Why I Love Tea Parties

It's finally Autumn in Arkansas, and our red maple in our front yard is absolutely awe-inspiring. How anyone can believe that there is no Divine Architect boggles my mind. Thank you, Father, for the beauty of your earth that reflects your glory! The only appropriate theme for our November tea party was THANKSGIVING. And I am so thankful for the opportunity to have theses tea parties with 10 precious girls. Now, for why I love tea parties, the title of today's post.

1. I love to decorate

Decorating is so much fun, especially decorating for autumn. My favorite colors just flow in our home. Reds, golds, greens........

Our youngest, 17 months old, cries "Punkins!" and works very hard to retrieve them from any spot in the room. She loves to throw punkins. I managed to get a picture of the table before she climbed on it to get the punkins.

2.I do love tea cups and saucers.
I do so enjoy finding them at thrift stores and garage sales. This is my newest one, our 7 year old's favorite.

3. I love my helpers.
Wait a minute.
Did she just help me because she wanted to get first dibs on the food?

3. And speaking of food...........I like food!

4. But what I love most about having tea parties is the ones who make it so special.
The older ones help the younger ones, help me plan, and keep things moving. Haley planned the craft for the party, Indian headdresses and pilgrim hats.

Busy at work!

Maggie loved her pilgrim hat.
Well, she didn't keep it on very long, but she really liked it!

These two little Indians are best friends.
Would you believe the little one is 3 months older than the tall one? Really!

Even the big girls get into the spirit of the day.

5. I love that the girls are willing to share.

Gracie gave the character sketch today on Laura Ingalls Wilder. Each month one of the girls gives a character sketch about a woman from the Bible or from history who made a difference. We loved hearing about Mrs. Wilder's life and her books.

6. I love having the opportunity to share
God's Word with these precious girls.

Our devotional was on being thankful in all situations.

How very blessed I am!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

And have a blessed and Thankful Thanksgiving!

I'm linking to
A Stroll Through Life
http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/2010/11/39th-table-top-tuesday.html

Lady Katherine Tea Parlor
Tea Time Tuesday
http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

The Plumed Pen
http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/2010/11/57th-tuesday-tea-for-two.html

The Silken Purse
http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com/2010/11/29th-teapot-and-tea-things-tuesday.html

My daughter is blogging!

My oldest daughter has started a blog, and as soon as my granddaughter gets over here today and shows me how--or rather, does it for me--I am going to post her button on my blog. This gal has some fun stuff on her blog! Her youngest wrote yesterday about her snake bite that she received while Mom was out getting vitamins at the health food store. I guess that's why this blog is so fun. Never a dull moment in that household.

Maybe that's why mine is so sparse lately. Not enough going on, and not enough thinking going on in my brain. I must practice thinking more often!

Well, today is tea party day for the granddaughters. I'll at least have some cute pictures to post.

We are going to be talking about giving thanks. I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to do these things with the little girls. Although one told me yesterday that she would rather go fishing with her grandfather than to go to the tea parties. She is a bit of a tom girl, albeit a beautiful one.


If you read this before my post comes up for the tea party, take some time to contemplate on 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." A very profound verse. What in the world does it mean? How can we pray without ceasing? I have to sleep sometime! I have some thoughts on that passage that I'll share with the little girls and then with you.

Have a great day. It's warm here in Arkansas today. I have the windows open and hear the children waiting for the school bus--before 7 a.m.

A Getaway to the Mountains

There is nothing more relaxing than a couple of nights in the mountains.
The sun rises on a new and invigorating day, a day of putting aside
all the cares of "normal" life.

This was the view from "our" mountaintop at the Mountain Top B&B in Mountain View, Arkansas

Our host and hostess, Ron and Alicia, were most cordial and hospitable. The room was beautiful, and we highly recommend it.

Cody's restaurant in Fifty-Six, Arkansas (yes, that's the name of the town!) had the best coconut cream pie. It's about 10 miles from Mt. View.

There's no place like the Ozark Folk Center for genuine Hillbilly entertainment and retro life. The culture has been well preserved.

A genuine cave man! He said he lived in a cave for a number of years when he first moved here, but he couldn't get a date, so he finally moved.
Really! That's what he said!

The Cobb brothers. Very professional, and home schoolers. I love home schoolers--especially my 12.

Everyone needs to make a stop at Mellons Country Store. It's country! And it's a pretty good variety store, too. Do you like roasted peanuts? Have a few while you're there.

Sylamore Creek

Somebody forgot to be redneck!

Ya'll come back now, ya' hear?

These two rednecks were really disappointed that they didn't get to go. Sorry, girls. Maybe next time!

"From the rising of the sun
to the going down of the same,
the name of the Lord is to be praised."

Psalm 113:3

I'm linking to:
A Southern Daydreamer
http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/2010/10/1020-outdoor-wednesday-93.html

Our Fall Mantle

My daughter went online to The Nester's site this afternoon and saw the lovely mantles. She decided that we must put ours on the blog. I confess that I did little to make it so lovely, other than painting the picture, which stays up there year round. She has had all the fun doing the work.

So enjoy our mantle!

Candlelight. Romantic, huh?

We love our cloche! It's so fun to change it out.

Pumpkin pie, anyone?

An interesting backdrop for candlelight

Isn't God good to give us seasons? It is just now cooling off in Arkansas, and we are so very grateful for the change. We have been enjoying our porches and watching the hummingbirds prepare for their long flight south.

Don't forget to thank Him for His wondrous works!


I'm linking today to
The Nester

Pillows, Frugality and the Virtuous Woman

I have always aspired to be the woman praised in Proverbs 31:10-31:

10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.

19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

Alas, I fall far below the description of the Excellent Wife. But I do give it the old college try! Here are a few things I have done lately to try to be more like the woman in the Proverbs passage.

I made cushions for our banquette seating out of a very inexpensive sale fabric. The covers seemed a bit big for the cushions, so I wrapped them in batting. Perfect!

I was visiting my sister-in-law and she offered me some fabrics that had been given to her. Perfect again! Everything she gave me matched my home. I made these 5 pillows out of fabric that she had given me--except for the blue. It was from chairs that I sold in a garage sale. The lady was going to recover the chairs, so I asked if she would allow me to have the fabric. Voila! Pillows to match the kitchen/breakfast room curtains. I used old pillow forms. New pillows for absolutely nothing! Pretty good, eh?

We needed a longer table to seat our 12 grandkids when they come over for a meal--which is quite often! I kept looking for something just right at a garage sale, and one day a friend called and said that she had found a table on the side of the street and dragged it home. It didn't quite work for us, but we had a large piece of oak left over from a project, and her husband "re-purposed" (my new favorite word) the wood and the table, and here it is. He wouldn't let us pay him for his work. Can you do any better than a free table? Thank you, Bruce. Isn't it lovely?

Notice the bench. We wanted a bench for this side of the table that the younger ones could eat on (to try to preserve the cushions for a few months). I found an old table at a garage sale for $10 with these sturdy legs and casters. My wonderful son-in-law re-purposed it into a bench for the table. I love you, Alex! We are going to paint it the blue in the cushions and curtains. Just haven't gotten around to it yet.

I made 4 pillows like this for the living room sofas. The others were very tired. I used the pillow forms and fabric that my sister-in-law gave me, and this is what I came up with. I love them, and again--new pillows for free.

Do you think the excellent woman would have been proud of me?
I hope so.

I'm linking to:
Fireflies and Jellybeans
Show off Your Stuff Party
http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/2010/09/show-off-your-stuff-43-and-giveaway.html
&
The Shabby Chic Cottage
Transformation Thursdays
http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/

The Mad Hatter and Kindness

The table is set for 8 little girls

What does the Mad Hatter tea party have to do with kindness? Have you ever read the account in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? What rude and unkind creatures they were!

A granddaughter made signs for us

They were confusing, too! Alice was the only one who showed any semblance of kindness. We spent our lesson this month discussing that very important part of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Little girls can be very unkind to one another, especially if there are three of them. Usually one gets left out.

My heart's desire is that I see my granddaughters showing lovingkindness both to one another and to others.

No tea party is complete without tea pots filled with tea

The virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 showed kindness to her family, her servants, and to those whom her husband associated with. How do we know? The Proverbs stated that "the law of kindness is in her mouth." She spoke kindness to others. Oh, that we all may be virtuous women!

A Mad Hatter Tea Party without Roses? No way!

One of the granddaughters spoke to us about a wonderful role model from the past, a songwriter named Fannie Crosby. Fannie was blind, and she wrote over 8,000 hymns. As a child, she wrote:
“Oh, what a happy child I am, although I cannot see!

I am resolved that in this world, contented I will be!”

Once when questioned about the disadvantage that she had as a blind woman, she said:
"When I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior."

(You can go to http://www.1timothy4-13.com/files/hymns/crosby.html and see the multitude of most loved hymns that she wrote.)

Not only is kindness a quality to be desired, but creativity is also an important characteristic of a well-trained young lady. Frugality and creative thinking are qualities that every future husband will love in his bride. I know they are young, but I want to help their parents to train them to be women that will please God and be an asset to those whom He places in their lives--their future husbands and children, and in the meantime the parents who nurture and rear them.

Cute bow, huh?

Actually, the bow was a part of a hat--made from ribbons, cards, flowers, and a plastic bowl and plastic plate tied together with ribbon. Creativity in action!

I made pinafore aprons for each of the girls. The older girls are putting them in their hope chests.

And what beautiful girls, if I do say so myself!

What are some of the ways that you use to teach your children and grandchildren kindness and creativity. Try a tea party! It's a lot of effort, but it works wonders!

(By the way, be sure to go to my granddaughter's blog at http://craftycrafteen.blogspot.com. She is having a fun fall giveaway!)

I am linking to:
A Stroll Thru Life
http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/2010/08/28th-table-top-tuesday-fall-living-room.html

Lady Katherine Tea Parlor
Tea Time Tuesday
http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

A Breath of Fresh Air
Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday
http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com/

The Plumed Pen
Tuesday Tea for Two
Wednesday Tea for Me and Thee
http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/

The July Tea Party

I gave you the message from our tea party in the last post. If you haven't read it, please go to the previous post. In essence, that is why I have tea parties.

I must say, the granddaughters love tea parties! They even help me with the themes. We planned to have a red, white and blue party, but for the life of me I couldn't get it to work with my house. So I borrowed my daughter's blue. Everything she has is blue; she has loved it since she was a wee one. I have nothing blue in my entire house, except a little blue mixed with pink and yellow in a nursery room. So instead of red I added yellow to pull in the yellow in the room.

Enough of my decorating scheme. Let's have a party!

You can't have a party without a mess first!

The rain certainly didn't deter some girls from being excited about a tea party. Come to think of it, I think they may have been more excited about the rain!


One can't have a tea party without tea


And food must be mixed in there somewhere


Add a pretty table or two


And some girls in the mix


Voila! A tea party

My goal is to train these young girls to be strong, godly and capable women. The parties have a goal in mind, much more than just to grow pristine primping girls who do nothing but sit around and have parties and go shopping all the time. Someday my prayer for them is that they will be the women of Titus 2:3-4. As an older woman in their lives, I am to train them to "love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."

Do you have tea parties at home? I encourage you to have a theme, a goal in mind, when you go to so much effort. I know it will be worth it in the long haul!

I'm linking to:
Blue Monday
http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/2010/07/blue-monday-blue-candy-review.html
A Stroll Thru Life
http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/2010/07/22nd-table-top-tuesday-clock-finials.html