~Ten Commandments of Tea~

I am so short on time this morning, so will pull double duty by combining my post for both Tea Things Tuesday and White Wednesday. Visit our lovely hostesss, Kathleen, to see some beautiful whites by clicking on the lovely lady to the right.

Happy Tea Things Tuesday! Please visit Kim and the other participants who are sharing their tea interests. You can find Kim by clicking on the teacup to the right.

My husband, granddaughter and I went to Arizona for 4 days to visit family, and just returned tonight. After driving 14 hours on Friday and another 14 hours today, with only two days in between, I am exhausted, but it was so worth it…family is so important, and we just don’t see each other often enough.

I haven’t had a chance to take new pictures, answer emails, or leave comments on my favorite blogs, but hope to catch up within the next few days. In the meantime, I did want to show off a couple of my teapots, but first, here’s just a little “instruction” on tea!

The Ten Commandments of Tea

1. Thou shall not call it brewed; tea is steeped.
2. Thou shall select water with care. Avoid hard water or even a hint of chlorine.
3. Thou shall respect tea; it is all-natural.
4. Thou shall understand the three different types of tea: Green, Oolong, and Black.
5. Thou shall sanitize equipment before each run.
6. Thou shall use Tea Essence as a flavor supplement to help avoid the formation of unsightly sediment in the container.
7. Thou shall read the Templar Tea Update.
8. Thou shall be guilt free; tea is healthful.
9. Thou shall know how to spell Polyphenol.
10. Thou shall drink tea often.

This teapot is probably my favorite, given to me at Christmas by my Daughter in Love…I had never seen this pattern before, but since getting it, I have added 6 teacups and saucers. It is Royal Albert Old Country Roses Green.

You can see just a peek of the teacups behind the teapot, but I’ll have a better picture next week.

The second teapot was in the antique store that I visited with my tea club when we went to tea a couple of months ago. It is vintage, with no maker or pattern name… I just love it!

I hope you had a wonderful week-end with family and friends, or just quietly enjoying your favorite pastime or hobby. The older I get, the more I know life really is short! I’m trying to enjoy every day, and make every day count.

Please pray for those needing physical healing, and those that have other needs, such as financial, family, employment, etc. Please, please pray for our troops…they really need our prayers!

There is much we can do nothing about except vent and share our anger, worry, and wait, but there are things we can do something about…I hope everyone will continue to become educated about the issues of this country, and speak out…it makes a difference.

God bless you, and God bless America, land that I love. I know there are many countries represented in blogland, and I pray that each and every one of them are pleasing to God so that they, too, will be blessed as this great nation has. I pray that the United States of America will remain free. I remember a quote of Ronald Reagan, that was something like this…we are only one generation away from losing our freedom…He knew how fragile and precious freedom is. I really wonder if we do. Or is it like the old saying, “you don’t know what you have til you lose it”. I pray we don’t find out.

Now…come on over to my cottage and we’ll fix the world’s problems over a cup of tea!

Mary

~My Teacup Overfloweth~

Happy Tuesday, everyone!  Please join Kim and her tea loving participants at www.shabbypinkandpretty.blogspot.com.  Just click on the picture of the teacup to the right and you’ll be there in a jif.

I have around 100 teacups, and love them all, but they don’t hold enough to wake me up, and the tea cools quickly, so I found these darling floral tea mugs that are perfect for my morning tea.  Purchased at Home Goods last year, they were $7.99 each, except for the center one…I think it was $9.99.  Quite a lot for a mug, but I couldn’t resist.

 

 

 

The pretty white and soft yellow are my favorites.

   

 

DRINKIN' FROM MY SAUCER

I've never made a fortune
And it's prob'ly too late now;
But I don't worry 'bout that much,
I'm happy anyhow!

And as I go along life's way
Reapin' better than I sowed.
I'm drinkin' from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed!

Haven't got a lot of riches,
And sometimes the going's tough;
But I've got loving ones around me,
And that makes me rich enough!

I thank God for His blessings
And the mercies He's bestowed.
I'm drinkin' from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed!

I 'member times when things went wrong,
My faith wore somewhat thin;
But all at once the dark clouds broke
And light peeped through again.

So, Lord, help me not to gripe
About tough rows I've hoed.
I'm drinkin' from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed!

If God gives me strength and courage
When the way grows steep and rough,
I'll not ask for other blessings;
I'm already blessed enough!

May I never be too busy
To help others bear their loads.
I'll keep drinkin' from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed!

Author: © Jimmy Dean

That is the way I feel about my life.  When I find myself complaining about the responsibilities I have, I remember that my cup is overflowing, and my saucer is too.

God bless you, everyone.  Remember our blogging friends that are in need of healing, employment, encouragement, peace and comfort as they face the loss of loved ones, financial hardship and many other life challenges. 

Please pray for our troops and the troops from other countries that are still fighting…will it ever end…and their families who miss them.

God bless America, land that I love.

Mary

~Change in Perspective~

It's Spiritual Sunday, brought to us by Charlotte and Ginger at http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/. Thank you so much, both of you, for giving us this opportunity to share our hearts with one another. Please click on the blue sky to the right to visit the other participants of Spiritual Sunday.

I was thinking all day about what I would contribute for Spiritual Sunday, and then I received this today from a friend in an email:


Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room’s only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end.
They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.
Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man could not hear the band - he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days, weeks and months passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.
It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.
She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”

Remember: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.

Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.


In the world we're living in, there is alot to be concerned about, and on the top of that list are concerns that our nation remain free and safe. I ask myself, "What can I do? Who can I call? Will God intervene, or have we strayed so far from Him, that we have invited His judgement?" I don't know the answer to that, but I know there are people that would like to put a brick wall in front of my window, blocking my view of the beautiful world God created, and attempting to make me think and feel that I am wrong for wanting to have freedom to choose how I will live. I will not allow my spirit to be pressed down. I will determine to see the world that God created, not the hopeless brick wall that the enemies of freedom want me to see.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18)

God bless all of you.


Mary

~AAADD~

 

Happy Friday , everyone.  It’s almost the week-end, and I hope everyone has plans for either having a great time with family and friends, or just kicking back and resting from the busy work week you’ve had. 

I’m adding this link to my post…just discovered Friday Funnies, and joined in  with Kim at http://homesteadersheart.blogspot.com/.  Nothing like having a good laugh to usher in the week-end, so be sure to visit the other participants…some of them will have tears rolling down your cheeks in laughter!

I have really been having a lazy week, and little motivation to do much of anything. I painted half of the hallway, but was afraid I would run out of paint, so went to Lowe's to get more...four days ago...and haven't finished it yet! I also bought some new plants for the back yard, then totally forgot about them, so found them today, deader than a doornail.

My husband was teasing me about having ADD, and I remembered that I had received the following in an email, and had saved it in my documents...thought you might get a laugh...and maybe even identify with it!

AAADD- KNOW THE SYMPTOMS!

Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder. Somehow I feel better,even though I have it!!

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.

As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left.

My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

The Coke is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need water.

I put the Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.
I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:the car isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, the flowers don't have enough water, there is still only 1 check in my check book, I can't find the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all  day, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail....

Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!!

I hope you got a laugh out of this…it is funny, even if it is frustrating at times.  Interestingly enough, I have friends under 50 that experience the same forgetfulness. Do you suppose that we just have too much on our plates, and aren’t prioritizing properly? Hmmmm?

Please remember to pray for our blogging friends that are battling disease or other problems, and pray for our troops and their families. Also, pray for our president and Congress...we continue to learn of more corruption than I ever imagined.  We  are divided, and there is much chaos in our nation...pray that God will hold us together and bring this to an end, protecting our constitution and our borders from terrorists or any other dangers,  from within or without.

With all the turmoil in our world, wouldn't it be nice if everyone would stop talking, listen to one another, and sit down for a cup of tea...perhaps they would have a new perspective on things! Can tea solve the world's problems? Perhaps not, but at least we would enjoy a moment of sanity once in awhile!

 

God bless everyone!

Mary

~White Wednesday Proper~

It’s White Wednesday, brought to us by the lovely and Kathleen at www.fadedcharmedcottage.blogspot.com   Visit Kathleen and other White Wednesday participants if the color white makes your heart throb…and if it doesn’t!

It’s a week after Labor Day, but here in California, even though we had a good rain last Saturday, including thunder and lightening, we’re still experiencing very warm weather, and I’m still wearing white.  Every time I get dressed, though, I wonder if I’m out of style, so I decided to look up the proper etiquette for wearing white. This is what I found:

 

The following article is courtesy of:

http://www.allthingsfantabulous.com/2009/09/white-after-labor-day.html

The new rules on wearing white after Labor Day:

1) Fabric matters- Summer fabrics must go. (Think linen or anything breezy). This is unequivocal. However, classic winter fabrics: wool, cashmere, angora are acceptable and often quite chic. Also, it's probably a good idea to move away from the really bright white. Winter white is there for a reason.

2) White outerwear is HOT as long as you keep it clean- I can personally attest to this. I had a white puffer coat with a faux fur hood that was absolutely darling; that is until it got dirty. Afterwards, not so much. There's nothing worse than dirty white. White outerwear needs routine maintenance so plan accordingly. However, if you find the right white coat-- Magic.

3) Nix the head-to-toe- white ensembles- White, when worn in the fall or winter, should be paired with traditional fall/winter colors to create balance. Rich greens, ambers etc. are great for fall, and of course, black brings instant sophistication.

4) White denim is now "in" year round- I know this one may scratch a few heads, but many fashion experts dig white denim after September, particularly when paired with boots and a nice plush sweater.

5) For the love of GOD, NO white legwear- Okay this one's mine. I once heard someone say that only two kinds of people should wear white hosiery, that's little girls and nurses. Truer words have never been spoken. Sorry.

6) At the end of the day, its really up to you. My mantra is that it's all about personal style. (That is, unless you are thinking about wearing white shoes (shoes, not boots)). That's where we absolutely must draw the line. :)

Ladies, what do you think ? White after Labor Day? Yeah or Nay?

 

God bless everyone, and God bless America, land that I love.   God bless our troops, their families, our government leaders, and those that are out of work. 

Please continue praying for all of our friends in blogland…there are many, some with very serious conditions and waiting for a miracle.

Mary

~Tea Things Tuesday~

You know I love tea and all things tea, so I hope you will join me and Kim as we share our tea inspirations with you. Be sure to visit Kim and other participants after your visit here, and see what they have to share with you. Just click on the pretty teacup to the right.








We enjoyed the company of family from Southern Californis this week-end, including their 3 yr. old and 1 yr. old daughters. They are just adorable and kept us laughing at their sweet antics...we went to the little farm at Tilden Park, where my husband worked for 35 years, and then on to the carousel...it was a good day and a good week-end. I haven't had a chance to post or read any blogs til today, but it was really a nice break, and I found that, even though my body was on the move constantly, my mind was resting from the sometimes overwhelming thoughts of home projects. Even as I watched the girls as they swung a little chair over the top of my teacup holder...even as I bit my tongue as they clanged the lid of my silver sugar bowl against the glass top of the coffee table...even as I held my breath while they insisted they could put the grape jelly on their toast as they sat at the dining table, covered with my white battenburg tablecloth, I thought, "All of my decorating efforts are for a time such as this...to offer hospitality to my loved ones. After all, they are the reason I do this in the first place."



I am at a somewhat slow and lazy pace today, so I decided not to get my camera and tea things out, but instead will share with you a pretty picture and a page from a book I received for my birthday, "Everything I Know, I Learned Over Tea", by Emilie Barnes. Especially since we just spent a few days in remembrance of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, I thought these words were timely.

"Teacups are fragile...and resilient"

"I learned something wonderful about teacups while watching a program on archaeology - ceramic objects may be breakable, but they are also amazingly resistant to weathering and corrosion and age. Much of what we know about ancient civilizations we have learned from bits of pottery they left behind. China dishes recovered from shipwrecks are often good as new, long after the ship itself has dissolved in the saltwater.

In other words, porcelain is fragile, but it's also remarkably durable.

Like life.

Like us.

Humans are beautiful and breakable, like china cups...yet we are also strong and resilient. And unlike my cups, humans can heal and grow and move beyond disaster. We can reach out to one another in courage and comfort.

So what will I do if or when disaster strikes?

I'll do what other resilient humans do - I'll try to help someone and accept help if I need it.

And then, somehow, I'll have another cup of tea."

Running to the kitchen for a cup of tea while in crisis may seem silly, but I was thinking about the movie of the Diary of Anne Frank. As they huddled together in tiny quarters, hiding in isolation with little to eat, they still had hope for a moment in their fearful existence; they escaped to a serene place as their hands surrounded a warm cup, and as they quietly and slowly sipped. Though I have never experienced anything remotely as horrible as that terrible time, I have often found that sitting with a cup of tea in times of distress brought a sense of peace, which is truly a luxury we cannot afford to live without.

I'm so glad you came by for a visit...my tea cottage is always open, and you are always welcome. If you aren't a tea lover, then no matter what your beverage is, I hope Emilie's words have touched you.

God bless you and God bless America. Please join me in praying for those in our blogging community that need physical healing, and please continue to pray for our nation. There are changes coming that we need to be aware of...as my sister says, this is not a time to be a ostrich, with out heads buried in the sand...it won't go away just because we refuse to see it.

Please remember our troops...they desperately need our prayers as they move forward in the face of danger every single day, sacrificing the comforts of home to protect freedom. And their families, who wait for their loved one to come through the door once again.

Mary

~Never Forget~

The three firefighters, William Eisengrein, George Johnson and Daniel McWilliams, had discovered a US flag on the back of a yacht inside a boat slip at the World Financial Center. They took the banner and decided to raise it as a statement of loyalty and resilience.

We shall never forget
We shall keep this day,
We shall keep the events and the tears
In our minds, our memory and our hearts
and take them with us as we carry on.

I was looking across the internet to find some pictures and tributes to the Americans that lost their lives to terrorist activity on September 11, 2001, and to the Americans that answered the call of the heart to help in any way they could.  So many of our brave fire fighters and police officers also lost their lives, as they bravely tried to save others from harm.

Please click on this link to a website that will help us honor those that died on that horrible day, at the hands of murderers, and remember what we may be forgetting.  It is well worth the few minutes it will take to view it. 

http://attacked911.tripod.com/

 And please visit Eileen at:

 http://www.ummasworld.com/2009/09/god-bless-america-september-11.html#comment-form.

 She is a New Yorker with some wonderful words and pictures for you today.

This was the saddest day I have ever experienced in my lifetime.  I pray I do not see another day like this, ever again.

Please remember to pray for our troops and their families, and pray for those families that have lost a loved one.  And remember to raise your American flag.

God bless you all, and God, please protect and bless America, land that I love.

Mary

 

~Tea Things Tuesday~

Welcome to my tea cottage, where tea is always the main item on the menu!   Kim at www.shabbypinkandpretty.blogspot.com is  our lovely hostess for the newly named Tea Things Tuesday.  She’s waiting for you to join her and other participants that have some wonderful tea things to show you!

The lazy days of summer are quickly slipping away, and I’m sorry to see it go.  On the other hand, even though I enjoy taking tea in any weather, there is a certain advantage to sipping a hot cup when it is a little cooler outside.  There is an ambiance when candles are lit, warm scones sit atop a laced doilied plate stand, and the teapot steam is filling the room with the fragrance of ginger spice, or lavender, or wonderful Earl Grey tea.  I can’t think of anything I enjoy more than my morning, afternoon and evening tradition of tea.

This is one of my most recent buy from Home Goods.   Even though I have very little blue in my living areas, because this tea set is a creamy white color and adorned with pink flowers, it fits beautifully in my house, and I enjoy using it very much.   The teapot is a perfect size for two, because we tend to drink several cups of tea, or for 4, if you can stop at only 2 cups! 

  

 

We’re having tea in the living room today.  I’m using the “coffee” table that is the “tea” table in my house!  This lovely Quaker lace tablecloth was purchased from ebay for $8.00 plus shipping of $3.00. 

 

The little glass bowl that I’m using for honey came with the spoon.  I got it at my favorite thrift store for $8.00.

I fell in love with this tin watering can.  It makes a pretty centerpiece for this tea table setting, matching colors to the teapot perfectly.

This picture was taken on a different table in the living room, but I found that it was too crowded, so I moved everything to the larger table in front of the sofa.

 

These two darling little ladies are a Dollar Tree purchase.  I also bought them in green…I can’t wait to use them for a tea that I’m planning that will serve 6..they will be the favors I will give to my guests…that is, if I can bear to part with them!

Is she sweet, or what?

These lovely creamy white teacups and matching sandwich plate was a gift from a good friend.  The matching cake stand was a Home Goods buy.

The teapot warmer has been discontinued, but can still be found at tea parlors occasionally. 

More pictures on the smaller table by the window..it’s really nice sitting here in the wing chair, where I can look outside onto the yard and pool…very relaxing.

 

 

I do hope you’ve enjoy visiting my tea cottage today.  I would love to put the tea kettle on and fill this pretty teapot with your favorite flavor, take the scones out of the oven, and enjoy a wonderful conversation with you…even if we just sip and don’t talk at all!

Do come back and visit again…I’m always open, and you’re always welcome!  Now be sure to visit Kim for other pretty tea things!

Please continue to pray for our country as our leaders make serious decisions that will have long lasting effects on all of us.  And please continue to pray for our troops…the war seems to have moved from one country to another, but not any better.  Pray for their safety, their quick return home, and for peace for their families, who wait anxiously till their loved one is in their arms once again.

God bless you all!

Mary

Wishing Everyone a Wonderful Labor Day Celebration!


"Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

~Spiritual Sunday~Freedom~

Today we celebrate Spiritual Sunday with our hostesses Charlotte and Ginger. I hope you will visit them...they have many participants that want to share inspiring and encouraging words for you today.

I would like to share this wonderful video with you. A few weeks ago, I posted several quotes made by our former president Ronald Reagan, and I included a link to this video, but I didn't know how to actually embed it in the post. I don't know if anyone saw it or not, but I believe it has a powerful message, so I'm posting it again today. Listen to the words carefully. The lyrics are under the video.

"Let Freedom Ring" by the Bill Gaither Vocal Band

Deep within, the heart has always known that there was freedom

Somehow breathed into the very soul alive

The prisoner, the powerless, the saved have always known it

There is something that keeps reaching for the sky

Even life begins because a baby fights for freedom

And songs we love to sing have freedom's theme

Some have walked through fire and flood to find a place of freedom

And some faced hell itself for freedom's dream

Let freedom ring wherever minds know what it means to be in chains

Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain

Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key

We can be free and we can sing --- let freedom ring

God built freedom into every fiber of creation

And He meant for us to all be free and whole

When my Lord bought freedom with the blood of His redemption

His cross stamped pardon on my very soul

I'll sing it out with every breath, I'll let the whole world hear it

This hallelujah anthem of the free

That iron bars and heavy chains can never hold us captive

The Son has made us free and free indeed

Let freedom ring down through the ages from a hill called Calvary

Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain

Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key

You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring

Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key

You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring

You can be free and you can sing --- let freedom ring --- let freedom ring

God bless you, and God bless America, land that I love.

Mary

~Pink Saturday Sweetness~

 I can’t believe another week has flown by, and we are so close to the end of the summer of 2009!  I’m so glad, though, that even with the beautiful colors of autumn filling our blogs with decorating crafts and ideas, we can always celebrate PINK!  Thanks to our lovely and gracious hostess, Beverly at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com  for bringing us together in celebration of pink, a color that is year round, and always in style.

 

I’d like you to meet this sweet little Corolle doll.  I was in a toy store in Sacramento about 20 years ago, looking for a gift for a friend’s daughter.  When I saw this doll, I had to have her because she reminded me of my own daughter when she was little.  None of my granddaughters play with dolls…they love stuffed animals, like Build-A-Bear, and Webkinz.  They buy clothes for them, doll carriages, baby bottles and such, and play with them the way I played with my dolls when I was little.  So this doll has been MY doll.  Even though no one really plays with her, somehow she has lost one of the flowers in her bonnet, and her shoes and socks!  I think they were “borrowed” for those furry babies!

I never did give her a name…any suggestions?  I like Abby, and Dixie, and Belle.  Somehow I know she’s a southern girl!

 

Oh, to have this thick head of hair again!  I love the hat, with it’s pink flowers in the front and the pink polka dot bow in the back.

Still wearing her original dress.

Here is another of the mini tea sets in my collection. 

 

The serving plate…with a scalloped rim and covered with beautiful roses in lovely shades of pink!

 

Living proof that summer is still here…geraniums on the deck…love this vibrant pink!

A baby ivy plant in a mosaic pot

If only life could be like pink…It’s soft, romantic, feminine, calming, and  well, just beautiful!  To think that some people don’t like pink is unthinkable! That’s okay, we all have our favorites colors, but if yours is pink, be sure to click on that pretty pink lady to visit Beverly and other participants that have some lovely pinks to show today!

Have a wonderful week-end, everyone…be safe, have fun, and be sure to keep “living in the pink”!

Mary

.

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm joining my sweet friend, Janice, at the Faded Cottage for her last episode of Chippy Paint Friday! I don't have a lot of chippy paint items, and Janice has run out of her own beautites to show you, so this is it. I'm going tomiss it. So today, be sure to visit Janice ....just click on that cute little shabby dog to the right, and see what she has to show you!

Click on picture for larger view

I love this little bird bell that I got at the Home and Garden Show a few years ago. I use it to get the kids out of the pool. If they don't get out right away, I keep ringing til they do, because they hate the noise!

For me, this is the last thing I could find in my house that has paint chipped here and there. I love the shabby look of anything with chipped paint, but never really got into it til blogging, and now I'm on the hunt for all things old, chipped, and white!

Have a wonderful Labor Day, everyone, and enjoy your long holiday week-end safely. Remember that it's not you out there that's going to cause that accident...it's someone else that's being careless by drinking and driving, or texting while driving...you get the picture, right?

I'll be back tomorrow with something pink...in the meantime, I'm praying that you all experience the blessings of God in your life.

Please pray for our Congress as they come back to the table for discussion on the Health Care Bill. This is a much more serious situation than our health care...there are many other conditions in the bill, including IRS involvement in your payment of your health care. I heard and read yesterday that everyone will required to have and pay for health care, whether you choose to or not. I know people that don't choose to pay for it, but that option will be gone, and IRS will step in to take the money out of your bank account...please educate yourself on this bill, and let your voice be heard...before it's too late, and you get something you didn't really understand or want.

God bless!!!!

Mary

~A Variety of Whites~

It’s White Wednesday!  Please visit our lovely hostess, Kathleen, at www.fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com to find some pretty white treasures bought to you by your blogging friends! 

I have always enjoyed this wicker plant stand that I purchased at an antique store a few years ago.  I know the geraniums aren’t white, but I couldn’t resist putting then in the stand to show off it’s pretty white details.

A close up view

This pretty frame was a find at the antique flea market…I’m sure it’s not an antique, but I love the detail.  It came with a textured white paper that I can’t seem to remove in order to put pictures there…I think the white makes a pretty picture in itself.  

  I know these aren’t all white, either, but I had to show them to you, and I don’t know of a yellow or green event yet!  These pretty doilies were in a stack of other crocheted doilies at another antique store. I’m pretty sure they were done by hand, probably as a gift, as they are in perfect condition and unused.   I saw a peek of yellow sticking out, and couldn’t believe that I found two matching!  I’m trying to decide how to display them, since I’m certainly not going to take a chance on getting them dirty.  Perhaps a pretty white picture frame?

A glimpse of the bathroom on one side of the sink.

I couldn’t get a better picture of this bar of soap, but it is some kind of a floral design.  It was a gift from a dear friend…a “just because” gift…I can’t bring myself to unwrap it…someone might mistakenly use it to wash their dirty hands!

I found this votive candle holder at T.J. Maxx about 3 years ago.  White and covered with roses…it had my name written all over it!

Here’s another picture in the kitchen in a different light, and another view of the top when it’s turned slightly.

The little soap dish was also a gift from the same friend…she finds the sweetest things!  I know, I know, it’s got blue in it…sorry.

 

A birthday present from my granddaughter a few years ago…one of my  most treasured possessions.  Of course, I say that grandCHILDREN are a wonderful treasure of memories.  I know you grandmas agree!  

I apologize for sneaking other colors into my white today…I have many whites, but these are just some things I thought you might enjoying seeing.  I’ll try to stick to  ALL WHITE next week!

White is my favorite background color…it gives me a sense of calm and space… it is known to reflect the light, and light in my house is one thing I really need.  In the winter or when it’s raining, I turn a lot of lights on, as it brings a sense of sunshine.  We do need to watch those electric bills, though, so we only have the lights on where we happen to be at the time.

Thanks so much for joining me today for White Wednesday.  Don’t forget to join Kathleen and the other participants…I’m sure they have some lovely whites just waiting for your arrival!

We have blogging friends that are in need of prayer…please check my sidebar for a couple of them…Amy, and Andrew…and there are so many others…please continue lifting them up for healing of their bodies. 

Please remember to pray for our country…there are proposed changes that none of us bargained for, so please stand strong and speak out if you are not in favor of them.  I heard just today that there is talk of a “new set of founding fathers”, because  “the original founding fathers do not deserve the loyalty we’ve given them”…friends, that is a very scary statement…please pray that God will continue to protect and bless America.

My good friend, Lynn at http://lynnslovelies.blogspot.com/2009/09/one-nation-under-god.html has a very important message.  Please click over to her blog and read what she has shared with us today.

 

God bless each and every one of you! 

 

Mary