Funny Fine Furry Feline!

Romeo is just a silly kitty.

He just like to rest like this.....ALL the time.

He enjoys having one or both of his front arms hanging down like that.

It cracks us up.

He's a Forever Funny Fine Furry Feline Friend!

Giveaway Winner!

We have a winner of the tea mug and tea I posted

 last week for Pink Saturday!

~~~~SALLY PUCKETT~~~~

Whoo hoo! Yay!! Yee haw!! Whoo hoo!!

Thank you all for joining in the fun celebrating the Queen of England's birthday and for your comments and for "entering" the giveaway!

Have a wonderful and blessed Sunday everyone!

♥

Michele

Pink Dress for Tea

Next Saturday is my local civic women's club's annual Spring Tea Brunch and Style Show. It is one of my very favorite yearly things to attend.............held at a very posh country club near my home. The food and fellowship is extraordinary and I can't wait to go!

I have been trying to decide on what to wear, and am considering this 2 piece dress, hat and gloves outfit. It is one of my favorite dresses. And oh, how I love to wear hats and gloves! (I do it every time the occassion arises!)

This year's program is on The History of Hats. The hospitality/decorating committee borrowed 12 of my hat boxes to decorate our dining tables there.

I have had a number of inquiries from friends in the club who wish to borrow my hats to wear to the function. I am happy to oblige. It is always nice not being the ONLY one wearing a hat now and then!

I honestly think I am living in the wrong era. I feel much more myself dressed for a proper tea than I ever do in denim jeans. I am weird, I know, but it's true.

With the Kentucky Derby Horse Races coming up, it is a fine time to share a favorite pink hat with "y'all." 

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY, EVERYONE!

Please join in the fun over at:

Mary's Tea for Karen

My sweet tea friend Mary hosted a lovely Afternoon Tea for her/our dear friend Karen on her birthday. We tea "sisters" have been friends a long time. Mary and Karen have been the greatest of friends forever! They are neighbors, but I live in a different state - but when we get together for tea it is completely magical!

Unfortunately this tea I had to miss - but we're lucky because Mary is inviting us to ALL to come along and enjoy her tea tablescape and incredible menu! She REALLY knows how to host a fine party - and hosts them what seems like once a month often!

You will see Mary has a real flair for styling - and she does it on a very  thrifty budget with her amazing talent. She is the QUEEN of "the look for less," and is one of my FAVORITE "Good Will Hunting" buddies! She has a talented and shrewd hawk eye for sure!

Warning: heavy photo post!!!

Amazing centerpiece!

She did up a garden-themed tablescape and spared no details. Hummingbirds, bird teapots, fruit, flowers, bunnies (Karen's fav) all grace this beautiful table!

OK. Seriously? I am completly covetting these bird teapots. They belong at Finch Rest, just sayin. 

Love her clever use for nameplate holders -and the color works so well with the gardenesque painted plates and gorgeous green chargers! Bits of green throughout the table makes it all so springy and fresh!

She collects vintage ladies head vases. Isn't this one amazing? I love the floral arrangement she chose for it, too!

OK! Time to post about her beautiful food!

Be sure to scroll down to see the pics! YUM!

First course:

Asparagus Melody mixed green salad - a colorful mixure of asparagus, cranberries, sunflower
sunflower seeds, mixed chopped peppers, onions and tomato, with a sweet cider vinegarette dressing

Savories:

Honey Sage Pork Crostini with Tomato and Olive bruschetta
Chicken Salad on croissants
Turkey tea sandwich with Cranberry relish
Cucumber sandwhich with garlic herb cheese (Laughing cow kind)
Devilled Eggs
Shrimp Spring Rolls with sweet thai chili dipping sauce  

Sweets:

Pecan Fudge Brownies
Fruit Trifles Parfait

Lemon Ginger bliss in teacups
Vanilla cupcakes
Cream Scones with white chips and cranberries

Teas Served: 

HS Paris Tea, Pineapple Chai, and Darjeeling  

Look at how everything is so beautifully displayed!

Even tucked out of the way brownies -such flair!

I love her French garden prints and metal sconce as the backdrop for these matching awesome fruit parfaits................with a beautiful eye candy book about entertaining on the table tying it all in together.

Well, that was quite an Afternoon Tea, I would say!

Thanks for sharing your pics, Mary!


Linking:

Tablescape Thursday

Inspiration Friday


Tea Time Tuesday

Best Plan is No Plan

Had a bit of success thrifting yesterday.

While I was getting ready to put all my new items away I placed them them all in the basket to make carrying downstairs easier...and thought to myself:  "Hey! That may make a decent blog post picture!"

Totally unplanned.

One large rusty metal basket, one large and two small old glass top Ball canning jars.....some old crocheted items and perfect white paper flower napkin rings organza-wrapped around wicker..............all playing nicely with one another.

Funny how often it turns out that the unplanned things are sometimes the best in the end.

Here's to many unplanned little happinesses to you all.


Linking:

White Wednesday

Home and Garden Thursday

Thriftin on a Thursday

Treasure Hunt Thursday


Simple and Sweet Fridays

Chirpin' Pillow Talk!

I am joining the pillow party fun today at Thistlewood Farm's Pillowpalooza.

I didn't make these pillows but SOMEBODY did. Hope that counts!
This is one of my very favorite pillows in the house. (I know, try and act surprised it has a bird on it.) It's only medium sized and sits in front of a plain beige one. This beige one isn't much for eye pleasing but it absolutely ROCKS because it is completely and fully down filled!!! It is soft and squishy and makes an awesome lumbar support, yet keeps it shape afterwards. (Big fan on that keeping its shape. If only I COULD!)

This bird pillow moves around the nest a bit, but mainly resides in one of the guest rooms named The Aviary. The entire room is decorated in bird fare - one of these days I will actually start posting a house tour but today this is all I could muster up. I have shared this pillow before a while back, but never for a featured linky party extravaganza! Had to show it again! It's my favvy fav!

These pillows rest on a super comfy sturdy and solid natural wicker chair in the corner of a guest room.

Here is a farther-out shot of two bird prints on the wall. I couldn't help myself. OK, I realize they aren't PILLOWS but, well, they're in keeping with the bird theme I have goin' on today! They wanted to party too!

I apologize for my low-light and poor quality photos. This is a dark room facing east. I should have done this in the am when tons of morning sun light it up beautifully, but alas I wasn't home this am. I didn't want to miss the pillow party! I would have done it yesterday but I didn't know about the linky event. Ah well, it is what it is!!

Behind this area are two more bird pillows on the twin beds. Found 'em on Etsy. I ♥ them!

Also linking:

Thursday Favorite Things at Katherine's Corner!

Lil Bit a' Blue

It's been raining and quite blustery most of this weekend.

Made a nice hot pot of tea in my heavy blue teapot and then searched for an old pretty antique teacup to match it up. No mugs for me today. I had the perfect Spring teacup in mind. Whilst looking for this set I also spied this pretty vintage embroidered piece - so everything has a lil bitta blue. 

This weather has me feeling a bit blue, too. So today is perfect for a nice pot of tea, and for curling up with a nice quilt and a good book.

This is an old Limoges set - an unusual combinations of colors. Can you see the spring pansies on it? This is very delicate and translucent. I love these old unique tea sets!

I also love to find florals in the interior of a cup!

Here the cup is resting on a vintage linen piece with matching pansies dancing all along the rim of the cup and saucer.

And yes, I am including a matching blue birdhouse. Yes, you have seen it before - but it always wants to stay close to its buddy The Blue Teapot, so it just snuck in the pic when I wasn't paying attention! What's a gal to do? Just roll with it, I suppose!

The Blues are sneaky!

April Rain by M. Blind

The April rain, the April rain,
Comes slanting down in fitful showers,
Then from the furrow shoots the grain,
And banks are fledged with nestling flowers;
And in grey shawl and woodland bowers
The cuckoo through the April rain
Calls once again.

The April sun, the April sun,
Glints through the rain in fitful splendour,
And in grey shaw and woodland dun
The little leaves spring forth and tender
Their infant hands, yet weak and slender,
For warmth towards the April sun,
One after one.

And between shower and shine hath birth
The rainbow's evanescent glory;
Heaven's light that breaks on mists of earth!
Frail symbol of our human story,
It flowers through showers where, looming hoary,
The rain-clouds flash with April mirth,
Like Life on earth.      

~Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Linking:

Blue Monday

Tea Time Tuesday

A Return to Loveliness

Teacup Tuesday

Pink, the Queen & a Giveaway!

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY!

Also, a very happy birthday to the Queen of England.  (Thank you, Ruth from Time was Antiques for reminding us about her special 86th birthday!)

If you haven't yet been to Ruth's wonderful blog, you are really missing out. This is one gal who knows her stuff! Ruth's blog is richly steeped in history. (Pun intended.) I learn something EVERY TIME I visit there!

In honour of Her Royal Majesty's Birthday (April 21st) I am having a little giveaway!

One lucky winner will win this pink and green mug that says "Jasmine Tea," and also included is this pouch of loose-leaf tea!

The winner will be picked next Friday the 27th at midnight EST by random number generator.

Simple basic instructions:

*Please be a follower of this blog, The Nest at Finch Rest.

*Please leave a comment letting me know you wish to be part of the giveaway.

And if you have an extra moment, please give a fond "Cheerio" to Ruth over at Time was Antiques and let her know we appreciate her over here at the Nest.

I WILL NEED TO EMAIL THE WINNER - SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR "NO REPLY COMMENTING" TURNED OFF.................OR CHECK BACK TO SEE IF YOU'VE WON.  I WILL EVENTUALLY NEED A SHIPPING ADDRESS FROM THE WINNER, OF COURSE!

Linking:

How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday!

Teacup Tuesday!

Earth Day Tablescape

Earth Day is coming up - Sunday, April 22nd! In keeping with that theme the blogger Cuisine Kathleen is hosting a linky party called Let's Dish on Earth-themed Tablescapes.


Here is my contribution to the fun:

Must have knocked the napkin a little when photo shooting. Just pretend it is straight. 





Matching vintage embroidered napkins and placemats. The green in them rather matches my Bordallo Pinheiro lettuce dinner plates.

My old tea cosy, which you have seen before and makes another show supporting its floral Earthy-ness on this table.

Different centerpiece - vintage ironstone urn with pink lilies in it (that you can't see!)

I hot-glued flowers to thruft-store ceramic napkin rings.

Pretty white chocolate cookies in a leafy pattern star on this pretty leaf Majolica plate.

For more information on National Earth Day  <goes to History Channel.

Also linking to:

Home and Garden Thursday!

Tablescape Thursday!

Note Card Party April

Please join us A Haven for Vee for her April Note Card Party .






Rules:

We are to pick 4 (ONLY FOUR) of our fav pics in past blogs that would make nice note cards.

Here are my favorites at this time.

Sorry they are relatively new and some of you have seen them only recently. You see, I have only been a blogger since Jan. 1st of this year - so I don't have many posts to choose from (since the pictures have to come from prior posts.)


******************************************************





A real nest that fell from a tree in our yard - post is here .

My precious piccolos - post is here .

Blossoms from a tree in our yard - post is here .

Pear tree blossoms from backyard - post is here .  

Grandmother and her teapot....

I missed the commemorative Titanic tea day as yesterday was my niece's birthday, and I just didn't end up getting a tea party together in time as I had hoped and planned.

But I have been thinking of that era non-stop for weeks; a time of impeccably good manners, beautiful clothing and honed propriety and loveliness.  What better way to show my affection for this by-gone era then to share a photo of my lovely maternal Grandmother and her pretty teapot. This photo of her was taken during that time period.

Her name was Margaret and she was born in Whitehaven, England. (Wikia link- a small west coastal town steeped in interesting history.)  I think she is gorgeous.  I would love to have known her, but she died when my mom was only ten years old. My mom fondly remembered her as having an adventurous spirit. (Must be from Grandmother's father's Irish side!)

This full sized teapot is all I have of hers  - it is feather-light and translucent. It is the most amazing teapot I have ever held. It is very very old. In fact it may even be HER mother's now that I think about it. I know it was cherished by my Mom for as long as I can remember. It was placed up VERY high away on a decorative bookcase shelf in our living room for as long back as I can remember....far from my mom's five children and our wild and rambunctious play!

This teapot is truly one of my most beloved and treasured items.

It hardly weighs a thing - featherlight -  only 13 ounces! It's shocking how delicate is this teapot.

SEE????!!!???

For all who did such a fine job with Sandi's Titanic Tea Link Party, I salute you!

Linking:

A Return to Loveliness!

Your Cozy Home Party!

Teacup Tuesday!

Teacup Tuesday!

Simple & Sweet Fridays!