Tea Time

I just felt like a little tea this afternoon. Angie and Otto dropped off eggs, spinach and homemade
peanut butter cookies today. It was good to see them. We still keep our distance and it's very hard not to hug! It was sunny and he ran around in the backyard and was so happy. It warmed my heart.

I didn't realize that my Lily of the Valley plants were blooming. My dad gave me a few plants probably 40 years ago. I have them under a tree and they have spread and are a delight.

I was looking at my Kate Greenaway book...The Language of Flowers. Do you know that these flowers mean return to happiness? I am dreaming about that and a return to some kind of normal life. All is well, but we all seam to be uneasy and so wondering what the future may hold.

I love my brown transferward . My collection is just a mix of treasure hunting. It makes me happy.

I love these cup and saucers. I have 4 that match. I enjoyed a toasted coconut black tea. It was nice.
Stay safe and have a cup of tea!

Monday Made: Tea Wallets

Good morning Blogger friends! It's a new day and a new week. I've kind of lost track of how many weeks we have been sheltering in, but does it really matter? Jimmy and I are both doing fine and making progress around the house and with projects. I do believe staying home and staying in as much as possible has made a lot of difference in our state. Not everyone feels that way. Our governor is starting to work on some plans for opening up the state but she is being cautious and I am in agreement.
So weeks ago, one of my Tasha Tudor friends Niki, contacted me and asked if I would be willing to make 12 little tea wallets for her. She is giving her sister a garden party birthday this summer and wanted tea wallets as party favors. Niki lives in Florida and has the most beautiful garden I have ever seen. She is so sweet and has sent me kind words and little gifts over the years when I was recovering. She asked me this way before the virus, and I was just kind of down. It was such a blessing to get the special order! It just was a jump start for the winter blahs. I thought I would be working on them when I went to my quilt retreat in April but that was rescheduled to June and just this weekend, it has been canceled until next April. Such is life.

 I went thought my fabric stash and of course, I had all the pink and green floral fabric I needed. It's fun to go shopping in your own sewing room, especially when all the craft stores and fabric stores are closed due to the virus. Don't they know that sewing is essential...lol

I do have a funny story. I have had this little pattern for over 20 years. I have copies of it. Do you think I could find the pattern? I spent several days looking for it. I am pretty organized and it was driving me crazy. I like this one as it has a little quilt block in the center. Well, I went over to my storage unit (close to home) and found it right on top in a tub of fabric. Don't ask...I just did a happy dance and said a little thank you prayer!

It was so fun to choose the fabrics. That's one of my favorite things to do when starting projects.

Lots of pieces waiting to go together! there are 12 pieces for each tea wallet. On of my friends said I was crazy to so such a detailed little project. I didn't think so and I know Kiki will love them.

You can see the progress in this photo. Oh, I was having so much fun.

The next step....all lined up after being sewn together. I thought they needed something in the center.

I dug out my charms! I had 8 little teapots. They are 1/2 charms so they would work. I got on Etsy and found a vender here in the USA who could send me 6 more quickly. They are very inexpensive. They arrived in just a few days. YEAH!

This is the inside of the tea wallets. They can actually hold 4 tea packets.

I added 2 tea packets...STASH tea from Oregon. There is room for Niki to add 2 more of her own choice is she wishes.

This is my very first tea wallet I made about 20 years ago. My sewing room is decorated in Mary Engelbreit colors and fabrics. I carry this in my sewing basket where ever I go.

I enjoyed the project so much and I enjoyed doing this post. Sewing and fabric makes me happy. I pray you have a good week ahead and find a little fun and joy this week. 

Sunday

Happy Sunday. I hope you had a good day! It was mild and sunny and a pleasant. Our daughter Angie brought us donuts and we had coffee outside in the sun. We stayed 6 ft away but it was such a delight. Otto was with his dad. I think soon we can have him over and just keep our distance but that will be hard.
It's a new week and so we shall see what that brings our way. 

A Visit to the Kaiser Lab

I finally HAD to make a trip to my Kaiser Rockwood Clinic today. I was allowed to put off a blood test to check my blood since I am on a blood thinner. In January, a new medicine was added to my daily meds and it was one that can throw off my Coumadin. I was having to go in to the lab every week for a check. Then the virus hit and I just didn't want to go in. My doctor had me call the anti coagulation center and as I had been within range, they let me go 6 weeks. Well, today was the day to go in.
Jim drove me over and I had my gloves and mask on. My provider Kaiser really does things right. They had a person directing you where to park as the pharmacy pick up was set up under tents in the parking lot. I was told to go in the front door. A lady was waiting there and asked why I was coming to the clinic. She directed me to the lab. It wasn't busy. The lab techs were wearing gloves, masks and shields. The stations were spaced apart. I was in and out quickly.
I got my results online tonight and I am still in range. The nurse will call me on Monday and tell me when I need to go back for the next test.
I am so thankful I was in range. I have been watching my greens and after 5 years, I pretty much know how to balance my greens. I am relieved this visit is over. 

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! I have to be honest and admit that I haven't paid much attentions to Earth Day since my kids were young. It's different this year. With the virus shutdown, the earth has had some nice surprises. The traffic is down and people are not driving much, so pollution all around the world has dropped. I have been amazed that improvements have happened so quickly. Even the smog over Los Angeles CA has cleared out. The canals in Venice, Italy are clear and jelly fish can be seen swimming by.

I took this photo the other night when a storm was moving in. You can see a bit of the very blue sky. I love the lighting. You can see many blossoming trees behind our cottages.

Today was a very wet day. I took a few pictures of the flowering trees in our neighbor's yards. Since we took the 6 maple trees and one 1 cherry tree down last spring, we can see all the pretty trees in the yards around us.

My neighbor's apple tree. Last week there was only a few blooms and now it's loaded.

This is a photo from last year. Duane is in the orange jacket and Jim is in the plaid shirt. Duane took down all the trees and Jim was his helper. SO MUCH WORK! It had to be done as the trees were damaged and we were concerned they would fall on our fence or on our cottages.

In this photo, you can see how very large these trees along the back of the fence were. Duane took them down farther. We had to leave the big chunks in the back to dry. We hope to get them chopped up this summer for wood to burn next winter. 

The Dolls Have Tea

I didn't decorate for Easter this year as we couldn't have any company over. I just decided I didn't really want to put it up this year. I wasn't going to do anything with my dolls either. My dolly friend Melinda from Vermont sent me some sweet dolly Easter things, so I decided to set up a late Easter tea for the dolls. This is my wonderful Tasha Tudor doll. It was made by Marjorie Tudor, who is Tasha's daughter-in-law. She is quite a doll maker and a wonderful person. I enjoy her company but she also lives in Vermont, so I don't get to visit her often enough. I was planning to go to the UFDC doll convention in Vermont this June, but it has been canceled. So, I won't get to see my friends this summer.

The doll's Easter Tea table. So fun to play with the dishes and little sweets. You can see the tiny  sugar cookies I made recently.

This is one of my favorite dolls...Lily. She was the doll who was in the doll's wedding last summer.
She loves to go to tea.

Of course the dolls have a Peter Rabbit tea set!

This is one of the gifts from Melinda...the Lamb of God for Easter. I love it.

I was gifted this little Easter tree years ago from my friend LaVonne. She has sent me little ornaments over the years.

So, I did have fun playing with my dolls. Somedays the news is so dark, I just need a little dolly break. 

Vintage Bonnet Pinkeeps and Sewing

I've been spending some of my time working outside weeding and inside sewing. I'm working on an order for a friend. It's quite a fun project and I will share that later. When I was down in my sewing cottage, I came across my little collection of handmade bonnet pinkeeps. I think they are adorable.
They make me happy and I wonder what they would tell me if they could talk!

This one has a few thimbles tucked in the middle. So cute. I like the fabrics on this one.

Lots of pins inside this one! Lots of 1940''s fabrics.

I like the little ruffle on the outside of this one. It's a bit larger.

This little plaid one is the smallest of my collection. Notice how the owner tucked straight pins along the edge~

I just happened to come across directions to make these little babies in a pile of things I was looking at. Perfect timing. I'd like to try one when I finish my projects that are waiting.

It was such a pretty day outside yesterday. Look at that blue sky! This is my neighbor's flowering tree. The virus has given us some lower pollution and it shows!  Have a great day blogger friends. 

Resurrection Sunday

Happy Resurrection Sunday! It was a beautiful day in many ways today. The virus canceled church services which is something that has never happened. I whole heartedly agreed with this decision, as we are still staying home to limit the spread of this virus. Some people were upset but I feel it gave people a chance to explore different types of Christian services via the internet. I joined several programs this week. This morning I watched a sunrise service at Arlington Cemetery. I didn't know that services were held there. I live in the Pacific North West, so I have never even been there. The chaplain was fabulous and what a joy to view this service online. Later this morning, I joined my friends Paul and Angelia for their home church. They live in Alabama and I visit this service often.
Yes, it was a very different Easter but Easter Sunday was not canceled.

Last January, someone in a tea group I belong to, posted these adorable tins. I was able to order a set. I don't even remember the name of the company. The larger tin is for cake. Isn't it pretty?

The smaller one says Tea Time Treats! Oh, how I dove that tin.

Jimmy likes sugar cookies. I had a roll of dough in the fridge, So I decided to bake some cookies for him. I LOVE cookie cutters. I used some of the red plastic ones from my youth, some Hallmark ones that my girls loved growing up and some I have picked up along the way. Yep, I still have my Tupperware sheet for rolling out dough. I have had it for about 40 years!

Jimmy doesn't like icing on sugar cookies, so I just used colored sugars to decorate them a little.

This is one of my spice cabinets. This was a Mother's Day gift long ago.

I have very small cookie cutters in some of the drawers. I used to use these to make cookies for my daughters when they were little.

I picked out a few to make some cookies for my dollies. I just love these tiny cookie cutters.

The finished project! I will have to share them with my dolls.

I also decided to make one of our family traditions for Easter. They are called Blarney Stones. They started out as cakes for St Pat's Day by my maternal grandmother. She cut a sheet cake into squares, frosted the cake all around and rolled it in coconut and chopped walnuts. My mother changed the process a little. She made them for Easter and frosted them with pastel colors. She made cupcakes and that made them easier to handle than cut cake squares. We still call them Blarney Stones.

Chopped walnuts and coconut ready to go.

These are so yummy and pretty, but they are messy to make. I frost the top and sides and then put it in the coconut bowl. I finish frosting the sides and bottom and roll it the coconut. I've done these many years and I will tell you, it takes some practice to get it right.

The coconut ones are the favorite in my family, but they like some nut ones too!

Don't they look like spring? These are full size cupcakes, but I have made them smaller for showers or teas. I like to make white ones with coconut for Christmas or winter...they look like snowballs.

I let them sit overnight with a layer of plastic wrap loosely over the pan. They need to dry a bit before wrapping them individually in plastic wrap. The look great in the new cake tin.

My friend Michi Ball made this rabbit. She is an artist and sells wonderful things every month. I just love him.

My Jimmy was so ready for a nice Easter dinner. We couldn't share our meal with anyone, but we have each other. I had fun planning the menu....ham, balsamic vinegar asparagus, pea salad and fresh fresh fruit salad. I'm not supposed to eat ham due to my low sodium diet, but I did have a bit today!

Jimmy loved the pea and bacon salad...something new for us.

I didn't get out my Easter dishes this year so I used my Johnson Brother's Old English Countryside set.

Angie had Otto and her step daughter over night this weekend so she drove over to see us and drop off a few things. We can't have the kids over now but we got to see them as they stayed in the car.
Otto was SO SAD that he had to stay in the car. In the first photo, you can only see his hand. He wouldn't even look at us for awhile. It just made me so sad. We haven't seen him in person for a month!I tried not to cry, but the tears just came. Jim got sad too. Brave Angie just keep saying it was alright. This is the hardest part of this separation stuff for me.

Well, here it is bedtime. It was a full and busy day. We both found a lot of JOY, even with the sadness. Stay home and stay safe.