Wedding Gifts

 On July 17, 2010 I will be celebrating my 50th Wedding Anniversary.  I want to share some of my keepsakes.   Fifty years is a long time.  Yet, it feels like yesterday. A lot of water under the bridge as people would say.  Each gift has a special story and I hope you enjoy your visit.

 Some special things I have treasured for 50 years.  

Four china cups were a gift from my sweetheart's step-grandfather.

The crystal sugar and creamer I received from my father's brother and his wife.  

As a young bride I registered for China, Crystal and Silverware.  I received 4 demitasse spoons in the pattern of my choice.  'First Love'.  In the early 70's I asked an antique dealer to find a complete place setting for 12.  She found everything I needed to have a complete set. She also found beautiful dessert forks and serving pieces.  Today, when I'm in an antique store I love to find the unique pieces that are not usually included with a set. I just found a tomato serving spoon while visiting an antique show that was in town.  Very Fun.

'Cherry China'

Made in Japan

'Cherry China'

Made in Japan

'Lefton'

Made in Japan

'Cherry China'

Made in Japan

It wouldn't be a Wedding Anniversary without some flowers from my garden and the white roses are still blooming.  I love the lavender color of the 'Agapanthus' and they love hot weather. The shabby chic stool was a gift from my daughter.  It has the Faded Charm look.

The Alyssum is blooming.  It also does great in the hot summer sun.

Now for my favorite part.  I love to make a Mosaic.

Thank you for sharing my journey down memory lane.  I have more memories and keepsakes to share later this week.  So keep coming back.

I'm joining

 Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Southern Hospitality for Thrifty Monday

Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday

Lady Katherine Tea Parlor for Tea Time Tuesday

Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday

Faded Charm for White Wednesday

A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday

Please leave a comment and become a follower

Betty

xoxo

Just One Lavender Plant

Today I'm excited about sharing with you another ONE of my true loves. 

I love Lavender.

I have one plant and last week it was harvest time.  Oh My Gosh!!!  What fun to pick and have a wonderful scent floating up as I clipped away.  I did have a visitor or two.  The BIG BLACK BEES.  

I would love to show you what I did with Just One Lavender Plant.

'Grosso' Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso' A bushy and round plant with green foliage.  Long stems bear long dense spikes with flowers of violet blue and darker violet calyces.  An all purpose Lavender.  Full sun Zone 6 36"tallx32"wide. (I just copied this info from the tag when I bought this plant).

When the stems are wet I bundle them into 20 stem bundles. And, hang upside down on a rod in the plastic tub. As they dry some of the buds fall off into the bottom of the tub.   And, I save them for other uses.

When the bundles are dry, I tie the bundles with raffia, put in plastic bags and tie with a Lavender ribbon.  This basket is a great place to store them.  Even a small tap on the basket and the buds come falling down.

Yesterday was soooo beautiful in my garden.  I have a small children's picnic table the granddaughters use when we have family get togethers.  I love how it's getting a real aged look. And, the old wooden box  I've had forever. It was just a joy to showcase my Lavender projects in such a fun way.

 I love my Lavender books.  What great resources.  Ideas for uses of Lavender and also the other wonderful world of Herbs.  Great reading!!!!

I have only made a few Lavender Fire stick Bundles.  A big bag of stems is waiting for me to gather together and tie with raffia.  As I mentioned yesterday in my blog post, the Lavender Fire stick bundles can be thrown in the fireplace to make great aroma or put into the grill for a gourmet smoke that brings a whole new taste to your cooking.

 Lavender sachets are fun to make.  Do you recognize the Martha Stewart tablecloth pattern that was so popular a few years ago? I love to utilize fabric for another good purpose.

Tub Teas and small bags of Lavender are a great way to use Lavender buds.  The recipe for Tub Teas will be in a later post.  I give a bundle of Lavender, one small Lavender sachet and one Tub Tea as a hostess gift when invited as a guest.  The Tub Tea can hang from the faucet just like a tea bag.


Small Lavender sachets are a natural insect repellent.  Very natural.  Great to hang in a closet or put in a dresser drawer.

I love Tub Tea!!!!!

My Lavender eye mask is so relaxing to my eyes.

I was suprised when my daughter and granddaughters gave me this precious tea pot for my birthday in June.  The Lavender on the tea pot is a beautiful color. And, I love Lavender and Mint tea.  It can be made Hot or Cold.

Lavender Water

Designs by Gollum has a great recipe to make Lavender Water. Click HERE.

The loose Lavender buds I keep to use for more projects that I'm going to be posting about in the future.  FUN........

The Lavender wand is made with fresh picked Lavender.  It's a fun gift to give with some beautiful paper napkins as a hostess gift.

 Have you enjoyed your visit about the uses of

 Just One Lavender Plant? 

I'm so happy I could share with you and I'm also sharing with

Tales from Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday

Coloradolady for Vintage thingie Thursday

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Bargain Hunting with Laurie for a few of my Favorite things Saturday

and

The Tablescaper for Summer Sundays

Please leave a comment and become a follower

Betty

xoxo

Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens

On June 26th 2010 was the Tuscan Heights 5th Annual Lavender Gardens Festival. click Here. 

A group of friends and I decided to go up to the festival and purchase several bundles of Lavender to use as table decorations for an  upcoming event.  We enjoyed ourselves sooo...much. The weather was perfect.  The downside was the Lavender was two weeks late in blooming.  We would have loved to roam in the fields and picked our own Lavender to take home, but the Lavender we purchased was already dried and easy to manage on the shuttle they provided for transportation to the farm.

      As you can see the Lavender is just in the bud stage.

They had crafting.  A group of interested visitors were making Lavender wands.  The wand is made from fresh Lavender.  The ribbon is usually weaved over and under each of the twenty stems.  This lady was being very creative and weaving the ribbon over and under every two stems.  (Of course it was her very first experience with Lavender wand making).

Next to the crafting tables was the steam distiller. 

Fresh Lavender is put into the steam distiller and pure essential Lavender oil is extracted from the plants.  Can you see the Lavender wand making craft going on in the background?

This building is the nursery for the propagation of new plants.

Beautiful baskets of bundles of Lavender.

Bundles of Lavender Fire sticks. Great to throw in the grill.  The gourmet smoke bundles bring a whole new taste to your cooking.

I love this purse.

Aromatherapy-Bath & Body-Home Essentials-Gifts

A Great Place to spend an Afternoon.

Thank you for joining me on my trip to a Lavender Farm.

I'm linking to:

A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday

Please link back to see some beautiful blogs.

Please leave a comment and become a follower

Betty

xoxo

My Favorite Tea Books

I'm so excited about sharing with you ONE of my true loves. As you will be see in the weeks to come.  I have several true loves.  But I do LOVE books about tea.

Entertaining with a Tea Party

Tea Rooms across the United States

Taking Tea Around the World

Ms. Lynn's Tea with recipes and how to create our own special moments.

MYSTERIES ABOUT A TEA SHOP

Laura Childs has written several Tea Shop Mysteries.  I have read 9 total.

I love the recipes included at the end of the book.  In fact I have enjoyed some of the recipes and they are now family favorites.

And

My all time favorite TEA TIME. I have been a subscriber for years.  What a treasure.      

 Sooooo..... Here they are

I love to sit in the patio and read my tea books

It 's so relaxing to sit and read while having a  great cup of tea. I was thrilled the other day when I found this cup, saucer and dessert plate at the antique mall.  I loved them so much I bought four cups, saucers and dessert plates for $38.00. What a deal? (I hope).  The pattern is 'Sylvia' and the china is Thomas Ivory Bavaria Germany.  The manufacturer is unknown.

The detail in the cup is beautiful and it's translucent.

I just could not resist putting some of my dainty roses into the cup.  And, of course the two little blue birds looking cute.

Thanks for visiting today.

I am joining:

A Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday

Lady Katherine Tea Parlor for Tea Time Tuesday

Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday

Please link back to the awesome blogs for some great ideas.

Please leave a comment and become a follower

Betty

xoxo

Happy Fourth of July

I love America and I thought this mosaic would express my feelings about Freedom.

I'm so blessed to have a wonderful family and friends.  I enjoy everyday and try to stay in the moment.  This place called blogland gives me the Freedom to express myself in a creative and positive way.

THANK YOU

I'm joining 

Mary @ Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

And

Ronda @ Southern Hospitality for Thrifty Monday Click Here for thrifty finds.

What a great time we have jumping from one blog to another.

Thank you for visiting.  Please leave a comment and become a follower.

Betty

xoxo

Tablescape #3

AN OLD FASHION 4TH OF JULY PARTY

What better way to spend 4th of July than the Old Fashion Way.

Cupcakes and Pink Lemonade

Setting the table with Red, White and Blue

'Ingrid Bergman' 'Crystalline' 'Delphinum'

I think canning jars are so Old Fashion 

 Red and White stripe star plates I found at Michael's Craft for a $1.00  each

  I have this set of four dinner and salad plates for sale in My Cozy Corner, but I  borrowed them to use for this party.

   

The napkin rings I bought from K-Mart. $4.99 for four.  I love them and the monogram napkins I have had for a couple of years.

Cupcakes are perfect for the 4th of July. And, my granddaughters love them too.

Pink Lemonade is a Winner too.

This fun tray is another thrifty find and is so perfect for the 4th of July.  It's great to catch the drips from the jar of Pink Lemonade.

Our family has a great time spending time in the patio and enjoying Cupcakes and Pink Lemonade.

 My favorite thrifty find.

Please join me for a tour of five awasome blogs.  I'm joining:

 Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

Tales from Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday 

Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

The Tablescaper for Summer Sundays

Please link back to the parties I have joined and see some amazing things.

Thank you so much for dropping over to see my Old Fashion 4th of July Party

It is so great to have you join in the fun.

Please leave a comment and become a follower

Betty

xoxo