Celebrate life's simple pleasures with Tea

Show & Tell Monday-getting ready for a birthday!

This week I will be joining in the festivities!

My favorite authoress, Jane Austen, was born on Dec. 16, 1775

 I know that Jane and Cassandra enjoyed a good cup of tea, so in her honor I'd like to do something special!

I did a bit of surfing and googling and found that I am not alone in my love all things Jane!

I wanted to share this fabulous tea party treat (wouldn't it make a lovely favor too!)

I love that the talented cookie maker put up a wonderful tutorial on her blog so that we can recreate them!http://mischiefmaricookies.com/jane_austen_teapot_cookie_howto.html

Are you a Jane Austen Fan?

Join us, and pour yourself a cup of tea, as we plan a tea party in her honor.

 

Show & Tell Monday! Certified Santa Helper Week 3

Photo courtesy of http://blog.christmaslightsetc.com/

 The Holiday season is upon us, Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner and I bet your Christmas decorations are around the corner too! In fact, I bet that you had to crawl over the Christmas Decorations to get to the Thanksgiving decorations!

This year I am trying to begin my Christmas decorating early. My youngest son's birthday is Dec. 8th and we have always tried so hard to just do birthday decorating at the beginning of the month and not let Christmas intrude on his special day.

Well, while shopping last year he and I had a talk about it. Last year we had a snow storm that made it hard to get the Christmas decorations up in time. He didn't like that at all! I explained to him how we wanted to make his birthday special and he replied that the best part of having a December birthday was that "There are decorations everywhere!"

This week's Certified Santa Helper is a page to help keep the decorating simple! Make your home festive, fun and comforting. Comforting is a relaxed atmosphere that is shared by the family. Select the decorations that you love and follow the traditions that make you smile! 

This is the busy season for my business and I find that if I don't pay attention, I go to bed late saying "I forgot to do this or put out that!".  Peace of mind and time with family is more important than vacuuming the carpet or filing the invoices or blogging. :)  Enjoy  the Helper for week 3 and keep it simple!

Download Certified Santa help3 decorate

and visit www.flylady.net, you'll be glad you did!

Show & Tell Monday- Certified Santa Helper week 2!

This is the second of our 5 part series to help you sail through the Holidays this year.

Photo credit/Country Living Magazine

Last week, we began thinking of gifts and getting organized-shopping on-line to save time and money. Starting now means that you don't have to panic when the gift is back ordered or just plain gone! It also saves you money on shipping, because when you have time to wait you have more money in your pocket!

This week, we are still focused on gifts- now we can get going with the gifts to make and the others to purchase as we are out and about shopping. Keep track of those items, don't stash them away before you log them onto your list and WRAP them. Yep, you heard me- wrap the item as it comes into the house.

So, enclosed are two lists that will keep you on track and fly through the Holiday prep! I think a nice cup of Ceylon Chai tea, good and strong and yummy will help you relax-and don't forget some nice music!

Download Certified Santa help2b gift list/ gifts to make

Download Certified Santa help2 gift list/ gifts to purchase
 

Show & Tell Monday! Launching our Certified Santa Helpers!

One of my goals this year is to get on track and "fly through the Holidays" without the stress of last minute shopping and decorating!

As a business owner, mom, and woman with many plates spinning in the air I need a helping hand! Several years ago I found www.flylady.net, and with her program I was able to smile and enjoy the peace that the season is meant to bring to us.

So I wanted to share this document with all our Fans, Followers and  TEAm members.It was created with your peaceful holiday preparations in mind! Print this out, pour yourself a nice cup of tea and fly through your holidays!

Download Certified santa helper week 1

Show & Tell Monday- bringing outdoor tea parties back inside!

It's sunny and beautiful and it's time to clean off the patio and bring my tea party set inside.

But first I just need to enjoy the sunshine a little bit longer with a nice turkey sandwich and a great view of the foliage!

Tomorrow, shots of the inside tea party spot! Cheers!

Show & Tell Monday!

If you've been following this blog for a few months you will have noticed that I love tea!  I adore all things related to the experience of sharing tea with friends and family! As I post new tips and ideas each week I look back to old posts to see what my favorites are and what your favorites are.

It seems as though the viewers love to check out the post regarding setting a beautiful tea table. This is the most visited post. Tea fans from around the globe are visiting and I find that so exciting!

 So of course, we just had to put this great information in our new catalog! Page 3 gives all this info now and it's easier to refer back to. So if  you'd  like your very own copy, head on over to our contact page and it will be mailed out to you promptly!

Please do respect the copyright. Thank you!

Show & Tell Monday- 100th post and 10,000 views-must be time for a giveaway!

Thank you all for your amazing support this year! It's true, this is my 100th post and we hit the 10,000 views mark!

To celebrate I will be sending off a lovely gift basket to a randomly selected follower. I noticed that many bloggers use their comment link to make their selection. I'd like to save you some time and you can just hit "follow"

Then we will make our selection from those of you that support us! I even saved a link for a random number selector so all's fair!  Watch for the post announcing the winner on Saturday Sept. 5th. So feel free to share the announcement with your friends who love tea and hit that follow button today!

 

  Good Luck and have a tea-rific day!

Show & Tell Monday!New Cosie Collection- I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

 Thank you faithful followers for your patience. We have been working night and day on the new signature cosie collections and the new catalog! Thank goodness and the Lord for a talented team! We can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Here is one of my favorites-thought I might give you a sneak peak. :)

Meet "Tea with Marie". I just adore all the wonderful things that have come out in the past year in recognition of Marie Antoinette. This is our little tribute to tea with Marie. The Hamlet  was Marie's favorite place to escape to, part of her Le Petit Trianon.

Her is her home and billiard room.

She may have even had tea with one of her maids where to two ladies are sitting and enjoying a view of the garden.

I think that I would love to have a tent set up at this spot so that I could admire the gardens and the mill.

The tea table could be set with this! In beautiful shades of pinks, creams and blues. These are the colors I think of when I think of Marie Antoinette.  More photos to come on thursday for our new table scape! And this collection will be ready for you Sept 1st. 

Show & Tell Monday- playing in the rain with my teacup

Okay, We had exactly 2 hours of sunshine today! I had a list a mile long, things that just had to get done.

I crossed exactly 1 thing off the list and decided it was time to play. After all, it is supposed to be my day off!

Here's an adorable idea from http://prettylittlethings.typepad.com/lori_marie/2008/08/terrarium-madness.html

I just hade to have one of my own! (I'll have to post the pics later this week, the camera needs new batteries! Oh, And the tea cart is still waiting for its second coat of paint- if the sun would just dry things up a bit! )

I may even make one for my assistant, my sister, mom, nieces - see how enthralled I am with this!

And I want to have an event at our shop- Make your own teacup terrarium- would you come? Do you have an extra ballerina, please???????

Show & Tell Monday- celebrating a long weekend with my tea and flag!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

                     As my children remind me every year, 'It's summer! Well, just about!"

        Thank you, to all the men & women whom, out of courage and patriotism, serve us all so well.