It's a Red and White Christmas

So excited about  Sandi's new   Monday meme.... celebrating    the holidays in style!  Today  was  my day of transition....  time to pack up autumn and   start  the  big plan   for  Christmas!

So  right now.   I  am starting with a clean slate!Looks pretty dull doesn't it....  Well,   as  I am planning   for  the    holiday  festivities  I   have  made the first   great  decision... I have traded in my  black transfer ware  for the red!   HAHAHAHA!   

and  this lovely   English pastoral    by Johnson  Brothers is my  inspiration....    the tea is also putting a smile  on my face and a lilt in my step.....

So now I   will take  a stroll through the past few years  to  glean a few ideas...

Now  this    was  a favorite    from a couple of years ago....

I love  working plaids  into  every  room!  Must be the Scotch  in me... and I'm not talking the liquid kind!
That year I was  working the fruit theme, at least on the mantel....

it looked pretty  great  at night  all alight!

  but all mantels look  wonderful a t night... like the  angel one...

  I  loved the  dining room,  but alas,   there was no red transfer ware   to be seen...

I  am loving the   Christmas  village  and  once we cleaned the basement  we found  our    houses! yayayaya
  (My bad)
 
 and that year the   fox family and the red transfer ware  found  their home in the dining room!

But actually I had just started  collecting it back then....

IN 2013  daddy  went to heaven the week before Christmas....  it was a more serious  time... but  still  very  lovely,  because our   precious granddaughter  had recently been born!

it appears that the   red  transfer ware  will be  something a bit   new and fresh this year!!!
hmmmmm...

I  am pretty excited about  this   plan for the  2015....  I have this whole week to think about and put it into action!!!!   YAYAYAYA!
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Takes me Back to Merry Olde Ireland

I am loving  this    autumn-like weather, even though we still have   a few days   to go  to actually
  call it "Fall".
This   cool weather  brings to mind   my   lovely  Irish   travels.
Last spring we were in  Ireland for two weeks  and it was   a dream come true,   but  I wonder what it would be like  to be there in Autumn.


In actuality it is much like here in Virginia


Until   the rugged landscape, architecture, and   mountains   come into view...






Then    my    longings for   the old country   really    start nagging me until my only recourse is to  take out  the Irish Breakfast Tea,  my  lovely  dainty  tea cup.....
I chose  Staffordshire Bouquet by Johnson Brothers  becasue I  love their  boldly muted  colors  that remind me of    autumn....

and bake up a loaf of Irish soda  bread ...

This morning I used Ina Garten's recipe  that I shared this week  on  Mondays Happy Homemker.

Now I   am  beginning to  feel the  Irish spirit   come upon me.. the aroma of the  freshly baked bread, and  the   delightful  scent of   warm Irish tea  definitely puts a jig in my step and a lilt in my heart! 

now  to

 slice the bread and slather it  with  melted  Kerrygold and   while away an hour  in   Irish reverie!
 The music found at the bottom of my blog is just the mood for  my celtic reflections!
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My Very First Mad Tea Party

There is a place, like no  place on earth.

A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger!

Some say, to survive it,  you need to be as mad as a hatter.  

Which luckily, I am!

~Alice in Wonderland

Whoooooo's excited about  the Mad  Tea Party  over at Fanciful Twist!!!!

  Well, the party has already started so you're going to be late!!!!!

Follow me...  we can still make it to Schotzy's  woodland cottage... 

You know it is all about celebrating the 150th Anniversary  of  Lewis Carroll's marvelous book!

  But  at Schotzy's party it is all about fun, music, and   tea. Listen, I can hear the music now!!!

The fairies  have assembled..

 Miranda 's   all tuned up!!

Ahh,  we are  so fortunate today, King Frederick Frog  will   take charge and keep  everyone in line!! 

The Twitterings  welcome  one and all!

Ahem!   If you will  all pass right through here please...  we shall  find our  way to the  glen of merriment!
Step carefully here, please...

Right along through here, I  think,.. um...   I hope...
 

No need to pause for a rest... plenty of time for that  soon enough!

Oh, dear,   excuse me, madame,    Oh, please,  I  do  beg your pardon,,,    ahem,,,  now I  do believe,   ...  umm,   yes,   I think......  ah,   at last,  yes,     but if you please, just  one more  left turn through here and we're there!

And  I do believe  we  can see   our way clear  now...

The alarming clock  announces....

  

And so  ....( Drum roll, please) I present  darjeeling...  for my  darlings!

And the tea is ready!!!

The fairies sing an ode to  the cup!

  (Fanfare)

White rabbit makes  a huge announcement!

YOU  have been chosen  the Queen of the  Party!  The Fairy Queen will  crown you!

 Never  fear, Darling,   the Queen of Hearts is vacationing in Boca!

So be a dear,  would you mind  pouring the  tea for us?

  What!!!!!!!!!!!

What mischief is this!

Someone has quite  forgotten his manners: he must have left them in his nasty little  burrow  along the garden path....

AwK!  If I may divert your attention.uh,...uh, uh, uh     my dears,,   we shall now   move right through the glass  .. to our tea!

The fairies and the 

 woodland creatures   serenade  the   partiers...  
The Twitterings    declare, "It's  a huge success!"  

 and wish everyone who  visits   a  very  Mad Day!

Hope you  enjoyed  our first  Mad  Tea.. now I'm off to visit  some other parties!  Come on,,, let's go together!

Today is also, Pink Saturday!

  BTW.... As I ran across this wonderful post  I am adding it here to share with mothers do  not   think  they should  teach children about fairies...   I love this   prinicple of  teaching!

I   still believe in the possibility of them.... and my mind loves to imagine them  among the flowers  and  making friends with the woodland creatures.  If C.S. Lewis and Tolkien can have fairies,,,  then    so can we!

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