Tasha Tudor Gift Exchange~Year of the Sheep

Our Tasha Tudor group~TAKE PEACE~enjoys several gift exchanges during the year. It started many years ago with an Easter egg ornament swap for our Easter trees. Of course, the tradition comes from Tasha who made Easter trees for her children. Most of us have an Easter tree or two! I have one in my tea room that I have decorated with all of the gifts from my friends. As we progressed on, we decided to pick a theme and do a one on one exchange. LaVonne was in charge of this year's event. She raises sheep in Montana, and as this is the YEAR OF THE SHEEP, she choose a sheep or lamb theme. It was a bit challenging to find little goodies, but we managed!

My Tasha friend Joyce had my name. This is the sweet note card that came with my gift! Everyone loves the graphics and did you notice, the little girl is holding a doll? Perfect!

I couldn't wait to open my package! In fact, I didn't wait for Easter this time as I usually do.

Joyce sent me two baskets...one for me and one for Miss Annabelle of Oregon! Lucky little lady.

My basket is actually a little lamb! Inside, she tucked in a wonderful sheep and little sheep chocolate candies. YUMMY!

How sweet of her to remember Miss Annabelle! Such a sweet treat with little goodies and a tiny card.
I will open both baskets on Easter Sunday. Can you see the small pink sheep? It's a miniature lamb cake for Annabelle. Joyce said it's handmade and signed on the bottom!

There is also a little bunny paper basket inside. I just love having friends who like to play dolls. I know, but I just love dolls and miniatures and all!

The other day, I received another package! SURPRISE! It was an Easter box from my friend LaVonne! More goodies to enjoy. I love the funny little sheep card...so LaVonne!

She knows I love Mary Engelbreit and the hatbox is darling. I wondered if there was anything inside?
Oh yes.....

She ordered this little nuthead miss for me! We both collect nuthead dolls. They are hard to find and are usually handmade.

Such a cute face with her little hat and basket! She is made of pipe cleaners and someone crocheted her little apron. She is just so charming and adorable.  What a very special gift.

I also love this darling little metal egg! I don't think LaVonne knows that I have a little collection of these. She had a gift for Otto and even a chocolate bunny for Jimmy! We are spoiled by this friend!

There was one more WONDERFUL gift tucked in the box....a jar of Raw Honey from Russia! She took a class on bee keeping and was able to purchase this at the class. I can't wait to try it. It's almost too good to use!

So BIG THANK YOUS to my Tasha Tudor friends...Joyce and LaVonne!

We are getting buckets of rain today! I was able to do a lot of yardwork yesterday before the rains appeared. We have had very little rain for months and now the weatherman says we are in a changing pattern....expect rain for two weeks! We need it so badly, so I am not going to complain! We had hail this morning and now I hear thunder! Ah....spring.

Sunday Thoughts

"Your king comes to you.He is gentle and riding on a donkey." Matthew 21: 5
Matthew 21: 1-11 will give you the entire account of Palm Sunday.

Happy Palm Sunday! This is the beginning of Holy Week for those of us who share the Christian faith. It is a week of somber thought and reflection, ending with the joyful celebration of the Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Spring Tea Cup Exchange!

Good sunny morning from Oregon! It is just the most beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest.
Today I am revealing my tea cup exchange goodies. My friend Stephanie at THE ENCHANTING ROSE is so kind to set up these exchanges a couple time a year. Please go visit her beautiful blog and you can see all the lovely goodies that were exchanged. She said this is her 6th exchange....I think I have participated in them all and I have met some lovely ladies.

My package came from a very talented quilter...Tilda at Huckleberry Stitches. If you are into quilting, you need to see what this lovely lady is doing. I am in awe of her small quilts.

So Tilda (don't you love her name?) sent me this teacup from her favorite antique shop. I love it and it's so different. It has daylilies on it. I have daylilies in my front yard and have never seen a teacup decorated with them. Notice the embossed edging around the edges of the cup and saucer and the little daylilies on the inside of the cup. I just have this thing for something decorating the inside. What a lovely choice Tilda.

She sent a nice little assortment of Bigelow teas to sample and enjoy. Yummy.

How did she know I am a specialty soap nut? I have always loved soaps since I was a little girl. I have never had this one! I just have to save them for a bit before I can open the lovely packages. I know, silly me.

She also included this wooden tea scoop. What a neat addition and something I don't own.

So a big thank you Tilda from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate your thoughtful choices and careful packing. I look forward to following your blog and watching your quilts come to life. You blessed me this spring with your wonderful gift!

And to you Miss Stephanie, one of the sweetest people I know, another BIG THANK YOU for setting this up and for the great job you always do. I love ya lots and treasure our friendship. Time for tea!

Tea Time Thursday #70~That Last St Patrick's Tea!

I am sharing another St Patrick's tea that my friends Natalie and Ann so graciously prepared last Saturday. We met at Natalie's lovely home again about 11:30 AM and said goodbye after 7 PM!
It was just a relaxing day with time to talk and time to relax.

Everything was so yummy and just so beautiful prepared. Going out to tea is exciting, but there is just something wonderful about going to tea at a friend's home.

Both Ann and Natalie have traveled to Ireland. They love Belleek and have nice collections. Ann brought me a little vase on her last visit.

Natalie had little scarves for us too. This is Ann...all smiles and just a very special lady.

Natalie was parting with her teddy bear and her baby doll from the 1950's. She was going to take them to the Goodwill! I HAD to rescue them. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them, but I will be their new owner!

Thank you my friends...what a lovely tea and what a lovely day we had together. I hope you enjoyed my Tea Time Thursday post. Happy Spring.

A Project Completed!

You may remember that I posted last summer about this dollhouse shelf I found at the Goodwill thrift store. I found this treasure before I went back east for my Tasha Tudor Gathering and I had good intentions of selling it at the summer Expo show. It was 12.99 and I thought it was too good to leave at the store. I think it jumped into my cart. I put it down in my craft cottage and didn't think much about it.

When I was back east, I was able to visit some of my friend's homes and they shared their dollhouses and dolls. It was amazing. I thought maybe I had too many dolly things....well, not compared to them! I came home and realized I needed to KEEP the little shelf and use it to house the plastic dollhouse furniture I had been collecting from the 1950's. I no longer had mine or my metal dollhouse, but I had hopes of putting one together someday. I just don't have room for the metal house, but I had this brainstorm that this little gem would be perfect. I had a space on the wall above my cutting table that would be the perfect home for it too. It would all blend in with my Mary Engelbreit decor perfectly.

I gave the house to my handyman Duane before Christmas to paint. I didn't like the mauve trim. He just returned it and mounted it on the wall for me. He chose to sponge on the paint so it would look a bit more vintage.

Then it was time for the icing on the cake! There isn't too much room in the little abode, so I had to pick and choose what furniture to put on the shelves. I do think I may add a couple window frames to cover the screws and break the blank walls. I may add some curtains, but will live with it for awhile as is.

This little sewing machine is the only piece that was actually mine. I managed to keep it all these years. I always loved to sew, so it is fitting. LaVonne sent me another one at Christmas, so I have it in my cottage too. It is a favorite piece. The scale isn't perfect in the house, but it just brings back happy childhood memories!

Sunday Thoughts

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."
Isaiah 40:11

I have always loved stained glass and this one is so beautiful with soft sweet tones. Don't you just love this verse? How tender and loving. My friend LaVonne sheared her sheep this morning in Montana. I had to think of her when I came across this delightful bible verse.

I will be thinking of the Lord's love and kindness to me this week. I am thankful that he holds me close to his heart.

Tea Time Thursday #69 and a Little Avon Fun

Oh the sunrise was just so very pretty this morning with many shades of pink! Spring officially begins tomorrow and I am ready. I have a few Easter decorations up in my tea room and will finish the rest of the house soon.  As Tasha Tudor's book reminds us, SPRING is one of the seasons of delight..

I have a fun teacup and some information that goes with it to share today. I recently found this really pretty spring teacup at a sale. I was taken with it and noticed the sweet little lady on it. The cup was made by the QUEENS company in England in 1996 for the Avon company. Ah....a mystery. I went searching for some answers last night.

The cup was presented as an award to Avon representatives. I'm not sure what the rep had to achieve to receive it. It once came with a wooden base. It seems several different cup and saucers have been made and given out over the years. I really like this design the best of all that I saw doing my research.

The lady in the picture is Mrs. PFE Albee. Who was Mrs. Perses Fpster Eames Albee? She was the very first Avon representative, chosen by the founder David H McConnell. He chose her in the late 1800 to start selling his perfumes door to door. She was 50 when she took on the job in the Northeast. She was from New Hampshire and traveled by horse, buggy and train! She is often called the "Mother of the California Perfume Company".

The first scents sold were Violet, White Rose, Hyacinth and Lily-of-the-Valley. All did quite well and she was very successful.

There is a Facebook page for her....HONOR MRS PFE ALBEE, a Barbie doll, porcelain statures and there is a room dedicated to her in the Sheridan House Museum in Winchester NH! Who knew?
It is amazing what a pretty teacup has to share with you!
Happy Tea Time Thursday. Do enjoy a cup of tea today. 

St Patrick's Celebration

Happy St Patrick's Day! Since I have a wee bit of Irish heritage, I always have to celebrate a bit!
Jim is off on a little trip with our handyman Duane, so I will have to cook his annual corned beef and cabbage dinner on Thursday.

The Wirth faminly invited us for dinner on Sunday, Our SIL is just a fabulous cook!  The table was all ready for the yummy food....corned beef, hot German potato salad and a mix of cabbage, apple and onion wonderful veggie dish. The soda bread was excellent!

Mama Angie and her little Irish man, Otto!

I caught this one in the kitchen as the "cook' was getting it all ready for the hungry visitors.

Ava and Otto....they are just so cute. They are both really growing up so quickly. They are both such happy kids. Aren't they just adorable all dressed in green?

Daddy Chris took a little time out for some fun dancing and singing with the kiddos.

These little pipe cleaner figures are charming. Chris and Angie decorate for all the seasons and holidays.

I got to bring the dessert tray....Blarney Stones, Melt in the Mouth cookies and Lucky Charm cereal bars for the kids. Yes, I did eat some treats...blew the diet, but it was worth it!

I didn't have a tea today with Jimmy out of town. I did have a cup of tea while I opened  my cards and goodies from my Afternoon Tea Across America (ATAA) tea time group.

I will get to go to a  St Pat's tea this Saturday, so I have one more fun event to look forward to before St Pat's is done and gone for another year.

I hope you had some fun today.