Good Morning!

Rose Garden Tea Set

Hard to believe January is almost over.
Valentine's Day is right around the corner.
This year I added this friendly Owl to my Valentine decorations.

I thought I'd invite him to tea! 

I found this trio before Christmas at Marshalls.

It is called Rose Garden - Fine China Afternoon Tea Set by

the English Table.

Lovely roses, a beautiful bird on one side of the cup and roses on the other.

It is quiet around here.

Cloudy again.

And warm -- high today in low 80s.

Bodes ill for Ughust! 

I'd like some more cool! 

Thank you to our tea party hosts:

Tea Time Tuesday

A Return To Loveliness
Friends Sharing Tea
Teacup Tuesday

Tuesday Cup'a Tea

Tea Talk

Share Your Cup Thursday

Wishing you well, much joy and a lovely cup of tea!

This and That

I've been waking up to foggy mornings.

Once the fog burns off the bird bath and fountain gets busy.
The robins have really enjoyed the fountain.

I added a pop of color to Musashi's Garden with a couple of geraniums.

The crochet baby blanket is finished.

This was a kit from Herrschner's called: Lil' Lullabies Baby Blanket.

The crochet group meets Saturday and I think I'm going to use this pattern

to use up some stash yarn ... with a few changes.

I have a thing for lapghans and think this pattern will make a very good one.

*

I had a lovely lunch with some museum friends this week 

and while I was there I visited the Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces From The Prado.

The exhibitions closes March 31 and then is off to Brisbane, Australia. 

The Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia by Alonso Sanchez Coello

greets you as you enter the exhibition.

*

Lastly, I have another postcard for you from the kiss box.

Just in time for Valentine's Day!

Thank you to the lovely Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

Wishing all of you well and much joy!

Wednesday Wisdom

 

Wishing you well and much joy!

A Rose Tea Celebration

Today is a special day.
Sandi is celebrating the third birthday of her Tea Time Tuesday Party
with a special rose party.

I have shared both of these teacups and roses with you before,
but I thought they were perfect for Sandi's celebration.


The first is an Elizabethan Fine Bone china tea cup with a rose from the balcony garden.

This is a Paragon teacup with a rose from Musashi's Garden.

One of my favorite rose quotes:

"I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall."
Eleanor Roosevelt 

And, this quote for Sandi:

"But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold."
Oliver Wendell Holmes 

Sandi, thank you for being our tea friend!

Thank you to our tea party hosts:

Tea Time Tuesday

A Return To Loveliness
Friends Sharing Tea
Teacup Tuesday

Tuesday Cup'a Tea

Tea Talk

Share Your Cup Thursday

Wishing you well, much joy and a fine cup of tea!

Blooming In Musashi's Garden

Early last week it was rainy, dark, dreary and finally the sun appeared

bringing the first morning that the city saw a freeze.

I dashed out the door in the early morning to feed the birds

and caught the sun spotlighting the Bill Warriner roses.

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck. 

 ~Emma Goldman

Inside the house, the sun was shining on the Minerva Amaryllis.

When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.  ~Chinese Proverb

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.  ~Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honourable Defeat

I'm joining Sunlit Sunday and Mosaic Monday.

A big thank you to our hosts.

Wishing you well and much joy!

This and That

It's Friday and the sun is shining!

YeeHaw!

After a week of dark, dreary, cold (for us) days it is nice to see the sun.

So, what am I going to do today to celebrate the sun?

I'm going to sneak a quick walk into the village and perhaps have some ice cream!

I'm working on a baby blanket. It's a little different in that the edge is made first

(the granny squares) and then the body is crocheted (easy, peasy chain and single crochet).

I like the pattern and think it would be a good stash buster lapghan.

I've started reading Prayer of the Dragon by Eliot Patison.

This series set in Tibet is one of my favorites.

I've been saving two books in the series waiting (and hoping) for another in the series.

YES!

There is another! 

I've been looking around the house (closet searching)

for decorations for Valentine's Day. 

The snowmen from Christmas are still out.

It is still winter!

But, I did come across my "Box of Kisses" published by Chronicle.

40 reproduction vintage postcards that are perfect for Valentine's Day.

He looks like a very happy fellow!

I love the fashions on these cards.

Look at the gloves and beaded bag!

Thank you to the lovely Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

Wishing you well, much joy and a little sunshine!

Good Morning!

 

Notecard Party!

Oh my.

Decisions, decisions!

It's time for one of my favorite Blog Land Parties:
Vee's Notecard Party.

We need to pick 4 photos that have been shown previously on our blog
that we think would make good notecards.

I looked and looked.
Finally, I decided to pick some ICADs (Index Card A Day) I made during the summer.
Perhaps I'm looking for warmer days?
(Shock! Remind me of this comment in UGHust!)

So, I hope these, at the very least, bring a smile to your face!

 

Many thanks to Vee for hosting.

Wishing you well and much joy!

Sunlit Sunday

It is cold, rainy, dreary.
The perfect time to look at some photos from a sunnier day!
Off to one of my favorite places and the beautiful Lady Lions at the zoo!

Snooze time!

Sunlight is painting.

~Nathaniel Hawthorne

I'm joining Karen at My Little Home and Garden and her SunLit Sunday Party.

Wishing you well and much joy!

(Photo editing with Ribbet.)

Camera Critters: Mina

Doesn't Mina look sweet and innocent?!!! 

She likes her *house*.

It's a good place to hide and wait for her brother and sister to pass by.

Then -- watch the fur fly!!!!!

Thank you to Misty for hosting Camera Critters.

Wishing you well and much joy!

Good Morning!

Wednesday Wisdom

"Nothing is permanent:

The sun and the moon rise and then set,

The bright, clear day is followed by the deep, dark night.

From hour to hour, everything changes."

~Kalu Rinpoche

I Love Owls

I love owls.
I've been collecting them since I was a very small girl.
I guess I've always loved the wise old owl often seen by Merlin's side.
Magical!

So, it is no surprise that Lacey Owl has been added to the owl and teacup collection.

This is a huge teacup.

So far in the cup I've had:

tea

hot chocolate

cereal

oat meal

tomato soup with half a grilled cheese sandwich on the plate

and I'm sure I'll find more drink/food to fit! 

I have a new favorite tea:

Orange Jasmine by China Mist.

This is a white and green whole leaf tea blend in a sachet.

Thank you to our tea party hosts:

Tea Time Tuesday

A Return To Loveliness
Friends Sharing Tea
Teacup Tuesday

Tuesday Cup'a Tea

Tea Talk

Share Your Cup Thursday

Let The Light Shine

It's winter and many are waiting for the light to return.

Karen at My Little Home and Garden has started her Sun Lit Sunday Party again.

Please join us as we share the light: sun light, smiles, JOY!

One of my favorite places:

The Japanese Garden in Hermann Park.

A wonderful place to walk.

A wonderful place to sit and dream.

A wonderful place to just BE.

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

Good Morning!

Happy New Year!

May the New Year bring happiness to your heart

 and give you many reasons to smile.

It's been great spending 2012 with you.

May 2013 bring all of us much joy.

Wishing YOU well.