"Celebrate the Season" ~ Christmas Tea

"Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make everyday a holiday and celebrate just living." ~ Amanda Bradley


Hello all my lovely friends and a warm welcome to my "Celebrate the Season" ~ Christmas Tea!

We just had our first snow storm of the season the other day and it was wicked! We are expecting more snow today. It's a good day for baking and at the moment there is a fruit cake baking in the oven.

"Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers." ~ Anonymous

"Remember this December, that love weighs more than gold."~ Josephine D.D. Bacon


My teapot and teacups are all decorated with roses. Roses in December is my theme for today's tea.

I think Royal Albert Old Country Roses is a lovely pattern for December because of the deep red and gold roses and the amount of gold trim adorning  the pieces. The teapot was a birthday gift from my family this past year and the sugar and creamer were finds last Summer.

"What a lovely thing a rose is." ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



I am using my silver sugar tong from Judith which she gifted me with a few years ago.

Royal Albert Old Country Roses boasts a rich array of red, golden yellow, and deep pink florals for December.

 A Royal Albert Old English Rose teacup that looks lovely with the other.

"God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December." ~ JM Barrie

Please make yourself at home as we enjoy some hot chai tea and some homemade cookies in the soft glow of my little Christmas tree.

"What is the Christmas spirit? It is the spirit which brings a smile to the lips and tenderness to the heart; It is the spirit which warms one into friendship with all the world, which impels one to hold out the hand of fellowship to every man and woman." ~ Anonymous

I made some of my children's favourite Christmas cookies for our tea today. They are called, SnowBalls, and they are delicious! I will share the recipe at my HOME party on Wednesday.

I'm not sure why they're called Snowballs because they are not white. The recipe is from an old Purity cookbook. These are simple little nuggets filled with cherries and oh, so good with a cup of tea or two!

"Love and friendship are the best sweeteners of tea." ~ Unknown

Please help yourself as I have plenty of these little goodies and a little something sweet is always nice with a cuppa tea.

Next week, I hope you will join me once again as I host a Sugar Plum Fairy Tea for our "Celebrate the Season ~ Christmas Tea."  

Merry Christmas! dear friends and thank you for visiting today. If you have a pretty teacup or teapot, a coffee mug, or tablescape, please link up and I will be happy to come and visit you.

"In the light of that star,  Lie the ages impearled;
And that song from afar Has swept over the world.
Every hearth is aflame, and the beautiful sing
In the homes of the nations That Jesus is King!" ~ From the Christmas Song, "There's a Song in the Air"- Josiah G. Holland {1819-1881} Karl P. Harrington {1861-1953}

I am joining the following parties as well~

Bernideen for her "2013 Christmas Thyme Tea"

Sherry for her Home Sweet Home Christmas Linky Party

A Return to Loveliness ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

HOME

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend." ~ Melody Beattie

Hello friends and welcome to my first HOME party in December! I hope you all enjoyed your American Thanksgiving.

We are having a wild snow storm here today and the winds are extremely high. We have lost our power once already and I hope we don't lose it again. I am NOT a Winter girl!

For the past week, I have been very busy getting my mother settled into her new home here in Charlottetown. She had been two hours away so life will be much easier now for both of us and the rest of the family.

I had company on the weekend along with a  bit of a virus and on top of all that, I have been trying to get some decorating done and not making much progress. But I will get there.

This week at my tea party, I shared a mix and match tea with cookies and an old vintage Christmas card my grandmother sent me when I was a little girl.

I cherish this card as it was the last one I ever received from my beloved Granny before she passed away.

I do not have a recipe for you this week although I will share my finished mantel in the living room and give you a peek at my tree.

The mantel is decorated in cream and gold instead of the usual pink I've had the last few years. I rather enjoy the change. The rocking horse has since gotten a pretty bow and the package sitting on the chair also got a new ribbon.

I'm still working on the tree but here is a glimpse of what it looks like. I love the ribbon! I think it gives the tree an ethereal or fairy tale like appearance.

Do you have any unique ornaments that you enjoy hanging on your tree? Here are a few teacup ornaments I have. The last one was a gift from my youngest som last year which he found at Cracker Barrel. in Illinois.

I hope by next week, I will have my tree finished.

These are some features from last week's party:
Penny at Penny's Vintage Home shared a beautiful winter wonderland after a snowfall. She also received the most views on her post.



Jann at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson shared her adorable plaid pillows and boots vignette.

Sherry @ The Charm of Home shared her beautiful Thanksgiving place setting. I just love her layered china and that trifle looks delish!

Thank you for welcoming us into your homes every week. You all have such a creative spirit and I appreciate you sharing with us here at my HOME.

Next week, I will begin hosting my "HOME for the Holidays" Party.

From December 11 through to December 22, I welcome all your holiday comforts of HOME. I hope you will join me and share your decorating ideas, recipes, etc.; all the beautiful things in your home that make it a cozy place to be during the holidays.

Thank you for visiting today and if you have something HOME related, please link up and I will be happy to come and visit you.

"Lord, this humble house we'd keep
Sweet with play and calm with sleep.
Help us so that we may give
Beauty to the lives we live.
Let Thy beauty and Thy grace
Shine upon our dwelling place." ~ Edgar A. Guest

I am joining the following parties as well~

What's It Wednesday~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Home and Garden Thursday ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi