Making a lovely pot o' tea when the power goes out!

Ollie loves tea!

We all love our tea around here, even the littlest among us!

And now, with the changing leaves and cooling weather, glorious warm tea is even more wonderful (:
I am giving thanks for the simplest things on this day (:

more photos by Bella

I just came across these pictures that Isabella took in February (:

I like 'em.

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tea and book party (:

Isabella and I used to have book parties quite regularly when she was little. We prepared a picnic blanket with snacks and tons of books, parked ourselves outside (or at the kitchen table when the weather turned cold) and read, read, read those books. I am delighted that Jude has now graduated to the book~party age (: There are fewer things I love more than children's books. I collected a whole bookcase full of them when I discovered I was pregnant with Jude! They travelled all the way from California to Ontario and now, finally, we are enjoying them together (:

more lovely garden moments!

1. the 'secret spot for sitting'. Jason spotted this wicker bench on the side of the road and brought it home for the garden (: It instantly created the most lovely sitting spot, being used by all of us, even the duck.

2. Sunflowers! My favourite! They are growing all around the bench, in the sunflower house I attempted to grow. It unfortunately did not turn out the way I had anticipated, there being very little light at the back of the house 'wall' and so only very short, straggly sunflowers grow back there. Still, it makes the most lovely place in the entire garden that much more lovely (:

3. Morning glory vines amassed around sunflower stalks!

4. Cosmos flowers grown taller than myself, some cabbages, echinacea and a few cucumber vines.

5. Tea party with picked mushrooms (non-edible, purely aesthetic)

6. Jude's mushroom arrangement. He LOVES to pick mushrooms and gift them to me like flowers (: The more he picks, the more they grow, and some I have noticed have started forming into rings! Very magical (: He must be friends with the faeries (:

a walk on the land

outside tea

diapers drying in the sun

clothespins are beautiful

my baby and my baby belly

yet another campfire

Mom's husky-dog, Amarook

As I stroll just about anywhere, my creative eye spots an infinitesimal number of beautiful things. Simple things. Things that represent life, or what I think life is really all about. I carry my camera with me quite a lot, for there are many beauties to capture (:

Tea House!

In the little town of Ormsby we happened upon 'The Old Schoolhouse Tea Room'. Once a turn-of-the-century schoolhouse, the building showcases antique furniture, desks, teapots, school books and teacher materials. Entering into this place is like taking a step backwards in time. We thought it especially fun that your order is to be written on a chalkboard slate! If ever you find yourself in the Bancroft area, definitely pop in. It's absolutely lovely (:



Jude loves tea!

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{{ this moment }}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~ inspired by Soule Mama

yet more treasuries

So, it looks like it's been a super awesome week as far as etsy treasuries go! My work has just been featured in THREE at the same time! That's so awesome.

Care to see?

Treasury 1
Treasury 2
Treasury 3

To celebrate, I'll enjoy two brownies and a cup of 'cream earl grey' tea! Oh, wait.. I had that before I knew about the treasuries! I guess I have a special gift of knowing what will happen in the future then ;-D

tea party time (:

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In the spirit of A Fanciful Twist's Mad Hatter Tea Party, I held a small tea celebration of my own (: It was a simple ritual really; A slightly more glorified partaking of tea than my usual method...Having packed away nearly every material possession in a cardboard box in readiment for our big move to Canada in just four days, I creatively ~ in a minimalist fashion ~ put together a pretty arrangement of treasures yet unpacked and brewed some fresh and delicious mint tea (:

 

As I did so, I realized that I was creating a tribute to my four years spent here in California. A heart-shaped rock; one of many many many I have found and collected since moving here, a large piece of abalone, a pretty tile I found on one of my lovely walks around the neighbourhood, and a sand-dollar from Stinson beach. I of course added Isabella's four vintage silver doll-sized teacups as a lovingly fond remembrance of the countless tea parties we have shared over the course of her nine years on this planet, and a bowl of water with floating candles (: I love candles. They are so pretty and create a mood of reverence, romance, or both (:

Baby Jude was napping, as were all three cats and Mabel the bunny. Isabella was at a friend's slumber party and Jason was off rockhounding in the desert, so I looked around to see who else might like to attend my little tea party. Luckily, there are always lots of friends on the patio! This is who happened to stop by (:

I love REAL mint tea made from fresh mint leaves, straight from the earth. The smell and taste of such a brew transports me directly back to my blissfully joyous gardening days when I drank cup after cup of mint tea all day long. Mint that I had lovingly grown myself (: ♥♥♥

It's nice to do special things for yourself. Like hosting a sweet little tea party, just because. (: Near the end of the festivities, Jude woke from his nap and thought he might like to contribute to the goodness of the afternoon by giving Blue a nice big hug. The very best of entertainment ♥

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