A Pretty Pink Tea Table for Two!

I had such an exciting weekend - Mr FH & I went down to our new beachhouse for a couple of days R & R after a busy week on the farm. Finally my new couches have arrived!!! Yippee!! Everything I had bought seemed to go together really well which was a relief!. I haven't quite finished the familyroom but when I do I will share some photos -it is sort of 'French', so very different to the farm house.

Tuesday is always such a busy day around the Land of Blog - tea parties everywhere!! What is joy it is to look at all the gorgeous tea cups on display.

This week I decided to use my lovely silver tea service again - I thought while it was nice and shiny it was silly not to enjoy it some more.

I set my small coffee table in my sunroom with a pretty white cloth and sprinkled it with rose petals to start my table.

White linen napkins and plain white china seemed the way to go.

I had this bunch of pretty white flowers in a jug on my kitchen table for a couple of weeks so I transferred them to a lovely silver water jug and added that to the table.

This old glass cake plate was a gift to me from a lady whose mother I had been very close to and she had passed away so I really treasure this and use it only on special occasions.

I think this lovely silver dish is actually a butter dish but it holds my Donna Hay sugar sticks just perfectly. I love these - I don't know what I'll do when they are all used as I have never seen them anywhere else since I bought them.

Anyone for a slice of cake??  Looks delicious, doesn't it?  I have had these three slices of cake (it is really soap) sitting in my glass cake dome on my kitchen bench for a couple of years now. I just love it - Mr FH would have a fit if he knew how much I paid for it but he would have to agree - it has lasted a long time!

My sunroom is really a delightful place to sit and have tea!! It has a large window and lets the light in really well on days (like today) when it's a little dull and cloudy.

This was one of my last roses for autumn so it looked a little lonely in the vase by it's self so I just sprinkled it around the table.

Pull up a seat and join me......Tea for two is always much nicer than tea for one!!

Suzy

I'm joining TuesdayTeaforTwo@ThePlumedPen
TeaPartyTuesday@RoseColoredGlasses
TwoorMoreTuesday@TheGypsy'sCorner
TeacupTesday@Martha'sFavorites
TeaTimeTuesday@RoseChintzCottage
TeaCupTuesday@artfulafirmations
TeaPot&TeaThings@Breathoffreshair
TabletopTuesday@AStrollThruLife

Card Making

Yesterday I had such a nice day - it was very dull and very cool here at the farm house in Australia so I decided to spend the day doing something I love but don't seem to get a lot of time to do -card making.

My Aunt was having a birthday so I made her a pack of birthday cards to use for her friends -I'm sure she sends a card to everyone in Australia on their birthday!! It really is so relaxing (except for the mess I make!).

Sorry I keep taking my photos in my sunroom but the light is so bad elsewhere at the moment (and sorry about the cord dangling in the background!).

I placed them all in individual cello bags along with an envelope before I sent them off in the post.

What a shame I have to do housework and washing and ironing - I have asked Mr FH if I could have a housekeeper so I can just 'be creative' and he laughed so I guess that's a 'no'!!!

Suzy

 I'm joining Friday's Show & Tell@MyRomanticHome

Autumn Tablescape

It's hard to believe it's Thursday again. Everyone's favourite day - Tablescape Thursday!!!

I set this table a while ago - I had bought this piece of fabric ready for a display at my sister's gift shop so I thought I'd use it for a tablescape first!! It has real autumn colours.

These green dinner plates are a little purchase I made - it is not my usual colour but I am trying to get out of my comfort zone occasionally!!

The napkins are a sale item from Target - about $1.00 each if I remember rightly!

Once agin I have used my everyday white dinnerware - it is amazing just how many different ways it can be used!  This flatware was also from Target and also on sale - I can't resist a bargain!

The end of my table was looking a little bare so I had a bit of a search around the house to see what I could come up with - the bird cage I recently bought for $10 and I think is going to get a spray paint (maybe white??) and the glasses, binoculars and old books all belonged to Mr FH's grandfather.  I use the stack of books as a door stop!

I love the build up of dirt  character on these old binoculars. I have no idea how old they would be but I'm guessing quite a bit older than me!!

What a great candle this is for Autumn - it is filled with gorgeous dried leaves. I wish I could claim to have made it with my own fair hands but no, I bought it ages ago. Isn't it so cool??

It's a cold old winter's day here today so I have been making cards - I hope to share them with you soon.

Suzy


I'm joining Tablescape Thursday@BetweenNapsonthePorch

I have a confession....

I have a confession to make.....I had decided I wasn't going to buy any more china for the farm house (because I am now buying for my beach house!) until last Friday. I had gone for a drive with Mr FH who was going to a sheep sale so I thought I would do some "browsing" in the shops. Big mistake!!!! I have bought a complete teaset - teapot with lid, milk jug, sugar bowl with lid and four perfect cups and saucers!!!

I just couldn't resist ........

You see, when I was looking after my little grandson a couple of weeks ago he had so much enjoyment playing with my china in the sunroom. He loved putting lids on and off and tinkered away for ages - actually he clunked a fair bit but thankfully nothing was broken so when I saw this perfect teaset I just had to have it.

How could I not buy this??? It will be perfect for little Mr L and also my granddaughter little Miss L when she grows up a bit. I was so pleased it has the teddies on and is white so it really will be suitable for a little boy or girl.

How much fun will this be?? It was a bargain at $6.50 at Woolies supermarket - worth every cent, I think.

Suzy

I'm joining Mosaic Monday@LittleRedHen

TuesdayTeaforTwo@ThePlumedPen

TeaPartyTuesday@RoseColoredGlasses

TwoorMoreTuesday@TheGypsy'sCorner

TeacupTesday@Martha'sFavorites

TeaTimeTuesday@RoseChintzCottage

TeaCupTuesday@artfulafirmations
TeaPot&TeaThings@Breathoffreshair

Let's go to a porch party!!

I've heard a whisper there is a fabulous Porch Party going on today.... well, how can a girl not join a party?

Really it isn't very good porch weather here at the farm today - we've had a little drizzle of rain and the sun is hiding behind the clouds. Still it is winter here so really that's to be expected.

Even though I don't have much yellow inside my house I love this buttercup yellow colour I have on the porch. I bought this old desk/table about 10 years ago and painted it yellow - I could see it had been many other colours before I got it.

I have a couple of these yellow wicker chairs to sit on - they are starting to look a little like they need redoing but I think that will be a job for spring.

These birdhouses were all living inside when I had a much more countryfied style but since I changed things to shabby chic they have been placed on the porch.

Anyone for a cuppa from this old enamel teapot? I have a couple of these which I sometimes use for flowers - I love them filled with daisies! In the spring I have pots of purple violas and pansies on my porch - I love the combination of the purple and buttercup yellow.

Want somewhere to rest and watch the world go by??? Well I certainly wouldn't suggest this old wicker lounge - it is very fragile - in fact Mr FH would love to take it to the rubbish tip but I think it is so cute. The cat loves it too!!

I store my magzines in this old truck I happened to find one day - it stops them from getting dusty and fading in the hot Aussie sun.

This is an old meat safe which was used in the olden days to store food (it originally had flywire on three sides) but it makes a great piece for displaying more birdcages.

 

As I have taken my wicker table and chairs down to my new beach house I had to change things around a bit so I have brought this little setting up onto the porch. I  love the aged finish this setting has and it matches perfectly with the candle holder.

The cupboard in the background came from the rubbish tip.  It had no side, top, bottom or front - only the frame and back so I had to play around for a while to get it together. I made SNo 1 who was about 15 at the time come and help me pick it up! He was not happy!!! It really is only a dust collector!!

Hope you enjoyed stopping by,

Suzy 

I'm joining Rhondi@RoseColoredGlasses for the Porch Party and
ShowOffYourCottage@thehouseintheroses

Just grab a can of paint..

For a while now I have been ohing and ahring over some of the great makeovers in the land of blog. The changes some have been making by painting old pieces of china, pottery etc has been amzing so I decided to get myself some spray cans and have a go!!!

I had this really old pottery in my cupboard so I thought I would try this first.

As you can see this is pretty daggy but I really liked the shape of the bowl and it was in very good condition so I just cleaned it over and waited for it to dry then started on my transformation.

What a difference a can of paint can make....

I am so thrilled with the result - it looks so smooth and fresh.

The little salt and pepper shakers look great - I've been trying to think of something else to put in the top instead of corks - any ideas???

The sugar bowl looks ok here but I think I was a bit enthusiastic and sprayed that a bit too much so the paint has run a little on the back but it does have one 'good side' for display. LOL 

The little heart shaped candle was pinched from another display and the jug of roses are from my bathroom table - I love the contrast with the woven mat underneath.

The green apples just seem to show the simplicity of the shapes. Isn't it funny - straight away I thought they would look good in there. I did try a few other bits and pieces from around the house but I liked this contrast best.

I'm joining Tabletop Tuesday@AStrollThruLife ,
Metemorphosis Monday@BetweenNapsonthePorch and
Today's Thrifty Treasures@SouthernHospitality


Suzy

Sweet Chilli Chicken

Now that the days are getting shorter and the weather colder I have pulled out my favourite appliance - the slow cooker!! For a girl who isn't that fond of cooking (I only cook cos I like to eat!) this is the best invention ever. Yesterday I worked an extra day so before I went in the morning I prepared (only takes a minute) dinner for last night.

I love coming home from work and opening the door and I can smell my dinner cooking. It gives me time for a quick visit to blogland before dinner needs to be served.

This is my Sweet Chilli Chicken (actually not mine, I got it out of a recipe book but I feel it's mine because I have shared it sooo much with friends and family).

You can't get any easier than this........

SWEET CHILLI CHICKEN

8 chicken legs - roll these in flour and place in slow cooker.

Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of tomato sauce

2 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce

2 tablespoons of apricot jam

Put the lid on and cook for 6-7 hours on low.

Stir occasionally.

(I sometimes thicken mine a bit with cornflour and water if it's too juicy but it needs quite a bit of juice to soak into the rice.)

Serve on a bed of rice.

DELICIOUS

Once you have made this it will become a family favourite.

Suzy

I'm joining Foodie Friday with this recipe.
and Show & Tell @MyRomanticHome