Thursday, November 21, 2013

Teatime on the Sun Porch

Well, it's been a long few weeks, so I haven't posted here in a while, again. Unfortunately, when my schedule gets too busy, this blog is what gets let go. I guess some things just must take precedence to writing about cottage life, teatime, and my outfit posts. Today I'm stopping for a bit of tea...

The weather here has been so fickle (for Indiana, that's not uncommon, though). Last week we had our first snowfall (just a light dusting). Over the weekend we held up under the storm front and multiple tornadoes that surged through most of the Midwest. Check out my post over at "Christ in the Clouds". I got this photo of a double rainbow over the lake. It's a bit blurry, but I didn't even think my camera was working right at the time I took this, so I am happy to have this picture.
I'm finally finding some time to relax again and enjoy teatime by myself, something I cherish. This "alone time" allows me to unwind and spend time in the Bible/communing with the Lord! 

 “Tea should be taken in solitude.”
The large owl is also a cookie jar. The lid is the owl's head and is removable. (Now, that's really losing his head!)
“There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life.”
― Lin Yutang, The Importance Of Living 
I even tried a new recipe - Mississippi Tea Cakes. They're quite simple to make(I had all the ingredients already in my pantry/fridge.) and they are really delicious! I made half of mine with the regular ingredients and with half, I added a mixture of sugar/cinnamon.
 
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup buttermilk(substitution: 1/4 T. lemon juice added to 1/4 cup of milk)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; beat into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I still love having teatime with friends, too! Unfortunately, our church decided not to have their annual "Ladies Tea" this year, as we have done for many years. There were several reasons behind this, but I do hope they return to having it next year! I will definitely miss seeing the more than 80 tables, each personally decorated for teatime, the wonderful music and speakers that would also be a part of the afternoon, and the delightful women and young girls (over 600 in one room!) that would gather together.


Maybe I will try to have a few friends over for tea over the holidays! I have had such a wonderful time with my dear friends when we have teatime together!
 “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
― Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady
'Afternoon Tea' by William Henry Margetson 1861-1940
The Tea Party 
"I had a little tea party
This afternoon at three.
'Twas very small-
Three guest in all-
Just I, myself and me.

Myself ate all the sandwiches,
While I drank up the tea;
'Twas also I who ate the pie
And passed the cake to me.”
― Jessica Nelson North

Do you like to have time to just sit, read, pray, whatever and sip on some tea by yourself? Do you cherish that time or are you more of a extrovert and don't like to be alone? 

Ann
“Better joy in a cottage than sorrow in a palace” Spanish Proverb
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Thursday, November 7, 2013

What's In My Closet: November Outfits

It's been awhile since I've shared an outfit post, so I decided to do one this week.

November brings many things with it in my part of the good 'ole USA, including windy, overcast days, falling leaves, and some rainy days....guess I should be happy...at least we don't have snow! 
(I wanted to give you a heads up....some of the photos taken are pretty fuzzy and not quality. This is due to the fact that my good Nikon camera is not presently working, so I've had to use my old Canon, which until I took these pictures, I had not realized what a difference having a good quality camera is! You'll definitely notice the difference between my two first outfits and the last.)
Outfit #1
A few of the autumn days have been cool and windy. Having a light jacket to wear is essential!
Red, tan, and black - I love this combo of colors that are in my Tartan Scarf from Goodwill
(All clothing pieces in this outfit were purchased at Goodwill)

Outfit #2
 Tans and browns compliment each other in this outfit. 
Tan top: Meijer
Brown dress pants: WalMart
My crocheted over-the-shoulder bag that I found at Goodwill works well here to carry my personal belongings.
When the weather gets a bit chilly, I just add this cute sweater, also purchased at Goodwill.

Outfit #3
I do love bright colors, and this outfit just screams "Hello Fall Colors!" I 've owned this outfit for several years, as it is a favorite of mine! So, I really don't remember where I purchased most of the pieces. As I recall, the skirt was another Meijer find. The jacket, I think was purchased at Target a few years back.

As you can see, this was taken on a windy fall day by the lake. The leave have almost all fallen from the trees...looks like it may be time to rake leaves!!
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