Garage Sale Finds

Pink Saturday-Today, albiet, late in the day, I'm linking up with Beverly, stop on over at:  http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog
Garage sales have never been a faviorite thing for me...I usually only see what appears to me as "junk" and I never find any of those great deals others always seen to find.  But, last week was different and may have changed my mind on garage sales to try again.  It may have been my lucky day.

I picked up this milkglass bud vase for fifty cents!

Oh, and another one for another fifty cents!

Yes, that's two for $1, I was thrilled.

Then I spotted this lead crystal cake stand for $3, I grabbed it fast, the bowl on top is just a little playing around today, someday I'll put a cake on it.

Three tea cups and saucers for $2 a piece, can you believe that, the other's I've paid from antique stores from $8-15,  yet never doing that again.

Look at these pretty danity flowers, aren't they sweet.

This one, has what I believe is hand painting the gold strokes are raised.

Love the way this one is shaped and the delicate handle, gold trim and lovely white flowers.

My diantus are just a tad too bright for the cup, but I couldn't resist.  Happy Pink Saturday!

Hugs, Michelle

Happy Mother's Day

I picked this book up last week and can't wait to try so many recipes. I made one already called "Dump Cake". The easiest recipe possble, and so delicious.  Only lasted one day.  :)

This post is dedicatd to my Mother...the coffee and tea pot were always on in her country kitchen.  There was always a baked "goodie" around, because someone family, friend or neighbor was always dropping in.  My mother had a wonderful gift hospitaliy, warm, kind and loving.  I l.ove you Mom, miss you and can't wait to spend eternity with you. 
 
"The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command,with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we {together} will always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourag one another with these words.  --1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
 

My daughter blessed me with this book and teapot/saucer.  She is so sweet.  My son gave me the best hug and lovely apple vanilla candle.  He's also helping with some gardening.

Look at this tote too, so cute.  Had a wonderful day.

Hugs, Michele

Texture Tuesdays-Embrace

http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe/farewell-12-days-of-textures.html
Linking up with Kim today, stop over and take a peek at all the inspiration.  Today's theme was to use the texture "Embrace".

One of my favorite violet teacups and some great reading.

Just did some redecorating in my bedroom, this had about 20 books and 15 magazines piled on top, so I moved them and replaced with my 5 generation grandmother's flower garden quilt and a pair of wings that I used to use as a photo prop and a beautiful crocheted trim hanki with a cross in it.  Cheap decorating...just move things around that you already have for a fresh new look.

I love roses and pink are my favorite, just painted this chair white this summer and picked up this little reproduction bottle.

Happy tuesday, Hugs Michelle

Pink Saturday-perfect morning/one hour

Pink Saturday-stop on over to Beverly our lovely hostess and check out all of the links. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com//

I had the most lovely Saturday morning two weeks ago, or should I say rather 1 hour, I grabbed for myself, and this is how I spend it::

I created a little outdoor "teatime" space, simple-simple... one green  chair amd a small metal outdoor  table, placed a pretty pink "butterfly" quilt as a "tablecloth"  added a lovely vase with a daylilly, it was quiet except for some birds singing.

Steeped a cup of my favorite tea "Bigelow Raspberry" and poured it in  the most beautiful teacup...the cup has a pretty gold print design , delicate handle, the top is wavy and has  flowers printed on the inside so you see beauty with every lift to your lips.   One of my faviorite magazines to browse and oogle the images and articles.

Toasted "beer bread" from tastefully simple made the most delicious toast, topped with homemade blueberry jam [canned last summer], mouthwatering on the tongue.

Relaxing, rhymic motion of crochet with the morning sun streaming its warmth.  Praising God in prayer and being thankful and wishing I could have stayed in my quiet time longer before I started another overwhelmed too much to do day.

Progress on the giant granny square, row 28 and counting!  Have a lovely weekend and thank you for visiting with me today.  Michelle

Victorian Tea Party

Please stop over to Cielo's Tea Party, our lovely hostess.  Thank you, this was so much fun!

I brewed a lovely loose leaf tea from Teavana, that my daughter gave me for an Easter Present.  This was a lovely blueberry tea the flavor was wonderful and the aroma was fantastic, light and fresh.

The weather did not cooperate for an outdoor party, so inside we were.  This beautiful crochet tablecloth was my mother's as well as the clear plate and the pansy doily under the teapot.  The floral plates I made {clear plates, mod podge and fabric, my good friend Donna taught me this one}.

This is one of my favorite teacups, I love the gold floral filigree and the pretty colored floral on the inside of the cup, love it when cups have the inside all pretty too.

The little teapot holds scripture verses and the cheese cakes have an organic strawberry jam, that is to die for.

The chairs, laterns, rose candle holders, and birds are all from Michael's Craft Store. The milk glass fan vase and the clear glass flower basket vase were also finds at the antique barn.

There are few hours in my life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.  "Henry James"

"It's always tea-time..." The Mad Hatter {Leiws Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland}

This georgous pansy hanki was my mother's she collected from an antique shop that we freqented together, how I miss those times.

If you are cool, tea will warm you; If you are too heated, it will cool you, If you are depressed, it will cheer you; If you are exhausted, it will calm you.  "William Gladstone"

A Loving Recipe for a Perfect Cup of Tea

1 willing friend who loves to sit and share

1 grateful heart to have a freind that cares

1 beautiful garden to show us God is near

Many wonderful memories of times shared throughout the years

Lots of smiles and laughter to brighten up our days

Many prayers that we prayed for each other along the way

Author Unknown

Nowhere is the English genius of domesticity more notably evident than in the festival afternoon tea.  The... chink of cups and the saucers tunes the mind to happy repose.  "George Gissing"

This is so delicate and pretty, I just love it, the time it took to make with such fine crohet thread.

The "art of tea" is a spirtual force for us to share"  Alexandra Stoddard

My famous chocolate chips cookies...took blue ribbons when I was a teenager in 4-H at town, county and NYS Fair.  My Dad loved my cookies and I loved making them for him.

The pansies are from my garden.  One of my favorite flowers.  My mother's also, she always commented on their faces.  I love to bring them in for bouquets and also press them.  Thank you for stopping by my teaparty today, I hope you enjoyed your time here.

Time for Tea

Tea Party for Two, my daughter Nicole and I had a lovely tea time.  Whole leaf green tea was steeped to perfection with a hint of floral flavor.  I found a wonderful recipe for strawberry scones at this site  http://confessionsoftart.blogspot.com/2009/03/strawberry-scones.html. and I made some "mock devonshire cream" which turned out fabulous.  I added some white chocolate chips to the scones, they were delicious, Nicole picked up some organic strawberry jam to go with and the combination of the three was delightful.  Floral plates I made and the absolutely beautiful crocheted tabled cloth was my mother's. 

Teaposy

My sweet cousin Lisa gave this really cute gift...it is so creative, I just had to share with all my creative blog friends. It is call a Teaposy. A blooming tea. Premium white tea leaves, natural herbal flowers. Basically it starts out as this little tight ball (silver needle tea) and you add rolling boiling water from your teapot to heat resistance glassware and steep for about 3-6 minutes and watch your ball magically turn into a blossom...there are six different blossoms in the box I received each a different flavor, this one was Lady Fairy-Jasmine (nip tension and high cholesteral in the bud) and Lily (clear the airways and calm your butterflies), and the taste to the palette was very nice. (all natural) You can further enjoy your posy after you've had your tea and add cold water and enjoy for a few days longer. http://www.teaposy.com/

Taking Tea with Mom

Saturadays....shared so many of them with my Mom. One of our activities together was taking tea, sometimes at home, sometimes out, but always special. At Mom's the tea pot/coffee pot was always on for whenever someone dropped in, which was very often on a daily basis. She was a very sweet, generous, kind hostess, always something homemade and baked by her. I learned my baking skills and love of it from her. She made a "mean" apple crisp, apple pie, graham cracker cream pie, zucchini bread, texas sheet cake, cookies and many more {famous potatoe salad}. Her kitchen was a large country kitchen with orange stained cupboards made by my Dad and a huge picture window that overlooked a pond that my Dad and Grandpa created and beyond that a large field and on top of the hill, woods, they had 24 acres. They viewed turkey, deer, ducks, flowers, apple tree and waterlillies, {family and friends coming}, the weather, out of that hugh picture window. I can't imagine that window not in the kitchen, it was so much more than just a window...like an opening to the world, that you took time to stop and admire God's creative handiwork. There was also a bird feeder with many visitors. Her kitchen was the heart of their home, abounding in love, the true gathering place. The kitchen table not only served as a place for meals, but also an entertainment center for playing cards with family and friends {several times a week} and a place where conversations over tea/coffee were heartwarming {happy times, sad times, funny times}. How wish those time had never ended, I long to be able to go there just one more time and soak it all in and feel the warmth and love. The kitchen is so much more than just a kitchen...I can only hope that my own kitchen may evoke a little bit of this for my children's memories. I can only imagine what she may be doing today in heaven using her special gifts, and skills to worship and serve the heavenly Father. I thank and praise God that he promises to reunite us for eternity.