December's First Snow!

I sure enjoyed waking up

 on the first day of December to finding it had really snowed!

I do love having all 4 seasons here, and I do really like snow!

(Especially when I decorating for Christmas!)

It helps me really get into the spirit of it all!

I love the patterns the snow made

on the stone pavers...

And how the piles of snow sits on the branches of

the boxwood outside our kitchen window.

And on the lilac bush next to it on the right....

But the BEST part of a good snow day

 is when sweet little girls get to make snow angels!

Oh, the sheer joy of being a child!

Vivi says to herself:

"OK, I am going to look at my mommy. Smile, even. 

Think she will notice that I am making a snowball?

Don't look at my hands. Just focus. Just keep smiling at mommy.

I think I am almost ready to throw it at her..."

(Just look at that "innocent" look she's giving her!)

I know that look all too well myself! 

Seems sweet, but really is T.R.O.U.B.L.E!

Hahaha!

And of course there are no pics of the war that ensued!

Alas, the paparazzi were nowhere to be found.

(THIS grandma sure loved getting these happy pics from them!)

♥

Incidentally these are her shiny new "Olaf" boots

 from the movie Frozen.

In pic below she is holding her Olaf plushie toy.

Yes, she still has a strong Frozen obsession.

 As always, thanks for your visit!

Hugs,

~Michele

It Is Still Summer! (Outdoor Luncheon)

 

Before summer is just a pleasant memory and our worlds become filled with pumpkins and cinnamon and apples and leaves...

I wanted to share a recent summertime outdoor afternoon tea luncheon I hosted for my daughters and my sweet grand daughter.

 

 

I kept it simple so I had more time to be with them. 

My heart was full of joy!

           I picked some daisies that were blooming in my garden

       and placed in an old crystal vase for our centerpiece.

 

 

I used my Laura Ashley "Lidia" pattern for our dishes,

 and since it was hot we had iced tea in my pink depression

 water glasses, and the cups and saucers for the soup.

I simply grilled up some cheese sandwiches.

 My homemade vegetable beef soup

 I made the night before and just had to heat up. 

For extra yummy toasted cheese sammies

add cream cheese in with your normal cheese.

I made homemade real vanilla bean custard the night before

 and just added a few blueberries on top just prior to serving. 

 

It was a big hit with everyone - especially this little cutie!

 

After our long chatty lunch we sat in the Zen Room

         and Grandpa was able to finish his work in time

 to have a nice visit with them, too.

 (He's been working from home since first week of March.)

Those two get pretty goofy sometimes,

 always thinking up fun things to do!

(Such as zipping up the grand girl in a folding camp chair canvas bag!)

And walking around the backyard with her

with her squealing with delight. 

Goofs, I tell ya!

Love that face he's giving me!!

I can hear what he is thinking:

"This is a perfectly normal thing to be doing, Shell!"

"Hey, Aga! You look just like Mickey Mouse!"

Just around the corner Autumn will set in 

and our hummers will be gone for another year....

It's hot out today, though, and it's not ready to end just yet!

We are hanging onto it as long as we are able!

I hope you all enjoy these last glorious weeks of summer.

As always thank you for your visit.

♥

~Michele

Linking:

Keep In Touch    *   Share Your Style   *   Embracing Home + Family

Pink Saturday

Isn't Nature Amazing?!?

Hi friends - just sharing very some lucky pics

I was able to capture showing nature around me.

~~~~~*~~~~~



Sometimes it's a brilliant blue sky & green grass
 with the lovely color of pink set against it......

......And sometimes it's incredible winged life
thrilling me to no end!

I took these bird pics from inside my house

 with the window closed!

 I simply was doing the dishes!

I like to watch the birds

 at the most popular seed feeder closest to the kitchen;

we have many kinds of birds flying in and out all day long!

 The cardinals and jays are larger and more aggressive,

  we hardly see goldfinches anymore.

I miss them. They're just GONE.

However I noticed a red finch at the feeder today,

 so that is a fairly good sign they just may return one day.

There's always a place for finches here.

We put up the hummingbird feeder

 literally next to the kitchen window this summer, 

 and boy has it ever been fun watching them!

 We have a gorgeous green who  visits that feeder most often. 

It has a bright shimmery red ring around its neck

 that really sparkles in the sun...

yet he is fast and elusive so I have yet to catch him on the camera! 

YET.

I daresay it's a challenge and I play to win, birdie bird! Haha.

~~Buzz, buZz, buzZ~~

So our birds are such messy, wasteful and super sloppy eaters

 who spill most of the a great deal of their seed on the ground, right?

Well, I guess we now have our very own

 "Clean up on Aisle 6 Crew!" 

Yeup.

 Literally just a few steps from our kitchen window

 this hungry mommy dear and her two fawns

were munching on the spilled seed

 from the feeder you just saw above. 

I think they're neat, but I don't want them in my yard. Just sayin'.

We didn't have any rain for WEEKS and it's been so unbelievably hot and humid - enough to not be able to go outdoors nearly at all unless in early morning. Later when the sun is setting is a bit better, but then the skeeters eat me alive.

BUT we did - and have - been getting big-time rain. In fact now because of the heat it is a bit swampy and one can smell moulds and other foul odors. Sheesh. Feast or famine, right?

And it's funny because when the rains first started it would rain, then the sun would return, then the rain again, then be sunny again- we kept having strange odd pockets of storms.

Or there wouldn't be a single cloud in the sky except one little grey one, and it would be right over me and rain down for a minute or two.

But the neatest time of all was it would be super sunny,

 then would pour BUCKETS of rain while the sun was still shining!

I was able to capture it on the camera -

 but I cannot capture how ODD it all was to witness. 

My husband was outside when it started to rain, grilling chicken.

Being ME, I stood inside the doorway and took these pics-

 nice and dry and comfy!

Being HIM - he quickly grabbed one of our market umbrellas

 and wasn't daunted by that rain in the least!

He was a hungry man on a mission; no amount of water
was going to keep him from having this chicken.

We really expected a rainbow to appear during this,

 but then the sun was low in the sky enough that it didn't happen.

So....we just ate our dinner....AFTER he dried himself off, of course. 

By the way, we've lived here for 14 years and have bought THREE very expensive stainless steel gas grills. We have outdoor gas hookup so have never had to rent gas cylinder things.....however at about $700 each, those dang grills just don't hold up at all! They're stainless steel, yes, but they aren't ALL s/s!!!! The handles, interior, joints, etc. rust out in what seems in one season.

We'd been thinking of replacing our last one until shopping for it my husband found this one on the cheap- and he absolutely loves it.  SO for now we're back to an old fashioned charcoal grill.

He is content enough. He's the grillmaster, so when he's happy, I am happy as well.

It really is a nifty-neat barbeque, 

and will make an excellent firepit

] for our cooler autumn nights around the corner.

The garden roses are starting to be bloom again -

 but the daisies seem happiest lately.

PS: I am having a teacup, saucer & matching pitcher giveaway.

Just click here to enter. 

As always, thank you for stopping by!

Big hugs! 

♥

~Michele

Linking:

Home Sweet Home   *   Thoughts of Home   *   Simple & Sweet

Foto Friends   *   Pink Saturday

Tea Time with Pink Peonies

Oh boy, we have just had way too much rain lately!

Today it rained and rained - and poured- but then it actually stopped!!!!

And out came the warm bright wonderful sunshine! 

GLORY BE!

So I made a lovely cup of tea, grabbed a dessert to nosh, 

quickly went and cut some gorgeous pink peonies

that just blossomed a few days ago,

and poked them into a favorite teapot.

I then scurried fast to enjoy my favorite place for teatime

  my covered shady patio

 to watch this elusive and rare sun -

 which I love as long as I am in the shade, haha.

It seems forever since we've had any sun, or sun that I was

 free enough to notice and enjoy (life has been hectic lately!)

That glorious sun:

nearly as rare, quickly gone, and elusive as the lovely peony!

So I share my pics of this moment with you all today,

 and pray you are all well.

I had been waiting (and hoping) I could share them 

with you before the rain ruins their delicate petals.

These are cut from my neighbors garden.

She is out of town and said I could have them all.

I settled for just a teapot full.

My peony has only produced a couple of blooms,

and didn't like the rain - hers are older, heartier,

get more sun and are pink.

I think I may give up on my peony in the spot it is in.

My trees are shading it too much, so I need to move it

or lose it, I'm afraid.

Maybe Ellen will let me just plant it over there -

they love all that sun!

A pretty napkin seems right at home here today.

This very old and very very delicate Bavarian set

 is my largest set (tons of it collected over years)

and is my most feminine and pretty.

It's been a while since I have shared it with you all- 

but I just had to put those beautiful peonies

 in the loveliest of all my china!

I see a varnished gleam in my heart's eye

While peonies are climbing at the gate.

That birds of red and yellow twit nearby,

Enchanting leafy maples, so ornate

Till sun dew bursts of fresh morn, to elate!

~S. Kendrick

Garden Party

Summer breezes gently 
Brushes against my face
Sunlight teases my eyes
Wakens me 
Its morning 
Bouquet of fragrances to my nose
Guides me to my garden
Its there I find my peace
Eagerly stepping onto glistening dewy grass 
Placing myself among the copious of blooms
I sit beneath my maple tree upon a rattan chair
I sip my tea, I breathe in my solitaire
They don’t seem to mind
My company spends time
Creating the sounds of summer
My buzzing bees they notice me 
And thank me for pink Peonies
Butterflies like swimming high
Above their purple Buddleia
Kissing nectar for their breakfast 
As fragrant aromas surrounds me
Infusing my tea while I see 
A white blossom tree
Good Morning Dragonfly perching upon his Goldenrod
Shimmering purple through his transparent wings
Dancing to the waterfall like a King
Dawn brings the cooing voice 
Of music from the Dove
Hummingbirds flying backwards
Display their iridescent plumage
Drinking sweetness from the trumpets
Blackbirds flying downward
Yellow beaks hunting 
Consuming food from falling seeds
Vibrant colors all around
Pleasant sounds resounding 
Grandstand of fragrances 
I refreshingly embrace
A reception of hospitality
Welcome to my Garden Party

~M. Franceschini

As always, thank you for your visit!

♥

~Michele

Linking:

Pink Saturday  *  No Place Like Home  *  At Our Home  * Tuesday Cuppa Tea   *   BTTCG   *  Teacup Tuesday     *    Make It Pretty

Autumn Tea Time on the Patio

Our weather has truly been perfect this fall -

quite rare and wonderful for us here.

It's the kind of weather that is just ideal

for a nice tea time outdoors...

before the cold damp blustery weather

rolls in for its long stay.

Let's tuck ourselves in a quiet and peaceful
 dappled-light covered patio
 and have a nice chat, shall we?

We'll use my harvest gold tea set. 

Its rich luscious fall colors make me smile.

I have 4 cups and saucers to the set; 

but we'll just use the two for us today.

Pretty ivory leaves-themed tablecloth,

Matching tea cosy and table runner. 

hand painted leaves serving tray,

vintage Woolrich woolen lap blanket,

autumn candles dressed up...

I think we're all set for our nice fall visit!

Tea for Two - has a nice friendly
 ring to it, does it not?

I recently tore apart a hideous arrangement

 (half of which was dirty,  gross and made of mostly cheap plastic)

 that I found at the GW for next-to-nothing.

But tucked in it were these high quality silk flowers

that just needed to be dusted off and used differently.

I also found this heavy green stoneware planter

 at my favorite secondhand store not too long ago, too. 

With very little effort I was able to put together a

lovely autumn arrangement

 using the nice bits & some greenery I already had.

This potted floral is the perfect size and look

for our little tea tray, and the cost was quite minimal.

Sometimes one needs to see

 beyond the ugly

to set free its beauty!

And don't forget to pick up those inexpensive single

 salad or bread plates while you are at the thrift store.

They really make perfect candle holders!

I love Autumn so much,

it's my very favorite season!

Thank you for joining me for tea today!

As always, thank you for your visit!

♥

~Michele

Linking: 

Sundays At Home     *   Mosaic Monday   *   Amaze Me Monday   *   

Tea time Tuesday   *  Friends Sharing Tea  *    Tuesdays at our Home

Inspire Me Tuesday   *   A Return to Loveliness  *   Tartan Parade