A New Year

Today, January 1, 2018 marks the beginning of a new year.  So much is written about new beginnings and goals for an upcoming new year.  I prefer to think of a new year as another layer of adding to our ongoing journey and life experience.  Each year's daily happenings and life events adds up to the totality of our life. At times there are things in my life I think about and perhaps would do a 'do-over' if given the chance but we are not.  Each moment is a chance of a new beginning and adds to what makes each of our lives unique.

Time is a gift.  Time with the one's we love, time doing the things we enjoy, time taking in nature, time working and being productive for our families and loved ones. Time is a gift we all have.

I hope to take my gift of time in the upcoming days and months to continue to add to my life layers and experience.  To enjoy my loved ones a little bit more.  To take the time to talk with friends and loved ones. To take chances for new love and remember all the things that make me unique and allow me to say Happy New Year to my loved ones and friends.  I bid 2017 adieu and look forward with hope to 2018.
Happy New Year!
~Tanya

Teacup Exchange 2017

Teacup Exchange 2017

It has been two years since I participated in The Enchanting Rose Teacup Exchange and looked forward with anticipation.  Since reading the announcement for the exchange I looked forward to receiving the email with the name of the person I would send a gift to. What fun I had preparing her package. Things would seem to fall into perfect place as I selected items to include for my exchange recipient.  The day I finished wrapping and taping the box to send to my new friend a knock came at the door and my package was delivered from Deborah at The Beautiful Matters  

Each day is a gift.

Open it

Celebrate.

Enjoy

Such fun! Pretty packages wrapped with pink ribbon.

Beautifully color coordinated in my favorites... aqua and pink.  

Wonderful Twinings, Lady Grey Tea to to enjoy!

To my delight this pretty teacup coordinates perfectly with a teacup I purchased for myself my last birthday! Beautiful roses and so feminine!

Treats!

Perfect!  The new teacup in the front coordinates with the one I purchased last year!  Such a perfect pairing and will be perfect as a tea-for-two with a friend.

The swirls and pink are well... just perfect.

A lovely journal to write about dreams, desires and hopes. 

Thank you Deborah for making this teacup exchange so much fun for me - the beautiful box and for the  perfect teacup for me! 

When I received my exchange partners name I was ecstatic to put a box together for her! After reading My Sew What blog and reading about the things Linda enjoys I was even more excited!  We share a love of sewing and also life long involvement with figure skating.  I immediately knew I would put together a theme package for her.  I decided on 'Snowflakes and Skates'.  

It was such fun finding snowflake, snowballs, ice skates and winter white!

The day I was shopping in the fabric store I was a little disappointed because I couldn't find the PERFECT snowflake fabric to include.  Just as I was going around the corner  and ready to leave the store this fabric caught my eye! I think I let out a little 'OHHHHhhhh that's it!' when I saw this fabric! I admit, I splurged and bought extra because cute skating fabric is hard to find. 

Such fun !

The perfect Snowflake teacup!

I even found SNOWFLAKE tea! Who knew?! It's sweet and a wonderful treat tea.

Snowflakes!

I had the most fun putting together this box than I've had in a long while.  It brought my heart full circle to things I have loved for many years but have not found time to do in my life-- to giving me hope for enjoying them again.  A lesson in life learned while enjoying participating in the Teacup Exchange. Thank you dear Stephanie for organizing this and bringing unknown blessings to so many.

It truly is 'more blessed to give, than to receive.'  

~Tanya

Hearts Forever

I had a reflective weekend.  Found a few beautiful things to enjoy to comfort my soul. Even if I couldn't concentrate I enjoyed the pretty covers.

A delicious new treat! I love apricots and these were easy, delicious and yes- I'll buy this mix again.

A cuppa 'Positive Energy' Sweet Tangerine... delicious!

Pretty heals the heart and soul.

How perfect this message on the tea bag! 

All of us are unique, special and important.

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."   Flavia Weedn

~Tanya

Paris Pink Holiday

Mixing a touch of whimsy with Paris made my heart happy Christmas 2016.  

Vintage doilies, pink roses, Eiffel Tower, angels...

Pastel colored candy canes, and pink roses... my goodness!

Vintage table coverings and vintage Christmas card by 'Mary'.  Angels singing...

Birthday roses...

Paris tea!  Finding time to do the things I love best- one of my goals for 2017.  Sharing beautiful things on my blog is one of those things.  Happy 2017!!!

~Tanya

Happy Christmas Eve

 Christmas Eve...
Resting and snuggled in their beds.

Visions of sugar plum fairies danced in their heads.

 May you be happy, safe and snuggled in your home dreaming of a beautiful Christmas Day, 2016.

~Tanya

Thankful...

Thankful for blessings 2016.  Birthday and Thanksgiving weekend all in one.  We were blessed to celebrate another birthday for my mom.  I count each year with her as a gift.  She's a real trooper, kind-hearted, giving, patient and continues to be an example to me every day.

I've missed blogging and look forward to coming back to it! I also have missed my blog friends and being inspired by their blogs and creativity.  I'm thankful for much in my life. 

~Tanya

Far too long

It has been far too long since I've posted.  Gentle nudges put me back on my blog.

Life can be busy, hectic and full of 'have to's' so this post is simply about another 'have to'.

I have to....

take time to look at fluttery rose petals

Absolute perfection.  Nature does it like that.

Layers of incredible petals.  

Fully open on fluttery petals- light pink edges.  No, not really a 'have to' but more of a have to.  Have to take time to enjoy the things I love.  Have to take photos and publish them so I can share them with others.  Have to enjoy each and every moment- even when there are moments we may think we don't want to enjoy. Have to breathe in the beauty I am blessed to see each day as I walk past these incredible gifts of nature.  Have to wish you a wonderful day... whenever you read this, wherever you are.  There is beauty all around.

~Tanya

Vintage Farmhouse gift-Teacup Exchange 2015

A vintage farmhouse gift...

What a delightful box waited for me on my front porch.  While participating in The Enchanting Rose's Teacup Exchange 2015 I was gifted with a beautiful one-of -a kind teacup.  Jo from Anne's Attic-design sent me this lovely teacup. It was handmade and came from an old farmhouse that is over 200 years old.  The tea cup isn't that old but the lady she purchased it from had hand crafted it when she was in her 30's and she is 91 now!  I absolutely love stories like this! I'm a sentimentalist and to know that this treasure has found its way into my home-- it's most welcome here.

Jo included Bits and Bobs... so fun!

 The teacup will be wonderful this holiday season... I am looking forward to enjoying a cup of Christmas tea with it.

The unique shape of the petals on the saucer... ruffly, unique and lightly shaded with green.

 Truly a unique and charming piece.  I'm so happy it found its way to me.  Thank you Jo for your lovely gift and new friendship.  Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose... thank you for hosting such a fun and sweet event. I had a sweet time putting together my exchange for Janet of Rosemary and Thyme- she did a beautiful blog post and I'm so grateful to have been introduced to two new friends.

~Tanya

Lavender's Blue

Lavender's Blue... dilly, dilly

Freshly cut this morning from my garden.  Wonderful to be the end of September and still have my roses blooming and lavender!

I could walk in fields of lavender! So pretty. 

'When I am king, dilly dilly, you will be queen.'  A pretty little nursery song... my mom used to sing to me when I was a child. Such sweet memories.

Dilly, dilly! 

~Tanya

Sharing with:
The Enchanting Rose Roses of Inspiration #38

Romantic Pink Hollyhocks

After a light spray of fresh water this morning my pink hollyhocks seemed to flutter in the breeze.  These blooms are from seeds a coworker gave me many years ago and were a surprise this year in my garden.

My former coworker loved to garden and would put thoughtful small gifts together for her friends.  She gifted me with a small seed packet from her flowers.  Many years later I planted these seeds and this is the gift I received again from her.

My coworker friend and I lost track of one another many years ago as I moved away out of state but I often remember our shared office times together.  She had a love of gardening and flowers and was always so willing to share the fruits of her labor.

Late last year I decided to see if I could find her again after 20 years but was saddened to find her obituary in a Google search.  This spring I planted the seeds she so lovingly placed in an envelope and gave to me over 20 years ago.  They have bloomed and fit right in with my double pink roses.  My heart is happy to know her gift of seeds is blooming and right at home in my flower garden.  I hope she sees my flowers and smiles because they made my heart sing this morning. 

Plant your gifts of love and generosity today... for you never know where or when they will make the world a beautiful place or touch those you love.

~Tanya