Faith Family Friends

Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Wednesday 28 August 2013

HOME


"Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need - a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you." ~ Jerome K. Jerome

Welcome to my HOME, my lovely friends, where you are invited to share anything HOME related.

At this week's tea party, I shared a new vintage teacup. I am especially fond of pink and soft colours which is why I had to bring this beauty home with me from the antique shop in town.



It goes beautifully with some of my other favourites as well as the Limoges plate it sits on.




I find vintage teacups lend a sense of times past to one's home and whether they are in perfect condition or a little worn, I think they are so beautiful!

Now, here are some features from last week's HOME party.

Debbie @ Debbie-Dabble shared her darling fairy garden. So cute!




Beth @ Beyond The Garden Gate shared some beautiful images of Summer in Iowa.



Penny @ Penny's Vintage Home shared a makeover on her once brown wooden five dollar coffee table. She also received the most views on her post. Congrats, Penny!



Pernilla @ Swedish Corner ~ Down Under  shared her fabulous collection of blue and white transferware. Swoon!!



Then there is Creatively Sam's who shared her adorable denim placemats with the silverware tucked into the pocket. Sweet idea!

Denim Picnic Tablescape

And Dianne @ Shabby Gals turned an old brown fireplace mantel into something fabulous.



I am delighted to have you all share your collections, crafts, DIYs, renos, tablescapes, and anything HOME related. Please find the link up below and I will be happy to come and visit you. Have a lovely rest of the week everyone.

"Lord, this humble house we'd keep
Sweet with play and calm with sleep.
Help us so that we may give
Beauty to the lives we live.
Let Thy beauty and Thy grace
Shine upon our dwelling place." ~ Edgar A. Guest

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Monday 26 August 2013

Tea Time Tuesday



"I'm so thankful for friendship. It beautifies life so much." ~ "Anne of Avonlea" - LM Montgomery

Hello dear friends and welcome to my last Tea Time Tuesday in August! Thank you for coming to my Anne of Green Gables Tea last week. It was wonderful to have you all share your pretties with us.



I gathered the last of my roses and some Queen Anne's Lace for my little mercury glass bowl.

Do you have some favourite teacups? I'm sure you do. I certainly have, and I found another one which makes my heart go pitter-pat! 


I found this pretty at Lori's Time Worn Treasures and Antiques shop in Charlottetown at the first of the Summer.



It is made by Queen Anne and is a lovely coral pink colour or a tea rose.




The colour reminds me of a beautiful sunrise or sunset. It is accented with white and beautiful gold leaf wreaths encircling the outside as well as the inside of the cup. The wreath also encircles the saucer. I tried to find some information on it but could find none. 


I think it looks splendid with these other two favourites of mine.


These other two beauties are made by Aynsley of England. This teacup looks blue but it's really turquoise.





The next teacup is a gorgeous shade of pink. Each set is characterised by stunning gold leaves.


I think all three are fit for a queen or a princess. What do you think?

"To beat fatigue, you'll all agree, there's nothing like a cup of tea." ~ Author unknown

I am enjoying Tetley Pomegranate Green tea with peanut butter cookies today.



A Limoges plate which my aunt gave me a few years ago.



Peanut butter cookies.





Sometimes I look at my teacups and think of them as my friends. They are sitting pretty just waiting  to lend themselves to a lovely tea time.


Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

I would love to see your favourites today. Simply link up and I'll be pleased to come and visit you.


You may do coffee in instead of tea if you wish or any of the following:
Hot chocolate, hot apple cider, iced tea or iced coffee, Lemonade, or Punch in a beautiful bowl.

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


As a courtesy, please link back to me so that your visitors may find their way here to visit with all my lovely participants.

I will joining the following parties as well~

Inspire Me Tuesday ~ http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
A Return to Loveliness ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tea In The Garden ~ http://blog.bernideens.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Wednesday 21 August 2013

HOME Again, HOME Again, Jiggety-Jig!



"The Bible does not say very much about homes; it says a great deal about the things that make them. It speaks about life and love and joy and peace and rest. If we get a house and put these into it, we shall have secured a home." ~ John Henry Jowett


Hello dear bloggy friends and welcome to my HOME! As most of you know I have been on a blog break but I'm back this week to host another HOME party. I hope you have all been well and enjoying your summertime.


This week, if you will check out my previous post below this one, you will see that I hosted my Anne of Green Gables Tea Party.



I shared some new found teacups and transferware as well as tea sandwiches and raspberry cordial.




I made chicken salad for the croissants using this method. This is off the top of my noggin; no written recipe.


Chicken Salad
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 thick slice red onion, diced
1/4 cup diced red peppers
1/3 cup peeled and cubed English cucumber
Miracle Whip to your liking
A little squirt of barbecue sauce
Black pepper to taste.
Mix altogether and fill split croissants. Delish!



Also this week, I made Hodge Podge for dinner. This time of year when the veggies are fresh from the garden, it is the perfect time to make hodge podge. It is a dish that I was brought up on and here is my recipe should you wish to try it. Once again, I made it from memory the way my mother made it.



Hodge Podge
Peel and cut up a 5 pound bag of new potatoes
3-4 cups fresh yellow beans, snap off ends
2 cups fresh shelled peas {or frozen}

Scrub the veggies and then cut up the potatoes, snap the beans in half. This should fill three-quarters of a dutch oven. Add the peas just before the veggies are tender. This makes a lot of servings.

Cook veggies just until tender but do not over cook. Pour off water and add blend/cream to fill half way. Add 4 heaping spoons of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until hot.

OPTIONAL: Sometimes I use half green beans and half yellow beans, cauliflowerettes, and a few new carrots, sliced up.



Hubby and I enjoy this even more the second day {if there's any left. He eats a LOT} Serve with biscuits, rolls, or homemade bread.

On a different note ~ I don't normally do this but this has been heavy on my heart this week...

Pls. visit her with a kind comment.

My bloggy friend and yours, Kitty @ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen lost her dear husband, Rich, a few days ago. Please pray for her and her family as they go through this very sad time of loss. Thank you and God bless! 

Since I was away for several weeks I will share the post from my last HOME party which had the most views.

Congratulations to Gina @ Victorian Wanna Be who shared a tour of some fabulous homes in an historic town of Illinois.



If you have a post which is HOME related, please link up and we can all visit you. Thank you for joining me this week and I wish you all a beautiful day!

"Lord, this humble house we'd keep
Sweet with play and calm with sleep.
Help us so that we may give
Beauty to the lives we live.
Let thy love and thy grace
Shine upon our dwelling place." ~ Edgar A. Guest


I am joining the following parties as well~

What's It Wednesday ~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Home and Garden Thursday ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Monday 19 August 2013

Anne of Green Gables Tea


"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world." ~ LM Montgomery - "Anne of Green Gables"




Welcome to my Anne of Green Gables Tea, my dear kindred friends! I am so happy you have joined me today!

Tucked away on a little island on the east coast of Canada is a charming place called Green Gables.


It is not a figment of her imagination, but a real place, which our famous author Lucy Maud Montgomery brought to life in her stories, Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, among others. 

LM Montgomery's redheaded heroine, although she is a fictional character, is famous the world over and she brings to Prince Edward Island thousands of tourists every year.

Anne courtesy of the Internet

Anne's imaginative spirit delights both young and old alike and the dear old farm house and pastoral grounds are open to the public so one can follow in her footsteps should you visit Cavendish, PEI.

This is a view of the back of Green Gables. The handsome gentleman sitting in the old carriage is my hubby.





"The window of my dear old room opens on a world of wonder and beauty. Winds drift by with clover scent in their breath, the rustle of leaves comes up from the poplars, and birds flit low in joyous vagrance." ~ LLM



One can take a tour through Green Gables and imagine where Anne and her beloved  Matthew and Marilla lived.

In the kitchen is a wonderful hutch filled with dishes.



The old cook stove. 



Notice the many irons sitting on the side shelf in the pantry.


This is Anne's room.



After you visit the house you might want to take a stroll through the Haunted Wood and Lover's Lane, actual places which LM Montgomery made famous in her novels.

This is the view of Green Gables from the Haunted Wood.





"Lover's Lane opened out below the orchard at Green Gables and stretched far up into the woods to the end of the Cuthbert farm.
''Not that lovers ever really walk there," she explained to Marilla, "but Diana and I are reading a perfectly magnificent book and there's a Lover's Lane in it. So we want one, too. And it's a very pretty name, don't you think? So romantic! We can't imagine the lovers into it, you know. I like that lane because you can think out loud there without people calling you crazy." " ~ LM Montgomery - "Anne of Green Gables"

This couple was walking ahead of us and I took their picture.

As one walks the paths through these wooded areas, one can almost hear the giggles of Anne and her bosom friend Diana as they romped about and dreamed their girlhood dreams.

Now, how about a nice cup of tea? Anne and I have been expecting you.



My Anne doll was the last Christmas present my father ever gifted me with and I treasure her. Her red hair is braided and she wears her straw hat, a sweet pinafore, pantaloons, and black shoes.



Tea is being served in my new Johnson Bros. Old Britain Castles teacups which I found while visiting in New Brunswick.


I was happy to add some blue and white to my collection! 



I also found these sweet red transferware plates early in the Summer. There is no marking on the backs but I love them. The white plates beneath them I also found and they are Mikasa called French Countryside. I love how you can mix and match red and blue transferware!  I'm sure Anne would approve!




"I can just imagine myself sitting down at the head of the table and pouring out the tea," said Anne, shutting her eyes ecstatically. "And asking Diana if she takes sugar! I know she doesn't but of course I'll ask her as if I didn't know." ~ LM Montgomery - "Anne of Green Gables"


I was going to gather some Queen Anne's Lace for a bouquet but my sweet hubby surprised me with this pretty red, white, blue, and yellow bouquet. He had no idea it would be perfect for my Anne tea today. It picks up on all the colours of the transferware!


 
I have Summer Raspberry tea in the teapot.




It is a black tea with hibiscus and natural raspberry flavour which I found at Anne of Green Gables Chocolates, Avonlea Village, PEI.

 
The blue plate is Blue Willow made by Churchill.



Would you care for a sandwich? I have made chicken salad stuffed croissants.



And egg salad on homemade white bread.



For your sweet tooth, there is ice cream and strawberries.




I had planned to make Plum Puffs for our Tea today but, alas, I had another little accident on the weekend so I thought Anne's favourite strawberries and ice cream would be just as welcome.



"This day's done and there's a new one coming tomorrow, with no mistakes in it, as you used to say yourself. Just come downstairs and have your supper. You'll see if a good cup of tea and those plum puffs I made today won't hearten you up." ~ Marilla to Anne in "Anne of Green Gables" - LM Montgomery


The pink depression glass pitcher holds Raspberry Cordial.



Says Anne, "I just love bright red drinks." ~ Anne Shirley

Raspberry Cordial is made and bottled here on PEI. Would you like to try some?



Mark Twain once said of Anne Shirley, "...the most moving and delightful child of fiction since the immortal Alice."  



Anne of Green Gables takes you back to a simpler time; a time when manners were still in fashion and every meal laid out on the table was homemade.

Life was more about community in those days where neighbour helped neighbour.
It was a time when a wedding or the birth of a new baby brought the whole town together. There was cause for great joy and the occasion was indeed celebrated with plenty of good food and good wishes. 

Those were also the days when church was the center of the community and most everyone turned out on a Sunday to worship and have fellowship.

The church below is the Presbyterian Church {now United} in which LM Montgomery's husband, Rev. Ewan Macdonald, served as pastor in Cavendish, PEI. 


"Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them only to find out too late that it's what they bring to the world that really counts." ~ LM Montgomery - "Anne of Green Gables"

Yes, those were the days! I do enjoy our author Lucy Maud Montgomery's endearing stories which transport us back to another time and place.

Have you read the Anne books? If you haven't, then I strongly recommend you do. They make for delightful reading.
Anne of Green Gables was first published in 1908 so the author had first hand knowledge of that day. 

There is a small museum on the grounds of Green Gables which houses many artifacts from Montgomery's life. Below is a favourite teapot and teacup of the author's.



This is the typewriter on which she used to type her lovely stories. 



I have many other pictures but it would make this post too long. I hope you have enjoyed those which I have shared with you.

"'God's in His heaven, all's right with the world,' whispered Anne softly." ~ LM Montgomery- "Anne of Green Gables"





Anne and her bosom friend Diana courtesy of the Internet


Thank you, my dear bloggy friends, for coming to tea today. It's always such a pleasure to have you join me.


NOTE~ Your post this week does not have to be about Anne but anything you would like to share with us. Please link up your favourite tea things, coffee mugs, teascape or tablescape.



If you wish, you may do coffee instead of tea or any of the following is acceptable: Hot chocolate, hot apple cider, lemonade, Iced tea or iced coffee, or punch in a lovely bowl.
 

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High;
To declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning,
And Thy faithfulness by night." ~ Psalm 92:1-2


I am joining the following parties as well~

Inspire Me Tuesday ~ http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
A Return to Loveliness ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/
Tea In The Garden ~ http://blog.bernideens.com/
What's It Wednesday ~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
 Home Sweet Home ~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi