Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea! 

Today I am also joining Sandi of Rose Chintz Cottage for the 2nd Birthday of Tea Time Tuesday! Congratulations Sandi!

Also the wonderful other blog parties at the end of the post.  Roses are the theme, so here is my personal formal china with roses, Royal Doulton's Rosebud from the 1940s. Not the hand painted periwinkles that Hyacinth Bucket favors, but I love it.

This was my teatime today with pecan shortbread and Twinings Darjeeling tea. I won't be favoring Twinings much in the future as I found out they moved their te production from England to Poland and China in Sept. 2011...very quietly, no fanfare, just laid off the workers and moved. So I will be switching tea companies and take my business elsewhere. 

But on a happier note...here is a Victorian album card with roses to go along with the roses theme:

Album cards were made during the Victorian and Edwardian era to be placed in the scrap albums that were a parlor activity of genteel ladies. They could be purchased cheaply and were considered to be edifying and educational, training ladies in beauty, sentiment and taste. This pretty album card measures 6 inches high by 4.25 inches wide and is embossed, and has a vignette...which you probably know I love...of a church in the moonlight by the river. Charming. It was probably a gift as it bears a penciled name on the back. I love the roses!

 And one of the most famous rose patterned cups and saucers...Royal Albert Old Country Roses...made in England...which they haven't been since 1992...sigh....For more album cards, Victorian ephemera or the teacup at Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos.

A bouquet of roses for Sandi's birthday!

Joining the following tea related blog parties:

Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday

Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 

Teatime Tuesday

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Teatime Tuesday

Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness

Martha~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday 

Ruth  ~ http://timewasantiquesfamily.blogspot.com

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Bernideen’s ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com

Friends Sharing Tea Wednesday

Angela  http://teawithfriends.blogspot.com/

Tea With Friends

Miss Kathy http://thewritersreverie.blogspot.com

http://www.attitudeivlife.blogspot.com/p/afternoon-tea.html   

Tuesday Afternoon Tea

Dec. 11th Antique Christmas Postcard, Angel Joy Cross Stitch

It's Dec. 11th and my antique Chritsmas postcard is an art nouveau lovely!

The postcard was postmarked for Dec. 23, 1914 to and from Wilton, Maine. I love the embossed, silver metallic details and the snowy vignette. The design definitely harks back to the art nouveau period. The card says Best Wishes and A Happy Christmas and is written in pencil. What a reminder of simpler times.


To see more of this or other antique postcards at Antiques And Teacups, clip on the photos.


This is another of my Christmas cross stitches. This Joy angel goes back to 2001, if I remember correctly. I couldn't get the light right, so it's not the best and I am not the best photographer in the best conditions!  But I wanted to share with you this symbol of my best wishes for your Christmas Joy to be full!

Antique Christmas Postcard For Dec.6th, St Nicolas Day, Peppermint Bark

Goodness! Almost missed St. Nicolas' Day. Dec. 6th is the day in the church calendar when St. Nickolas, patron saint of the poor is honored. There are probably many blogs that will have touched on it. Many folks do their Christmas decorating today and consider it the start of the Christmas season, but I just remembered! Duh...senior moment. I must be over 35!


Here is the antique Christmas postcard for Dec. 6th...not a Santa card because I don't have any.

This postcard has one of my beloved vignettes, of a snow scene with a holly border and a poem by Sir Walter Scott:

Heap on more wood

The wind is chill,

But let it whistle

as it will

We'll keep our Christmas

Merry still.

The embossed divided back card has a postmark for Dec. 23, 1912 and was mailed from what looks like Redding to East Kingston, New Hampshire.

More antique Christmas postcards can be seen at Antiques And Teacups.

I found this really simple peppermint candy recipe at SimplyRecipes.com and wanted to share it. I plan to make it this week for giving:

Peppermint Bark Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz. of high-quality white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips
• 5 regular sized candy canes, crushed up
• 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract

METHOD

1 Break up peppermint candy into little pieces. Melt the chocolate according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once melted, add the peppermint extract and stir.

2 Pour the melted chocolate out onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and spread out with a spatula or wooden spoon. Sprinkle the peppermint candy chunks on to the chocolate and gently press them in with yours hands.

3 Place in the freezer for 5 minutes or until hardened. Break into pieces and serve or store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Now how simple is that!  Have a great day, enjoy the season and find a way to share some joy.