Tea Time Tuesday ~ Merry Christmas!

"For Christmas is tradition time - traditions that recall. The precious memories down the years, The sameness of them all." ~ Helen Lowrie Marshall {Victoria magazine}
                                            
Welcome to my 100th and last Tea Time Tuesday before Christmas and of 2011. I will be taking a blogging break from TTT after this week's tea party until the New Year. So, I hope you will enjoy my tea post and you will miss my tea parties.

I will begin afresh with Tea Time Tuesday on January 2, 2012. 

The holidays are such a busy time what with baking, decorating, entertaining, and shopping, so it's nice to just sit quietly and have a tea break. Therefore, my tea today will be a quiet and simple one.

Soft white and a touch of pink will be my theme today.

I am sipping tea from my crystal studded teacup. The sparkles add a wee bit of bling to the tea table and is perfect for the Christmas season, don't you agree?

Sprigs of evergreen from our tree add a festive touch as well as a fresh scent.

The thing I like about this teacup is that both sides are beautiful. 

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.~ Burton Hillis

I have been busy baking shortbread among other things....

...and I thought I would enjoy one with a cup of tea. 

Time to savour the season over a cup of Stash Holiday Chai tea. It is just right with a freshly baked scone or two.

Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

TEA TIP~ To make your scones a little more festive for tea, why not drizzle icing over them when they're hot from the oven.

These scones are wonderful! I made them with candied fruit, the kind you use in fruit cake. I added allspice and cinnamon to the mixture and then I drizzled icing over them when they were hot from the oven. Yum!

Do you like my Christmas tree plate? I have a few pieces of this china which I always take out at Christmastime. It's such a whimsical pattern and I love the little teddy bear sitting beneath the tree! I know a little girl who will one day love it too.

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
Star and angels gave the sign.
Christina Rosetti

"...for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." ~ Luke 2: 10-11

Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

Thank you for stopping by today. I would like to invite you to join me for Tea Time and all you have to do is share a favourite teacup or coffee mug or something tea related. You may do coffee or hot chocolate, hot apple cider or eggnog instead if you wish. A poem, scripture verse, or tea quote would be most welcome and the TTT button on my sidebar is available for you to use in your post or sidebar if you so desire. As a courtesy please link back to me so your visitors may find their way here and visit with all my lovely participants. 

I am also joining the following parties this week~ 

Sherry~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home

Kathy~ http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Victoria- A Return to Loveliness

Martha~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Teacup Tuesday

Terri~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Teacup Tuesday

Wanda Lee~ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com/
Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Pam~ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com/
Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Wanda Lee~ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/
Tea For Two and Wednesday Tea For Me and Thee

Trisha~ http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/
Tea Party Tuesday

Bernideen~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/ 
Friends Sharing Tea

Trish~ http://angelwingsandapronstrings.blogspot.com/
L.A.C.E.

Miss Spenser~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/
Teacup Thursday

For somehow, not only at Christmas, but all the long year through, the joy that you give to others is the joy that comes back to you. ~ John Greenleaf Whittier

To all my wonderful tea party friends  ~ Thank you for your visits, comments, and participation in my tea party this past year. Your lovely presence is what made my tea party so enjoyable and one which I looked forward to hosting every week.

Merry Christmas and A Happy & Healthy New Year!

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi