Saturday, December 24, 2022

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

 I extend a big thank you
to everyone who follows
my blog.  And I hope
you all have a Merry
and Happy Christmas!

Thursday, December 22, 2022

FRIENDLY VILLAGE TABLE SETTING

The beloved Friendly Village  
(Johnson Brothers)
always makes for a cozy table.  
I recently got 6 plates on ebay.
They were advertised as dinner but
 are actually 9 7/8" luncheon but I
 will live with them  A dinner plate
 is actually 10 1/2" and this happens
 a lot on ebay. (be forewarned)


I have had these glasses now for
over fifty years.






The room awaits
having some ladies
over for a tea luncheon.


It has been snowing lightly 
all day:

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

HEARTH ROOM DINING ROOM

 Since we moved to our retirement
cottage, we have not had a
dining room.  I love hospitality
so recently I have been thinking
of using our hearth room as a dining
 room which was it's original purpose.
  It is a little area attached to the kitchen
but with a fireplace.


We brought up the old reproduction
Duncan Phyfe table (the leaf is
out at this time). We put it in
 the center of room lining it up 
with the fireplace.


With winter upon us, I can
still have people over and with
the leaf inserted I can seat 8 here 
and 4-6  over to the right on table
 in the kitchen).  It gets cold downstairs
 in the winter so this is better and
cozy next to the fireplace.

For fun I set the table with dishes 
which are mostly
Red English
Copeland Spode Tower.

I am going to have fun here because
in Colorado I always kept the dining
room table set with dishes.  Of course, 
people who came in asked who
are you having
for dinner?


The teapot and coffeepot
are English Mason's Vista.

I think I should have done
this when we moved into
this house going on
7 years ago!


So what I 
haven't 
mentioned is that now we have a sofa waiting in
the front hallway
that needs to be
taken down to
the basement.

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Saturday, December 17, 2022

CHRISTMAS DOWNSTAIRS IN THE TEA ROOM

 

It's always fun decorating
 downstairs
in the tea room. 




I have both English bone china Christmas
teacups and saucers and also 1950's
luster ones from Japan.





I just was blessed to give away some
cups and saucers and tea mugs to
several young ladies this week
because they are getting interested
in Afternoon Tea.  I just have more
than I need for sure so I was 
privileged to share.


The stockings I made from an
old quilt back in the 1970"s:





Friday, December 16, 2022

A SPECIAL LADY'S LINENS

 In 2019 a lovely, classy Christian lady
went to be with the Lord.  Her name 
was Marie Smith and I was the recipient
of a box of her old linens, crochet and
tablecloths.  I have wanted to make
some Christmas Stockings with some
of those pieces to send back as a
memory for her family. The base of
the stocking was a table cloth
sewn over white burlap 
and then doilies that belonged
 to her are sewn over the tablecloth.
(all are lined as well)


The long piece on the back
says "when this you
see remember me".

You know when it's time 
to get things done or
past time right?

Here are the other two
stockings:


The photos can be moved (except on
the back of the first one I made which
 is when I decided not to sew them
 directly
on the fabric anymore after that).

We loved Marie Smith and her husband
Pastor Frank W. Smith who married 
us "back in the day" in Des
Moines, Iowa - 1968.

So glad to get this in the
mail today!

Saturday, December 10, 2022

HIGH TEA LADIES ARE HERE

 Saturday I had a High Tea for a
group of 9 ladies.  This was like
a supper with a pot of tea.  This
 would not be the darling Afternoon
 Tea finger foods but rather
hardy food the working class
would have normally been served
at the end of the day.

I took this photo of one of the
2 tables, the night before:


Of course, my High Tea was
more elaborate than bread,
cold ham, pickles and cheese but
you get the idea.



This was the 3rd time I had these
ladies this year but our earlier teas
were Afternoon Teas.  Learning the
difference by actually eating the foods
really was a lesson.



 

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

AFTERNOON TEA OR HIGH TEA

 


I came across this fun article
today and think it will help
you understand the difference
between Afternoon Tea and
the evening meal called "High
Tea":


Do you see Dad over there
hanging up his coat?

Sunday, December 4, 2022

DECORATING TIME #2

 Hello dear Friends!


Every year I look forward to
getting out my angel
collection.  I don't buy anymore
now as I have plenty.





They are certainly some
of my favorite decorations and
are predominately by Nicol Sayre.

At couple years back, I made the
Ephemera Nativity piece
below left.




What's not to love
about decorating
for Christmas?


More to come......

Saturday, December 3, 2022

DECORATING TIME IS HERE

 I am sharing my new vintage quilt
I got at the Warson Woods Antique Mall
in St Louis last week.

I have been looking for a red and
white one for a while and I am happy.


I usually do all my indoor decorating
in one very long day but this year I did
it over a four day period taking more
time and not rushing.  I guess I am now
officially guilty of putting things in same
place as last time.


My tea cart out in the kitchen was
the perfect spot for my red
 transferware
tureen.

I love baking and enjoying special foods during this season although I have concerns about what is happening to my waistline for sure. What will you baking this year?


We always enjoy getting out the
nativity my husband's Mom gave us
years ago.  It is well over 100 years old.




I am sure you can relate to the fact that
every year I promise myself I will get
more done than I do.  I think I will have
time for more baking and
crafting but where does time go? 





I love curling up on the sofa in a nice 
warm robe and reading these lovely
English publications and Hoffman
Media specialty magazines.




I hope you have as much
 fun decorating
as I did...





More to come.....