MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas from Missouri!  Hope you
have a wonderful Christmas week!

FRIENDS PROGRESSIVE LUNCHEON

Yesterday my Missouri friends

 and I got together for a progressive 

luncheon.  (Janice came up with the idea)

We started a Gina's lovely Victorian

home with true Victorian furnishings

(Karen, Janice and Gina above while

I am taking photos)

At Gina's we had lovely hot cider and appetizers.....

We so admire all her lovely things.

There were lots of beautiful trees to view:

This is actually me at my house which 

was our second stop.  My hair has very 

recently grown  back after experiencing auto

immune alopecia areatia in the summer

of 2018.   I now have grey hair and was

told not to use coloring but I am just

glad to have hair and put the wig away.

And the ladies:

I fed them the savory part of our lunch and 

forgot to take photos of course!

Now on to our French loving gal's house:

Janice's living room is formal and she loves to make things down in her basement "where I create room":

We exchanged gifts and enjoyed

celebrating Karen's December birthday:

Karen collects lusterware like

Tasha Tudor had and Gina

gave her some for her birthday:

We were very happy to consume

1/2 of Janice's delicious coconut cake:

Such a fun day!

2019 CHRISTMAS HOMEMADE

Last year I made 5 shabby chic
 decorations for my tree and this year
 I finished 5 new ones and a topper.

We have a little area to the side
and part of our kitchen called a
Hearth Room and that is where
the tree stands.

These are the ornaments I added
 this year and the tree topper which
is my tribute to the birth of Jesus.

Two are a tribute to
 Queen Victoria
and Albert and I
also added some
Victorian candle clips.

Time to clean up the crafting
mess downstairs.
And like you too, I will be doing my
share of baking now....

Have you enjoyed some crafting,
baking and decorating?  I got to
my crafting rather late as it had to wait
until tea cozies were made first but I
am glad I made some new tree ornaments.

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS #2

Hello again on Monday morning.

I will share some more of the photos I

took yesterday and this "new to me"

English Currier and Ives teapot I

recently purchased.

Someone here just might remember back

when I found this old lithograph in

Fort Collins, Colorado years ago
and shared it on this blog.

Here is a close up of some of the

very old vintage and antique

garland pieces on the tree:

I have a mess in my basement right now as
I am making 5 ornaments and a topper to
add to my Christmas tree.  Glitter abounds on
the tabletop and floor.  I also have some
serious preparations to do as some friends
are coming over Wednesday for our "progressive luncheon" to 3 of the homes.  Our 4th lady friend lives in Fulton so she is joining the rest of us.

Yes, I am a bit of of a teapot queen as of 
late as I acquired these 2 teapots too.
One is a Jackfield English teapot on the
top with a gold painted deer and the
other is a commemorate 1897 Queen
Victoria Jubilee teapot from England.

My kitchen window and our
recent snow yesterday and today:

So I hope you are enjoying the season
and all the blessings of baking,
decorating and fellowshipping!

And take time for tea:

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS

I am sharing some photos

 of Christmastime

decorating here at our cottage:

I am very fond of Nicol Sayre angels:

We always look forward to getting out
my husband's Mom's German nativity
which is very old.

Our tree is a work in progress as I am presently
gluing up a topper and some new ornaments.
My mail lady asked me this week "do you know
you have glitter all over your face"?

These were the ornaments I made last year and
now I am working on some new ones to add.

I also made a new angel ornament
last week playing at crafting:

I will share some 
more photos this 
coming week.

I always love seeing the red
transferware at Christmastime:

I will close with a view of our lovely weather today:

PIERRE DEUX TEA COZIES

I found another small piece of Pierre Deux

purple toile fabric I was thrilled to be able

to make a few more cozies.

click here if interested!

A THANKSGIVING MEMORY

Today I was looking back at some old photos

from when I first started blogging in

2008 (wordpress blog) and did a post

of these photos.  The first is of the painting

by Doris Lee displayed in 1935.

The next one was a reenactment for

an old 1987 Country Living Magazine:

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving

this week which comes rather late !  I am
so thankful and blessed to have food,  a
warm house, clothing and I am grateful to
the Lord for his many blessings!
  

LARGE SELECTION TEA COZIES ON ETSY

I have many new tea cozies

listed on my Etsy page - I hope

you can check them out!

click here

A VISIT TO THE LONDON TEA ROOM

For a long time I have wanted to visit

the London Tea Room in St. Louis.

When my friend Janice's November birthday
arrived, I wanted her to get to go to an 

Afternoon Tea.  Here's the birthday girl:

We found the London tea room to

be in a charming old building in St. Louis.

  With an Afternoon Tea Tray you eat
 from the bottom up so first there

were 3 savories. Lower plate: a chicken 
salad croissant, cucumber sandwich and
 salmon sandwich.  The scones with clotted
 cream and strawberry jam from England
 were on the middle plate and the top held
 4 desserts:
chocolate mousse cup, treacle tart, 
a macaroon and an orange madeleine.

  

I have given Afternoon Teas myself so I
 appreciate all the work that goes into this 
variety of finger foods.  I was dressed a
bit silly and fun for the occasion.

We were seated in a large lovely room
in the back and the front is reserved for
walk-ins who order pastries, tea and
there is a gift shop area.

I hope you will take time to check your

area and see if someone serves Afternoon 

Tea.  Yes, at first you might think it is
 more expensive but when you understand
 how special and unique the experience is - 
it can't be compared to lunch in a restaurant.
 (do I get an Amen from the tea room owners?)