PINK ROSES TEACUP & BOOK & BREAK

How I adore a pretty delicate teacup and awesome tea book!

 

Today I am sharing with you two of my FAVORITES!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My awesome tea book I won straight from its AUTHOR -

our very own bloggin friend/guru and tea expert ANGELA McRAE

 of the blog Tea With Friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is an awesome book full of rich history and interesting facts 

and wonderful food and pics from yester-years of department store tearooms.

 

She left no stone unturned!

 

(Sorry about all the glare, I am really not very good with camera some days.)

 

 

 

 

This book would make the BEST GIFT

for anyone in your world who loves tea and American tearoom history.

 

How about as a Christmas present? Start early - he or she will

absolutely love this book! Just write Angela to learn more about how to order - you won't be disappointed, I promise!

 

I WILL CHERISH THIS BOOK ALWAYS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will be taking a blogging break for a bit but will back soon.

 

Linking:

Open House with Bernideen

Pink Saturday with Beverly

White Pumpkins Around the Nest

In time for DebbieDoo's PRIMP YOUR PUMPKIN linky party

I have finally begun my Autumn decorating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't "primp" a pumpkin myself, but wanted to show off

one of my daughter's crafty creations!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was one of her handmade birthday gifts to me last year.

 (I am an early October birthday so this was a perfect present!)

 

 

Isn't this just darling?!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 She crocheted the leaves and stem "top" with jute

 and the body is a silken golden plaid.

 

The gold picks up the gold in the window swags.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

And it matches the one next to it rather nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the other side of the mantle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tend to learn towards a neutral/white Autumn decor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like these three sweet little pumpkins sitting in a row......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes one feel quite welcome.

 

My MIL gave me this awesome metal pumpkin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the room all together.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for your visit!

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to join the party for fun inspiration!

 

 

 

Another fun pumpkin linky party:



 

 

 

 

Also linking:

 

White Wednesday 
 

Feathered Nest Friday

Inspiration Friday

Potpourri Friday

 

SEPTEMBER NOTE CARDS

 

 

 

WOW!

It's already time again to join Vee's monthly note card party fun!

 

 

The rules are simple for the party!

Just pick four of your favorite photos on your previous blog posts

that you believe would make wonderful note cards.

 

(Having a theme is especially welcome, but not necessary.)

 

 

 

Here is my pink and green teacup theme.

]

 BE SURE TO POP ON OVER THERE FOR THE FUN!

Thanks for your visit!

 

I appreciate your comments and read every one faithfully!

♥

 

Michele

 

 

Handpainted Nippon Teacup - wordlessly wow!

Wonderful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wordless.

 

 

Wow.

Wanna have tea?

Thanks so much for visiting!

♥

~Michele

 

Linking:

 

A Return to Loveliness 

 

Tea Time Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Teacup Tuesday and Teacup Tuesday here

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday II

 

 

HOME SWEET HOME

 

I spoke to a dear friend from my home town yesterday.

It was a totally unexpected and wonderful call.

 

She asked me if I get back very often. 

 

 

Ah.......home.

 

How I do miss it!

 

 

Sorry for the tiny pic below- but see that red star?

See all the blue "water" all around it?

 

I grew up there, at the farthest tip of the "island"

northeast of where that huge red star is on that map.

 

 

 

 (Google image)

 

 

 

 

I grew up on a jutting peninsula - with water on all 3 sides of us.

We refer to it is the Northcoast of the States.



(This is fuzzy but shows it a little better)

(Google)


 We're not midwest, we're Northcoast!

Midwest is more Iowa and such - & located three states west of us.

We're much closer and more "in tune" with the East Coast.
Driving to the east coast only takes about 12-14 hours.

Look it up on a big map of the States!

The state of Ohio refers to itself as "the heart of it all,"
meaning if you were the USA Ohio would be right at your heart-
upper left part of the body.

 

 

 

Our family's house was right around the corner from this picture below, just to the left and about a five minute walk along the water.

 

(Google image) 

 

 

 

 

When we were young and the lake was much much higher and deeper we used to run and jump off the cliffs into the water.

The below picture on this post of that limestone structure is right next to that house - it is the deepest water and highest point in The Cliffs, and where we jumped.

The structure is decorative and was never functional.
It was artistically made to look like an old well - it is made of the limestone from that area.


By the way my sister who took this picture ran and jumped
 with her four children off this cliff only this past summer.

What a goofus.

She's, um, rather quite FIT is all I can say!

She lives without fear and has lots of fun staying young!

   (Sis took this from her phone, used w/ permission, all rights reserved)

They have the most delightful sunsets there.

(Google)



Really gorgeous sunsets!

When I was young (and naive) I thought everyone
 experienced sunsets like this.


When I moved away and into a city WHEW did I learn differently.

That was a horrible thing to realize.
It still saddens me.

(Google)



The above pic is very close to where my Auntie lived.

Her youngest (my first cousin) bought their family home
so it can stay in their family.

My sister (the goofy cliff jumper) did the same thing for us-
bought the family house to keep it in the family.

There's something so comforting that they were able to do that for us.




Thanks T. and Kath!

Because of you both we can all still "go home!"
 

 

This is of the CIC club
just five minutes walk along the Cliffs/water
 south of our house.

(Google)
 

The area is well known for its amazing peaches, too - at one time the entire peninsula on both sides was almost all peach and grape farms. There are many local small wineries, this is the closest one:

You may read about its history here.

First drop of alcohol I ever had (besides the wine my father made)
 was this Pink Catawba Wine.

It's very very very very sweet, like a dessert wine.

It's best not to drink when too young to be doing so, or just after having several glasses of grape Kool-aid first. Just sayin.

Shudder at the memory.

We used to have an old Lime Kiln in the Cliffs
that was closed for business in 1855. (See below pic.)

Unfortunately for safety reasons it was torn down last year.


We used to scale way high up to the top of this and just hang out.

I wish I had a better picture to show how tall it was. I can't believe it's gone now. I wonder what happened to all the hewn limestone.

(catawbaislandmagazine.com)

 

 

The limestone in the area makes for a nice soil to grow grapes. We have several local wineries - oh my how it would be if we didn't get those cold NorEaster winters and had a longer growing season!

About a half hour away one can find limestone quarries in area.

But here directly is mostly all residential, marinas or golf courses.


 

 

 

OK. this is getting much too long.

 

Just wanted to share a little bit of my home town paradise

with everyone today.

 

♥

 

~Michele

 

 

Have a blessed and wonderful Sunday

- and try to catch the sunset wherever you may be later!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afternoon Tea Luncheon for Six

I very recently had the pleasure of inviting five

very dear friends to tea.

I bought some various flowers at a local flower shop
 and transformed them into this colourful & fragrant centerpiece.

This is my Noritake of Japan in the Lavegas pattern.

I still need to find one more cream soup bowl
to finish this collection.

I used a simple formal white tablecloth and cream damask table runner.


Solid muted gold linen napkins kept the table
from appearing too visually busy. 

I love any chance to use gold chargers, porcelain
 knife holders and pretty gold flatware.

When I host afternoon teas I serve them luncheon style-
 (with soup and salad,) as well as providing traditional tea finger foods.


The favors this time were simple memo pad wallets
with matching pens that went nicely with the table colour pallet.

First tea pots were placed on either end of the table.
My trusty drip catchers and feminine cosies did the trick!

(Buckingham Garden Party and Harney & Sons Paris teas were served.)

Small spinach salads sprinkled with black, white and pink
ground pepper were served first.

Raspberry dressing was put into individual egg cups.

Next served: piping hot homemade Cream of Potato soup.

The fresh bacon on top was a real hit!

The finger foods were brought out on traditional two 3-tier servers.

Savories on top. Scones in middle. Sweets on bottom.


I ran out of room so put the mini quiche in with the scones.

It was fun keeping with the pink and green theme
using coloured breads cut into shapes

.

A silver server with lids and tiny spoons held the
 clotted cream, jam and lemon curd.

Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of it.

 

 

 

 

The final food served was a fruit tart

 in etched pink Depression glass sorbet cups. 

 

(Strawberries, bluberries and kiwi in a pastry shell
with a citrus glaze & whipped cream.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an "aerial view" from the stair landing

The two empty spots on the table is where
 the two large 3 tier servers were placed.

 

 

 

It is always such a pleasure to host a nice afternoon tea.
 

 

Thanks for visiting and allowing me to share tea with you!

 

 

 

 

♥

~Michele

 

 

Linking:

 

Tablescape Thursday * Let's Dish * Simple and Sweet Fridays

Feathered Nest Friday * Show and Tell Friday * Pink Saturday