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 29 January 2014

HOME






There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort. ~ Jane Austen

Hello friends and welcome to my HOME.
I decided to take a break from wading through my computer mess and do a post for you. As I mentioned to you on the weekend, I am cancelling my HOME linky party but I will try to share something home related during the week.



Today I am sharing my tea biscuit recipe. I've had a few ladies ask me for it and Sarah, in particular, this is for you.


This is pretty straight forward and I've always had good success making them.

Tea Biscuits
Sift together -
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Cut in 1/3-1/2 cup shortening with pastry blender.
Add 1 cup milk and mix just enough to make a soft dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface, roll out, and cut out biscuits with cookie cutter or a small glass. Just before popping them in the oven, brush the tops with milk or cream.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 450 for about 10 minutes. 

These are wonderful served with jam or lemon curd and clotted or whipped cream.



Thank you for visiting today.

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



I am sharing with these parties this week ~

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 27 January 2014

A Cream Tea for Tea Time Tuesday


Perhaps it is while drinking tea that I most of all enjoy the sense of leisure. ~ George Gissing


Welcome to Tea Time dear friends~ Thank you so much for your wonderful support last week! You made my Anniversary Tea Party such a success with your participation, lovely comments, and visits. You really are wonderful friends!

Today I am sharing another Christmas gift I received. Before the holidays, I had shared my new Staffordshire teacup trio which I had found at an antique shop.


Well, Hubby went back and got me a second set. I just love this rich green transferware! A charming scene is depicted on it and of course it is made in England. Now I have a cup for you and a cup for me.


If you have been joining me for any length of time then you know how much I love transferware.


My sweet hubby arrived home from work with these bright yellow tulips. Tulips remind me of springtime and if you're anxiously awaiting Spring like I am, then you know there are only about seven and a half weeks to go!


Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. ~ Okakura Kakuzo

 
So I set out our tea with my tulips and I hope you enjoy it.



 I am having a Cream tea today with whipped cream served in a crystal goblet and lemon curd in a tulip shaped dish.


With tulips one must have a birdie or two so I'm putting my birdie teapot to use today.


A cup of Twinings Earl Grey.

 Tea biscuits with whipped cream and lemon curd.


Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.


Thank you for your company today. If you have a teacup, coffee mug, teapot, or tablescape to share I invite you to link up and join me for Tea Time. I love seeing Tea Rooms too.


Wishing you a beautiful day filled with joy!

I am joining the following parties this week~

A Return to Loveliness ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/
Friends Sharing Tea~ http://blog.bernideens.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Sunday 26 January 2014

A Note to My Readers

Hello dear friends. I hope your weekend is going well.


Last week I mentioned that my computer is having issues. Well, unfortunately it is not looking good. We managed to run off our photos {thousands of them}and that's about all we accomplished. I lost everything else. All of my lovely quotes, crafting ideas, and other important info that I had saved are gone.
I do have the laptop but I am not really fond of it as I prefer the desktop.


I have been working all weekend trying to get my pictures into folders {Everything is a real mess right now!} and I'm afraid I'm not very computer savvy. I have also been busy getting my Tea Time Tuesday Party ready for Monday. This is a trial as well because I'm having trouble finding things on the laptop. Whew!

Therefore, until we get our main computer fixed or replaced, I will be cancelling my HOME party indefinitely.


I cannot handle two linky parties at the moment using the laptop.
 
Thank you to all of you who have been so faithful in linking up to my HOME party. What I hope to do in the meantime is continue to share recipes, crafts, etc. in a post during the week without the link up party. I hope you will continue to stop by for a visit because I sure do enjoy your company.
Have a beautiful day everyone!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Wednesday 22 January 2014

HOME Party Cancelled This week


Good afternoon dear friends! I am sorry but there will not be a HOME party this week as I am having computer issues. Hopefully, I will be able to host it again next week. Those of you who may have a china collection or teacups, teapots, or a tablescape to share, I invite you to link up at my Tea of Roses post below. Have a lovely day everyone!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Sunday 19 January 2014

"A Tea of Roses" for Tea Time Tuesday's 4th Anniversary Party


It's not the tea that makes teatime special, it's the spirit of the tea party. ~ Emilie Barnes from "If Teacups Could Talk"

Welcome dear friends to my 4th Tea Time Tuesday "Tea of Roses" Anniversary Party!

I am posting my party early this week because I am having major computer problems at the moment.

I am delighted you have joined me today and I invite you to sit and stay a while. This is a long post so please make yourself comfortable.

Four years ago this week, I decided to begin sharing the things I loved here at Rose Chintz Cottage. I have a passion for many things and afternoon tea time is one of them.

Like many of you, I adore pretty teacups and teapots and I have been collecting them for a number of years. Having been a pastor's wife, I did a fair amount of entertaining over the years and most ladies enjoy pretty china.

My collection began with teapots because I have always been captivated by them. Then, I started to collect Johnson Brothers Rose Chintz, my favourite pattern since I was a little girl, as well as any red transferware I could find.



Then the teacups followed....
There is just something special about sipping tea from a fine china teacup. The chink of the cup being placed back onto its saucer has an almost magical quality to it.



The mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the mind to happy repose. ~ George Gissing

And is there anything more enticing than tea being poured from a lovely teapot?




Johnson Bros. Friendly Village.



The very sight of a teapot puts a smile on the face of most people. One cannot help but think of more serene and genteel times. ~ Barbara Roberts

What do you collect? Do you have a favourite pattern or flower graced teacup?

My china cabinet is filled with many beautiful  pieces of vintage china. It is also filled with memories; treasures from the past.



Each piece tells a story as most pieces came from loved ones; my hubby and my Auntie P. 
I have other pieces which are housed in other cabinets. These came from family members,  friends, and thrifting.

For today's party, I have something new to share. Hubby gifted me with this for Christmas. She is accompanied by these lovely pink blush roses.



Made in England, she is a luscious soft pink and white Royal Albert teapot.  


I have had her on my wish list for a couple of years and I am thrilled to have her finally grace my tea table. {And unless I find one which I simply cannot live without, she will be my last teapot.}



Do you recognise the pattern? She is the New Country Roses and she is made in the Hampton shape which I love.



She is encircled with lovely pink roses and one tiny yellow rose that just peeks between two leaves at the top of the large rose. I think she is exquisite in every way that counts.

Tea would arrive, the cakes squatting on cushions of cream, toast in a melting shawl of butter, cups agleam and a faint wisp of steam rising from the teapot shawl. ~ Gerald Durrel

From the top of her to the bottom, she's a beauty!


RA Lavender Rose cream and sugar which came from my mother.



 I have been searching the thrift shops for a soft pink teacup but couldn't find one so I am using a variety of my teacups today which I thought went nicely with her.



This teacup is RA Old English Rose in the Avon  shape.




This is another RA Old English Rose in the Hampton shape like that of the teapot.


And this chintz teacup made by Maxwell and Williams which is called Rose Bud.


A little nosh with your tea? Some double decker egg salad sandwiches made on Tramezzini crustless whole wheat bread which Judith told us about last week. Makes wonderful tea sandwiches.



Accompanied by Apple & caramel and Strawberry swirl cheesecake from the bakery. 


There is Chocolate and New York Style cheesecake too.


I am having chocolate. What would you like?


The sun is beginning to set and I've lit the fireplace.


Thank you for coming to tea today to help me celebrate four years of tea parties. I have met so many of you lovely ladies from all over the world  these last four years and I am blessed by your friendship.

Many of you have been with me from the beginning and I especially want to thank you for your faithfulness. I hope we can continue to 'come to tea' often.



The sweetest flower that blows
I give you as we part
For you it is the Rose
For me it is my heart. ~ Frederick Peterson

Now I bid you all a lovely day. I hope you enjoy this cute little tidbit I ran across one day.

If we treated everyone we meet with the same affection we bestow upon our favourite cat, they too, would purr. ~ Martin Delany

I am joining the following parties as well~

A Return to Loveliness ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/
Friends Sharing Tea~ 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 15 January 2014

HOME



Winter is the time for comfort - it is the time for home. ~ Edith Sitwell


Hello and welcome to my HOME where you are invited to share anything and everything HOME related. Recipes, antiquing, artwork, baking, cooking, collections, floral arranging, tea time, tablescapes, thrifting, DIYs, etc.

Hope you're all having a good week. Today's party almost didn't get underway because I have been extremely busy with a lot of different matters. Indeed, my plate is overloaded at the moment and we'll see how things go in the next few weeks.

I shared this beautiful Royal Albert Lady Carlyle teacup at my tea party this week. Isn't she lovely?


She's displayed with some beautiful pink tulips.



Here are some wonderful posts which caught my eye last week....

Bella @ Bella's Rose Cottage shared some lovely posies after her Christmas. I love the roses drying from her chandelier!



Carol @ Art and Sand shared the table top that her hubby built from reclaimed wood. A little rustic and just plain perfect!

Di @  Cottage Wishes shared her wonderful collection of white ironstone; love it!


Deborah @ the beautiful matters shared her wonderful winter tablescape using one of my favourite china patterns, JB Friendly Village.


And Jann @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson shared her fabulous heart wreath created  with Christmas ornaments; just in time for Valentine's Day.

DSC00249

Do you have something you would like to share? Simply link up below and I will be happy to come and visit you. Have a fabulous 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