the bottom; the tea pot, teacup, sugar and creamer, as well as the transferware tray. I have no idea what it means but I'm sure someone out there could tell me!

Mmm, homemade muffins!

The other day we drove by one of our local churches and they had this on their sign,

Mary wrapped the first Christmas gift.

I thought that was a rather endearing way of putting it!

Speaking of gifts, I received a very thoughtful hostess gift in the mail last week just in time to share on this post. One of my lovely participants, Judith @ Lavender Cottage, wanted to show her appreciation for my hosting these tea parties. Wasn't that darling of her?

Included in her hostess gift were a sweet little tea pot book mark which will come in handy...

..a snowflake for the tree...

..a packet of Friendship tea; yummy blueberry...

..and a silver sugar tong.

She knew I didn't have sugar tongs so she thoughtfully sent me one. Thank you my dear friend, it is so sweet of you to think of me! You may visit Judith at her site- Lavender Cottage- http://lavendercottagegardening.blogspot.com/

I have made some really wonderful bloggy friends since I started blogging but especially since I started this tea party meme. As Judith so nicely put it, "...hosting Tea Time Tuesday each week gathers bloggers together with the same interests." I am pleased that Judith and all of you enjoy it so much! Friendship is a special blessing and I want you all to know that you have all been such a blessing to me!

Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

As I mentioned earlier in my post, this will be my last tea party until after the holidays because I will be taking a blogging break. I hope you will all take some time for yourselves as it is a very busy time of year. Why not curl up in front of the fire with a good book or magazine such as Victoria and a hot cup of tea. It is sure to lift your spirits! Here, a Victorian family stands nearby singing their carols and the young laddie plays the violin.

Christmas began in the heart of God. It is complete only when it reaches the heart of man.

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

I'm delighted you have stopped by today and I hope you have enjoyed your visit. I will do my best to get around to visit you all but it may take some time, what with my son home and all.