TEA HISTORY AND THE MARJORIE

THE MARJORIE.

My Mom, Marjorie.

This morning I'm sharing my gold flowered Royal Albert tea cup. The design is called Marjorie. The cup was my Grandmother's as are most of my tea cups. My mother's name is Marjorie so this cup was given to my Grandmother because of the name.

The Marjorie with my "Harvest Girl" napkin holders.

Notice the "Marjorie" at the bottom of the cup.

I have a book about tea that shares the origins of tea. It says, " Around 4,700 years ago, so the story goes, wild tea leaves fell into a pot of boiling water. The resulting infusion was sipped by the legendary Chinese emporer Shen Nung, the divine healer." "It quenches thirst," he noted. "It lessens the desire for sleep. It gladdens and cheers the heart."

It goes on to say that the "Chinese have woven tea into their stories, their philosophy, their art, and their literature as well as into aspects of their daily life."

Thereafter, different countries adopted their own tea habits. " The tea-drinking habit was probably brought to the east coast of the United States by Dutch settlers. Tea pleasure gardens sprang up, where people could meet, drink, walk, see, and be seen", explains the "Tea" book.

What are YOUR tea habits?

Today I'm joining tea parties at the following blogs:

Martha's Favorites
Rose Chintz Cottage

RECORD BLIZZARD

Have you ever been "snowed in"?

We've been snowed in due to a record setting blizzard yesterday and today. We're waiting for the plows to come and dig us out! Up to 20 inches of snow has been dumped on us. We attempted to get out before it got too bad for a quick run to the store yesterday morning only to get stuck along with four other vechicles. So we turned around (with several people pushing us) and headed back home to sit it out.

We had been warned the day before of an impending blizzard and had stocked up on food so we were fine in that area. The grandkids, of course, were loving it but wished it had been on a school day so they could have had a "snow day" off from school. Today even church was canceled!

So we went out for a walk in the blizzard and took some photos. Here are just a few, one with my daughter all bundled up. The snow piled up on the bush is early on in the blizzard. After that we just hunkered down and stayed inside!

STONES

In the future when your children ask you," What do these stones mean?", Tell them... Joshua 4:6,7


I have started a new tradition I learned from  Bible Study leader, Lorie Dahlstrom.( Had to give her some credit here). I have some stones that I've collected and I've written on them important dates of events to remember since my husband and I have been married. For example, there are the marriages in our family,  births in the family, and important events where God has worked in a special way in our lives that we want to remember. We write down the name of the person or event that took place. We call them, "remembering stones".

Our remembering stones.

We keep our stones in a cute little box.

When God wanted His people to remember what He had done often He would tell them to take a stone "to remember...". In this way we are continuing an old tradition of bringing to mind those things that God has done for us and our family.

Our marriage stone shaped like a heart.

The grandkids especially like this idea. They can find "their stone" and feel special that the day of their birth is a special event because God sent them to us. Of course, two-year-old Charlie takes his stone and throws it across the room but Ashley and Brianna enjoy finding their special stones. It also helps to remind them of how God has worked in our lives in special ways as they see the stones of special events that have taken place, like the day we began our new ministry to juvenile offenders and the many blessings that have come through that.

Do you have a special way of passing on your faith stories and special family events? I'd love to hear them! Add them to your comments!

GETTING WHAT YOU WANT

Since most women blogging on vintage and antique treasures/ artists/ crafters etc. are online hoping to make an extra income, I decided to share some little financial insights that my friend Sherrie and I share in workshops. There is not a lot of space to share all of it but I thought from time to time I'd share ideas that have helped me. So here goes...

 Have you ever wanted something but you thought you couldn't afford it? It was just out of reach and you saw NO WAY of making things happen? Well, I'm here to tell you that YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!

 First of all, let me say that we are NOT RICH. Well,  not financially rich anyway. In ALL OTHER areas of our lives we feel VERY RICH INDEED! But now that I think about it, if we compared our situation to the rest of the world, we would be FINANCIALLY RICH also! Everything is quite relative after all. So let me explain it this way: My husband was a teacher and when our children were growing up I was a stay-at-home Mom. OK ,That explains our financial situation.

 Anyway, the year my daughter, Elissa, left home for college ( leaving an empty nest ) I decided that we needed to make sure our family vacations continued to be a part of our family memory making events. With a son ( Tom ) who was married ( Monica ) and had a daughter ( Ashley ), and Elissa now in college I knew it would be more of a challenge time-wise and money-wise for all of us to travel so we had to start planning right away.  My first thought was, " Yeah, we have a little one in the family again! Let's go to Disney World! " But Ashley was  too young to enjoy it, it was rather expensive  now that we had to have more  hotel rooms ( and oh, yeah, a daughter in college ), and  everyone's schedules never seemed to work out to be able to go at the same time. So I had to be a bit more practical and come up with something that worked for us. Also when I asked myself, "WHY do I want to do this?" The answer was, " To make family memories." But then I realized, that while waiting for the DISNEY VACATION,  I could still reach my goal of MAKING FAMILY MEMORIES but in a different way.

Eventually I found a resort in our home state and we "settled" for a four day weekend near Lake Superior. We had a FABULOUS time! We stayed in a beautiful condo with wooded trails out the back. This was a ski resort in the winter so there were beautiful cross country ski trails throughout the area. We made very SPECIAL MEMORIES  ( including being chased by a bear ) and went back to the same place for the next couple of years.

But I was still thinking about  Disney World  and now Tom and Monica had another daughter ( Brianna ). It was time to start saving for THE BIG VACATION! I began a savings account for this" trip in the future". And guess what? We did make it to Disney World! We saved money for a looong period of time  ( by THIS time Elissa was married ) and planned our vacation a year ahead to clear schedules and MADE IT HAPPEN! In the meantime we still had other vacation plans EACH AND EVERY YEAR!

F

I believe if you want something, YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN! You might need to SAVE for it, PLAN it ahead of time, MAKE SOME CHANGES to your plans, but YOU CAN DO IT ( or some version of it )! In fact, that is how I got my little Hob Nobber business going that is not only a FUN HOBBY that Les ( hubby ) and I can share but is also giving us VACATION MONEY in retirement.

My friend, Sherrie, and I are working on an e-course that shows you how to set your goals and make them happen! I'll be sharing more about this in the future. I know many of you out there are already doing what you love and MAKING MONEY at it! YOUR SUCCESS' motivate me even more!  I love it that more and more women are doing things that they love, making money at it, and are sharing their God-given talents and  gifts with others through their beautiful art, crafting, and decorating. There are so many talented women out there but I didn't know HOW MANY until I joined the blogging community!

Anyway, keep watching for our e-course and in the meantime, hop on over to our blog, Blooming Boomers, for more encouragement! Just click on the flower pot on the right sidebar!

Thanks for taking the time to read this even though it doesn't have any of that BEAUTIFUL EYE CANDY we all love to look at!

I'd love to hear YOUR STORY of how you were able to MAKE IT HAPPEN..."IT" meaning whatever it was that you were desiring to do and you found a way to get it done! We'll all be encouraged to see how others are reaching their goals and living their dreams!

TO YOUR SUCCESS....

A BUSY TWO DAYS

Had a busy week with our daughter, Elissa, and her husband, Jon, being home from  China for a short stint. We celebrated Father's Day early as they had to take a plane out on Saturday. Friday morning Elissa and I took a quick trip to a small town nearby where they were having a vintage sale. This is what I purchased:

It has a vintage doorknob and hooks on it. I'm going to hang it in the guest room that Elissa and Jon use when they're home.

I also found a lovely booth owned by Janis Mineart.  She sells vintage linens, sewing notions, buttons, and lace. She was sweet enough to allow me to take photos of her beautiful things to share here but I forgot to take a photo of HER!

Janis rents space in a nearby shop so I'll be stopping there soon!

In the evening for Father's Day Elissa grilled steak kabobs, wearing her favorite vintage apron from our family collection.

Setting the table for Father's Day, Elissa chose some "new" and some vintage blue and yellow pieces. All the items were purchased at vintage sales, thrift stores, and yard sales including the damask yellow napkins which she tied with blue vintage ribbon.

The next morning we took Elissa and Jon to the airport in Minneapolis. After dropping them off we went to Bachmans to pick up the antique tablecloth ( below ) I had purchased at the Idea House but couldn't pick it  up until the event was over. 

    Notice the scalloped edging. This was an old quilt that was repurposed into a tablecloth. It is in great condition! Should I sell it or keep it???

After picking up the tablecloth we went to Bachman's little cafe and had a HUMONGOUS cup of coffee and some treats!

Ooooh. That coffee looks tempting! I'm going to go get a cup! Thanks for stopping by!

SUPPORTING EDEN MINISTRY

I mentioned in my last post that I support ministries that touch the lives of women and children with a portion of my Hob Nobber occasional sales. This year I have made Eden Ministry in China the organization to which I will be donating.

 Eden reaches out to young women and girls in China who have been forced into prostitution. They help rescue them and give them an opportunity to change their lives. The girls make jewelry and the jewelry is sold to help support the mission and also gives the girls a wage for their work. My daughter, Elissa, works for this ministry. You can learn more about this wonderful work on their web site here: http://edenchina.org. Also you can see a photo of Elissa and a few of the girls and comments from Elissa on my May 4th post.

In addition to my contribution, we also have a special friend named, Sarah, who donates her lovely things to sell at our sale and then gives the money made from the sales to Eden. Thank you, Sarah!

We also sell the jewelry at our Hob Nobber sales and all proceeds go to Eden.

And this year we received a cash  contribution! Thank You!

So I'm happy to report that after our first sales event we will be giving $542 to support the work of Eden in China! Thank you to EVERYONE for making this possible!

Elissa and her husband, Jon, have a blog that tells the more ENTERTAINING aspects of their adventure. You can check their blog  out here:http:// jonandliss.blogspot.com

Coming Up: Photos from a trip to the Idea House where Bachmans Partnered with Ki Nassauer to create a home with ideas of how to turn your trash into treasure. It is open until June 16th so HURRY UP but you DO need tickets in advance. Go to Bachmans online to order. Well worth the trip! 


Bloggers: Having a Give-Away? Enter your information on my NEW VINTAGE GIVE-AWAY PAGE!


Thanks for visiting! sandy

EDEN OUTREACH

I mentioned that you'd be hearing about my daughter, Elissa's, work in China with the Eden outreach. Part of the proceeds of my occasional sales go to help support Elissa and her work there. The girls in this outreach make jewelry which we also sell at our sales events to help  in this mission. I have asked Elissa to share about Eden here on my blog. Here are her words:

Elissa:  When I think about making things beautiful, I believe it can happen in so many tangible, and intangible ways. My Mother ( Sandy ) finds beauty in vintage treasures and does an incredible job of bringing out the beauty in any old thing she gets  her hands on! And here in China I've also begun to see God's beauty emerge in the lives of the women I work with in a more intangible way. My Mom has allowed me to share about Eden Ministry, the organization whose work I have fallen in love with enough to move to China and work for since 2009.

 Eden Ministry seeks to bring hope to women trapped in the hopelessness of prostitution. Many women in our shelters have been trafficked, tricked, and traded into the ugly and awful world of sexual abuse. But those of us who are committed to serving in this ministry are allowed the awesome privilege to see many of them rise up out of those dark places and become beautiful new creatures in Christ,  leaving the life of prostitution behind and  building new lives through designing and selling beautiful jewelry to those around the world.

 Xia Xia is one of those beautiful stories...

Xia Xia thought she had the perfect boyfriend. He invited her to the city with him. telling her he had a great job for her. She had dreams of being a good daughter and sending money home to her family in the village so she went with him. As soon as they arrived he sold her to traffickers who took her to another city and forced her into prostitution. After two years she heard about Eden, escaped her "owners" and is now living in our shelter. God has done wonderful things in her life as she continues to blossom into a beautiful woman of God.

Creating Jewelry to Build New Lives


One way we support our non-profit work, is by employing the women in our shelters to make jewelry that we sell in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. It's exciting to watch them work peacefully and express their creativity in our jewelry designs. You can support these women and contribute to their success by purchasing jewelry online at www.edenchina.org or hosting an Eden Evening of Hope. Funds from each purchase support our shelters, medical clinics, and provide wages for the women in our shelter.

Thanks for allowing me to share.
All the best,

Elissa Kuert
www.jonandliss.blogspot.com





And just another reminder here of our SUMMER SOIREE GIVE-AWAY!!! Just go to the May 1 post for a  photo of what you'll be winning and follow the directions there!  

Best Banana Bread

It's time to share another recipe. This is one I got from friend and Hob Nobber, Karen. She always brings a loaf of this to our sales. My husband liked it so much he asked for the recipe and I started making it. The only problem was that Karen forgot to write down one of the  ingredients which I didn't realize until the bread didn't turn out very well. I thought it was my oven at first but then when I went to make it again I looked a bit closer to what I was using for ingredients and something seemed to be missing and indeed it was... the baking soda. So now it  actually rises and  tastes the same as Karen's and it is soooo delicious! You have to try it! You will love it! It is YUMMY! Here's the recipe:

Sour Cream Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 bananas ( mashed )
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts ( optional )

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Mix in dry ingredients. Fold in sour cream, bananas, and vanilla. Add nuts if desired.

Let stand in greased loaf pan for 10" before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours. May sprinkle with sugar before baking.  Enjoy!

They're Home!

Our daughter and son-in-law, Elissa and Jon, arrived home from China! Their nieces, Ashley and Brianna, greeted them with signs. The first thing they had to do was to go and have a Starbucks coffee, something they don't have in China.

I had their favorite granola ready for breakfast. Recipe on this blog. It's delicious and good for you too! And check out my vintage jar next to the chalkboard rooster. The jar sits on the counter and is always filled with the homemade granola cereal. The rooster displays messages like "Proudly brewing Starbucks coffee" or the menu for a meal, or a greeting like," Merry Christmas"

Granola

4 1/4 cups of Wheaties
2 cups of uncooked Oatmeal
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 sesame seeds
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup oil

Mix first 6 ingredients in large roaster pan. Put oil and syrup in pan and boil 1 minute. Add to dry ingredients.
Bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes.
Serve with berries and fat free plain yogurt.