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.

Monday 30 January 2012

Tulips and Fairies for Tea Time Tuesday



Deep within the winter forest
among the snowdrifts wide,
You can find a magical place
where all the fairies hide....unknown 

Welcome dear friends to the last Tea Time Tuesday of January!

I am amazed at the wonderful turn-out we had last week for my 2nd Tea Time Birthday celebration! It was an all-time record party of participants and comments. Everyone was so kind and you all just blessed me so much with your lovely posts and wonderful words of encouragement. A warm welcome to all my new Followers too.
I have to admit, there have been times when  I felt like putting TTT on the shelf with my teacups for a while but you have convinced me to keep hosting, so thank you. Big hugs to everyone!




Before I put the tea on, I would like to share with you a lovely Giveaway I won from Kathy at A Delightsome Life. Her package was filled with such lovely things, including a new little fairy friend whom I have named Trixie. Isn't she cute with her little arms raised in delight and wings all a-sparkle? 


The Giveaway included this sweet lacy tote which Kathy made herself. Here it is pictured with a bunch of pink tulips tucked inside. The tote is edged with eyelet and a soft pink satin ribbon. A pink fabric rose adorned with a pearly button decorates the center.



Accompanying the tote and fairy was a lovely CD of A Capella hymns. A sachet which Kathy also made was filled with sweet lavender...



...and a hand-painted heart shaped tile which I have hanging on one of my lamp shades.


Trixie will spend some of her time tied with ribbon on one of my lamps.


Thank you Kathy. Everything is simply delightful!

With Valentines Day just around the corner, I'm sure you can feel  romance in the air. So, today's tea is leaning towards a little romance and a little whimsy. Are you ready for a cup of tea?



The grocery stores are carrying an abundance of colourful tulips right now so I picked myself up a couple of bunches of pink and white.

Our life is like a garden,
And with God's loving care
It blossoms with the flowers
Of His blessings everywhere. ~ Unknown




I have set the table with a simple little tea of cake and a pot of Earl Grey.




The coffee cake with lemon curd filling has a dusting of icing sugar on top. Yum!


And the fairies have joined us.





Isn't Trixie adorable? 'Horray for tea time,' she says!


Shaylee is smitten by the tulips.


And Breena loves to just relax and watch her friends. The top of the cupcake makes a soft vantage point. Breena's friend January is curled up inside one of the tulips and decided today she would rather dream about tea rather than come to the party. Perhaps she is shy. Who can fathom the mind of a fairy!



Perhaps January will join us next time. In the meantime, let's enjoy our tea, shall we?



A cup for you and a cup for me. A big slice of coffee cake...

Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors. ~ Alice Walker 

Today's teacups are Pierced Lace by Skye McGhie. Sorry the light makes it hard to see the Fleur de lis on the cup. 


And the lovely green one is a hand painted cup I won in a Giveaway a couple of years ago.



Oh, do you see what I see?


January has decided to make an appearance after all! She heard all the giggles and wanted to come to tea too. 

She and Breena plan to take their naps in the tulips once our tea is finished.



"Oh, this is lovely," she says. I'm so glad she has decided to join us after all.

And we're so happy you have decided to join us today!

Special Announcement ~  On February 13th, I will be hosting my Valentines Day Tea so I hope you will plan to join me for that party as well. Let's bring out our pink, red, and heart inspired tea things. Why not bake up something special and let's get together for another delightful themed party!



Feel free to take this button for your post or sidebar.

Thank you for joining me for tea today. May God bless you and watch over you until we meet again.

"I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." ~ Psalm 32:8 


Do you have some tea things you would like to share? A favourite teacup/teapot or mug perhaps? If you do, then I would love to have you join me! You may wish to do coffee instead of tea or the following is acceptable too: hot apple cider, hot chocolate, lemonade, punch, etc.  
The TTT button on my sidebar is available for you to use in your post or place on your sidebar if you wish. A poem, tea quote, or scripture verse would be more than welcome!
Please link back to me so that your visitors may find their way here to visit with all my lovely participants.

I am joining the following parties as well~

Simply Sweet and L.A.C.E.
Victoria~ A Return to Loveliness
Table Top Tuesday
Tea Cup Tuesday
Tea Cup Tuesday
Tea Party Tuesday
Tuesday Cuppa Tea
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Cup Thursday
Home Sweet Home


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Friday 27 January 2012

Pink Saturday

Hello friends and welcome to Pink Saturday hosted by our lovely hostess  BeverlyThank you Beverly for making every weekend a pink treat!

Today I am sharing part of a Giveaway I won from Kathy at A Delightsome Life.

This is a lovely lacy tote which Kathy made herself.



As you can see, the tote is trimmed with eyelet lace which has a soft pink satin ribbon running through it. There is also a soft pink fabric rose adorned with a pearly button.
Some pink tulips from the grocery store look delightful tucked inside.

Close-up of the fabric rose and button...



There were also some other goodies but I will share those at my TTT party next week.




The tulips are on their last now, so I have placed them in this compote bowl to enjoy them just a little longer.



I am also joining Jennifer at Sugar Pink Boutique for her Friday Fun Link up Party.

Thank you so much for paying Rose Chintz Cottage a visit today. I wish you a delightfully pink weekend.

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Monday 23 January 2012

A Tea of Roses For Tea Time Tuesday's 2nd Birthday

Happy Birthday Tea Time Tuesday!


"Know you what it is to be a child?
It is something very different from the man of today.
It is to have a spirit yet streaming from the waters of baptism;
It is to believe in love, to believe in loveliness,
To believe in belief;
It is to be so little that the elves can reach to whisper in your ear;
It is to turn pumpkins into coaches,
and mice into horses, lowness into loftiness,
and nothing into everything,
For each child has its fairy godmother in its own soul."
~ Francis Thompson


Welcome friends to Tea Time Tuesday's 2nd Birthday!

I am so happy you have joined me for this very special occasion!

A single rose from the grocery store just for you...

Two years ago this week, I took the plunge and began hosting one of the very first tea parties in Blogland. Today, we have many lovely tea parties to enjoy which just goes to prove there are many tea loving souls who enjoy tea time and lovely tea things as much as I do.

Sweets & savories...

Some of you lovely ladies have been with me from the very beginning and I want to thank you for your dedication and support. Thank you CarolynJudith, Beth, Diann, Carrie, Sherry, and Bernideen.  

Since those early days, many more of you have joined me and I want to thank you too. You all bless me every week with your lovely posts, comments, and friendship. I always feel like I'm getting a big hug. God bless you all!

Friends are flowers in the garden of life. 


Old fashioned roses from my garden; Theresa Bugnet...


In honour of this special occasion, and my love of all things roses, I am celebrating with a Rose theme today.

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck." ~ Emma Goldman


Fresh roses adorn the cake...


So, bring out your favourite rose inspired tea things and share it with us here at Tea Time.


"There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

My roses from last Summer...

I have many rose inspired teacups but none make my heart go pitter patter like these do! There is a reason for that...



There was once a little girl whose family moved from her home town in New Brunswick, Canada to Prince Edward Island, home of Anne of Green Gables.



The little girl missed her home terribly as well as all her cousins, aunts and uncles. She especially missed her beloved grandparents!
But happily, the family traveled by car or train almost every weekend, holiday, and summer to visit the folks back home. In many ways, it seemed as though they had never left.


Over the years, there were many changes but one thing always remained the same... Auntie P always set her table with the prettiest and most romantic china the little girl had ever seen.



The little girl always felt like a princess when she dined at her auntie's table set with the pretty china. In the little girl's mind, she always wore a lovely frock with ringlets in her hair and a sparkly tiara on her head. 

She was very young when she developed a passion for her auntie's beautiful dishes.


When the little girl grew up, she longed to set her own table with the same china.
Alas, it was no where to be found in the Maritimes where she lived and she was greatly dismayed!



Then one day she was surfing the 'Net and she happened to find some pieces on eBay. She was ecstatic, and with the help of her son, she was able to purchase several pieces.




Shortly after that, her beloved Auntie P down-sized and gifted her with many pieces of the lovely china.

And so now you know the rest of the story...The story behind the collection of my most cherished china pattern, Rose Chintz.



Rose Chintz was produced by Johnson Bros. of England in 1883 and their pieces bore the mark below. Vintage pieces are still available on eBay, estate sales, and auctions etc...



This pretty pattern tugs at my heart strings every time I look at it. It is a glorious bouquet of pink roses and soft blue forget-me-nots on a creamy white background, captured under a glaze, to be preserved forever. The teacups and mugs each have a delightful little spray of blue forget-me-nots and a single rosebud inside the cup.



A romantic nod to by-gone days; a time when manners were still in fashion.


Everytime I use my Rose Chintz I remember the little girl surrounded by her family and all the lovely memories come flooding back!



I have other teacups and china pieces adorned with roses but Rose Chintz is my favourite and I am proud to share it with you today.
It symbolizes happy times in the life of a little girl who loved her family and fancied pretty things.



Thank you, Auntie P for helping my dream come true. I love you!
This is my Auntie P and Uncle Doug pictured above.





Another pretty pattern which I want to share with you today is my mother's china, Lavender Rose. I started it for her when I worked in a jewelery store as a young bride.
When my mother down-sized, she passed it on to me. This lovely Royal Albert china sprinkled with sweet lavender roses is so very elegant and perfect for a lady's tea party or a quiet tea for one.




Life is like a mirror; we get the best results when we smile at it.
~ Unknown


Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. ~ Denis Waitley








Lastly, I have to share my favourite 'blue' teacup adorned with roses! This pretty Veronica teacup is made by Royal Albert and is adorned with luscious robin egg blue roses and a brushed on gold trim. Robin egg blue happens to be one of my favourite colours. Sadly, the teacup has a broken handle so unfortunately, I cannot use it. However I can still enjoy its beauty just by bringing it out from time to time and setting a votive in it. It was a gift from my mother many years ago.


I think it's stunning, don't you? I love the bouquet inside the teacup too.




"So shall a friendship fill each heart
With perfume sweet as roses are,
That even though we be apart,
We'll scent the fragrance from afar."


Would you care for a cookie with your tea?


Tea is the second favourite beverage in the world after plain water.


UPCOMING EVENT~
Valentine's Day is just around the corner and soon it will be hearts & flowers time. On February 13th, I will be hosting my Valentine's Day Tea. I hope you will plan to join me for that special occasion as well. Bake up something special and share it along with all your pink, red, and heart inspired tea things. 



Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

Now, I am most anxious to see all your rose inspired tea things! Just link up below and I'll come visit you. Thank you for making Tea Time Tuesday such a rewarding experience for me and others who enjoy the wonders of tea.

"As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." ~ Proverbs 27:19

I am joining the following parties as well~

Simply Sweet
L.A.C.E.

Victoria - A Return to Loveliness

Table Top Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday

Tea Party Tuesday

Ruth~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Friends Sharing Tea

Teacup Thursday

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



Sharing from my heart~ Sandi