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 24 September 2012

An Autumn Tea for Tea Time


 
"Don't you love New York in the Fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." ~ Joe Fox - 'You've Got Mail'


Welcome to tea time, dear friends! I don't live in NY but I thought the quote was cute!  Autumn has arrived and with this new season comes a wonderful warm colour palette.

It's time for picking apples and running through the pumpkin patch. My little grandson enjoyed himself at the pumpkin patch....


The leaves are changing into vibrant shades of orange, red, and golden yellow.


And it is the natural beauty of the season which has inspired my tea setting today. I really don't have any Autumn inspired china so I just used what I had for today.

Please make yourselves comfy and let's sit and enjoy a pot of tea together if only for a few moments before we get on with our day.


Pumpkin muffins are fresh from the oven; please help yourself.


I think one reason why I enjoy tea time so much is because I feel like a little girl again playing with my tea set. How about you?

"Would you like an adventure now, or shall we have our tea first?" ~ Peter Pan


I have been having fun decorating pumpkins. Adding glitter to some of them just makes them look like they have been kissed with frost...."When the frost is on the punkin" .... James Whitcomb Riley 

The pretty table covering you see is part of a fabulous win I received from our friend Bernideen a couple of years ago. Every Autumn I bring it out and it stays out until the Christmas season.



This beautiful teacup is called Buckingham made by Royal Stafford of England. It was a shower gift from my brother. I guess it would be classed as vintage now. Isn't it stunning?

Tea Tip: To help prevent a fine teacup from cracking while pouring in your tea, try using a silver spoon in the cup and pour the tea onto it. 

I envision every teacup as a little work of art. You see, I come from a family of artists so I appreciate each one; its shape, size, and pattern adorning each lovely receptacle.

Take for instance this famous Royal Albert teacup! Everyone is familiar with this Old Country Roses pattern but I have a story which goes along with this beauty.....


My father appreciated beautiful things but he never indulged in his favourite china pattern because he didn't want to infringe upon the pattern that I had started for my mother years ago. He did however purchase a couple of pieces for my mother just because he liked them....

A little china basket.


And this darling little boot which I sometimes place my tea spoons in.


When he passed away and my mother down-sized, she passed on to me the china I had started for her as well as the pieces my father had. 




Daddy did not have a teacup in the Old Country Roses pattern and I always wanted one because it reminded me of him.

On my Daddy's birthday this year, my darling hubby gifted me with a teacup in the OCR pattern in remembrance of my father. So that is how I acquired this beautiful teacup.




I cherish it, and the one who gifted me with it, as well as the memory of the one it reminds me of!

I think it looks splendid with the Autumnal table setting, don't you? Deep rich red and pink, and golden yellow roses make it the perfect teacup for today.

"It is at the tea table that soul meets soul." ~ Unknown

For your sipping pleasure, there is Chai tea.


In the little OCR basket are almonds. Please help yourself.


This time of year when I am drinking spicy teas like Chai, I often  use a cinnamon stick to stir my tea. It adds just a wee bit of flavour to the tea.



Tea time is a time to pamper oneself and taking time for these little extras helps to make your tea time more enjoyable.




A lovely little treat at tea time can be some simple strawberries dipped in luscious chocolate; Yum!! Little tea bag holders make a perfect serving dish for one.


"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." ~ Albert Camus


All of the lovely Autumn magazines are coming out and I like to sip my tea and peruse these issues leading up to my favourite holiday, Christmas!


Next week I am hosting  "What's In Your Cabinet?"  for Tea Time.

Do you have a special piece of china or a collection that was gifted to you or passed down to you which holds much sentimental value? Perhaps you have something very unique which you have found at a thrift shop or flea market and you're simply bursting to share it with us.  Well, this is your chance to do just that.....

Simply share your special treasure/collection with a cup of tea or coffee and write a post about it. Your treasure doesn't necessarily have to be made of china either. It can be glass or crystal, ivory, metal, silver, or even wood, such as a tea cart, a special table, or the cabinet itself.

I am looking forward to seeing all your special treasures and I hope you will join me next week for that!

The button is available to use in your post or place on your sidebar if you wish.



"You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your Presence." ~ Psalm 16:11

I am delighted you have stopped by for tea today! Your presence always makes my tea party that much more special and 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. You may be as creative, fancy, or as laid back with your tea time as you wish!

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 iced 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/
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/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Potpourri Friday~ http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi