Goodbye February!

Hello friends! Before we bid the month of February good-bye, I thought I should share my violet and pansy inspired china.

If a kiss could be seen I think it would look like a violet. ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Avonlea

Almost everything on the table was gifted to me. The sun was flooding the room so I had to play with the pictures a bit.

The Royal Albert flower of the month cup and saucer was from my hubby's aunt.

These three darling embossed plates were made in England and were a birthday present as well as the iridescent teacup 

and the little handled plate. 

All these pieces are hand painted and were gifted to me in January for my birthday by a dear friend. The plates are very small and would be perfect to serve candies or tiny cookies. Aren't they pretty?

I know all you lavender loving ladies can appreciate them. Also my friends who celebrated a birthday this month; Bernideen, Kitty, and Judith; Happy Birthday!! I know there are many more February birthdays out there but I'm not sure who you are. I hope it was a month of blessing for all of you.

I had some pretty purple tulips for this table but they faded quickly because I waited too long to take the pictures.

Tomorrow is the first of March and I am looking forward to Spring which is right around the corner. Spring is my favourite season although Summer is a close second. Yes, I'm a warm weather girl. My body doesn't like the cool temperatures very much.

In the month of March I can see many changes taking place. The snow starts to melt and any that falls doesn't stick around. The sun is warmer so the rivers begin to free themselves of the ice and snow. The winter coats the gold finches wear all winter begin to turn a bright yellow. That for me is always a lovely sight. What do you love most about Spring?

Thank you for keeping me company today and enjoy the new month that is upon us. 

I'm so thankful for friendship. It beautifies life so much. ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Avonlea 


I am joining the following parties as well~

Friends Sharing Tea
Share Your Cup Thursday
Home Sweet Home


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Tea and Cakes in Narnia

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~ CS Lewis

Hello my lovely friends and welcome to Narnia! OK, let's pretend it's Narnia. What do you do when inspiration strikes you? You run with it which is how I came up with this post today.

Driving through the Park the other day I spied this lampost and it reminded me of Narnia. Narnia is a fantasy world created by CS Lewis. In Narnia some animals can talk, mythical beasts abound, and magic is common. It is a wonderful story written to entertain young and not so young minds, where good triumphs over evil.

A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest. ~ CS Lewis

My children and I all read the Chronicles of Narnia and enjoyed them immensely. The Disney movie, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was especially fun.

Here on the Island, it is wintertime and it appears to be much like Narnia. At least that is how it appears to me at the moment. After three snow storms with two blizzards in a row, our little island is blanketed in mountains of snow. It is knee deep in our back yard where the bird feeder is.

Now let's pretend that my cabinet is a wardrobe.

My wardrobe is in the "spare oom" which serves as our den and a bedroom when the kids are home. Now, let's open the doors and the scene that meets the eye is somewhat pretty if you like that white stuff. I prefer green leafy trees and posies myself but that will come in time. The Island does however offer some magic. We are a small island where in any season, one can find a little magic if one only opens their eyes to see it. Our Anne of Green Gables is proof of that. 

This is a path at the end of our street which runs behind our home. Folks like to take walks back there and in the winter, they take their ski-doos.

The lampost at Victoria Park reminds me of the scene where Lucy stepped out of the wardrobe and into Narnia's winter wonderland. She then had a chance meeting with the faun, Mr. Tumnus, who straightaway invited her to tea. 

Mr. Tumnus offered his young guest "tea and cakes" but I don't have cakes today. I have these decadent sweets which were brought to our Valentine's Day supper at our Bible study.... chocolate covered strawberries, shortbread, slivers of chocolate pie and raspberry cream pie. These were just the desserts. It was a veritable feast to be sure and I'm certain young Lucy would have enjoyed them herself. 

Mr. Tumnus didn't offer his young guest tea in fancy china but my hubby had gifted me with these RA Petit Point pieces for Valentine's Day a few years ago and I opted to use them for our tea today.


Would you like to have an adventure now or shall we have our tea first? - Peter Pan ~ JM Barrie

I have never done cross work or quilting but I can certainly appreciate the time and effort the ladies put into it. This china pattern is so reminiscent of cross work. The teacup is very dainty, crafted in the Hampton shape. I love the square plates with their scalloped corners too. I remember opening up the package when Hubby gave them to me and I was enchanted! I had never seen the pattern before.

So, let us sip our tea and enjoy a sweet or two. I am having the raspberry cream pie and one of the chocolate dipped strawberries. Please help yourself. 

Mmm, a cup of hot tea is lovely anytime but especially in the wintertime when Jack Frost is nipping at your nose.

So, tell me, have you ever read The Chronicles of Narnia or seen the movies? If you have a good imagination then I know you enjoyed them. I like to think there is an inner child in each of us and sometimes it is great fun to explore a new world and meet different characters by getting lost in a book. The Chronicles series and The Secret Garden are just a few of the books that take one on a special little journey.

I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once. ~ CS Lewis

I can agree with that statement. I have read books many times if I enjoy them. I always learn something the second time around.

I hope you enjoyed my whimsical post today. Once in a while I like to let my hair down so to speak and have fun with a post. Enjoy your day and thanks so much for visiting.

I am joining the following parties as well~

Friends Sharing Tea
Share Your Cup Thursday
Home Sweet Home

 Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

A Romantic Tea for Two

Love is a language spoken by everyone but understood only by the heart. ~ Author unknown

Hello dear friends! Valentine's Day is almost here and so I have set the table for Hubby and me. 

Fresh flowers.  What could be more perfect than roses!

Pretty china. I think a mix of pink and red transferware is perfect! And pink goblets for sparkling cranberry-apple juice.

The daintiness and yet elegance of a china teacup focuses one to be gentle, to think warmly and to feel close. ~ Carol and Malcolm Cohen 

Johnson Bros. Old Britain Castles

Something decadent for just the two of us. Oops, I forgot to include some chocolate hearts on the plate!

Tea is a time in which we were perfectly contented with ourselves and one another. ~ Charles Dickens

"Life is a journey, and love is what makes that journey worthwhile." ~unknown


This past week was the anniversary of Hubby's and my very first date so many years ago. What a journey we have been on! Three children, five grandchildren, and a marriage that we are so thankful for. God is good! He has blessed us because we are not only mates but we are best friends.

We met at the most unlikely of places; a dance. A Saturday afternoon record-hop, to be precise. I wasn't supposed to be there.

Jane Austen once said, "To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love." That was certainly true in our case.

The journey hasn't always been easy but we have grown and the friendship that started out so innocently many years ago, is simply precious today. 

Our youngest son told me last summer, when he was home for a visit, that his father and I are very lucky to have each other! I prefer to think of it as being blessed. But yes, we are so very, very lucky!

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. ~Victor Hugo

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to do something special together. It doesn't have to be a big thing. It can be as simple as sharing a pot of tea and a dessert together at a pretty table. 

Valentine's Day is also the perfect time to honour a dear friend or friends, a parent, or your family. Spread the love around. 

A bell is no bell 'til you ring it
A song is no song 'til you sing it,
And love in your heart
Wasn't put there to stay -
Love isn't love
'Til you give it away. ~ Oscar Hammerstein- The Sound of Music


What are your plans for Valentine's Day? 

Love first came to us from our heavenly Father. Without the love of God, there would be no love in this world. He made it possible and we are reaping the rewards of that love.

I always end all of my Valentine posts with this heart and scripture. It says it all.

Thank you for your visit and I wish you all the loveliest of Valentine's Day celebrations. We are in the middle of a blizzard so this is a re-post. I hope you enjoyed it.

I am sharing this with:
Friends Sharing Tea
Home Sweet Home
Pink Saturday

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Springtime Pink and Green

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hello ladies! Well, here it is February which is heart month and we're half way through the winter. It's a nice sunny day and I'm thinking about springtime. Brrr, it's very cold outside but inside it's warm and cozy.

On this very cold day, nothing perks a table up more than fresh flowers and these sweet little spray roses are a good match to a new teapot. Yes, you read that correctly! I have a new teapot. *blushes* For Christmas I had been gifted a pair of glass turquoise birds to keep company with my little turquoise parrot. You remember him.

Unfortunately, the birds got knocked over and broke and I couldn't glue them back together. So the gift-giver replaced them with this teapot. Do I like it? You bettcha! What's not to love about pink and green and roses? *la sigh*

So I brought out some pink and green teacups. The green set is made by Colclough.

The pink set is made by Aynsley. 

A cup for you and one for me. Pretty china and a lovely Victoria TeaTime Bliss magazine.

Taking tea can be a pleasant interlude, paired with tasty foods or simply sipped piping hot from your finest bone-china cup. ~ Victoria TeaTime Bliss magazine

I favour this room in my home because it is always flooded with sunlight on a day like this. During the month of February, the sun is higher in the sky and one can see the days getting longer. Very shortly we will be able to enjoy dinner without turning the lights on. I am most anxious for spring to arrive.

I always enjoy this magazine because it is about all things tea. Lovely photos and recipes throughout. And quotes; you know how much I like quotes!

Tea today is Earl Grey.

As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common, everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful.

They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness -
just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breathe it;
just the warmth and shelter and home folks;
just plain food that gives us strength;
the bright sunshine on a cold day, and a cool breeze when the day is warm. ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Thank you for your visit today. I am starting to get to the bottom of some of my ailments and in another month or so I should have a better idea of what is going on with this body of mine. I do know for certain that surgery is in my future.

Wishing you all a delightful weekend and stay cozy, dear friends!

I am joining the following parties as well~

Tuesday Cuppa Tea
Friends Sharing Tea 
Share Your Cup Thursday
Home Sweet Home

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi