Merry Christmas!

I want to wish each and everyone of you a blessed Christmas filled with love, friends, and family.

She brought forth her firstborn Son, and laid him in a manger, for there was no room in the inn.

May we all make room for Jesus in our hearts.

There's no place like home for the holidays

There's no place like home for the holidays! Our own home, our childhood home, our children's childhood home (our place)...it's wonderful to spend time with family at this time of the year.

 Trees at night...so pretty!

 Porch decor at our red front door - the red hydrangeas are from my garden, and spray-painted.

 Josey welcomes you.

 The living room

 A tabletop tree

 A better look at the mantel

 The bathroom has a bit of Christmas too.

 A tiny tree on the vanity

 In the back hallway

 Jesus is the reason for the season

 I made peanut brittle for tea time today. The peanut brittle recipe is from Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage and you can find it here.

 I also have toffee, if you would prefer; or how about a sample of each? If you would like the recipe - it's easy - click here. Recipe is courtesy of Lynn from Happier Than a Pig in Mud.

 I had the good fortune to win a giveaway sponsored by Deborah of The Beautiful Matters.

 Deborah crocheted this festive dishcloth. Love the pretty tag she enclosed with the parcel too. :)



 Two pretty dishcloths, perfect in my Christmas kitchen.

Also, yummy Spice Plum tea - that's what I'm drinking today!
Thanks, Deborah! I feel blessed to have won your blog anniversary giveaway!

Santa's Secret

This weekend I tried my hand at something new - a Swedish Tea Ring.

 A beautiful creation, if I do say so myself.

 It tasted as good as it looks - it's kind of like a decorated (and large) cinnamon roll.

 My tea today is Santa's Secret from David's Tea. If you enjoy specialty teas, David's Tea has something for you! I love Santa's Secret, and other favorites include Pumpkin Chai and Pure Chai.

 Santa's Secret is a black tea blend that has tiny candy canes.

 Time for tea! I serve my Santa's Secret with a generous pour of milk. Candy Cane optional. :)

Tea and a tea ring - what could be better?

Tea for Valentine's Day, #4

Valentine's Day is coming soon; have you thought about goodies with a red, pink, or Valentine's Day theme?

Not goodies, but wouldn't you love a bouquet of pink tulips?

Simple, and easy to dress up. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut some chocolate hearts from a pan of brownies.

Add a scoop of ice cream and some cherry pie filling.

Or, just go for a cherry sundae! Warm up the cherry topping first...mmmm.

Cupcakes are a great standby for any celebration. Bake some pink ones, and be sure to serve with a nice pot of tea.

"Come and share a pot of tea, my home is warm and my friendship is free." ~ Emilie Barnes

I'm linking to Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage.

I'm also linking to Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

Valentine's Day Tea Party

In honor of Valentine's Day, and because I enjoy entertaining, I invited two neighbors over for an early Valentine's Day tea.

 I set the table with Old Country Roses china and tablecloth.

 A little treat to take home at each place setting

I placed two teapots on the table to be sure there was plenty of hot water.

On my tiered server, mini cherry cheesecakes and butterscotch scones

 Did you notice the scones are ♥ heart-shaped?

I served butter and strawberry jam with my scones. One could also serve whipped cream, Devonshire cream, or lemon curd.

Yummy! I also served chicken salad sandwiches and an Asian cabbage salad.




A nice variety of teas were available.

And as they say, "A good time was had by all."

Linking to Tuesday Cuppa Tea, A Return to Loveliness, Tea Time Tuesday, Friends Sharing Tea

A Valentine's Tea, just for me

I was in the mood to bake cookies for Valentine's Day. I altered my Christmas sugar cookie recipe to make it chocolate. Then, I put on the tea kettle and made myself a cup of tea to drink with my snack.

 When we went to Dubuque last fall, I found this brown transferware teacup at an antique store.

I find the design enchanting. There was no saucer, but a plain white one will do.

 The cup is ironstone 'Royal Mail' by Myott. (Thanks to Ruth of Antiques and Teacups for information on my teacup!)  The bottom of the cup shows wear, but the rest of it looks nice.

 Faux white roses in a red vase look nice on the table for Valentine's Day.

 In my cup:  Stash Licorice Spice herbal tea - delicious!

Decorated cookies, plus a cupcake from the bakery. It all made for a nice tea time for me this cold winter day.

The cookie recipe came from Jacqueline at Purple Chocolat Home and can be found here.

The original recipe calls for a French Vanilla cake mix. I used chocolate this time. Jacqueline's vanilla has become my go-to recipe for cut-out cookies. Easy and delicious. It makes a small batch (about 15 cookies), so you may wish to double the recipe.


Linking to Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Friends Sharing Tea, Tea Time Tuesday, Teacup Tuesday, and A Return to Loveliness