tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153639252024-03-23T13:36:05.004-05:00A Cup of Tea with FriendsA military wife taking life one cup of tea at a time ...The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.comBlogger712125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-36696997157925520252014-08-11T21:16:00.002-05:002014-08-11T21:48:12.389-05:00Quiltsmart Rescue<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hopefully you are enjoying the Quiltsmart posts. I am very excited about the projects and having so much fun with them. A few set backs, but it's less stressful when I have multiple projects to work on. I hate when I am so focused on one project, if I come to a problem like fabric shortage or running out of the correct thread, it derails the entire day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So yesterday, I was working on my medallion for my solo Round Robin and despite being pinned to the fabric the printed interfacing was snagging on the bottom of the foot on my machine. The previous 20+ pieces I had sewn had no issue. But things happen and it made this piece all puckered and wobbly (technical term!). My Mom thorized that the bobbin had gotten snagged on something internally because the stitches got really close together in some parts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Since I hadn't changed the foot, stitch, tension, etc., it seemed plausible. I was worried about how to proceed since this was a centerpiece that the "feathers" revolve around. So my options were:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Discard the piece and go on without it (Quickest method)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Replace it with a ZigZapp circle or other shape (Easiest method)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Carefully try rip the stitches and salvage the interfacing and fabric (Chaleenging method)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mom and Mattie have both said that the interfacing is stronger than it appears, so as long as I was careful it would be o.k. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So in the end, I was able to fix the problem. Obviously, its not something you'd want to do often, but at least ypu don't have to scrap a project because of a mistake!</span></div>
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Until our next cup of tea ...</div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-27218993435734906612014-08-10T13:36:00.000-05:002014-08-11T22:41:44.698-05:00Woody Woodpecker Lives in Our Trees!!<div style="margin: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We have some pretty big holes in our trees made by woodpeckers ... Jamie is intrigued by them because he hears them but never sees them.</span></div>
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They are sneaky little buggers, I rarely see them myself but they are always out there just knocking on wood!!</div>
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I've made references to Woody Woodpecker but he's too young so maybe we will have to find some old cartoons for him to watch. The holes and lines are pretty artistic but sadly they bugs are killing our poor tree. We've had a few yard maintenance days where we had to trim it back so the dead parts don't affect the healthy parts.</div>
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Just another random adventure in our own backyard!<br />
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Until our next cup of tea ...</div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-59789891976688527042014-08-09T11:18:00.004-05:002014-08-11T22:46:30.863-05:00Hear Ye! Hear Ye! A Proclaimation!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I have declared it The Year of Quiltsmart! Seriously, I have so much interfacing that I have purchased or been gifted from the owner, Mattie, over the past 2 years or so and I have a list of projects I have been wanting to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mattie and my Mom, who owns Bear Thread Designs, have worked together for years, friends almost from the start. As we all do, we help our mom's friends nearly as much as our own moms, so sometimes when I help Mattie she will pass along printed interfacing that was pulled from stock because it was printed wrong, or too light, or other minor imperfections. I guess she thinks I'm too old to reward with ice cream (I'm not Mattie!!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyway, last weekend as I was looking for a particular fabric I decided this year (meaning school year) was going to be Quiltsmart Project Year!! I'm a little excited! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Wednesday night I was watching reruns with my husband of our favorite show and decided to multi-task and organize some of my craft room stuff, which ended up being organizing and sorting my Quiltsmart printed interfacing ... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thursday night, I was able to finish sewing the pieces of the Princess Feather Medallion to their fabric and all except 3 pieces were flipped and ironed. Hope to finish that this weekend so I can get the medallion sewn down and be ready when the Round Robin meets in September.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Last night, I worked on the design and plan for a floral quilt, using Quiltsmart ZigZapps. I even started sewing because this quilt is one that I am very excited about. It's one that I have wanted to mimic from a quilt my mother has from a class. Since it was applique, I didn't even attempt it, but I found a way to recreate it with Quiltsmart! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, um, yeah. Now you know I am a project-hopper. I usually work on about 3 projects at a time, rotating to whatever project hits me when I walk into the room. I actually get projects done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'll keep you posted as the projects progress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Until our next cup of tea ...</span></div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-91458907619228120292014-08-05T13:36:00.000-05:002014-08-11T22:51:11.394-05:00Picking Back Up on these Patriotic Projects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
This past weekend, life finally slowed down long enough for me to pull my chair up to the sewing machine for a little stress-relieving sewing. First I did a little organizing, my craft stuff is in a pile since we added a third workspace to our office/craft room once I started working from home for the magazine ... but the craft shelf was put on hold when our little guy had one too many tantrums about picking up his toys and Daddy boxed everything up and put it in the office. It didn't affect him at all. It's been three months and he hasn't missed the toys at all. {sigh}</div>
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So for now, everything craft-related is still in boxes until we can sort through and get rid of the toys and he earns the rest back with helping us around the house, but more on that later. </div>
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While I was looking through the boxes, trying to find something to work on (trust me there were quite a few half-finished to choose from). I found a small group of triangles made from strips. So I started sewing them together.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SnC38f355pv3_hWOFYUCUOrdHLK2BiDxVvZHZXAIScfGo4pw3PefI1pA7oQX9RXhgJ1LwNi27XU26kKAdY4-ywrQ-HxoE_lZ9HDcGB-UMaFYbb1n1AFGymBYJyOnjhmjN9Cd/s1600/blogger-image-1874087155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SnC38f355pv3_hWOFYUCUOrdHLK2BiDxVvZHZXAIScfGo4pw3PefI1pA7oQX9RXhgJ1LwNi27XU26kKAdY4-ywrQ-HxoE_lZ9HDcGB-UMaFYbb1n1AFGymBYJyOnjhmjN9Cd/s1600/blogger-image-1874087155.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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The stripes were going in various directions and I ended up with three different blocks in the end. </div>
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I made two of these ...</div>
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... Six of these ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywQMp5iDOMuuAuhRqUROp5E-i7_zsnYuFHnRVABM4N4-syE1yv5cWgGLv0QgKb6AKNjWqoE_mUqaMX9xHNmu-lA4R7IzGI9lhTGI5EsUotnomgQnlrhVxVu_koeUlDVg03Mls/s1600/blogger-image--1574299954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywQMp5iDOMuuAuhRqUROp5E-i7_zsnYuFHnRVABM4N4-syE1yv5cWgGLv0QgKb6AKNjWqoE_mUqaMX9xHNmu-lA4R7IzGI9lhTGI5EsUotnomgQnlrhVxVu_koeUlDVg03Mls/s1600/blogger-image--1574299954.jpg" height="319" width="320" /></a></div>
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... And two of these ...</div>
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The way I cut them was random and not by any pattern, rather a passing thought that was apparently interesting enough for me to make a bunch of strips and sewed them together, then cut. Unfortunately, I cannot find the notes I'd made to allow me to make more, so that's why I was left with triangles in a pile. But not to waste them, I decided to sew them together and see what inspiration I would find. After staring at this random group of blocks, I think I've got an idea of what I'd like to with them now.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJz2CM0GkjKwx0-3Toq4B2t-kz1sq9GWypCaPiM-f5C8wE5jegMsNolomAKM98FT-27Sx4Fu-emF83Bt1OK1LVc6uNpernevBXm_KebvzVZVTg2A2rKvJD1S-XEHQ-aED82dlv/s1600/blogger-image--104497127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJz2CM0GkjKwx0-3Toq4B2t-kz1sq9GWypCaPiM-f5C8wE5jegMsNolomAKM98FT-27Sx4Fu-emF83Bt1OK1LVc6uNpernevBXm_KebvzVZVTg2A2rKvJD1S-XEHQ-aED82dlv/s1600/blogger-image--104497127.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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This small flag was made around the same time as the strips. I used a star from <a href="http://www.quiltsmart.com/">Quiltsmart</a>, and I think I may make some more of these for a small table topper or something ... </div>
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Well, I'll keep you posted on the progress of these projects and more ...</div>
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Until our next cup of tea ...</div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-69817341009441401092014-08-01T22:35:00.002-05:002014-08-12T08:55:21.208-05:00The Accidental Chef: "Not So Stuffed" Cabbage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Mmm ... Cabbage. O.k., so I am aware that not everyone shares my enthusiasm, but who am I to judge.</div>
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One of my favorite fast and healthy recipes is Stuffed Cabbage though my patience for a 12-step program when it comes to making dinner is not usually something I am willing to undertalke when I am in the mood for a favorite dish. So sometimes, I make a shortcut, and that is how "Not So Stuffed Cabbage" came to be.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSBcSNCST-JtgOUjfqDDt5uvezeW0Gyi-Yqqo7CK00xZJVX2vPF6zZ4-XnZlhy0PSMlttgyQrdXzx7QrNW7XUFjpuTureBCCN7JECADw-X3OFnuHvKyz5SBHMlAFvHbmKfsva/s1600/blogger-image-117962858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSBcSNCST-JtgOUjfqDDt5uvezeW0Gyi-Yqqo7CK00xZJVX2vPF6zZ4-XnZlhy0PSMlttgyQrdXzx7QrNW7XUFjpuTureBCCN7JECADw-X3OFnuHvKyz5SBHMlAFvHbmKfsva/s1600/blogger-image-117962858.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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So this is what I did ...</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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<li>1 lb. ground beef or turkey (or 12-15 meatballs)</li>
<li>1 head of cabbage</li>
<li>1 medium onion</li>
<li>1 Tbsp chopped garlic</li>
<li>1 (10 oz can) tomatoes</li>
<li>2 (15 oz cans) tomato sauce </li>
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Directions:</div>
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1. Brown ground beef/turkey. Add onion and chopped garlic and cook together, then set aside.</div>
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2. Cut cabbage into 1-inch squares and saute (or steam) until desired softness. </div>
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3. Add the meat mixture to the cabbage. The add tomatoes and tomato sauce.</div>
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*** Note: You can also add 2 cups of cooked rice, though we only eat rice occasionally.</div>
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4. Simmer for 10 minutes. Enjoy!!</div>
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<br />The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-84820303210768824292014-07-28T22:29:00.001-05:002014-08-29T21:11:40.581-05:00A Beau-TEA-ful Treat!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
So yesterday, I showed you the Round Robin tea-themed quilt that was completed over the last year by my fellow quilt team members. At the conclusion I eluded that there was another tea-related surprise that I got this weekend and here it is ...</div>
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We had quite the active weekend, playing at the park, swimming, an Astros Baseball game, and more. While out and about my husband asked if I wanted to stop at a local consignment store in our community to see if they had any cabinets or hutches because we'd been trying to find something to display my tea cup collection since we first got married, 10 years ago. </div>
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When we got there we found two beautiful cabinets and after some discussions and comparisons, we decided to go with this one ...</div>
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After the baseball game, I spent a few hours unpacking my tea cup collections and tea sets and arranging them. </div>
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Between my collection, the glass pieces and china we inherited from George's grandmother and my great-grandmother, the cabinet was filled in no time. About 2/3 of the pieces fit, so we'll have to come up with some other display methods.</div>
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Until our next cup of tea ...</div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-4235692831441442282014-07-27T18:24:00.000-05:002014-08-12T09:01:42.515-05:00Waiting with Anticipation ...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Editor's Note: I had wanted to post this yesterday, but had to wait for my mom to return from the Quilt Retreat where they revealed the Round Robin quilts to the owners. I was unable to make it and since she didn't return until nearly 10 p.m., this post is going out today instead.</span></i></div>
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This week I finished my first Quilting Round Robin. Last November my <a href="http://www.bearthreaddesigns.blogspot.com/">Mom</a> and a group of quilting friends needed another person to fill out their Round Robin, which was part of 3 other groups of 6. Since we started a meeting behind and one person short, we needed to attend our first meeting, their second meeting, with our medallion block and one border.</div>
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This was my medallion, is <em>Sweet Tea Cottage Block</em> of the <a href="http://quiltcompany.com/brnefoyohe1.html">Sweetheart Cottages</a> in the Follow Your Heart Pattern by <a href="http://quiltcompany.com/">The Quilt Company</a>. It was the first pieced quilt block like this. It was not as hard as I thought it would be and look forward to trying other patterns in the future. </div>
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Then I added a checker board style border and solid to bring out more of the green accents in the medallion. </div>
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The Shabby Chic look and soft pinks and greens are something that I have always loved though it was not the dream George had in mind for a home when we got married, so I never really decorated the home in that theme. But when I saw the Sweet Tea Cottage Block, I know it had to be the centerpoint of my quilt.</div>
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As far as my first Round Robin experience, I would have to say it was very intimidating. I am a novice quilter, at best, mostly making large repeating blocks. I have been exploring with <a href="http://www.quiltsmart.com/">Quiltsmart's</a> printed interfacing, but I have very little confidence in my own skills. It was a big hindrance because despite the support and encouragement of the other quilts in my team and the others in the group, I still felt like I would be the person to mess up these beautiful quilts for everyone else and it soon prevented me from having fun. I learned a lot from the other participants and really enjoyed the experience, but after some thought I decided to continue in the Round Robin ... but solo. That just means each meeting I will work on a quilt and add a border, it will just be one quilt - mine. That way if I ruin it, or waste fabric trying to do something new, or any of the other worries I had, it will be at a cost to me, not another quilter. In fact, it will be the one I wrote about in my <a href="http://roseprincess.blogspot.com/2014/07/quilting-with-quiltsmart.html">last post.</a></div>
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But regardless, last night was amazing. My mom arrived, as I said, pretty late. We had just come back from an Astros (MLB) baseball game and was trying to get the 4-year-old to settle down after copious amounts of junk food and sugary treats.</div>
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She arrived, ready to reveal my quilt and this is what greeted me ...</div>
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A few close ups of the various borders ...</div>
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Absolutely beautiful! I just keep opening it up and looking at it ... only to find something new to fall in love with. {sigh} <br />
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I will probably add another border or two to finish it off, and then hopefully get it quilted. But this wasn't the only tea-themed surprise this weekend. Come back later to learn what else I got to feed my obsession!<br />
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Until our next cup of tea ...<br />
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-2230341597103240222014-07-25T17:17:00.001-05:002014-08-12T09:13:12.613-05:00Quilting with Quiltsmart<div style="text-align: justify;">
So I just finished the last of the quilts from the Round Robin I participated in this past year (post on that coming tomorrow). But during that time I have been wanting to just saddle up the the sewing machine and get creative with some of the Quiltsmart interfacing I've got in my QS box in my sewing room. It sits there staring at me, begging to be inspiring but with so much on my plate lately and the commitments that I'd made didn't allow me to just be creative at the sewing machine. In fact, sometimes I was stressed trying to get to the projects on my list!</div>
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But, the Round Robin quilt that I finished on Tuesday was the final project to be complete! So excited!! Even though I am in the final frenzied weeks of the Fall Quilt Issue at TEAinTEXAS, I did spend my lunch hour "playing". </div>
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I had previously started working on a Princess Feather pattern. The first border is not necessarily a border as much as turning the medallion on point. Something that I am scared to do because of the math involved and the potiental to waste fabric getting it right. But turning it on point using the grid interfacing and 2-in squares. Previously I had cut the squares and ironed them to the interfacing hoping for time to sew them ... but then my sewing machine broke.</div>
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But my dear sweet husband surprised me with a Husquvarna Viking Opal 670 in May and now I am in heaven!! So today, I finally had the time to get some stitching done, so off I went, getting started on my waiting Quiltsmart project!</div>
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Oh, did I mention it's Christmas themed!?! I have never made a quilt with the holiday theme or colors. I have always been hesitant because it was a little intimidating to make a quilt that was Christmas-y without being childish or "country", I wasn't sure if I could make one that was elegant and holiday-insired. But I am up for the challenge!! </div>
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So let's see where this journey takes us!!</div>
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I am also in the early stages of working on a secret Quiltsmart project, something that I'd been thinking of and making notes on for about a year now. I'll post some sneak peeks of it, but am hoping that I can have the full vision complete by Christmas for a big reveal. Fingers crossed! </div>
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Until our next cup of tea ...</div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-78799386251708501122014-05-31T10:17:00.000-05:002014-08-12T09:17:25.707-05:00Batter Up! Time to Rally Around the Home Team!!<div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Well our little Monkey has just finished his first season of Little League Baseball and it was an experience for us all! He was one of only 3 4 year olds, all who barely made the cutoff age by a month or so. The other 8 kids had played both Sping and Fall of last year in Instructional T-Ball and are moving to T-Ball.</span></div>
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Oh, was fun it was to watch him play, though most of the time he was dancing, practicing to be a Ninja Turtle or Superhero or picking clovers. The three of us moms were assured that all of the others did the same thing at this age, so hopefully next year will be more actual playing.</div>
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He was great at hitting and fielding, but once he was bored, other interests took over.</div>
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He did swim for about a year (you'll see that in previous posts from 2011) and even spent six weeks in soccer (the coach spent all her time on her phone and we had a lot of "breaks" where the kids sat around.) I decided that I should probably start a scrap book for him with photos and stuff because if I wait too long, it'll just be overwhelming. So I spent a few hours pulling out scrapbook paper I'd collected, sorting through digital photos and ordering prints and gathering notes of what I wanted to do. Finally I was ready to start!! Let the fun begin!!</div>
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Here is the first page for baseball. I wanted to get all his team info on there because I'll never remember. I can't even remember kids from his preschool class last year, much less any of his teammates years from now.</div>
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Well, I'm off to get some more pages done while he is running errands with Daddy. Ah, the life of a crafty mom!!</div>
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Until our next cup of tea ...</div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-69603955185687604082014-05-26T19:30:00.000-05:002014-05-26T20:52:48.266-05:00Experiencing Our First "Palooza" Together<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This weekend George and I celebrated out 10 year anniversary and since military life often has us separated for long periods of time, we decided to spend the weekend doing a lot of activities as a family, rather than just the two of us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One of the many activities we did this weekend was attend the Comicpalooza at the George R. Brown Convention Center. It was a first for all of us, though George and I had been talking about it for years. I really love Si-Fi movies and shows, even some books such as Space Western. Though my interests are different than George's in books, we usually enjoy the same movies and shows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Comicpalooza was great, we saw so many different characters, artists, collectibles and more. I really was excited to watch Jamie experience everything at such a young age. At 4 he still believes in the reality of super heroes and other characters, and I was interested to see how he'd react to seeing some many different characters, even multiples of the same one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">He really enjoyed it, and his godparents joined us as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">He got a lot of stuff, a plush Batman, his first (Spiderman) comic book, a lightsaber, and more. When we started out for the event I knew I wanted to get him some original artwork. As a former photography artist, it has always been important for me to support other artists, specifically military and hometown (Houston), as some of my previous posts show.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When we first arrived and I saw all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle art, I thought for sure he's want nearly everything he saw because we are in the process of redoing his bedroom in TMNT. While he liked them all, it was Lego Super Heroes that caught his eye. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We stopped at a variety of booths, looking at the artwork and making a list of the ones that might make the cut, with the intent of choosing one before we left. But we stopped at one particular booth, with artist Oliver Banks, and he's complete and total focus on Jamie and answering his questions and listening to the rambling stories of a 4-year-old made me completely convinced that this was the artist where we would get something from. He even patiently laughed and waited while Jamie changed his mind, 2 or 3 times before deciding on "Lego Superman" and "Lego Batman".</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After we left the booth and walked around a little more, Jamie and his plush Batman were called over to a table by an artist, who handed him a piece of cardboard with a marker sketch of Batman and gave it to him. He said he was waiting for a kid who loved Batman to give the sketch. We were so stunned and thanking him profusely, we forgot to get the artist's name! Yep, total failure, but we are going to try to figure it out via the signature and I'll try to reach out to some of my contacts in Houston to see if they can help. Not really my area of expertise, but I've found that the Marketing Industry can leave you surprised sometimes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">All in all, it was a great adventure and Jamie even got to take a picture with Spider-Man! What a treat!!! All in all, we are so excited to be able to explore our own hometown after years of exploring where the Army sent us, and we are are already talking about next year!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well, until our next cup of tea,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Even Mommy and Daddy found something to take home ...</span></div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-5477244626357103562014-05-11T08:00:00.000-05:002014-05-26T21:05:24.136-05:00English Tea in the Heart of Cajun Country<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
This weekend was a whirlwind of activity as my little road trip buddy and I drove to Louisiana to spend a few days celebrating my niece's birthday, meeting the newest niece and nephew as well as catching up with my sisters and celebrating being moms. </div>
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One of the best activities was introducing my sisters and youngest nieces to the <a href="http://www.englishtearoom.com/">English Tea Room</a> in Covington, LA. I'd never been before, but working at <a href="http://www.teaintexas.com/">TEAinTEXAS</a> has given me the opportunity to visit many tea rooms, and I was excited to visit a new one and inviting my sisters was a bonus!</div>
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We were a little nervous because one of my sisters is in a wheelchair and some of the tearooms are not easy to get a wheelchair past tables and precarious shelves filled with teacups and glassware. The owner assured us that they would be able to accommodate us. Unfortunately, the say that we had reserved a table, it was storming severely and I was taking my sister, her wheelchair and her daughter. Luckily, when we arrived, the staff was waiting to assist us with umbrellas and someone to push my sister's chair to a private tearoom in the converted carriage house with an Alice in Wonderland theme.</div>
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The tea itself was outstanding, one of the best I've ever had. We each had the Petite Windsor High Tea which included a pot of tea of your choice, assortment of finger sandwiches and mini quiches in phyllo shells, a mini cake bite, chocolate-dipped strawberry and a freshly baked scone served with clotted cream, lemon curd and preserves. (My favorite was the mini quiches and really anything lemon!!)</div>
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Of course, each of us got a different pot of tea:</div>
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Stephanie: Chocolate Chai Tea and Mother's Bouquet</div>
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Christie: Strawberry Shortcake</div>
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Me: Vanilla Chai Tea</div>
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It was truly a great gathering, something Army life has limited with the various moves and distances it has kept us from our families. But I think it also makes moments like this more special, because they are so few. </div>
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Whether you eat in the main tearoom or host a special event, the English Tea Room will definitely be a place to make memories.</div>
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Until our next cup of tea,</div>
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<br />The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-66157284578165680902014-05-06T21:00:00.000-05:002014-05-08T13:28:49.319-05:00Adding to My Collection: From England To Galveston<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Today I spent most of my morning walking around one of Galveston's tourist areas delivering TEAinTEXAS magazines to some of the advertisers and businesses who distribute it. One of the stops was at Collector's Gallery, an antique shop with nearly something for everyone ... or at least for every one who loves old treasures.</div>
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After finding a few bookselves of books and perusing (all while willing myself not to sit on the floor and make myself comfortable), I wandered about a found the glassware and china. Of course, I was drawn to the teacups and teapots. Oh, I could've stayed there for days, but I was on a schedule and quickly fell in love with this <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">pink Willow Allerton cup and saucer.</span></div>
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I love the pictorial design that wraps all around the cup. Unlike some collectors, I'm not particular about finding rare pieces, or imperfection-free pieces, or even matching pieces, some times. I really enjoy searching for teacups (and sometimes teapots) and finding one that calls my name or catches my eye. I try to never go into an antique store looking for a particular piece, color or brand, though sometimes I will be a specific item like teacup or lone saucers (they need some extra love) or a teapot.</div>
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When researching the willow pattern, I found that it was later accompanied by a fable believed to have been created as a marketing ploy to boost sales, which of course intrigued me as a marketing professional. The story goes ...</div>
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<em><b>The Romantic Fable</b>: Once there was a wealthy Mandarin, who had a beautiful daughter (Koong-se). She had fallen in love with her father's humble accounting assistant (Chang), angering her father. (It was inappropriate for them to marry due to their difference in social class.) He dismissed the young man and built a high fence around his house to keep the lovers apart. The Mandarin was planning for his daughter to marry a powerful Duke. The Duke arrived by boat to claim his bride, bearing a box of jewels as a gift. The wedding was to take place on the day the blossom fell from the willow tree.</em></div>
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<em>On the eve of the daughter's wedding to the Duke, the young accountant, disguised as a servant, slipped into the palace unnoticed. As the lovers escaped with the jewels, the alarm was raised. They ran over a bridge, chased by the Mandarin, whip in hand. They eventually escaped on the Duke's ship to the safety of a secluded island, where they lived happily for years. But one day, the Duke learned of their refuge. Hungry for revenge, he sent soldiers, who captured the lovers and put them to death. The gods, moved by their plight, transformed the lovers into a pair of doves (possibly a later addition to the tale, since the birds do not appear on the earliest willow pattern plates).</em></div>
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After a little bit of searching, I learned that the designer Allerton's had several different stamps, varying over the years, with one of the plate being a later stamp. I couldn't find any reference to the one of the cup, but it is interesting. Many china companies replicated the Willow pattern, in the original color of blue as well as pink, green and brown. This cup is considered pink, not red. </div>
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Bonus: This is a photo of some of the books!!<br />
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Until our next cup of tea ...</div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-30183010491296619912014-04-28T14:46:00.000-05:002014-04-28T14:54:44.176-05:00Favorite Creative Time of the Year!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My favorite creative time of the year is here!! Teacher Appreciation Week is such an exciting time for me because I get to spend some creative energy making thank you gifts for my son's teachers. This is the start of his third year in school and I've had fun making presents in the past. This year I have to be careful, because he has a teacher that he had the first year. This week I will post instructions for simple, budget-friendly projects, but here are some I've done in the past.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This was a pretty cost friendly project. I was able to get clipboards at the Dollar Tree and the 12x12 inch scrapbook paper was about $0.60 each (2 needed for each board.) The most expensive thing was Mod Podge Glue, which is $5-$10 a bottle. I had some from a previous project, as well as sponge brushes. The time on this project was a little longer than the other projects, because I had to let each layer of Mod Podge dry before applying the next. I think I applied 3 or 4 layers, since the teachers would be using them in the classroom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This was a fun one. I just filled a little basket with Hershey's Kisses & Hugs candy and A&W Rootbeer with the note, "AW-some teachers deserve HUGS & KISSES". They loved it!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This project was fun and easy and my then-3-year-old was able to help. We got the drink bottles at Dollar Tree (honestly, most of my thrift finds come from there as it is the closest to where we live). I also picked up berry-flavored drink mixes. My little guy was very excited to be able to help by filling the bottles with the drink mixes. Then we added a note that said "You are "berry" special to me!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lastly, one of my favorite gifts whith everything coming from the Dollar Tree, is this flower pot filled with pencils which we glued flowers to and added flower seed packets and decorative butterflies and dragonflies. It had a note that said "Thank you for helping me to bloom!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I hope you'll take the time to thank the teachers in your life, whether its with a creative gift like this or just a note.</span><br />
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-22464775371287150712014-04-27T20:58:00.005-05:002014-04-28T14:55:03.455-05:00Their Trash, My Treasures<div>
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I have recently discovered a show called "<a href="http://www.hgtv.com/i-brake-for-yard-sales/show/index.html">I Brake for Yard Sales</a>" and I must say, though I am inspired to buy secondhand pieces and remake them into new pieces, I don't have the time or space at this point. Work space and display space are limited, and juggling a husband in law school, a preschooler with extra curricular sports and a full time job is probably enough without looking for more to do. Now, if Lara Spencer wanted to come to my home and reorganize our home's layouts and find us room for more then I say "Come on, I'll put on a pot of tea."</div>
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I will admit that lack of room and time has not deterred me from stopping at yard, garage or estate sales or even Thrift Stores and flea markets looking for smaller treasures, like teacups. In fact, the past week I have had quite a bit of luck.</div>
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Early last week, I stop at the Family Thrift Store near my son's looking for a teacup or cute pot because I wanted to make a fairy garden for my niece's Disney's Fairies themed party next month. I did find a few teacups, but this matching trio won't work for a garden for a 4-year-old. What do you think of these pink and grey beauties? They were $2 each set.I also got this cute little glass dish that will look cute with a candle or something for $1.</div>
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Later in the week, maybe Thursday, I went to the local Goodwill on the other side of town, but didn't find any teacups that would work. There were a few cup and saucer sets with an Asian feel to them, but they were a little out of my weekly allownace range. It did remind me of the beautiful sets I saw in Korea when I went to visit my husband while he was stationed there in 2012. </div>
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This morning after hitting the gym while my husband and son hit the pool, we went to lunch a lamented all the things we should be doing, like cleaning the house, finishing the garden projects we started yesterday or in my husband's case, studying for the fast approaching finals. We took a short cut through the neighborhood, something we always do when coming from the west side of town and passed a yard sale that looked like it was in its last few minutes as the weather started to turn. As we passed I said, "Oh, they have teacups!' and my dear, sweet husband didn't take but a minute to assure me we could turn around and look. We only had a few dollars on us, but it was enough. I got this matching set of gold teacups and saucers for $1 for both (woohoo!) and the pink glass sugar and creamer set for $1 each. He even threw in a book for my little guy. </div>
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It was a great week for secondhand surprises. Its like a treasure hunt. You never know what you will find!!</div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-87670012015765602622014-04-22T13:36:00.000-05:002014-04-28T14:55:33.888-05:00Texas Tearoom Adventures<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I have to say, one of the best parts of working at TEAinTEXAS is I get to explore so many fun places. A favorite of course are all the tearooms and cafes. Such a great treat when I can schedule a work lunch at one of these fun places.</div>
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<br />The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-80453520110113937202014-04-21T20:06:00.001-05:002014-04-28T14:55:50.964-05:00A Little Easter Inspired Creativity? Or Just Tea Inspired?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ah, a quiet Easter morning is heavenly. We woke to a little Monkey crawling into our bed at 5 a.m and convinced him to go back to sleep until nearly 7 a.m. The after we got up and shuffled to the livingroom to start our day with a little bit of Batman (the 4-year-old was in charge of the TV), I snuck out the back to play "Easter Bunny" and hide the dinosaur eggs and layout the Easter basket. Fun ensured as we searched the yard for the treats left for Monkey by the Bunny.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I made blueberry muffins for breakfast while Daddy and Monkey played with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toys found in the basket, then off to a few hours of creative fun while the boys played and watched movies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'd purchased some boards earlier this week to cover with fabric. I wanted to use two of the antique end tables that we have from George's grandmother's collection and placing the under the covered boards. It turned out to be a quick and easy project.</span> </div>
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Then I rummaged around the house, finding things to help me organize the space and decorate it. That was fun. A decorative mirror, candleholder, frames, etc. I even "borrowed" a white from from the kitchen and framed this paper teacup my publisher had given me. </div>
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It was such a quick and fun project. Eventually I'll add some shelves about the desk and maybe a bookshelf off to the side. I'm kind of excited, because until now the office has been filled with my husband's guidons, awards and such with a corner for my craft stuff. Now I am fully embracing my half of the room, so I am excited to see how it turns out with a "two-faced" his and hers office. I'll post pics when I get it all organized and complete.</div>
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Until our next cup of tea ...</div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-31096737348841106482014-04-19T22:28:00.001-05:002014-04-28T14:56:06.662-05:00A Bed & Breakfast of a Southern Girl's Dreams<div>
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I'm pretty proud of the fact that I grew up in Louisiana's Plantation Country, in the shadow of some of the most beautiful antebellum houses on the Gulf Coast. From Oak Alley Plantation to The San Francisco Plantation House to Houma House, as a little girl, I didn’t dream of my wedding, I dreamed of a home like these.</div>
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My dreams of modeling a future home after these historical treasures didn't fade as I grew in adulthood, but I did realize that a home of that size might not be realistic, so I settled on mimicking it in a smaller format. Unfortunately I fell in love with Prince Charming who loves Mediterranean style homes, but we’re working on his one flaw …</div>
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Thursday while working on final projects for the TEAinTEXAS Summer Issue the publisher and I made a day trip to Galveston, Texas. One of our stops was the impressive Lasker Inn, and its beauty surpassed everything you see in photos. As I walked through the house, I contained my excitement in what I hope was a professional manner, but inside I was as giddy as a girl with a backstage pass to New Kids on the Block … or um, One Direction. (And now I’ve aged myself.)</div>
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The Lasker Inn is so beautiful with its tall ceilings, regal furniture and striking room colors. It took a lot for me to not take off my shoes, sit on the floor and just slowly and methodically take in all its grandeur. I can see why this is such a popular spot for weddings and events. It is amazing.</div>
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The only thing that is more amazing is the staff’s friendliness. I was already planning my next visit before I even left. </div>
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The Lasker Inn’s history is as unique as the city it calls home. This grand Colonial Victorian home was built in 1970 and later became a Home for Homeless Children after the Great 1900 Flood. Later it was home to Heritage Christian Academy and then an event venue before Linda and Richard Denson took up the challenge to restore the home’s warmth and welcome visitors to stay in Galveston at the renovated Bed & Breakfast. Now Lasker Inn serves as a celebration station for couples pledging their love and life to each other. If you are even in Galveston, I recommend that you check out this beautiful piece of Texas history. </div>
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It was absolutely the best way for me to start off Easter vacation 2014!<br />
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Until our next cup of tea ...<br />
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-19072761467035266132014-04-18T11:36:00.000-05:002014-04-28T14:56:23.641-05:00New Adventures in Our Own Backyard<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, been a while since I've posted any blog, on here or any of my blogs such as the Traveling Teacups: A Creative Community for Military Families. The past year has been one of extreme change for me and I admit, somedays I have trouble keeping up. With George in law school and the Army Reserves, and Jamie actively involved in extracurricular activites as well as a educational program at school, I have my hands full and my schedule is feeling it as well. </div>
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Last summer I also left my job at the law firm to help my parents move their company back to Texas. It was short notice so instead of having to find staffing on top of the phyical moving aspect, so I jumped in. It was not as fun as Duck Dynasty protrays a family business to be, but we survived the transistion.</div>
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In February I was offered a full time position as the South Texas Regional Account Executive for TEAinTEXAS, a cultural travel publication highlighting unique travel to promote that relaxing "tea state of mind". I've worked with the magazine on the annual Quilting (Fall) Issue the past two years, but to now have a full time postion at a dream job is exciting. The great part is that I am able to start writing again and for that I am excited!! </div>
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I definitely get to explore some amazing things in my own backyard and will share these adventures with you, because really Texas is too amazing to keep to yourself!!</div>
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So hopefully I can get back into a schedule that allows me to blog more often because I love writing. So this blog may take on a new feel, but its not different than military life, change in inevidable ...</div>
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Until our next cup of tea ...<br />
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-85303141783868063932013-03-03T14:56:00.001-06:002013-03-03T14:56:27.019-06:00Conversations with a toddler: I'm cross!I told Jamie he couldn't climb on the metal lounge chair in the backyard because it didn't have a cushion and he'd get hurt. He climbed, he fell, he got hurt. He got up and yelled ...<br />
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"I cross! ... Mommy! ... I cross! I talking to YOU, Mommy!!"<br />
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What a Lindsey! Stubborn as the day is long and then mad as hell!! The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-69467124160597797602013-02-03T09:29:00.000-06:002013-02-03T09:29:56.209-06:00A view from the sidelines ...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSjQCMBhvuFH2iW3kkr5fcKBkUci9kBEmVvERCGMRlEkWw-1WU-cfB4E0sOKvEsA-9E9ayJS1OU3R-3whVQijh4v9n3X9bCMbfBaVuBs8nuY4PPZaxyFItMywKplzj0kurne0/s1600/January+Surgery+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSjQCMBhvuFH2iW3kkr5fcKBkUci9kBEmVvERCGMRlEkWw-1WU-cfB4E0sOKvEsA-9E9ayJS1OU3R-3whVQijh4v9n3X9bCMbfBaVuBs8nuY4PPZaxyFItMywKplzj0kurne0/s200/January+Surgery+2.jpg" width="200" /></a>Yesterday was a long day. I was at Texas Children's Hospital with my sister and her family, as well as other family and friends in support of my 7-month-old nephew, Alex's open heart surgery. (Follow his journey on his blog, <a href="http://www.forloveofalex.blogspot.com/">For Love of Alex</a>.) According to my parking ticket, I was there for about 11 hours. Looking back, it was a very eye opening experience.<br />
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There were so many families that I saw, as we walked the halls and in the Ronald McDonald House sponsored waiting area at the Heart Center. There were amilies who had just arrived and others who had been there for months, all hoping to create a better future for their child.<br />
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As we walked the halls, I saw a 4-year-old boy pushing his own IV monitor wearing a superhero cape, there was a tired parents sleeping on chairs or grandparents leading their family in prayer. As I went to see Alex before leaving, I passed a father crying unashamed over the bed of his sleeping toddler daughter. <br />
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It hurt my heart to see so many children, each someone's baby, hurting. It is amazing that we have facilities such as <a href="http://www.texaschildrens.org/">Texas Children's Hospital</a>, but its sad that we have enough need to keep them operating. The care and attention we had from the staff and volunteers yesterday and since Alex has been there has been nothing short of genuine. The care and concern, the patience with which staff answers questions and the ready smiles offered by volunteers are touches that make the reason Alex is at Texas Children's more bearable. <br />
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I had time to do some research while waiting for news on Alex's surgery. Texas Children's Hostial serves families whose childrem have a wide variety of with specialists in cardiovascular disease, pediatric research, birth defects, learning disabilities, mental retardation, developmental problems, social services and leukemia and other blood disorders. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zgqpAMrXkhJcMWQn6j370TBO4L2lVWnF0C8qIVoFBctVzUTB_UeH-7wbLdd0ITR12Idurc_R7QismNPp76-tjawrZgqlwSv4Ca-bYCAt-hjalb6mhFEyZTqxZno3veVWpxJx/s1600/January+Surgery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zgqpAMrXkhJcMWQn6j370TBO4L2lVWnF0C8qIVoFBctVzUTB_UeH-7wbLdd0ITR12Idurc_R7QismNPp76-tjawrZgqlwSv4Ca-bYCAt-hjalb6mhFEyZTqxZno3veVWpxJx/s200/January+Surgery.jpg" width="200" /></a>It opened my eyes to the scope of work these specialists see on a daily basis. It opened my eyes to the challenges that these families face. It was hard to walk through the halls and not be amazed by the quick smiles of children in hospital gowns and the laughter of families in elevators. But most inspitational was the parents, burdened with the medical issues of theor own child, who made a point to stop and offer my sister words of encouragement and stories of hope, like the mom whose daughter recieved a heart transplant 10 years ago. "Everything <em>will</em> be o.k.," she said. "I can tell you that. We are proof of that." One day, we will be able to share those words of encouragement with others ... that is the hope I hold on too. Paying it forward, because "<em>Miracles Happen</em>!"The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-28371606144146906882013-01-21T12:57:00.002-06:002013-01-21T12:57:44.688-06:00Whirlwind of ActivityOh, my goodness! I just realized that I have not posted since "last year"! Whre has the time gone!?!<br />
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Well, things are progressive and rapidly changing. My goal for this year is to post more "from the heart" blog posts, like I did before life got crazy and a baby entered the picture. I feel like I've neglected this blog and its readers and I want to remedy that.<br />
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We have gone through a lot of changes in the past few months. As you may know, my husband was stationed overseas for a year and the baby, pup and I moved back home. Well, in the past year the baby moved full-force into the toddler years, we had a sudden and heart-wrenching goodbye with our beloved bulldog and the hubby was accepted into law school ... and that's just an overview. Let's take it one step at a time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0aYey9wUONxKNBfGHtLFwMCN3JX12vYrLcJeLZTcrp2crY3QOt5CEa7GxeZuUlgqFOPFZeOrfUfQgoLrr8Ci4Qam3y3fTov9b800kFNx1vjwFy7Sfi6AWhRkYjx7cAaTra5g/s1600/blogger-image-639906341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0aYey9wUONxKNBfGHtLFwMCN3JX12vYrLcJeLZTcrp2crY3QOt5CEa7GxeZuUlgqFOPFZeOrfUfQgoLrr8Ci4Qam3y3fTov9b800kFNx1vjwFy7Sfi6AWhRkYjx7cAaTra5g/s1600/blogger-image-639906341.jpg" /></a>At the start of the year when the hubby and I were talking about all the changes we'll see in 2013, I realized that our baby is no longer a baby. In fact, for those of you who have been with us since he was born or before, he will be 3 next month!! Oh, my heart hurt! <br />
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We've had a lot of ups and downs, including seperation anxiety when my husband was away, starting school ... and being promoted twice in 6 months, rode a horse for the first time ... followed by nearly every other weekend since then. He has gone from knowing maybe 20 words to speaking his own mind using an unknown number of words ... some of his own creation. He brushes his own teeth and can sort of dress himself ... but potty-training eludes us. He event moved from a crib, to a toddler bed, to a full-size bed in the last year. Whew! He's growing to fast!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyVI9wdJsGnKxR2HJTpjnt7c37zdHqC7NBnRDHbbY7jyxRaM1RopscRG3_U3__LfDEiAbDOtpaBUvyd9grRv0lwVTWZsianpQOUVnZPO638JsRj7NzkQ2Gt9oXCG9Lh2jKEY4/s1600/blogger-image-263011352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyVI9wdJsGnKxR2HJTpjnt7c37zdHqC7NBnRDHbbY7jyxRaM1RopscRG3_U3__LfDEiAbDOtpaBUvyd9grRv0lwVTWZsianpQOUVnZPO638JsRj7NzkQ2Gt9oXCG9Lh2jKEY4/s1600/blogger-image-263011352.jpg" /></a>Sgt. Major, our bulldog, was our first baby. He enjoyed the move the most I think because he was back in "Grandpa George's house". In fact, he walked around the house like he was looking for him those first few weeks. But soon he settled in and came to enjoys some of the changes we'd made in the house ... he absolutely loved the new 10-foot fence in the back yard.<br />
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On Halloween night, I came home to find he couldn't walk. The next day we took him to the vet and then a specialist, but long story short, he had silently been suffering with a large tumor gorwing in his stomach and his lungs we spotted with what the special thought were cancerous nodes. He started bleeding internally and we had to make the decision to say goodbye ... 6-weeks before Daddy came home. It was a hard day and we choose to remember the wonderful moments that we had these past 8 years with him.<br />
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My husband has returned to college. Yup, I'm hanging with the college crowd again! Not really. This is his second week of law school and it definately not a cake walk. I know this is going to be a l-o-n-g road. We have had many discussions about how he'll spend long hours studying, and much like a deployment, I'll be holding down the fort for the most part. The hard part is going to be making sure that Jamie still gets Daddy-time and doesn't feel too lonely on the days George has long nights. We are ready to face the challenge with the same determination we've faced 8 years of military life and deployments.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_smAVHl2wHSfrx1oypE-gosuaFTmoCtDk-P6sbndprcd9VUitntDaQ2_w-GK5RB1me4VhJwd1ihe59V-8NiGv0Ao4yuuMaACg6VyH0o7vUkbJdkAIbYY7pM9z_3NP43uufGS/s1600/IMG_2176%255B1%255D" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_smAVHl2wHSfrx1oypE-gosuaFTmoCtDk-P6sbndprcd9VUitntDaQ2_w-GK5RB1me4VhJwd1ihe59V-8NiGv0Ao4yuuMaACg6VyH0o7vUkbJdkAIbYY7pM9z_3NP43uufGS/s200/IMG_2176%255B1%255D" width="200" /></a>I have been juggling a lot lately. I still work at the law firm, but was looking for something to supplement since the paychecks aren't as consistant as we'd hoped. but have taken a second (part-time) job as the newest Executive Account Manager for Quilts and Crafts for the <a href="http://teaintexas.com/"><em>Tea in Texas</em> Magazine</a>. Basically I'm an Ad Executive. I love it because I get to work with both tea stuff and crafts! Yeah! My first article and ad were in the current edition, January/February. Love it!! (Look for the Bear Thread Designs <a href="http://teaintexas.com/2013/01/5329/">Artist profile</a>. <br />
I have also been spending any free time I can at Texas Children's Hospital with my sister and nephew <a href="http://www.forloveofalex.blogspot.com/">Alex</a> who has a rare condition. He is scheduled for open heart surgery next week so we are helping to keep my sister from losing her sanity while she waits.<br />
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All in all, its been quite active around here. I'll post more on our adventures soon. Until our next cup of tea ...<br />
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<br />The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-76370837792288305932012-12-28T09:15:00.002-06:002012-12-28T09:15:54.125-06:00Homecoming and Holiday UpdateMorning all! I'm sitting here drinking my cup of coffee and making a list of al the things I need to do today when I realize, that I haven't post any photos fromGeorge's homecoming or Disney. To be honest its been a whirlwind 2 weeks. I still can't believe he's been home 14 days ... so much has happened.<br />
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Daddy came home and after 2 days at work for me catching up on end of the year stuff, we headed to Disney World for a week long vacation and family time. We came home to the customary whirlwind Christmas celebrations (which continue this weekend). I got a call from my step-sister who lives about an hour away that Baby Alex (my 6-month-old nephew) was having breathing complications and was being airlifted to Houston's Texas Children's. Now to be honest, this is a scary situation, but one that has been reoccuring in his little lifetime.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Pc03hZBuve1PVlCsHaslX7zIv6nPe8cy5q7_6qX3YXIJ3NkHPRjf4fa66f64DXrQAULV0Xup5N7WfkYTKI345tcwxX0z5H7-OJ7mK5btcYpV2fRAnMXgi66aD619z_Ur7RpH/s1600/Alex2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Pc03hZBuve1PVlCsHaslX7zIv6nPe8cy5q7_6qX3YXIJ3NkHPRjf4fa66f64DXrQAULV0Xup5N7WfkYTKI345tcwxX0z5H7-OJ7mK5btcYpV2fRAnMXgi66aD619z_Ur7RpH/s1600/Alex2.png" /></a>The day after Christmas I went to visit and realizing how difficult it was for her to update the numerous family members every time she got an update, I asked if she'd like to start a blog to keep family and friends updated now and once he returned home would allow those of us not near (I only see him when he is at the hospitals here in Houston) to watch his amazing journey. She agreed and thus, <a href="http://forloveofalex.blogspot.com/">For the Love of Alex</a> was born. <br />
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This adorable little boy was born with a variety of challenges, but that hasn't stopped him from being our litte superhero. He was eventually diagnosed with Chromosome 14q deletion syndrome, two holes in
his heart (ASD and VSD), lung and kidney issues, and pituitary gland function
issues. But that hasn't stopped this little guy from charming the ladies and
amazing the gents!<br />
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I will post some pics of the homecoming, Disney trip and Christmas soon.<br />
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-80274187365229668882012-12-19T14:12:00.001-06:002012-12-19T14:13:13.331-06:00Making memories to last a lifetime ...Hello! It feels like it has been forever since I last posted, but in case you didn't know, its because hubby made it home!! We decided a while ago to celebrate with a trip to Disney World before our new adventures begin. Here is a peek at our week so far ...<br />
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<em>Someone was a little excited when we got here and decided to dance with no pants as a way of celebrating! What a silly Monkey we have!</em></div>
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<em>We rode on a boat the first night as we headed to Magic Kingdom for the Mickey's Christmas Parade! So much fun!</em></div>
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<em>Our first night here we joined other campers at Chip & Dale's Campfire and made s'mores ... Jamie liked burning marshmellows, but Daddy had to eat the s'mores!</em> </div>
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<em>At Magic Kingdom we saw so many shows ... two of them were at Cinderella's castle. Jamie was so excited!!</em></div>
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<em>Part of our adventures we shared with Mickey and Goofy. They tagged along for most of our activites so far and I love to listen to Jamie talk to them about what we were doing. At on point, he dropped Mickey and kept day, "Sorry, Mickey. Sorry!"</em> </div>
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All in all this has been a great chance for us to spend time together as a family. As we face a new year, and the start of new chapter in our family's story, we wanted to embrace the time we have while Jamie is still young. Our biggest goal is to not miss out on these early years while we look to the future. These are memories we will share for years to come ...</div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-10114724808967362672012-12-06T14:30:00.000-06:002012-12-07T15:47:20.217-06:00Christmas Ornament Fun For All AgesSo here is my weekly post of our Mickey-themed ornaments for our Christmas tree. I must first say that I am extremely happy (and shocked) that I have managed to get a post done each Thursday since Thanksgiving! (And now I've jinxed myself!) The next two Thursdays will be the biggest challenge though, so I am already working on those.<br />
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This week's theme was easy-peasy! With a toddler in the house, I wanted to do some ornaments that the lil Monkey could help me, but like most 2-year-olds, he wasn't too interested in my craft project since I wanted his interested ... (now the previous ones he was all into my work-space trying to help ... you know the projects where you use a hot glue gun and other non-toddler-friendly tools!)<br />
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Oh, well. I've said before, we are not a Hallmark Channel type family. So while he ran around playing with trains and watching "Mickey Mouse Christmas", I made these quick and easy ornaments.<br />
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This first one was the easist of all. When we were stationed in Florida, we went to Disney World about every 6 to 8-weeks. When you go to Disney, if you visit certain shops or customer service areas, they give you these free celebratory pins (all at the ticket counter). So I just put some ornament hooks on them and added them to the tree! We have for 1st visit, anniversary, and I'm celebrating. I think 1 birthday one as well, not sure. Monkey really likes to look at these as they hang there.<br />
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These snowflakes were actually one that Monkey helped with ... for a minute. I got a set of 12 felt snowflake coasters at the Dolloar Tree becasue they looked like something I could make an ornament with, even though I didn't have a plan yet. Later I discovred a set of Mickey Mouse and friends bottle caps for scrapbooking and though they weould be really cute in the center. Monkey helped wiht one, then ran off to play with his train set. He was very excited to help hang them on the tree later, though.<br />
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The last set of ornaments were perhaps my favorite of the group. I made some Mickey Mouse inspired sets of rings (black for Mickey, red for pants, yellow for shoes) and wrote some of our favorite memories from our trips to Disney on them! really fun!</div>
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Now I am looking at what projects I have for next week, and hoping that they will be as fun as these. Now that we have the tree up, it is fun tp put them on as I finish them! Since my parents took Monkey so I could get some things done before Daddy's return next week, I also had time to make 15 more of the Mickey ornaments from the <a href="http://roseprincess.blogspot.com/2012/11/and-christmas-theme-this-year-is.html">first Mickey ornament</a> post. I used a different sized ornament and the tree is starting to look quite festive!</div>
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Hopefully, I get next week's project done and post, because it is looking like a fun one!</div>
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Until our next cup of tea ...</div>
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The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15363925.post-63162917851090753862012-12-05T14:00:00.001-06:002012-12-05T14:00:52.487-06:00So excited!!!We are now about a week away from George's return. I am so excited!! A friend sent me this pic and fits us perfectly!! <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4J-HPA_3uHndAXrcA3vGg60VlpyxJl2IbIuIuQj7tFY4fAbYwjWVWW-kw7mmPYPiHDFZctgZGPAuET1IXXpqELmg1HmMOLt97YlQRKtDsYPKk9lTXbLXh1l9_l8iju5lKJKL/s640/blogger-image--1397816165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4J-HPA_3uHndAXrcA3vGg60VlpyxJl2IbIuIuQj7tFY4fAbYwjWVWW-kw7mmPYPiHDFZctgZGPAuET1IXXpqELmg1HmMOLt97YlQRKtDsYPKk9lTXbLXh1l9_l8iju5lKJKL/s640/blogger-image--1397816165.jpg" /></a></div>The Teacup Cottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935858087076185741noreply@blogger.com0