A Christmas Tea Time Tuesday

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas;

Soon the bells will start,

And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing

Right within your heart.

Welcome dear friends to my Christmas Tea and my 48th Tea Time Tuesday. This will be my last tea party until after the holidays. So please come in and make yourself at home. I am delighted you have stopped by.


Are you ready for the holidays? I'm almost there. My home is decorated, the presents are all wrapped, and most of the baking has been done. My youngest son, who has been away at university, just flew in this afternoon to spend Christmas with us and it's wonderful having him home again! It has been a long year and we haven't seen him since last Christmas. These reunions are always sweet!


Today I have the inlinkz thingy hooked up so you can just add your link at the bottom of my post.

Today I am serving tea in my favourite red transferware teapot. I found this lovely teapot at the hospital's gift shop several years ago and I love it. It's not a Christmas pattern but the red toile is always right for any season. This pot is such a pretty shape and is adorned with raised roses.

Are you comfortable? Let me pour you a nice cup of tea. The refreshments are being served on my red transferware tray today. There are festive sugar cookies, cherry macaroons, and Swedish butterballs. There are some homemade Cranberry Pumpkin muffins fresh out of the oven waiting under the cheese keeper. I have fruit cake too if you'd like to try a piece of that.

Tea is instant wisdom - just add water~ Astrid Alauda.

A fruit cake is always pretty with tea this time of year. This is the Sultana cake which I make every year and it is my mother's recipe. One nice thing about the holidays is there are always lots of goodies around!

I thought we would enjoy our tea once again by the Christmas tree.

The plates on which the muffins and fruit cake sit is a pattern made by Johnson Bros. called Historic America, a view of Boston, and they were given to me by my friend Heather who is a local artist. The little plate was a gift from my Aunt Judy and it is also made by JB and is called English Gardens. The pretty lacey spreader is a Cream Lace pattern by Skye McGhie, as well as the saucer under the teacup.

The muffins are still warm so they are steaming up the cheese keeper.

The teacup is part of a snack set and I am using it without its mate today. The saucer is from my Cream Lace set. I think it looks pretty mismatched.Each of the tea things bear this mark on the bottom; the tea pot, teacup, sugar and creamer, as well as the transferware tray. I have no idea what it means but I'm sure someone out there could tell me!Mmm, homemade muffins!The other day we drove by one of our local churches and they had this on their sign,

Mary wrapped the first Christmas gift.

I thought that was a rather endearing way of putting it!

Speaking of gifts, I received a very thoughtful hostess gift in the mail last week just in time to share on this post. One of my lovely participants, Judith @ Lavender Cottage, wanted to show her appreciation for my hosting these tea parties. Wasn't that darling of her?

Included in her hostess gift were a sweet little tea pot book mark which will come in handy... ..a snowflake for the tree.....a packet of Friendship tea; yummy blueberry.....and a silver sugar tong.She knew I didn't have sugar tongs so she thoughtfully sent me one. Thank you my dear friend, it is so sweet of you to think of me! You may visit Judith at her site- Lavender Cottage- http://lavendercottagegardening.blogspot.com/

I have made some really wonderful bloggy friends since I started blogging but especially since I started this tea party meme. As Judith so nicely put it, "...hosting Tea Time Tuesday each week gathers bloggers together with the same interests." I am pleased that Judith and all of you enjoy it so much! Friendship is a special blessing and I want you all to know that you have all been such a blessing to me!

Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

As I mentioned earlier in my post, this will be my last tea party until after the holidays because I will be taking a blogging break. I hope you will all take some time for yourselves as it is a very busy time of year. Why not curl up in front of the fire with a good book or magazine such as Victoria and a hot cup of tea. It is sure to lift your spirits! Here, a Victorian family stands nearby singing their carols and the young laddie plays the violin.

Christmas began in the heart of God. It is complete only when it reaches the heart of man.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16

I'm delighted you have stopped by today and I hope you have enjoyed your visit. I will do my best to get around to visit you all but it may take some time, what with my son home and all.


Ladies, please use the inlinkz at the bottom of the post; thank you.

I am also joining the following hostesses for their parties:

Victoria- A Return to Loveliness

Kathy~ http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Table Top Tuesday

Marty~ http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Tea Cup Tuesday

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

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

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday

Wanda Lee~ http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com/

Pam~ http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com/

Tea Cup Thursday

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

Wishing you all the true gifts of Christmas~

The feeling of Christmas is JOY

The spirit of Christmas is PEACE

The gladness of Christmas is HOPE

The message of Christmas is LOVE

And may Jesus - the reason for the season,

fill your heart and home

with all these things.

Have a Blessed Christmas everyone!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Spiritual Sundays

Hello dear bloggy friends~ A warm welcome to Spiritual Sundays hosted by Charlotte and Ginger.

Today I am continuing the Advent candle celebration.
I think this is a lovely way to celebrate as we count down the weeks till Christmas!

The first candle was The Candle of Hope or Prophecy. The second was The Candle of the Way and the third candle was The Candle of Joy.

This week's candle is the Candle of Peace.


Prophetic verse: "For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given. And the government shall be on His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." ~ Isaiah 9:6-7

Fulfilment of Prophecy: " ...the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." ~ Luke 1: 78b-79

"And when the parents brought in the Christ Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 'Lord, now You are letting your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared for the face of all peoples; a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.' " ~ Luke 2: 27b-32


Please join Charlotte and Ginger and all their participants for encouragement and inspiration by clicking the link ~ http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/
NOTE: Those of you who have been praying for my DIL Carina, I want to thank you. She is doing better and for those of you are not aware, my DIL gave birth to my first granddaughter on the 4th of December. Carina fractured her coccyx or tail bone while delivering little Jenna-Lynn and she was home only six days when her cervical artery hemorrhaged causing her to lose 2 liters of blood. She is still quite weak so I ask that you would keep her in your prayers.
Thank you for praying and the Lord bless you all! Merry CHRISTmas and let's all remember the Reason for the Season is Jesus!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi