Alice and Rabbit Sunset Tea

Oh, good! You're here...you're just in time for the Alice and Rabbit Sunset tea. 

 It's nearly nightfall. Leave your hat and handbag on the garden bench. Hope you won't mind a few stray cat hairs - it's Cheshire Cat's favorite place to nap. I have a seat saved just for you!

  
Let's watch the sun sink behind the hills. It's not quite dark enough to light the candles...but soon! Look above- the umbrella is twinkling.

The garden looks pretty and everything is growing.

Alice dressed up the bird bath with Hydrangea and Rose petals, and the scent of Rosemary drifts through the darkening sky.

 Can I tempt you with a sweet? These pecan cookies are as light and fluffy as bunny tails! And we all know that calories don't count in Wonderland~

The sun is sinking fast! Alice makes a pointed look at the matches, so I hurry to light the candles. What a fun collection of cups and saucers~

I think I will use the Chartwell Minton bone china cup made in England. It has tiny flowers and pretty blue ribbons on the cup and saucer~

                Won't you join me in a cup of tea?

Everything looks magical by candle light. Did you notice the Four O'Clocks have opened to greet the twilight?

Oh, my! The crickets have started their serenade. Please help yourself to a scone and jam. So, what's new?

 Alice's golden curls gleam in the warm candle light. Even her earrings glisten. Did you notice the stitched teacup on her apron? 

She wore a satin hair ribbon just for the occasion. Look who else is here! Mr. Rabbit. He was fashionably late, but we have come to expect that of him!

                He sports a dapper bow tie.

What a fine watch. He looks handsome, don't you agree?

Look at all the unbirthday cards collected by the Mad Hatter! He keeps them in a tin basket. Is it your unbirthday today?

 

 Alice can hardly keep her eyes open, and the Dormouse is asleep. Stars begin to twinkle overhead. Is it that time already? I'll be sad to see you go!

One last glimpse of the table before we put out the candles~

            Don't forget your hat and handbag.

How thoughtful! Cheshire Cat appears to have placed fairy lanterns along the path to guide you home.

Thank you for coming! May your dreams be as magical as an evening spent in Wonderland~

   I am sharing this post with A Fanciful Twist.

 

Also sharing with:
Marthas Favorites 
Artful Affirmations 
Antiques and Teacups 
Rose Chintz Cottage 
Mosaic Monday 
Show and Tell Saturday

Sunday's Best
Sunny Simple Sunday 

Party Time

It is that time again for another magical 
tea party romp 
with
 a Fanciful Twist. 

I am joining the party! I hope you visit me on Saturday~

  Alice and Rabbit Sunset Tea

For: Lovers of Whimsy

Date: July 28

Time: The Hour with Sixty Minutes

Just Add Ink!

Look what I discovered while visiting another blog - fabulous tea stamps! **drool!** I bet you can guess that I collect tea stamps, right? I've seen 'em all. They usually do not have much in the way of sentiments other than the expected, "you are my cup of tea" or "you're tea-riffic". What is so great about this set from Papertrey Ink is that there are lots of unique and useful sayings as well as four pretty teapots. Don't make cards? That's ok! You know there are lots of blank cards on the market in which you could stamp a sentiment inside. You could also stamp the envelope you mail your card in. And lunch bags. And tags. Also, hostess gifts and get well notes! I am putting these on my wish list  and once they are in my hot little hands I don't think I'll ever put them away! :)

Friday's Child

Friday's Child

 

I am sharing a special cup this week that I bought soon after College Girl was born! It is a charming beaker-style porcelain cup with images of children and animals on it. You guessed it...our sweet girl was born on a Friday~ 
 

The cup is decorated on the front and back with a pastoral setting.

I found this Birthday Mug by Royal Worcester in a gift shop that carried children's clothing.

There are Foxgloves, Sunflowers and Hollyhock growing near the door - some of my favorites - and two friendly cats sharing the yard with ducks and geese.

                   The rim has gold plating~

Here is my second crop of Sunflowers! I originally planted two packets of seed around the yard in early May anticipating cheery yellow blooms by August. To my chagrin, slugs devoured every last seedling. Unwilling to admit defeat, I bought a long portable planter and more sunflower seed. I move the planter once a day so it gets the most sun possible. I am looking forward to seeing the golden flowers soon since our summer weather lasts until mid October.

Thinking of all the families and emergency personnel affected by the horrendous event in Colorado~ Lifting them in prayer!

sharing this post with:

Marthas Favorites 

Artful Affirmations 

Rose Chintz Cottage 

Mosaic Monday 
Make It Pretty Monday 
You're Going to Love It 
Antiques and Teacups 

Finishing Touches

I love Colonial homes...something like this surrounded by trees with an herb, vegetable and cutting garden in the back, as well as a dovecote. Alas, in California, homes such as these are rare. Instead, we usually have stucco covered homes with red tiled roofs and garages facing the street. We live in the wrong part of the country for elegant Colonial style houses. The good news is that I can decorate the inside of our home with the historical touches I love. My artistic side is usually limited to cake decorating, scrap booking and sewing, but I have been known to paint a wall mural and try my hand at other things if the need  arises. I could not find a floral arrangement I liked for the niche in the foyer so I made one~

What do you think for my first try? I used a blue and white vase and went to work! There are cream colored roses and white day lilies. I like using a bit of Chinoiserie among our late 18th Century decor. I think the crisp blue and white looks fabulous with cherry and tiger maple furniture, paint-grained frames, pewter pieces and banjo clocks. I gathered pictures that were scattered around the house, along with a new clock, and laid them out on the floor. I rearranged them until I liked the design, then Handyman put them up on the living room wall. I really like how it turned out! 

The pictures on the far left and far right are actually authentic documents that have a hand painted image on them. You can see one of my prized furniture pieces on the left of the sofa. It is a mini tiger maple chest on frame. I love it! 

  
The chest of drawers can be lifted off the skirted frame below, which makes it easy to move. I'm going to get a small tassel to hang from the top drawer pull. 

 




sharing this post with~
It's Overflowing 

Sunny Simple Sunday
Potpourri Friday at 2805 

Whoo Loves Pink?

Handyman scouts out new housing developments in our area so we can visit the model homes. We love taking a camera along to remember some of the clever details and wonderful designer touches they always feature. I am inspired by picture and furniture arrangements and he enjoys seeing the way the backyards are designed. Our latest model home excursion was in Orange County, California, where we looked at detached single family homes as well as some town houses. I got a kick out of this charming child's bedroom...aren't the owls cute? It seems that designers rarely use headboards in the children's bedrooms, and somehow all the furniture fits without looking crowded. That doesn't seem to be realistic, does it? College girl has a dresser, small nightstand and bed in her room and there is no room to spare! Add some personal belongings and the room starts looking messy! Maybe we all just have too much stuff~ lol.

Simple images framed and placed together above the bed~ These could be images your children drew!

 I think some dainty white pom-pom trim would look adorable along the bottom of the lamp to match those on the bedspread, don't you? Or use a hole punch like I did here and weave a ribbon through for extra panache.

And look at these two whooty pals! As soon as I saw them I took out my camera and snapped a few photos to share on Pink Saturday~

sharing this post with~
Pink Saturday
Share Your Cup
Show and Tell Saturday 

Anything Goes

TGIF~

Isn't this cheery and fun? I spotted this ruffled apron in one of the shops in Old Towne Orange last week. I like the red checks! Do you wear aprons? I do. I originally got into the habit of wearing aprons when I worked for Wilton teaching cake decorating classes. I have several aprons that are the plain basic chef style, but last year a friend made a pretty apron for me. As a David Tennant Doctor Who fan-- and tea 'snob'-- I'd love to make an apron from this fabric!

I made two cards last night using the same June Page Maps Card sketch I used on Sunday, which you can see here. 

  
One Christmas card (Momento and Colorbok paper, edge punch, pearls, Spellbinders die) and one masculine birthday card (Colorbok and Girls Paperie, edge punch, Spellbinders die). Notice how I flipped the design?

Sharing this post with~
Made You Look @ Made In A Day 

Show and Tell Saturday