Pink Vintage Roses Tea & Giveaway Winner!

There's something about the spring

 that just brings out the "girlie" in me.

It's the perfect time to grab pretty things

such as soft pink roses china for tea time!

Tea time is so much more than simply sipping tea.

As important as a perfectly brewed quality tea is, to me,

 it is equally important to make it a special event now and then.....

even if it is just for me alone.

Tea always seems to taste better

 when sipped from a beautiful teacup, don't you agree?

Today I enjoyed a brisk black tea

 and brownie bites with a dark chocolate frosting

 and a sweet fresh raspberry on top!

(And no, I did NOT eat all three!)

The teacup is an old Austrian roses swag set -

 very precious, delicate and thin.

The plate the brownies are sitting on

 is vintage Bavarian - love the edges of that plate.

The silk floral arrangement in the background
is one I made from a lone saucer-less teacup.

That little hat was a favor/memento

 from a tea I attended last year.

The yellow in the hat picks up the barely-showing

yellow roses on the snack plate!

The background is a rose fabric photo/bulletin board

and the china birdhouse is a favorite of mine.

It's nice to get the spring floral things back out again -

opening the boxes is like Christmas all over again!

And what you have all been waiting for.....

drum roll, please....

Announcing the giveaway winner

of this sweet little china teapot trinket box:

Congrats goes out to JAMIE

who wrote:

"Purple is my fav color, and I do collect
 pretty tea items.
It is really beautiful, and I have just
 the space for it...Yay


Jamie, be sure to write me asap with your email
 and street address so I can send this to you asap!


As always, thank you all for your visit today!


♥

~Michele

Linking:

Tea Time Tuesday *  Tea with Friends  * Teacup Tuesday - Terri

Teacup Tuesday - Martha  * You're Gonna Love It 

Return to Loveliness *  Share Your Cup   * Tablescape Thursday

ROYGBIV - The Rainbow Connection!

A couple of days ago my little sister called very excited

 and told me to go to the front of my house to

see the most incredible double rainbow.

Well, as any good blogger would do I first grabbed my camera

 and in just that tiny fraction of a half minute to do so

 the second rainbow eluded me.

However I was able to capture a bit of the rainbow

 to share with all of you!

I seldom see such a brilliant rainbow

 that actually shows the blue and purple so nicely!

I thought it was so extraordinary I ran to tell

 our left side neighbors with 4 little children.

 The wee ones need to see these things!

They all came out in their cute little jammies.

This was around 7:30 pm - and the sun is low behind.

The back of our house is west - and the sun  

was shining through the side just before it went out of sight

 behind the trees and house back there.

The timing and lighting and rain clouds was just perfect

to give us this beautiful gift from God.

(That's how I view these miracles of beauty, anyway!)

It is begininning to wane here

 but you can see how extraordinary this was!

(I took this standing on my front porch.)

The rainbow spanned the entire sky

 in one huge glorious heavenly arc!

Whatever your cross,

whatever your pain,

there will always be sunshine,

after the rain.

Perhaps you may stumble,

perhaps even fall,

But God’s always ready,

To answer your call.

He knows every heartache,

sees every tear,

A word from His lips,

can calm every fear.

Your sorrows may linger,

throughout the night,

But suddenly vanish,

in dawn’s early light.

The Savior is waiting,

somewhere above,

To give you His grace,

and send you His love.

Whatever your cross,

whatever your pain,

“God always sends rainbows

after the rain.”

Credit: C. Ciccone



Linking:

As always, thank you for your visit!

♥

~Michele

Also linking:

Masterpiece Monday

Our World Tuesday

Springtime Tablescape

I love this time of year when everything is all about the outdoors!

Even when raining outside we're aware of nature coming to life;

the birds are nesting, the flowers are blooming, the trees are reborn!

Today's tablescape is all about outdoors:

BIRDS * BEES * FLOWERS* TREES!

These pretty painted bird china mugs

with all their glorious colour

were my inspiration.

Simply placed right down the middle of the table,

 they act as a part of the centerpiece

till they're needed for tea!

If I set a 4-place table I usually do all 4 sides,

 this one I did a little differently and placed things

 across from one another

 to keep the ends of the table free for easy drink service.

I kinda like it, though I am a big fan of the end chairs' arm rests!

Here's a little closer look of the kitchen table setting.

Green is the colour of springtime!

Sweet eldest daughter & her hubs

 brought me this gorgeous bouquet.

(THEY were actually my inspiration for this table's colorful theme!)

Hint for keeping cut flowers alive longer:

Place them in the fridge before going to bed.

Fresh water, fresh cutting of ends, flower saver all help too

but nothing works quite like the fridge.
 I took these pictures today - yet received them on Easter Sunday three and a half weeks ago and they are still fresh!

Simple floral linen napkins, rattan chargers,

 leaf shaped dinner plates, outdoors-themed salad plates

bring the garden inside for this tablescape.

The napkins were made by my friend and fellow local blogger Cindy from Custom Comforts blog.  She has a wonderful etsy shop.

Ivy winding around the salad plates
 helps bring the outdoors in!

Here's a very close-up pic of the salad plates. 

(Hubs would approve of that "Keep Off the Grass" sign -haha.)

I have 3 little fine china wall plates
 with bees flowers and dragonflies on them.

Here's close-ups of a couple of the bees on the plates!

Linking up to the party over at
  Let's Dish
 for the mem theme
 "Birds, Bees, Flowers and Trees!"

Also linking to:

Tablescape Thursday * Time Travel Thursday  *  Feathered Nest

Tutorials tips & Tidbits  *  Share Your Cup *  Treasure Hunt

Seasonal Sundays  *  Let's Dish

Blissful Whites Wednesday

Hello my dears-

I am popping in for a quick hello today!

I hope you are all having a wonderful week.

I know how busy I've been lately -

 betting you have been, too!

It's that time of year -

 nesting, preparing gardens,

 freshening things up inside & out!

If you get the chance to do so,

 please pop on over for a visit to

Blissful Whites Wednesday

and Becky at Timewashed!

(You will be very glad you did so!)

There's still time to enter my giveaway!

As always, thanks for your visit!

♥

~Michele

Vintage Pink Plate Plaque

I sometimes find the sweetest treasures

 while out and about thrifting and hitting antique shoppes.

This sweet plate is no exception.

I love its patches of dark pink with its fancy scalloped

holed edges with gilding.

I'm not one to ever really hang plates on a wall

 so she has been used on occassion along with a paper doily

 to serve petite fours and mini cupcakes in the past

 when having a friend or two over for a little tea social visit.

(But right now she is making a really pretty candle holder!)

I love this silk floral candle ring,

even the roses look "spent," which makes it so realistic!

And with a little bit of Pic Monkey imagination

it also makes a mighty fine framed piece of artwork!

Don't forget my giveaway this month!

As always, thank you for visiting!

♥

~Michele

Linking:

Open House

Simple and Sweet Friday

Thrifty Things Friday

Feathered Nest Friday

Show and Tell Friday

Pink Saturday

Card Party - April

Here's 4 of my fav pics for this month's

 CARD PARTY at A Haven for Vee!

I DO have a theme here but you may not know it......

these are all items that have sold this last month in my store

FINCH REST EMPORIUM!

IF YOU HAVEN'T YET SIGNED UP FOR MY GIVEAWAY BE SURE TO GO HERE TO DO SO!

As always, thank you for your visit!

Hugs,

~Michele

Pretty Purple Tea Time & GIVEAWAY!

Oh, how lovely that spring is in the air!

And spring is the perfect time

 to get out one's pretty china

to enjoy a beautiful tea time.

I think today it's best that I skip the treats because

I haven't been skipping them at all lately!

I am nowhere close to being in 

skimpy warm- weather clothing shape!

Because it's finally warm enough outside

 for these pretty sweet-smelling Violas now!

So today my tea is simple:

A few nice hot cuppas with some honey

and using a sweet little violets china spoon to stir it in

to make it seem extra special.

I think I will spruce up the tea area by also having one of my 

own purple floral creations - since the colours are perfect.

I have been making silk floral arrangements for years.

This one is one of my prettiest.

And because time is short today (so many projects going on)

I think I will be using a teabag tea

 that a Tea Society friend gave me -try something different

for a nice change.

I will be using this sweet violets teabag holder. 

It has a matching china napkin ring,

 but since I won't be snacking I won't be using that!

And last but not least:

Announcing a new GIVEAWAY!!!

A sweet little china teapot trinket box!

This goes till the last day of the month; teatime Tuesday, April 30th!

While it's not mandatory to be a follower of Finch Rest to win this giveaway, it sure is nice to me if you are!

Simply leave a comment to enter stating your interest in the giveaway!

(USA and Canada only please. So sorry.)

You get an extra entry if you mention this giveaway on your blog.

Just leave a second comment stating you did so

 with the link to it - double your chances to win!

♥

As always, thank you for visiting!

Have a tealightful day!

Hugs,

~Michele

Linking:

Friends Sharing Tea

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Teacup Tuesday - Terri

Teacup Tuesday  - Martha

Share Your Cup

Open House Party