A holiday heads-up

Yesterday, I ran by the local Joann store to check out the Christmas stuff, and I was so pleased to find some fun new goodies!

I'd almost ordered some Christmas teacup earrings I'd seen in a Facebook ad for just twenty dollars the other day, but I talked myself out of them, thinking I could probably find a better deal. These mug earrings were half off, just $5.99, so that was an easy yes.

Each one measures about 1-1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide, and I look forward to wearing them with the new Christmas outfit I don't yet have.

And yes, my obsession with Santa mugs continues, so I was delighted to find these miniature mugs with the Tim Holtz craft supplies. I love his products and am not sure I'll even use these for crafting, but for just $5.59 (on sale), these two tiny mugs needed to join my collection. I was walking down an aisle at the store when some woman looked at me and said, "I really need to stay out of this store." I laughed and thought, "Me, too, lady. Me too!"

Adventures in embossing cookies

A few years ago, a company got in touch with an offer to send me one of their embossed wooden rolling pins for embossing cookies, hoping I would review it here on the Tea With Friends blog. They sent one in a very pretty leaf design, but it just didn't emboss very well. I distinctly remember asking Alex if he could detect a design in that first batch of cookies I made with the rolling pin, and he squinted and nicely said not really, which was just as I thought. When I wrote a woman at the company to explain the problem, she suggested I try another of their recipes. I did, and still, the rolling pin didn't work well. She suggested I try a third recipe, and I told her as politely as I could that I didn't have time to waste a third batch of cookies on a product that simply didn't work. Plus, I wasn't going to tell all of you to buy a $40 rolling pin that didn't perform. And I've said all that to say this: I had some embossing success over the weekend!

Recently, I spotted this $1.99 Wilton rolling pin at T. J. Maxx. Was I willing to risk $1.99 on a gadget that might not work? Yes, actually, I was.

The rolling pin was clearly designed for use with fondant, but while fondant is beautiful to see, I'm not wild about the taste. So, I tried embossing cookies made with this recipe that I found online. (I added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.) The cookies were great with my afternoon tea, and I'm freezing some of them to go on Christmas cookie plates for friends.

And best of all, I can see some designs. Have any of you embossed cookies before? I'd love to hear about your experience!

Trunk or Treat 2024

Last night was my church's annual Trunk or Treat event, and this year, we brought back Hot Dog Hill, an area where we serve free hot dog meals to trick-or-treaters and really anyone who wants to stop by. I was part of the team that helped assemble 1,400 hot dog meals in the afternoon. It was a fun time since we had a bunch of worker bees to make it happen!

Then the meals were loaded up on rolling carts, ferried upstairs by elevator, and delivered to the tables that had been set up outdoors. My church is a downtown church and gets a few thousand trick-or-treaters each year, so we knew to be prepared. The last time they did hot dogs, I hear that they did 1,200 and distributed them all. Last night, we gave out 1,400 and could have given out more. I think we're looking at a minimum of 1,500 next year. People seemed so grateful!

This year, I noted lots of cute policemen and firemen, like this adorable little guy.

And my Sunday school friends Dawn and Warren were there with their grandson, a Chick-fil-A cow. Isn't he cute?

We have lots of fun themed "trunks" for giving out candy, including this one featuring "Phil" and "Miss Kay" from Duck Dynasty.

But my favorite, you tea-loving friends will not be surprised to hear, was this one.

It was a fun evening that made a lot of little folks (and big ones too) quite happy!

Happy 100th Issue to Daphne's Diary!

Daphne's Diary is celebrating its 100th issue, and I'm here for it! My friend Kathy and I both bought a copy of this issue at the Books A Million in Statesboro over the weekend, and I was stunned to realize she had never heard of this magazine before. Clearly, I have failed her as a friend!

I don't believe I've ever purchased an issue that did not have teatime graphics inside, and this time, these tear-out teacup postcards immediately caught my eye.

Across the page? A recipe for a Layer Cake with Lemon Curd that looks and sounds delightful.

I also liked these recipes and the retro graphics accompanying them.

This issue is brimming with projects, specialty papers, a removable poster, stickers, and even these cute die cuts that I will share with the little girl in my neighborhood. If you're a fan of Daphne's Diary as well, this is an issue you won't want to miss!

Road trip junkin' report

I've just returned from a trip to Statesboro to visit my friend Kathy, and boy, did we pack our days full! We had some delicious meals, watched the first three episodes of the new "Matlock" with Kathy Bates (a great show!), and shopped our hearts out! One of my favorite purchases was this vintage plate, a $4 antique mall find, because it features roses as well as some fall-toned florals. I love it!

And do you remember that violet teacup I showed you on Friday, the one with cutouts that look like either butterflies (my opinion) or teeth (Kathy's opinion)? Well, I've been gathering yellow and lavender goodies for some Easter projects next year, and along with that new violet teacup, I think this $2.50 crocheted doily will be perfect.

Another find in yellow was this dinner plate to match my Royal Winton Welbeck tea wares and dessert plates. It was marked $30, but the whole booth was half off, so yay!

And finally, I spotted (in an antique mall!) a Bath & Body Works hand soap I actually needed, this one with a yummy Sweet Tea & Lemonade scent. I came home with about three bags packed full of loot, but these were some of the more tea-ish finds that I wanted to share with you. Have you done any antiquing or junkin' lately? If so, what did you find?

Do you see what I see?

 

I've generally developed sales resistance when it comes to acquiring new teacups, but when I was in Goodwill this week, I saw this beauty for just $3.99 and couldn't say no. I have a real fondness for reticulated teacups, but I have a question for you.

Do these cutouts look like anything to you? They do to me.

A quick Google search revealed that this back stamp, marked Royal Halsey Very Fine, is from Lipper and Mann (the L and M on either side of the crown), which imported wares from Japan. But seriously, what do you see in the cutout shapes?

The Christmas magazines have arrived!

I love a pretty magazine more than anyone, I promise you, and I am so happy when the Christmas magazines start to arrive on newsstands. Here are five I wanted to share!

The issue that I most look forward to each year is Flea Market Decor's Holiday Issue. I know I will find lots of yummy ideas, and this year's magazine is no exception. From tinsel trees to Santa mugs and old-fashioned felt stockings, it is brimming with all that kitschy stuff I adore. Alex particularly enjoyed all the festive vintage decor I put out each Christmas, and I am going to make the effort to decorate as much as ever this year and have several friends over to celebrate.

Inspired by this issue, I am toying with doing this on a wall in my house. I certainly have enough plates to be able to do it. Would you?

My favorite cover this season? This Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Classics magazine. Isn't that wreath delightful? This magazine features vintage recipes and vintage Christmas crafts, so this is right up my alley. (And it reminds me of my own Vintage Christmas Cookbook, so those of you who liked that book will enjoy this magazine!)

Country Home always has me wanting to gather pine cones and wire my own greenery. It's definitely a more rustic look than I prefer, but it's such a pretty magazine that I always buy it at Christmas anyway.

Victoria's Christmas issue is especially pretty this year and features photos of some gorgeous Christmas tables and tea wares.

And the November/December issue of Tea Time arrived yesterday, and I think that White Chocolate, Pistachio, and Cherry Cake on the cover is one of the prettiest Christmas cakes I've ever seen. I do love a nice drizzled icing, and this one is stunning. So what have I left out? Have you read any Christmas magazines I need to add to my list?

The flavors of fall

I popped into my local Ollie's store last week, and I was pleased to discover some seasonal Twinings teas for just $1.99 a box. I continue to keep a variety of tea bags on hand for when my six- and seven-year-old neighbors visit for teatime, and the six-year-old had mentioned that he would like to try some pumpkin tea. Done!

Naturally, I had to try the teas myself, so I tested the Pumpkin Spice Chai first. This tea didn't taste bad but wasn't as robust as I'd expected, but that may be just fine for the kids, who probably wouldn't like the super-spicy chais I prefer!

I did, however, find the Spiced Apple Chai surprisingly good, and it had an almost sour-apple taste, which I just love. I've always liked sour-apple beverages and candies, and this tea had a little hint of that. When my six-year-old friend tried it yesterday, he said, "Mm! This is really good!" That was my thought, too, and I was happy to have it seconded. Do you have any suggestions for fall tea bags to add to my stash?

The winner of the fall teatime treat is …

 Donna G! Congrats, and I'll soon have this headed your way!

When new floors lead to new place mats

I am slowly putting my house back together after having to move everything out for the repairs. Prior to the great ruptured-pipe incident, I had a distressed-white table in the foyer, and it's now being used as my TV display stand since I wanted a change from the old one. But when that white table was in the foyer, I had displayed on it a cheery silk flower basket a dear friend gave me for my birthday this year. I loved it and wished the spring colors would work for fall too. Well, I went to T. J. Maxx and found some pretty scalloped floral place mats by Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic fame, and with the light-orange colors, these work great with both the flowers and the olive-green ruffled dishes I scored at Goodwill a year or two ago.

I love the way the fall light hits the dishes, especially the teacup with its pretty ruffled saucer.

One change that shocked even me was that I realized how much more spacious my small dining room seemed without my beloved tea trolley in it. When I moved it to the garage a few weeks ago before the flooring went in, I discovered how rickety it had gotten. The wheels wobbled precariously, and that cart was probably a dangerous place to display some of my most treasured tea wares. I'm sure I'll come up with another place to display tea wares, though, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, I now have LVP flooring everywhere downstairs except the kitchen, which is a renovation project for another day. I'm loving the clean look but didn't realize how much sounds would echo without the carpet there to muffle them. Amazon will be bringing me a nice big rug today to help take care of that. And I may get one for the dining room, too, to use underneath my dining table and chairs. I'm so glad I bought a distressed set twenty years ago, because I still love that look today. And now that I've enjoyed my first quiet week with no workmen traipsing in and out of my house, I can say that I'm glad the only thing "distressed" in this house is some furniture!

It's always time for tea

I've bought souvenirs for friends during my travels over the years, but it is still always such a wonderful surprise when a traveling friend brings home something for me. On Sunday, my friend Patti showed up at Sunday school with this cute box of tea that features the clock face on the Elizabeth Tower, aka Big Ben! She was part of a group that went on a spiritual heritage tour of England and Scotland, a trip I'd like to take myself one day.

Isn't the tea bag packaging cute? I don't believe I've ever seen a tea bag packet that used a tea bag *graphic* in the design before. A fun idea!

And when Patti gave me the tea, she laughed and said, "It's probably terrible, but here it is anyway." Well, I know from experience that sometimes, souvenir teas are indeed terrible, but this one wasn't! It was a brisk black tea I find so typical of the English, and with a little dollop of honey, it became a fine cup of afternoon tea, sweetened by both the honey and the friendship.

Fall Giveaway: Tea & Shortbread

This is the time of year when I start to seriously think about gift giving, and when I was at T.J. Maxx over the weekend, I was surprised (but shouldn't have been) to realize that fall items are already on clearance and Christmas items are appearing on shelves. My home repairs were finally finished last week, and I feel like celebrating, so I thought it was the perfect time for a giveaway!

T.J. Maxx always has tempting teas, and this Taylors of Harrogate Mandarin & Ginger Tea sounded like a fun new blend to try.

And of course shortbread is always perfect to pair with your tea. Want to win this teatime treat? Just leave an "Enter me" type comment to this post between now and 7 a.m. EST on Friday, October 18 (making sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner), and you'll be entered to win. Good luck!

Celestial Seasonings Lemon Honey Drop Tea

My fall allergies have kicked in a little, so when I checked out the tea aisle at Kroger this week, I was compelled to buy a lemon herbal tea I didn't recall seeing before, this one with Vitamin C.

This Lemon Honey Drop Tea from Celestial Seasonings really does contain both lemon and honey! The ingredients list reads: Lemongrass, Orange Peel, Hawthorn, Licorice Root, Blackberry Leaves, Lemon Powder (Crystallized Lemon [Citric Acid, Lemon Oil, Ascorbic Acid], Evaporated Cane Syrup), Natural Flavors, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Dried Lemon, Honey.

What I liked most about this tea was that it was such a great blend of lemon and honey, not too tart from the lemon and not too sweet from the honey. Also, since my young neighbor kids are fans of honey, I thought they might like this tea, too, and we're all looking forward to another tea party very soon!