Pretty Tea Set & Family Goings-on

Greetings to you all!

 I have really missed you!

I have just about enough time today to share a lovely

 china tea set

 my dear friend Mary D gifted me a long while ago ....

 and it is so perfect as Autumn decor,

 or for a lovely fall tea I thought I would share it with you today.

We're having the most perfect outdoor tea time weather,

 but unfortunately there is no time for me to do so. 

In fact, I've not even had time for tea today.

(Is that just sad or what?????)

However I DID grab an ice tea this morning, for the road

and just kept super busy running all day!

That's best I could muster between so much

 work and appointments and tasks

 that are simply long overdue to be finished!

I think the handpainted flowers on this set are stunning.

And I absolutely adore the feet, the fancy gilted handle

 and those sweet finials too!

Mary gave this to me to just

 "take and keep or sell, whatever you do is fine with me!"

Mary is the QUEEN of thrifting -

 no one quite does it better.

So for now I am keeping this to enjoy - but who knows?

I do tend to eventually let go of much of my really beautiful china.

And she understands me.

SHE loves the thrill of the hunt and I love the thrill of the sale!

I only wish she didn't live 3 hours away!

Oh, my goodness, the trouble we could get ourselves into!!!!!

So this past Sunday was 

our sweet little niece Charlotte's Baptism!

That little angel slept through nearly all of her Baptism,

including the Baptismal water fount!

I sat behind her and her momma Angela

and was able to scoot myself around enough

to capture this sweet pic of her sleeping.

We had to miss our nephew's birthday party on Saturday

the day before all this, but here is an amazing

 birthday cake the same Mom above

made for Nathan-the-baseball-lovin-boy!

The entire theme was "Take Me Out to the Ball Game!"

We're talking hot dogs, Cracker Jack, popcorn in little bags, etc.

What a fun party - sure hated to miss it.

The ball players on this darling cake 

are Lego ball players.  : - )

Nathan and his momma Andrea are huge baseball fans.

Like. In. Humungus Cleveland Indian fans.

Here is a cute pic my MIL sent me of him this summer.

Yes. Cleveland Indians hat

 and a big baseball blow-up pool toy.

So now you see what I mean.  : - )

These last two weekends were also two of my nieces'

Homecoming Dances!

Here is my sister's middle daughter, a freshman

going to her first high school dance.

Gosh she sure looks like her momma!

And here is my little sister's eldest daughter, 

who is a sophomore with her boyfriend.

She just got her driver's license

a couple weeks ago, too.

Gosh they're growing fast!

Since most of all this happened within about a week

I will close with my birthday, which was also Sunday.

I met up with my 2 sisters and my 2 daughters 

after the Baptism to spend a much-needed girls'

 night out with dinner, a comedy club and nice hotel

with hot tub and swimming pool.

Here is a pic of my girls and me just before we went out.

My sister Mary Beth captures the best pics with her phone!

And just to show you how the evening progressed

 just after the above one was taken.....

I am not even sure what we were laughing about.

I think we just had joy being together, ya know?

We literally laughed for hours.

And yes, that really is a "Birthday Girl" pin,

along with some pink plastic Mardi Gras beads

my sister brought for me that I am wearing.

Life is short, why not, right?

♥

So now you know a little bit of what I have been up to!

I promise to be back soon to share lots more with you,

including the wedding pics - 

which I haven't even glanced at yet!!!!

 Now THAT is truly busy, folks!

YIKES!!!!!

As always, thank you for your visit!

BIG HUGS!

♥

~Michele

Linking:

Tea Time Tuesday   *   Friends Sharing Tea