"FAIRY SONG TEA"

I  dream’t of Fairies last night 

PLEASE

Come in ... Sit down 

and

Let’s enjoy a Fairy Song Tea.

I  found the prettiest cup and saucer, delightfully decorated with the “ Pitcher Plant ".

           When sipping your tea, do take the time to look 
                and see the lovely  blossoms inside the cup.
                                       ( pretty, pretty )

      It is a Royal Albert tea set, painted in my favourite
                                   black and pink colours.

I’m dreaming about the crocus.

Tea and Springtime dreaming  is a  magical time !!

My daughter brought me this divine tea from Montreal , actually, I think she forgot it( ha ha) ... because it is minus a few teabags and OMG ... it is so-o-o-o  delicious.

LUCKY ME

You can find this tea on amazon.ca, Indigo Books& Music Inc. or Tea forte.com

        I love that it’s a caffeine -free tea and so available worldwide or online.The brand name,"Tea Forte", carries a  
               delightful variety of exotic teas, including: 
       Apricot Amaretto, Blueberry Merlot, Cherry Cosmo 
                                      and a  Kiwi Lime.

 Thinking about fairies fluttering around in the garden is an enjoyable past-time. Infact, on bleak, wintry days, I can often be found creating paper fairies and designing my new Spring Fairy garden. 

NEWS ALERT
Fairies  are "frozen stiff" about the  inclement weather and the sleepy flowers. 

(z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z) 

Do you have Fairies in your garden?

or 

are they all frozen in time !

NO PROBLEM

I have it on the best authority that,  today’s variety of "garden fairies" come complete with a no nonsense attitude, wing dryers and

a weather resistant personality. 

They can weather any storm

as long as

"YOU BELIEVE”

SO drink your tea LADIES and get ready to chant out loud, like the

 "Ya Ya Sisters”

I BELIEVE in FAIRIES.

Today, we are experiencing ice rain and snow ... so  I pulled out this charming book that Hubby gave me for Easter.

The “ Fairy House” by Mike and Debbie Schramer is simply the perfect companion to perk up waning spirits. 

It contains whimsical instructions for building Fairy houses and furniture.

(available on amazon.ca)

(Joyful Joyful)

I’m just not sure where to start... 

It’s far too cold to sail away in a boat ... Isn’t it !

 You and I could hum a little fairy tune in-between chats and teatime sipping ... If we wanted to !

                                                          TRA-LA-LA

Actually, I think that we could get quite comfy on this mossy little couch. Yes, I’ll snuggle here, with a cup of tea, your sweet company...

                                                                     and 
                                   a few   
                             Fairy Cakes.

                               THANKS 
                       for joining into my 
                           Fairy Song Tea.


                                    Sharing Teatime with:
                Bernideen's Teatime, Cottage & Garden

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“ BLOOMING TEA "

MAKE MY DAY

TWO years ago, I lost a most cherished, fifteen year old Cactus specimen, due to an episode with frozen pipes and heating malfunction in our heritage home. Needless to say, 

 I was heart broken.

As you can see it was a massive scarlet  flowering cacti.

 How do you replace such  a  precious friend?

Luckily, my girlfriend, Renate, gifted me a one year old cutting from her Christmas Cactus.  I located the quart sized container into the southern setting of my studio cottage, in the hope that it would find contentment in this sunny location. 

It has been growing for two years now, but as always ... I am sometimes, neglectful in the watering, which funnily enough, cacti love. ( ha ha) 

Did you know that ...

Cactus are a no fuss, no muss type of plant . 

It’s honestly true !!

So, yesterday, after three weeks of neglect, I journeyed into the dining room with a watering can.

Surprise, Surprise... 

IT'S BLOOMING !!!!

YAHOO... 
Ask me if I’m excited !!!!
Look at those gorgeous blossoms.

This just made my day !!!

PLEASE do join me for  this,
  “ Blooming" celebration teatime.

I found the prettiest tea set, at the Hospice shop. It just sort of popped up and said, pick me for teatime with the ladies... 
   So I did!!!
( Ha Ha)

A person can often  find beautiful cups and saucers at the Hospice Stores, at half the price of other antique shops. There is always a vast selection of tea sets that are  reasonably priced, between five and twenty -five dollars ... depending on the manufacturer. 

I paid ten dollars for this one.

 It was a very good deal, when you consider the amount of artistry and gold filigree that is decorating this( above)  

 Queen Anne tea set.

For our, “Blooming" Teatime, I thought that the, 

"Lady Patricia”, Hammersley tea pot would be perfect.

Hammersly, is a well established firm that has been around for over a century ... The company has always  specialized in the production of richly decorated bone china. 

Over the years, it has been associated with Royal Worcester Spode Ltd (1976) and more recently, it’s trade name has been bought by "Ansley" in 1988.

                                  I love all vintage china ... 
                                                  and 
                       am really quite enamoured with the 
                                   golden rose on the  lid.

I mean, who can resist all the  gold gilding !!!! 

Don’t you Love that handle?

This teaset seems to  make you feel like  a Cinderella ...

( ha ha)

It is definitely, china that is reminiscent of another era, when women wore gorgeous tea gowns,  

lacy gloves

 and took the time to sit in their tea parlours “ gossiping" about who’s who and the latest scandal. ( Tsk Tsk)

Shall we pour the tea?

Hopefully, you will enjoy this tasty tea selection that I purchased on Prince Edward Island.

                                     

I believe  that the  “ Apricot with Flowers” tea is going to be exceptionally appropriate for this afternoon’s  gossip session ...OOPS

I mean Teatime .

       There now... Let’s sit down and relax for a few minutes  
                  You can tell me how your day has been !!!!

My hubby has just returned from Asia, so of course, he wants to eat some real food instead of rice, rice and more rice.  His request includes, rack of lamb, lemon baked potatoes and mushroom and spinach sautéed. 

Here’s the quick and Easy Recipe:

(Lemon Baked Potatoes)

6-8 new medium sized Idaho Potatoes( thin skinned)

2-3 Tbsp Olive oil or butter

4-6 Tbsp  Squeezed Lemon Juice

( add more if you wish)

Salt and Pepper 

Directions:

Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of the pan

Do not peel the potatoes

Wash and cut the potatoes in half and place face down in a pan

Pour the lemon juice around the potatoes

Add salt and pepper

Bake  at 350  for 30 minutes

H-m-m-m

That means that this CINDERELLA has to loose the gown and the jewels and don a huge apron.

( BOO HOO )

 Yes ... the glass slippers have fallen off and magically become a pair of slip-ons ... WAIT ... there’s is hope for this daydream. You can still drink your last drop of tea before the dinner bell goes off.

AND 

I’ve decided

 that we’re going to keep 

the  dresses .

 LADIES ... Stay and  have another cup of tea, 

This is our " Blooming” Teatime  daydream 

so 

 I’ll take care of Prince Charming 

and 

BE RIGHT BACK

with 

the APPLE PIE.

                                           ENJOY Your Day !!!!

                                                             

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"LILAC TEATIME"

   Lilacs seem to herald the coming of Spring.  
                  I can visualize  them.  I can smell them .
                                     I LOVE THEM !!!!

As a child, I would sit on my Grandmothers steps  just inhaling and admiring the beauty of  the lilacs that surrounded her porch. 

NOW 

40 years later

It’s a like a deja-vu, as we have twelve lilac trees  growing in 
                           front of our old Victorian house. 

Last year the shrubs exploded with magnificent color and perfume that sent my olfactory nerve into orbit.  It is impossible to explain or capture a scent but, I’m sure that you all can reminisce and smell the lilacs. 
                                              Can’t you ?
                                          ( HEAVENLY)

Somehow, that intoxicating scent can take you back to a forgotten time or even transport you into a  sweet rendevou with something new or exilherating ... 

Like Teatime !!!

 So Ladies ... Take a big imaginary whiff of the lilacs(ah-h-h)
            WAIT WAIT >>>  Come back to our teatime reality 
                                                     and 
                           LOOK at the pretty teacup that
             was hiding on the bottom shelf of china cabinet.

I don't think that it has seen the light of day for at least ten years, which was when I originally, unpacked it ( Ha Ha)...

IMAGINE  !!!!

It’s a delicate gem that has the artists’ signature, " Susie Cooper" stamped onto each piece. At first, I thought the china might be a newer set, but with a little teacup detective  research, I soon discovered that Susie Cooper was no ordinary girl.  She was an  ambitious thinking woman, ahead of her time, who had left the A.E. Gray & Co. in 1926 to pursue her own interests.

Susie Cooper(1929-1964) was an English decorator and designer, who’s earthen collectables and tableware included wall masks, figurines and art pottery using freehand painting, banding, graffito, lithography and aerography. 

Now, suddenly this little teaset, has a presence of it’s own, that is starting to roar with the “I AM WOMAN” song from Helen Reddy ... "Never judge a book by it’s cover”.
WELL ... I certainly have a greater respect for this cup and saucer now.(Ha Ha)

Other things that I found in the cupboard:
 A  pretty cream and sugar set that matches up quite nicely with the teacup.

An Art card that I had created and collaged in 1984
OOPS ...  Is that telling my age? ( Hee Hee)

              and  a lovely set of Opera notes( La-la-la) 
Isn’t it surprising what is discovered while brewing a cup of tea.

Now I can write you each a recipe or better yet, fill you in with some lilac information.

For instance, did you know that you can eat lilacs? They have a sweet lemon flavour... and make a great edible garnish when candied or mixed with sugar for your tea.

        Another brilliant option to sweeten your tea with is:

                              Lilac Honey
                              Choose a jar size of choice
                                    Use local pure honey

Fill a jar with freshly picked lilacs. Leave a little room at the 
top of the jar. Pour over the honey and tighten the cap. 
                            Leave it to cure for six weeks. 

There is no need to strain the flowers, as you can eat them along with the honey.

It is also a great natural sweetening  alternative for baking recipes or again, for embellishing the flavour of your tea.

Just for your information: Did you know that lilac wood was used to make pan flutes.
(Toot Toot)

On that note ....  Let us keep brewing our tea ... How about a loose leafed blend like English Breakfast ? ...  You can add  
             anything  to a rich black tea and it will taste   
                                        AMAZING. 

Would you like Lilac honey or Lilac sugar in your tea ?

Which do you like best?

You are more than welcomed to another cup of tea.

THANK YOU for indulging in my floral fantasies of spring flowers and tea. ( ha ha)

PLEASE DO

Hang onto your bonnets Ladies ... It is a little windy outside.

                                Life is not measured 
                              by the number of 
                        breaths we take, but by 
                        the moments that take
                              our breath away.
                                            -Maya Angelou

 As you know, I’m a bit of a romantic and love music, so I’ll leave you with a beautiful  Springtime song. ... Check YOUTUBE for Katherine Jenkins singing “ We'll gather Lilacs”

                                          "We’ll Gathering Lilacs"
      We’ll gather lilacs in the Spring again
      And walk together down an English lane
   Until our hearts have learned to sing again
            When you come home once more.

     And in the evening by the firelight’s glow
     You’ll hold me close and never let me go
     Your eyes will tell me all I long to know
           When you come home once more.

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