2015 THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Here's my Year In Review:

I have chosen one post from each month. Some of these are from Friends Sharing Tea, Tea In the Garden and Bernideen's Tea Time, Cottage and Garden postings for the year of 2015!

For the Month of January I chose "Taking Tea In Comfort". As you can see it was snowy outside but cozy inside!  

And what about February? 

 Here was my pick: 

"The Week of Valentines Day":

Now for March I chose this post:

"Turning Green":

Now that April came along I chose this post to feature:

"Springtime Pansy Table":

May is one of the loveliest months in some places - in Colorado we still have the possibility of snow.  I chose this post:

"Taking Time For the Things You Love":

Now we come to June when the fun

 really started in the garden:

"First Tea In the Garden" this year:

For the month of July I am sharing this post:
"A Bouquet in the Garden": for Tea In The Garden

And on to August:
"Under The Lace Umbrella"  for Tea In The Garden

And September was still lovely:
It was a time for "Tea For Two" out in the garden:

October was a beautiful month in 
Colorado and
 so I shared this post: 
 "Chappie Finds A Garden"

November was a time to share
the collection I've started working on last year: 
 "Going Ahead With Red Transferware"

The last month of the year was easy because
 of all the decorating!
I chose this post for my last review

because we got to go to Georgetown,

Colorado during the Christmas season.

The 55th Annual Georgetown Street Market:

To be retired and get to attend this

was a wonderful blessing to us.

Hope 2016 is wonderful for you and your family!

"THE WORLD MOVES ON AND WE MUST MOVE ON WITH IT"!

This will be a year of change for my husband and I as we make our last move to be near family for retirement.  We have lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado for 22 years.

 In 2016 we will be moving to Columbia, Missouri to be near our son, daughter in law and two grandchildren.  We are excited

 and trying to 

"Keep Calm and Carry On"!

Early in 2015,  Jann Olson inspired me (link) with her fun New Year's Mantle so during the year as I went to various flea markets, antique malls and out door park vintage market events, I watched for old windup clocks to do my own mantle display.  I saw more in my journeys but price was always part of the criteria.  I also wanted a glittery "Happy New Year" sign but never saw one I liked.

Please don't ask the time though as it could get a little confusing.  Well actually, take your pick!

Lady Mary said it well, 
"The world moves on and we must move on with it." 
  Downton Abbey.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

LYNN BEAN'S DECADENT CHRISTMAS ORANGE/CRANBERRY BREAD

After seeing Lynn Bean post a wonderful Decadent

 Orange/Cranberry Bread, (click for recipe) I decided it was a "must bake"!  

I did everything just as Lynn's recipe suggested except I also added 2/3 cup of chopped dried apricots.  The only other suggestion I have is that in the past I found chopping the cranberries makes them all taste sweeter so I make sure 
each one is opened with a chop!

I have done some serious baking this Christmas and tried some things I've always wanted too. I make mistakes too.  You know like dumping the cake out too soon and it sticks.  I try to make a note of my mistakes so I can avoid them the next time. Have you been baking?  It has been great fun!

Every day my husband and I joke about "not having to go to work" and believe me I am so happy to be retired.

My husband had a big glass jar on the floor by his desk where he always throws his pocket change.  Today he took it to the bank and dumped in the machine.  He came in the door later and asked me to guess how much it was.  My guess was - $47.47 and he just laughed.  He said no - "it was over $400.00". 
 Can you imagine that?  I said, let's go to the grocery store!

A HAPPY CHRISTMAS BED

This last Saturday I got inspired to cut up a couple  old Christmas tablecloths and make

 a bed cover for our extra bed which is an antique full size.  (I later saw the red and green ck tablecloth came from Kohl's)

The red and green square table cloth was wide so I turned it across the bed and it was long enough on the sides - I just had to cut up and add another section to the top so I used another tablecloth with the snowman and Santa.  Of course this would not have worked if the fabric didn't go both ways! 

If my Granddaughter was here she would love to sleep in this bed! Doesn't this afghan bring a smile?  I found it at an antique mall in Denver where the gal hadn't even priced it yet.  It was laying on a chair as she was putting new items in her booth.  I picked it up immediately and thought it was great fun!

I cut up a third tablecloth and combined two fabrics to make a couple of Pillow Shams and make one extra toss pillow!   And underneath?  I recently found a nice 100% wood green and red plaid blanket for 1/2 off in a booth at an antique mall in Denver.

  Many of the booths at antique malls now have
 their Christmasy things 1/2 off.

Some of you might wonder if you can wash old

 wool throws and blankets, etc. The answer is yes, 

 I wash them with cold water and yes,

 throw them in the dryer too!

You might as well pour yourself some hot cocoa!  And enjoy a wonderful Christmas book too!

The picture on the wall above is called "Under the Mistletoe"!
It's formerly heavy bright gold frame is now vintage
 white thanks to my husband who has an open mind!

SUNDAY CELEBRATION

THE SNOWLADY TEA

The decorations are done - time to bake!

Maybe you are like me and have stacks of recipe books

 and folders of printed out recipes on the kitchen table right now! 
 Now that the decorations are out it is time to do some baking!  Every year my Snowlady has a tea and this year
 she is delighted to have guests!

Snowlady saw a recipe in the 2015

 November/December

 issue of Victoria which looked so fun! 

 You can find the recipe

 in the recent issue for these little tarts.

 (Food alert here: there are nuts in the pastry)

As you can see, my Snowlady loves to have a tea party too!

Snowlady had no problem finding the Dalmatia fig spread for this tart recipe but she also used Cherry Tart Filling.  There are also toasted hazelnuts and almonds in the pastry.  People must be doing a lot of baking because there were no 10 lb. bags of sugar on the shelves at the market!

Mr and Mrs Fox wanted to come to Snowlady's Tea Party and they were happy to get to come home now that they are no longer in the Christmas window at my store which closed this summer.

I will be on the look for a tiny 1" star cookie cutter as I

 did not have one - Snowlady used a tiny angel

 one and little round design for my pastry tops.

OH COME LET US ADORE HIM

This summer we went through our German Nativity set pieces and realized that something was going wrong.  Many of the pieces were just dissolving and there was no evidence of why or where the plaster composition was falling off - just gone!  We then paid a visit to the Doll Doctor who worked on our set.  This set was give to us from my husband's Mother.  It is from the German family that adopted her as a baby and we imagine it is over 100 years old.

The set is fairly extensive - it even has waxed paper Palm Trees.  I think there are 20 pieces beside the creche itself.

We visited Bethlehem in 1999.  My Mother In Law paid for her 2 sons and their wives to go.  I remember visiting The Church of the Holy Nativity which overshadows the place where it is believed that Jesus was born.   

I love the story of Mary:
Matthew 1:20b-21   ......the angel of the Lord appeared unto him (Joseph) in a dream, saying, Joseph thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:  for he shall save his people from their sins.

the story of the shepherds:
Luke 2:8-12
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon the, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

the story of the wise men:
Matthew 2:1-2
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?  for we have seen his star in he east, and are come to worship him.

Vs 11  And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him:  and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold and frankincense, and myrrh.

I hope you will take a few moments during the Christmas Season to reflect on what Christmas is all about!