A New Teacup for Tea Time Tuesday

"Polly put the kettle on, we'll all have tea." ~ Charles Dickens - 'Barnaby Rudge'

Hello dear friends and welcome to my 700th post! Alas, it is also my last Tea Time Tuesday for the month of July! Summer is slipping by on us.

Time to slow down with a nice cup of tea...

Our friendship is like a pot of tea....
a special blend of you and me." ~ Unknown

Hubby and I have been browsing the antique shops and we came across some delightful teacups. 

If you visited Marty's Cloche party last week, you would have seen my new teacup in one of the cloches. The one on the bottom in the cloche above is the one I am featuring today.

Isn't she lovely!

It has an elegant handle.

And a pedestal.

"Bread and water can so easily become toast and tea." ~ Unknown

Hubby picked this one out for me and I am simply captivated by the beauty of it! 

It is the most scrumptious shade of pink with delicate scalloping. It is adorned with a gorgeous garland of gold leaves on the inside of the cup and on the saucer with lots of gold trim; very regal!

And it is an Aynsley! This is my very first Aynsley teacup. Yay!

I can find no information on this teacup, only a number, # 2726, on the bottom of the cup. Perhaps, Ruth, you would know if it has a name. If not, I may have to name it myself. A teacup this pretty has to have a name!

The saucer is gorgeous as well!

On this beautiful Summer's day, I have set my tea out on a little table in front of the window with some of my frilly-petaled roses. Here I have a clear vantage point of the birds which swoop from the tree to the bird feeder.

      If I had a flower
for every time you you made me
           smile or laugh
I'd have a garden to walk in
                   forever.~ Unknown

"Best and dearest flower that grows,
Perfect both to see and smell;
Words can never, never tell
Half the beauty of a Rose..." Cicely Mary Barker- "Rose Fairy"

A Rose Chintz square plate awaits a lovely dessert.

Such a lovely teacup and plate deserve a lovely teapot so, my Lavender Rose will serve the tea today.

Along with a delightful Berry Shortcake.

Fresh blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries snuggled up to a piece of fluffy angel food cake and a dollop of lovely whipped cream; yum!

It is the perfect treat on a warm Summer afternoon.

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

Darjeeling tea..... oh so delicious!

Ah, summertime! The freshness of berries accompanied by a nice cuppa tea and you have yourself a wonderful respite! So, take a deep breath, relax, and sip a lovely cup of tea.

"My favourite weather is bird-chirping weather." ~ Terri Guillemets

This is just one of my little feathered friends which I photographed through the window. Isn't he precious?

One of the many sounds of Summer which I love is the birds singing in the trees outside my window. Playful young Gold finches flutter to and from the tree, to get their fill of seeds from the feeder. They keep me entertained all day long, the dear little creatures!

I just adore these little yellow birdies! They always bring a smile to my face. We moved the bird bath from the back garden and set it next to the tree in the front yard, so they are enjoying their Summer here at Rose Chintz Cottage! And I'm enjoying them!

A cup of tea and a little dessert, as well as sweet birdsong, is simply, Bliss!

"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" ~ Matthew 6:26

I am happy to see all your tea things, whether you have shared them before or not. This tea party is all about sharing your joy of tea time and any thoughts you might have on the subject. And for the summer months, I would love to see your teacups and teapots indoors as well as out in the garden, at the beach, on a park bench, etc...

Also I would enjoy seeing your teacup and teapot crafts as well as recipes and any stories you might have to share about tea time. So, let's have fun this summer with our teas. Get out there and be as creative, fancy, or as laid back as you wish!

I am delighted you have stopped by for a visit today. Your presence always make my tea party that much more special! Do you have a favourite teacup/teapot or mug that you would like to share with us today? I would love to see it and I'm sure others would too!

If you wish, you may do coffee instead of tea or the following is acceptable too:
Hot Apple Cider
Hot Chocolate
Lemonade
Iced tea or coffee
Punch in a lovely bowl.
 No alcoholic beverages please.

The Tea Time Tuesday 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! To be sure everyone has a visit, it would be nice if you visited the participant before and after your name.

Inlinkz is available below for you to sign up for my tea party.

As a courtesy, 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~

Heart and Home~  http://angelwingsandapronstrings.blogspot.com/
A Return to Loveliness~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Table Top Tuesday~  http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Teacup Tuesday~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~  http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tea in the Garden~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Thursday~  http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

A Happy Pink and Yellow Saturday for Beverly

Hello bloggerettes~ There is a birthday party at Pink Saturday today. Our lovely hostess Beverly is celebrating a big birthday with a pink and yellow theme this week.

So, gather your balloons and party favours and let's party!!

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Here at Rose Chintz Cottage, Beverly's cake has pink roses on it. The roses are from my garden, pesticide free.

I also have a lovely raspberry-chocolate Trifle with pink and yellow candles...and more roses from my garden.

Or if you're watching your waistline, maybe you would prefer a cake made of flowers instead, in pink and yellow, of course.

Internet

With cake, a cup of tea or coffee is a must, in a pretty teacup, of course.

And because Beverly's favourite colour is yellow, this teacup is for her! The yellow roses are slightly kissed with a little pink.

Happy Birthday, Beverly! Thank you for being such a gracious hostess.

Have a lovely weekend everyone and be sure to surround yourself with a little pink!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

A Sentimental Afternoon...

Hello everyone. I hope you are all enjoying your week.
I am sitting here with my cup of tea and reminiscing ....

Tomorrow, July 27th, would have been my father's birthday. Had he lived, he would have been 85.
Like my hubby, he preferred strawberry shortcake to birthday cake!

My Daddy favoured the Royal Albert Old Country Roses pattern and he had a couple of pieces of it which were passed on to me but he never did get a teacup. So, my darling hubby got me one in recognition of  Daddy's birthday so I could drink from it, in remembrance of him. My hubby is the best!

I will use it only on special occasions and give thanks for the wonderful father and husband who God blessed me with.

As I sit here with my cup of tea and reflect upon my memories of Daddy, I cannot help but think of those days gone by when he and my mother loaded up the car with my brother and me, and the camping gear, and headed for two glorious weeks at the beach.

My brother and I loved building sand castles on the shore and running through the woods to the canteen where we bought Popsicles and Lick-a-maids. We liked to explore too.

Come the end of July or early August, we always headed for the big Family Picnic. My mother always packed the big picnic basket to take with us.

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We would leave early in the morning to catch the ferry to Nova Scotia, which was where my father was from.

Courtesy of the Internet

Once we drove off the ferry, we would make the drive to my grandparents' or one of his sister's homes, and we would spend the weekend.... Are we there yet?

I would sing all the way over and all the way back. I was the family canary!

The yearly Family Picnic was one of the highlights of summertime. My brother and I were so excited to get together with our many cousins and eat as much pie as we wanted!

When Daddy's family got together, there was always lots of laughter. He had five siblings and he was the baby of the family. He was a character, so he kept everyone in  stitches. He really was just a big kid himself!

At the picnic, there was wall-to-wall food and everything was home made back in those days. There was creamy potato salad, {Mum always made the best} succulent fried chicken, juicy hamburgers, ice cream, fruit cobbler, and of course those mouth watering pies! 

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I remember well... One whole sideboard or table would be filled with those pies. The ladies in the family must have been baking for days for there was apple, blueberry, cherry, coconut cream and butterscotch, pumpkin, lemon meringue, raisin, mincemeat, and rhubarb. I may have forgotten a couple. And the best part; we could have any kind we wanted and as much as we wanted!

In those days my favourite was always blueberry and my mouth could attest to that! Nova Scotia, especially the area where my father grew up, is the blueberry capital of the world so blueberry pies were very plentiful.

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We played lots of games and at night, we sat around the campfire to roast marshmallows and hotdogs.

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Staying up late was a real novelty because my brother and I didn't get to do that very often.

This is a picture taken at one of those family get-togethers. I believe this was at my grandparents' 60th Wedding Anniversary. My father, my first baby boy, and me.

I miss those days! Most of them are gone now; my grandparents, most of my aunts and uncles, and even some of my cousins. After my grandparents passed, my father was the first one in the family to go. I have two aunts and an uncle left on my father's side of the family, and they are getting up in years. Time passes so quickly!

If you still have your father with you, give him a big hug and tell him how much you love him!

Thanks for the memories, Daddy. You will always be in my heart. 

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Tea Time Tuesday

"If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give." ~ George MacDonald

Welcome to Tea Time, dear friends! I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Before I begin my tea party today, I am happy to tell you that our son received his PhD in Mathematics from the University of Toronto this past Friday. We are so proud of his accomplishments! He has accepted a position at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champagne and will be headed down there in mid-August.

Isn't he handsome? He has done very well for a small town boy and I'm a proud Mama! Congratulations, Sweetie!

Now, on to our tea....Queen Anne's Lace is abundant here on the Island right now so you know what I will be using for a bouquet today. 

I gathered a big bunch of it and arranged it in my blue-green vase. I love this lacy flower which lends itself so beautifully to the tea table.

I am using the pretty green daisy placemats my Auntie P gave me as well as Skye McGhie's Garden Whispers teacup and plate.

A Cup of Tea
When the world is all at odds
And the mind is all at sea
Then cease the useless tedium
And brew a cup of tea.

There is magic in its fragrance,
There is solace in its taste;

And the laden moments vanish
Somehow into space.

And the world becomes a lovely thing!
There's beauty as you'll see;

All because you briefly stopped
To brew a cup of tea.
~ William Gladstone

I love this set for summertime. I find it so whimsical with its butterflies, ladybugs, bees, and dragonflies.

A beautiful pink stained glass butterfly also joins the party.

As well as a scrumptious caramel swirl cheesecake....Yum!

Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

It's not the tea, it's the spirit of the tea party. And the spirit of the tea party, is above all, the spirit of true friendship.~ Emilie Barnes

"Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel." ~ Proverbs 27:9

I am happy to see all your tea things, whether you have shared them before or not. This tea party is all about sharing your joy of tea time and any thoughts you might have on the subject. And for the summer months, I would love to see your teacups and teapots indoors as well as out in the garden, at the beach, on a park bench, etc...

Also I would enjoy seeing your teacup and teapot crafts as well as recipes and any stories you might have to share about tea time. So, let's have fun this summer with our teas. Get out there and be as creative, fancy, or as laid back as you wish!

I am delighted you have stopped by for a visit today. Your presence always make my tea party that much more special! Do you have a favourite teacup/teapot or mug that you would like to share with us today? I would love to see it and I'm sure others would too!

If you wish, you may do coffee instead of tea or the following is acceptable too:
Hot apple cider
Hot chocolate
Lemonade
Iced tea or coffee
Punch in a lovely bowl.
No alcoholic beverages please.

The Tea Time Tuesday 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! To be sure everyone has a visit, it would be nice if you visited the participant before and after your name.

Inlinkz is available below for you to sign up for my tea party.
As a courtesy, 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~

Heart and Home  ~ http://angelwingsandapronstrings.blogspot.com/
A Return to Loveliness ~ http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tea in the Garden~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Thursday~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi