Cassie and Tea

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and I wanted to share this beautiful pink teacup with you.

I love the big white and pink flowers.

You can see the ripples on the cup and saucer.

On my last visit to World Market, I bought the heart shaped ginger snaps.

I LOVE ginger snaps.

Apparently, Cassie likes ginger snaps, too.

With green tea!!!

Cassie has never shown any interest in my tea time photography set ups.

There is a first time for everything and it was fun to include the little lady

and NO, she didn't get my ginger snaps!

See the little pink rose (peony?) in the cup?

Lovely!

A big thank you to our tea party hosts:
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful cup of tea!

Lunch

Beautiful God Daughter (BGD) joined me for lunch to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The food was delicious and the setting extra special.

The only place in town I can think of where lunch costs less than $8.00 a person

and the tables are covered with tablecloths!

BGD had the garlic chicken.

I had the Hunan beef.

My little friend joined us for jasmine tea.

Thank you to our hosts: 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday

Mary for Mosaic Monday.

Wishing YOU Well and JOY!

Kiss!

More from The Box of Kisses: 40 Reproduction Vintage Postcards

published by Chronicle Books.

"In the Spring

We are getting busy in the Garden."

"The Seventh Heaven"

***

I LOVE January.

It has nothing to do with welcoming a new year or making resolutions.

It is the time of year when all the seed/plant/garden catalogs arrive!

Let the list making begin!

Soon I will be getting busy in the garden.

That's my Seventh Heaven.

Thank you to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

Good Morning!

Lunar New Year

A big welcome to the Year of the Dragon and the Lunar New Year!

In the Chinese zodiac, the dragon is the only animal that is not real.

(Unless you are a dragon lady and believe in dragons!)

The dragon is a highly auspicious symbol and represents the unification of the ancient tribes in China.

The dragon is a symbol of power, superiority and wisdom.

Unlike the wicked, fire breathing dragons of Western mythology,

China's celestial dragon symbolizes power and can have a soft spot! 

Dragons are ancient, majestic, wise and intelligent and

dragon years are considered auspicious for new business, marriage and children.

Dragon years also tend to boost individual fortunes and the world economy.

Happy New Year to You!

Celebrate!

Thank you to our hosts: 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and the lovely ladies who host tea blogs:

Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled New Year!

Funny LIttle Guys

A quick visit with a couple of the funny little Meerkats at the Houston Zoo.

Enjoy!

Thank you to Misty for hosting Camera Critters each week.

Wishing YOU well and a Joy filled weekend.

Look Out For The Fellow Who Owns An Automobile

As we get closer and closer to Valentine's Day,

 some words of wisdom from

A Box of Kisses published by Chronicle Books,

a box of 40 reproduction vintage postcards.

"You must kiss him or get out and walk.

Look out for the fellow who owns an automobile."

"Love me and the world is mine."

Thank you to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

Wishing YOU well and a JOY filled weekend!

Good Morning!

"You're weird."

"Sorry."

"No, that was a compliment."

Mail Call

I am so far behind in thanking everyone for spoiling me!

You know how much I LOVE mail call! 

So, in the order that they arrived at Twisty Lane.

The first is a wonderful set of note cards with the art from the 

Bodhi Chicklet on the front.

She calls them Bodhi Booty!
Thank you, Kim! 

***


You may remember that Lori Anderson was having a virtual craft show right before Christmas.
This is what I won from Elisabeth Auld.

Elisabeth was kind enough to do the stringing and this is what the finished product looks like.

I wore the necklace with this sweater last week for an interview.

Be sure to visit Elisabeth's Etsy shop.

Lori still has all the virtual craft show shops on her blog.

Some really fun goodies to look at and do some very early Christmas shopping! 

Thank you Elisabeth (and Lori, too).

***

And last, a total surprise!

There was a box on my doorstep last week from my friend, Sherry.

I knew what was inside before I opened the box!

Sherry won the give-a-way on Diane Salter's blog.

She sent her winnings to me! 

I love it.

Especially the "Be Happy" in the center of the heart.

This image is from Diane's blog and it really doesn't do it justice.

You can't see the colors on the knobs on top,

the texture, all the great papers.

Thank you Sherry (and Diane, too).

Friends you make in the blogging community are amazing.

Generous, talented, supportive, special.

Wishing all of you WELL and a JOY filled week.

Sereni-Tea

I have a new calendar for 2012 called

Sereni-Tea.

This is the cover of the calendar.

Published by Brush Dance, each month has a beautiful tea related photograph and quote.

"Tea is a treasure enjoyed by millions throughout the centuries.

Discover serenity, relaxation, and friendship day-by-day, cup-by-cup."

All of the Christmas trees and decorations are down and put away,

but I left out some of the Snow People. 

It is winter!

Here's Mr. and Mrs. SnowMan with a tea-for-one by Tracy Porter.

I've talked about Tracy Porter before.

I love her designs and color.

Everything is so bright and fresh.

I was saddened to learn that she has gone out of business.

This tea for one was my last Tracy Porter purchase.

Great color.

Fun design.

A rose on the top of the teapot lid.

A surprise in the bottom of the cup.

I love the shape of the cup and believe me, it holds a lot of tea!

I've been reading Tea Bliss by Theresa Cheung and
thought I'd leave you with a few thoughts from her book.
"Savor the moment, says tea; appreciate me for what I am. Calm down and drink me; life is too precious to waste. Wait for me to steep, delight in my fragrance, and watch the steam rise from my cup. Appreciate your friends, or the silence reflecting your thoughts. When you are ready, take a sip, feel the glow of my sweet warmth, and make a wish."

Don't forget that January is Hot Tea Month!

Thank you to our hostesses.
These are just a few of the Tea Parties in Blogland.
Tea Time Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Party Tuesday
Teacup Tuesday
A Return to Loveliness

This and That

As I start a new journey in the New Year,

it's time for This and That.

I read Tiny Buddha daily.

There have been several good articles on getting the New Year off to a good start.

One of those was create solutions not resolutions by Laura Fenamore.

I encourage you to read the whole article, but here is a short form:

"My solution  for letting go comes in daily reminding myself of the process.

 I do that using this morning affirmation for self-love:

Today, I accept myself just the way I am.

Today, I accept my body the way it is.

Today, I accept my mind the way it is.

Today, I accept my heart the way it is.

Today, the love I have for myself is so strong that I embrace all that is me.

Self-iove transforms my life from fear to joy and guides me to make healthy choices.

Today, I share time with others and easily forgive any injustice I feel in my mind.

Today, all of my relationships are based on respect, love and joy.

Today, I allow the divine wisdom in me to direct all my thoughts, words, and deeds.

Today, I allow divine love to give me peace and joy.

Today, I remember I am one with all life, and I give thanks for being me."

There was also a nice article by Loran Hills on journaling tips to help you heal, grow and thrive.

1. Start writing about where you are in your life at this moment.

2. For five to ten minutes just start writing in a "stream of consciousness."

3. Start a dialogue with your inner child by writing in your subdominant hand.

4. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude by maintaining a daily list of things you appreciate in your life, including uplifting quotes.

5. Start a journal of self-portraits.

6. Keep a nature diary to connect with the natural world.

7. Maintain a log of successes.

8. Keep a log or playlist of your favorite songs.

9. If there is something you are struggling with or if there is an event that is disturbing you, write about it in the third person.

10. Develop your intuition.

Loran goes into detail on each of these suggestions.

***

Speaking of journals:

I've started a journal of sorts in a Composition Notebook.

Images that I come across that I like, a post from Tiny Buddha that I liked, tea that was new to me, breakfast at Hungry's. roses for the Rose Bowl Parade, scones that I made and liked ....

***

I've been cleaning out the garage.

I tackled all of the boxes from Mr. Dragon's office and then found three boxes of *things* like this:

I believe these are all left over from the clean-out of my mother's things

years and years ago.

I have no excuse. There should always be a project going to keep my fingers happy!

***

Sometimes it's fun to visit with an old friend.

I first read The Copper Crown in 1986 and I still love it.

Good fantasy, good writing, good story, a smidge of sci-fi and lots of good 

Celtic Mythology.

Wishing YOU well and a JOY filled week.

Here Kitty, Kitty

Magnificent

Regal

Endangered

Meet the Malayan Tigers, Hana and Pandu, at the Houston Zoo.

Thank you to Misty for being the hostess each week for Camera Critters.

Bella Luna

Valentine's Day is just around the corner 

and the wolf moon has been magnificent the last few days.

I thought I'd celebrate Valentine's and Bella Luna

with my Friday post.

Both of these are reproductions of vintage postcards.

They are both from A Box of Kisses published by Chronicle Books.

The first card I've nicknamed Bella Luna.

The artist may be represented by initials in the right lower corner.

A. S. Meeker, New York was the publisher.

Meeker published postcards from 1908-1910.

Bella Luna has a copyright date of 1908.

Most of the cards were artist signed and published in elaborate tinted halftones,

many of which were embossed.

Most were issued in a series and dealt with holidays and romantic themes.

I didn't find an artist or publisher for the second card.

I love the look on her face -- waiting for that divine kiss!

Look at her small waist!

Ack!

I had to take a shot at capturing the wolf moon over the Texas Medical Center.

Thank you to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

Wishing YOU  well and a fun filled weekend.

Good Morning!

My room 

is not messy. 

It is 

an obstacle course 

designed 

to keep me fit.

Wordless Wednesday: Buddha Baby

Need a New Project?

I'm joining Natasha at 5 Minutes For Me

with some Pinspiration!

Are your fingers itching to get into a new project in the new year?

How about a wrapped bracelet?

Source: limabeads.com via Snap on Pinterest

Have some neckties around the house and you just can't part with them?

How about a ruffled necktie collar on a T-shirt?!!!

Source: mckells-closet.blogspot.com via Snap on Pinterest

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.

If you start now, you can get the YOU'RE STILL THE ONE afghan completed.

Source: crochettoday.com via Snap on Pinterest

Sooner or later, winter will arrive and it's always nice to have

a pretty new scarf to keep your neck nice and warm.

Source: etsy.com via Snap on Pinterest

Maybe you are starting a new journal and need some journaling ideas!

Source: scrapbooking.craftgossip.com via Snap on Pinterest

If nothing else, stay warm, enjoy yourself and sing!

Source: 500px.com via Snap on Pinterest