Thursday, May 31, 2012

Teacup Thursday





This is truly one of the prettiest teacups I have ever owned.









I think it is an amazing teacup and saucer set.

It isn't terribly old, rare, delicate or valuable, but I sure like the colours! And - FYI- they aren't even enhanced colours with Photoshop!






Royal Doulton of England - Arcadia pattern

















Sometimes colour just cheers me right up!










Please join me for tea cup love......Teacup Thursday!





Thank you for taking the time to visit.  It means a lot to me!

~Michele


Also linking:

Show and Tell Friday

Share Your Cup

                     


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Rooster



I found this lone vintage rooster salt shaker at a local thrift store over the weekend and just had to bring him home to our nest. I seldom buy anything that isn't functional but I couldn't resist this dust-catching cutie!


There is just something about this lil guy I absolutely love.









I think he looks perfect all nestled in with three large white urns.











He is vintage but he asked for me to make him look like a valuable antique in this last pic. 







What a big 'ole faker!



Linking:


White Wednesday

Thrifty Things Friday

Feathered Nest Friday


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Thank you, Sylvia!




A very pleasant surprise came in the mail from a long-time tea "sister/friend" aquaintance who has recently just begun blogging herself!

This sweet lady's name is Sylvia and her blog is called A Grandma's Blessings.  Please look her up when you get the chance, she is brand new to Blogland. Help me give her a nice warm welcome in true Blogland fashion!


She so kindly sent me a tall glass with a Goldfinch painted on it (so cute and so perfect for The Nest at Finch Rest!)  She also sent the prettiest package of napkins with Goldfinches on them as well, and a beautiful garden tea card was enclosed.

Garden, finches and tea, honestly she is a gal after my own heart!







THANK YOU SO MUCH, SYLVIA!!!! THESE GIFTS ARE SO BEAUTIFUL! YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I ADORE BIRDIES AND THESE GIFTS ARE SUCH TREASURES!

I "stole" this pretty pic of Sylvia.  Doesn't she look absolutely stunning in royal blue?!?

Don't forget to hop over to her blog and say HI!
A Grandma's Blessings

Romeo the Kitteh





 

Ok.

It's just the truth.


Sometimes my cat is just so danged cute I almost can't take it.

I mean this sweet guy is ADORABLE.

(With the temperament of it as well.)

 He is a SWEET kitty!









His furry underbelly is really just too. much. cuteness!










He sometimes climbs up on our desk and falls asleep next to me keeping me company while I am really busy bloggin' working.










And he is the best shipping assistant!

"But wait, hey, Romeo!

We're not shipping YOU anywhere today!!!!"











All this work has made kitty very sleepy!










(In my next life I think I wanna be a kitty and sleep all day too!)

 

 

Cats on Tuesday linky party!!!


 

Monday, May 28, 2012

FIRST VEGGIES & SAUCE MORPH!



Whoo hoo!

Ok, the deer and bunnies haven't completely eaten us out of house and home yet!

Here is our first harvest out of our garden.................fresh organic awesome tasty SPINACH!

We have a nice sized back yard for suburbanites - and are blessed and lucky that we have the space for a large produce garden. We can't do fences so we do deal with all the hungry animals that think it is all planted for them, haha.  I really do feel like Farmer McGregor about it most days, though!



We looooove spinach here at the nest!






Mr. Finch Rest is Italian and so I make him beef red sauce often.

I was recently finishing making a batch when he happily strolled in the kitchen to show/share the bounty of our first out of the garden- the spinach - so it was washed and chopped and added to make a MUCH better sauce and more nutricious then, too! Yum-oh!!!










And here is the metamorphasis for Met Monday at
Between Naps on the Porch!







 1-2-3!

Mangiamo!

MEMORIAL DAY





As we may be enjoying a day off from work.....possibly with family and friends gathered together.....let us remember and honour those who have unselfishly and bravely fallen so that we may enjoy our freedom.






    Credit: Google Image




A Memorial Day Poem

by C W Johnson

We walked among the crosses
Where our fallen soldiers lay.
And listened to the bugle
As TAPS began to play.

The Chaplin led a prayer
We stood with heads bowed low.
And I thought of fallen comrades
I had known so long ago.

They came from every city
Across this fertile land.
That we might live in freedom.
They lie here 'neath the sand.

I felt a little guilty
My sacrifice was small.
I only lost a little time
But these men lost their all.

Now the services are over
For this Memorial Day.
To the names upon these crosses
I just want to say,

Thanks for what you've given
No one could ask for more.
May you rest with God in heaven
From now through evermore.







GOD BLESS OUR MILITARY!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SACRIFICE!
GOD BLESS THE USA!

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Garden plaque shadows




A beloved old rusty plaque
from our garden

Shadow Shot Sunday 

and 

White Wednesday




 
Light or dark
Day or night
Rusty or new
~My delight~

~Michele M. /TNAFR/5-12



 



Friday, May 25, 2012

PINK SATURDAY B-day Party!






HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY,





Here's hoping you have pink balloons, pink cake & all sorts of wonderful pink goodies galore!

Thank you for hosting a wonderful linky party!
BECAUSE WE ALL SURE DO  OUR PINK!






Here is a simple but lovely pink peony "gift" and poem
taken and written by me in my garden for you, Beverly, on this special occasion!









Oh Gentle Peony
~by Michele M.  / FinchRest.com~


So soft and gently fragrant, a peony

So welcome and lush and loved!

Opening from a swollen pod, so many lovely petals

Becomes as the tender face of a child.


Hold off,  oh powerful rains that fill this flower!

As the last of the raindrops hit the ground,
So does our mop-headed beauty.

As swiftly she has come to awe the garden, she vanishes.

Her magnificent beauty faded for yet another year.




Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Pink Peonies & Tea cups



The peonies are in bloom!








And they look nice with my teacups from Japan!

These were a gift to me from the best man at my daughter
and son-in-law's wedding. 

(They met back when attending college and were roommates.)










He is from Tokyo and went back after school - yet came all the way from Japan to be in their wedding.....carrying these breakables all the way here in his carry on just for ME. What a special person he is to us!











This vintage purse is one of my very favorites for spring!














The phone in my purse rang and buzzed while I took this quick photo, haha. Don't they know I am working on my blog and don't want to be bothered have the time to chat right now!


Iit's actually funny b/c the purse was SO last minute. I was - again- having to take some quick photos before dashing off to appointments to get the early morning sun before it swings around to the other side by the time I returned (You can see the shadow now.)

I just had my purse sitting there and a light bulb went off in my head to throw it in there, too.

Funny, the littlest efforts seem to work best more oftentimes than not.








Thanks for stopping by!
It means a lot to me and I appreciate it very much!



Linking:



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

White. China. Tea. Book. Lace.






How I adore my tea books!

I have been adding to my collection for years.





This one is by E. Barnes & S. Rios and may be found here.
(Again, not a paid endorsement, just sharing my love of all things tea.)





It's a growing collection, not *quite* as large as my china. 
















This little rose swag tea cup is one from Bavaria probably from around the 40s. I only have two.


I love it's feminine simplicity.










Seems to fit right in with a delicate little paper doilie, old crocheted lace and a tiny white creamer holding sweet Baby's Breath.







It somehow just takes us back to a simpler, slower time.


Nowhere is the English genius  of demosticity more notably evident than in the festival afternoon tea. The..chink of cups and the saucers tunes the mind to happy repose.  ~G. Gissing














Hey!!!

Ahem.....how did that bird sneak into this tea photo shoot?
Narcisstic sneaky creatures they are, indeed!

(One never knows what these birds here at Finch Rest will next do!)



Happy Tea Tuesday!



Linking:









Monday, May 21, 2012

Yellow Meatballs





Not much time for a lengthly post today - just thought I would show a couple of pics taken from inside the house with the window closed and through the screen. Not great pics, but I had my coffee in my hand and was rushing late for a doctor's appointment......

I just HAD to share my little yellow meatballs who really eat us out of house and home!!!

Those cute spoiled little guys will actually YELL at us if the feeders get empty. My hubs thinks it is absolutely hilarious.

I teased him yesterday after it happened and told him he was just getting nagged at.........and asked him what he sassed back to the bird(s) and he just said he told them "Yes, dears" and filled up all the feeders. Haha!! Cracks me UP!


Hmmm.. do our finches really "rest"??!!







Perhaps not, but they sure do WOW us!





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<><><><><><><><><>
<><><><><><><><><>

     Birds of Spring

          by: W. Swanzy

Trooping o'er the meadows,
Chatter, chatter, chatter!
Greeting pussy willows,
Twitter, twitter, twitter!

Pluming each light wing,
Sipping at the spring,
Flitting here and there,
Sweet birds everywhere!

First awake at morning,
Chirping, chirping, chirping!
First to greet the day-king,
Trilling, trilling, trilling!
Then a happy fly
Far up in the sky,
Coming back to rest
And to take breakfast.

 Fixing up the old nests,
Busy, busy, busty!
Bringing sticks for new rests,
Hurry, hurry, hurry!
Bits of moss and thread
Make a downy bed
To roll the eggs about
While they're hatching out.

Singing to daisies white
Sweetly, sweetly, sweetly!
And to buttercups bright,
Gayly, gayly, gayly!
To snowdrops emerald set,
Crocus and violet,
Cheerily, cheerily sing,
Birds of the early spring.



As always, thank you for visiting and leaving such wonderful comments.
It's important for me  that you know how much it means.  ♥

Linking:

Wow us Wednesday

Outdoor Wednesday

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Tea Time Devotional



Photo credit :Finch Rest

I took some time for myself for a tea respite yesterday. As I enjoyed the sun on our back patio near the garden I read some of this wonderful devotional that I received from a dear tea "sister" friend. 






Tea Time With God - A Devotional
Published by  - HB Honor Books 

This wonderful book may be found here.
It really makes the perfect gift!
                  (This is not a paid endorsement,  just wanted to give proper credit where due.)


 Here is an excerpt from it I wanted to share today:


~~~An Open Door~~~

          One warm summer afternoon a woman was attending the baptism of her grandniece in a great old stone church in the English countryside. The massive doors of the church were flung wide to allow the warm sunshine into the chilly stone structure.

           As she sat enjoying the ritual, a small bird flew in through the open doors. Full of fear, it flew backward and forward near the ceiling, looking in vain for a way out into the sunshine. Seeing the light coming through the dark stained glass windodows, it flew to one, then the next, and finally back toward the ceiling. It continued flying about in this way for several minutes, quickly exhausting its strength in frenzied panic.
          The woman watched the bird with concern and frustration. How foolish he was not to fly back out the same door through which he had entered!
           Nearly ready to fall to the floor, the bird made a final lunge for one of the large rafters. Suddenly realizing he was in no immediate danger, he hopped a little on the beam, turned around and then saw the open door. Without hesitation he flew out into the sunshine, loudly singing a joyful song as he went.
            The bird had captivated the woman's imagination. Suddenly she realized that she was like the bird. She had flitted about, trying to live a "good" life of noble works without recognizing that the door of salvation had been open to her all the time! She then understood to avoid flying errantly into places that offered no hope of eternal life, she need only stop flapping and be still in the Lord's presence. From that vantage point she could better see the door of grace that He had prepared for her.

During your tea time break today let your spirit
fly up to a high safe place and sit with the Lord.

He will show you how to fly out of your current problems.


Thank you for your visit.

Sunday posts are comment-free here at the Nest - would rather you take the time saved to pray.



GOD BLESS YOU - ALWAYS AND IN ALL WAYS!



Linking:

Spiritual Sundays

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Pink roses & a winner






WINNER OF THE PINK MUG GIVEAWAY!



Judith from Lavender Cottage!



I shall need your address, Judith!








And just a tiny tad of pink to share as well:




Our first roses have just started to bloom!









Dark pink Knock-Out roses - always the first ones!







(They needed a little medicine, hopefully we have applied in time!)


Happy Pink Saturday and weekend and gardening time!!

♥  ~Michele



Linking:

Friday, May 18, 2012

Winner of Things Frenchie!!

Oh am I such a happy happy gal!

Ooooh-la la!!  Tres magnifique!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Just look what came all the way from the other side of the world,  Australia!  

From none other than Melanie from frenchblueandpeachypink, along with help from My French Laundry

I was the LUCKY winner of her recent giveaway featuring My French Laundry products and some she so creatively made herself.

Be sure to check out Melanie's awesome blog - and do shop at My French Laundry! You will ADORE these luscious fresh floral scented products!


THANK YOU SO MUCH, MELANIE!!!





Just look at these wonderful & awesome gifts!


♥ A large ivory organza bag chalk full of Frenchie awesomeness:


A beautiful pink feathered and ribboned note card and matching   envelope!


♥ FIVE amazing rose guest soaps!


♥ FOUR amazing powder sachets!


♥Three wonderful Frenchie gift tags!




























Linking:

Thursday Favorite Things

Share Your Cup Thursday


Pink Saturday