A Book Chat Tea Begins to Take Shape

If you have been following my blog you know how much I love planning a tea.   This link   will   refer back to my plans for the  Book Chat Tea  I am planning for late March..  a    recent  post  told how  my theme  is inspired  by   CS Lewis  partly because 

of his wonderful tea quote:'
"You can't get a cup of tea big enough

or a book long enough to suit me."

And because of his love of books!
I have been working  on  the house a bit more..in the earlier post I showed how I  rearranged the furniture for  cozy chatting,   but  I have been  working now on    decor,   the menu, and  some favors.
One of the favors   is found here.
( A gorgeous template for a CS Lewis bookmark)

Because I am using my blue and white china  I  was  bringing out my    blue hydrangeas  along with  the early springs ...besides, blue hydrangeas make me so happy!  
I am also  so very excited  to be using my new framed blackboard...  Seeing these on Pinterest  just  pulled me right in..I was going to  try to make one until I found this one at  AC Moore...the perfect foil for  sharing my  tea party menu! 

I mentioned in my earlier post that the room arrangement was a work in progress...  there were  remnants of Christmas past  still in evidence...

Now  there are more  hydrangeas

mixed in with  potted plants ...

 Springtime greens  set in  diamante  is always   a good choice!

The wall hanger   has lost  its  yule look  and  now is the  mass of  meadow glasses   with   a regal  hydrangea or two!

 So now Id say the reading parlor   is  draped  for the occasion

 As  my  If Teacups Could Talk  book  says,   it is best to  take tea out of doors,  but if you can't  bring the outdoors in!"

 Uh, oh.... Even as I pan around the parlor I glimpse a bit of  left over  valentine roses in the dining room....  

well, onward we go as  we  continue to plan  this   wonderful experience....  sharing heart, hearth, and home around a great book and a cup of tea!

Since many of my menu items are    new to me,  I will be posting more about those  this coming week...   and  goody for me....  I have been working in the dining room now and have much more to share   so please    click  the read more  button!!!!!!!!

Suits me to a Tea

It feels  so  great to have the  Christmas decorations down and put away.... to  start out  the new year, I am thinking  fresh....  and  that makes me think  yellow and blue!

  

I see from this photo  from a few years ago, I was in a yellow and  blue mood as well,   but   this year I am changing it up a bit...the challenge  is always,  how I can  make it  really speak to my inner sensibilities!

My sensibilities  this  new year  are  strained from one end of the spectrum to the other....  dealing with death of a parent  on one extreme, and the  birth of my first grandchild on the other...so  it's no telling   how I will  bring yellow  for the   excitement of   new life together with the "blues"  of  loss and  memories....  it is a work in progress...  so   I'll finish  this post   in a few hours!

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The table is set for tomorrow's   mini  brunch    with my  Prayer Sista's

I think it  looks   casually cheerful!

I  really   love the  soft creamery yellow   against the  various blues for January..   it still  recalls the  crispness of  a  winter's day with the  promise of  a Southern  sun  shining through the window panes..

I never got my snowmen out for the holidays,

so  this handsome fellow  will keep us smiling  ! 

The blue transferware patterns  have been my last one to  start  adding to my collection,  probably, because they seem to be  so  prevalent, at least around here...  so  my collection is rather limited...I   love   searching  through   antique and consignment shops  looking for  various   items  ...  mix and match suits me to a tea!  This first plate, Im not   so   enticed by  for its story  is  pretty one-dimensional.. 

Most of the rest  are  English   countryside themes... 

I   was  fortunate to find a  set of 3  of these   in my favorite consignment shop last winter. 

But this is my favorite... I always   am drawn  to the castle patterns  first and foremost! 

I have now collected   the black, red, and blue....  but my available storage limits me to these three without a doubt!

So  now in the morning all I will have to do is  bake my Impossible Quiche and  perk the coffee, steep the tea, and  look forward to sharing with  my very best friends! 

I am  sharing on Seasonal Sundays..

A Return to Loveliness@ A Delightsome Life

Martha’s Favorites @ Martha’s Favorites

Tea Time Tuesday @ Rose Chintz Cottage

Teacup Tuesday @ Artful Affirmations

Friends Sharing Tea @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

Share Your Cup Thursday@ http://jannolson.blogspot.com

Cottage Style Linky Party@ http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com

Springy Rooms

With the  onset of  these fabulouss  bright, cool, radiant, verdant days   it is  just  pure pleasure and delight to   walk from room   to room   enjoying    the touches of  springtime!  

 A new  teapot...

fresh flowers 

a  new arrangement

springy  tablescapes

 hutches and mantels

and freshly painted rooms.  
I am also  sharing on  The Tablescaper

Table Top Tuesday ~ A Stroll Thru Life

Mom's Birthday

My dear Mother is 90 today!

I love this photo of  her and Amanda   on her  85th birthday....

  so  today   we have a  small  soiree'  for her  and     some in town family!

Ive been prepping  all morning.

The   weather is so   wonderful and   the  flowers outside  are  so  luscious  we are celebrating in the sunroom, so  first I had to   spring-ify  the room...   which is  usually decked out in red!

 Since Mother  lives in a nursing facility   she missed the  glory of Easter at home, so   there are  traces of  Easter around to tickle her fancy!

Picking   both mom and dad up   in their  wheel chairs  will be    a  bit  time consuming so   we are very thankful that  Chic-fil-A  is  right on the way home!

The complete menu:

Chicken strips  with   delectable   polynesian and  honey mustard  dips

cole slaw

  I  am  baking  some  

 baked beans  deluxe

macaroni salad

  and  cherry cheesecake 

We  have  invited    our Sil's   parents   to join us..

 A lovely day for  a  special   day of commemoration!.I only wish the kids could be here too!...Aha.. perhaps this will be a skype moment!

                Pink Saturday@How Sweet the Sound

Seasonal Sunday@ The Tablescaper

Matters of the Heart

There is nothing  like    getting  together  with your  sisters in Christ   for   fellowship and   prayer...
Leisuring over our  cups of   tea and coffee, sharing   our lives and   what  we  are  learning  through our  Spirit life is  a  precious treasure to us....   and  God is moving  so much   in each of lives,   there is never a dull  moment....

We  enjoyed  our  wonderful  Valentine Brunch this morning....celebrating   Judy's birthday!...   it was so great   getting together   as we do every Saturday to pray,   but   today  for   a bit of fun, as well..   well, to  be honest  we always have fun!!!!  But   today  the  Spirit   flowed , not only  in  our time together,   but in the preparations as well.
 Last week I  shared about the  tablescape here.
This morning  I wa s  anxious to  get the cooking   done....
  You'll want to   see  what  we   ate   ...  it  was   fabulous!!   Click on!!!!!

Blue Treasures

Join The Tablescaper   for  more  Seasonal Sunday.   it seems   the  issue   for early  January is   see how  many  sales you  can find....   I have seen  some  amazing   items found   ...  Mine may not be such  fantastically low  prices,  but they a re  exactly  what I was looking for....

Our  teen women  at church a re working with the older women  to    make pillow case dresses    to be sent to the children in Africa..I stopped in The Company Store  which is  going out of business  in our locality  to  see about pillowcases,  but  found  wonderful  pillow shams  in  great  colors....   I believe  if I  take these  apart and rework them they would do just as well...  and I paid  $1.00  each  as opposed to    $15.00   each... that  was  a pretty good savings!

Then I stopped in at Stein Mart  to look  and   didnt find any   cases  but did find these   darling    reversible placemats  and  a pair of matching napkins    all for under $10.00..  I think they  will look great  with today's find...I am   so   enamored with blue transfer ware. and  imagine my   joy

  when  there  behind   some other  blue dishes I found  these!

 Four  cups and saucers  which match  the  two plates I found  last week ... Wedgewood, Countryside

pattern.... I  looked  these up at Replacements and  one saucer  and cup   sells for  $11.95..  while I got all four    for  $11.95  at  one of my  favorite consignment  shops!   Isnt that exciting!

  I was  so   thrilled  I went ahead  and got  this  wonderful find... I didnt  save anything on it..  it sells  for the same price at Replacements... $9.99 but is  so divine,   I had to get it!

Spode,  The Regency Collection, The Ruins...Such a  gorgeous plate and   it looks  so  beautiful   with my other  Spode  plates  on the wall hanger...

I  can now  switch out   my red  and blue  as  the  spirit moves me....finding these cups  are  so fabulous  because   matching  cups and saucers are  not as easy to come by!  My husband was  surprised when I returned from  my  shopping trek today....  I told him  once you have hit the jackpot there is no reason  to   keep looking....   but  I  have to add,  I rather  felt  the Lord leading me to  stop  in  this shop  today  and lead me right to  these  cups and saucers....  He does love to surprise and  give  His children   good gifts!!

\ I am also  posting on  Sally's  Blue Monday.

Coffee, Tea, and Pie

Pink Saturday

For more  PS   visit Beverly here!!
  Last night  I  had a  coffee/ tea dessert for  14...
  it was  a delightful time...   

 Because I knew that   this event was   coming  I   decided to keep a  few of  the Christmas  lights in place....   today  I will remove the   hutch lights , But I generally keep the    mantle and    small tree lights for  a while...

 I could only get 10 around  the table so I had to set up a few chairs  in other  strategic places

One friend was bringing a  delectable  apricot pie  and another  a   decadent  chocolate   turtle  pie!  YUMMY!

I had my tea caddy  loaded  with  all kinds of   wonderful    English teas as well as  herbals..

For the most part I used  my Syracuse, Portland    china  and    Joan of Arc  tableware... 
Just for  our occasion  I created  this   wonderful   centerpiece...

It  shows the  Lion Of  Judah     surrounded by   the  spiritual warriors of prayer  displaying the weapons of their warfare ...   and the  cross  because it is   by  Christ's death on the cross  that we have  access to  the Father and are seated in heaven  along with  Him...

  Our group of   dear  friends and   prayer partners gathered to discuss our upcoming prayer events  we have  planned...   we  have been   purposing to    pray for  true  revival in our   fair city....So far we have held  3  ecuemenical  prayer events  in  3 different  locations..a nd  this  upcoming event  we are taking our  event  across town to  broaden  the  scope of  the  Church  universal  in our communities... our focus is to pray against  decline  in our nation....  and  in by so doing  we might ignite  the fire of  revival in God's church in this  city....but mainly,  we   are   following and obeying the  work of the Holy Spirit.

 I am also  sharing on  The Tablescaper

Table Top Tuesday ~ A Stroll Thru Life

Martha’s Favorites @ Martha’s Favorites

Tea Time Tuesday @ Rose Chintz Cottage

Teacup Tuesday @ Artful Affirmations

Friends Sharing Tea @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

Open House Friday @Bernideen's Tea Time Blog