Thursday, February 04, 2016

Five on Friday



It's been a wild week. A new semester, new classes, new students, writing report cards, and a conference to attend. Whew. 
In the midst of the wildness, I come home, collapse in front of the fire with a cup of tea, and focus on simple things that bring me calmness.



These pale pink tulips are one of them. Tight closed buds have opened. Their stems stretched quickly and I've had to trim them down already. 
The silver jug, found in a vintage shop, is another beautiful thing I enjoy, along with the lacy doily on the tray - crocheted by my friend who is also my daughter's mother-in-law. 



The red dishes of December and January have been replaced by pretty china plates and teacups. I like this topsy turvy stack. Each pattern holds meaning - the top one is the pattern I chose when I was 15 and given by my mother, the second is from my mother-in-law, the third part of my wedding china, and the fourth a cup I purchased in memory of a dear aunt.


Rain poured down this week. In those odd moments when the sun pours into the house, I admire the shadows and play of light. Here on the plate wall, the blinds cast long lines.



I arrived home on Tuesday afternoon utterly spent. I grabbed the mail on my way in and noticed a large manila envelope. Inside was this magazine, tied with a bit of white trim. A gift from Brenda, who knows, as well as I do, the value of having beautiful projects to inspire one, even though the projects themselves may not come into being. I so enjoyed turning the pages and admiring the lovely projects. That was a very sunny moment in this week. 

Linking with Amy's Five on Friday.  

37 comments:

  1. Love those topsy turvy cups...my wedding china is Royal Albert Lavender Rose!
    We were wed in 1974 and it was a popular pattern, they used to sell it at Woodward's where most of ours was purchased by aunts, mothers, and the grand mothers.
    Hope you have a lovely weekend and can carve some time out to put your feet up.

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  2. Tulips are one of my favourite flowers, I love how they begin so elegant and then later become all casual looking. They too bring me peace and joy. but oh my your crockery topsy turvy stack is gorgeous and how utterly wonderful they all have special meaning and memories. Love it x

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  3. Everything looks much better with a ribbon tied round it doesn't it. Such delicate tulips. Have a good week :-)

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  4. Love the stack of China tea cups and the memories attached to them. Tulips always have such whimsical wandering ways once arranged in one's own home.

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  5. Beautiful floral tea cups with memories. It's cosy by your fire place!

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  6. Beautiful stack of cups/saucers I collect the Royal Albert Country Roses and love it. Love the magazine tied up with a ribbon so thoughtful of your friend.

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  7. Aw, Lorrie, you will get through it!! These sorts of things definitely help...we women have to feed our senses with good things!
    I love the fresh and dainty things you've pictured...I thought at first they were pure white tulips,but no...such a pale pink. Unusual.The cups are so pretty, too.

    Hope some more sun shines on your house before long!

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  8. Thank you Lorrie for taking the time out of your busy life to write such a kind comment on my recent post. Such pretty cups all stacked together, tea tastes so much better in a pretty china cup.

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  9. Beautiful images. Love the tulips, one of my favourite flowers. xx

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  10. Brenda is lovely. What a delightful gift to have. You will be able to settle down with tea in one of your beautiful cups, and browse your magazine!

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  11. I love teacups! And those flowers brought some cheer to me on this cold, snowy morning ;) I hope you can stop by:

    http://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2016/02/tea-time-birthdays-and-tea-parties-2516.html

    Colletta

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  12. So love the light you captured and of course the tea cups!

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  13. I love how you capture the beauty of the day, Lorrie. A warm fire, a cup of tea and inspiring read sound like the loveliest way to wrap up the week.

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  14. Tulips look so beautiful paired with silver. Nice find! I am sure that you are getting adjusted to a busier week. May God give you strength and many restorative comforts. I always love seeing your beautiful photographs.

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  15. Beautiful pink tulips. I haven't seen much in our stores yet. But our daffodils are up, about a month early. I hope you have a restful weekend. You sound so busy!

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  16. Great things to focus on, relax and enjoy after a busy week - or day. Thank you for joining Five On Friday, happy weekend! xx

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  17. I love your china cups, I have a weakness for cups and saucers and have quite a few and like you many of them have meaning to me.

    Angela - Garden Tea Cakes and Me

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  18. Those tulips are beautiful and I love that your cups all have such great meaning to you. A lovely post, I hope things calm down for you soon. Have a lovely weekend xx

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  19. Lovely tulips! And love seeing them in the silver. Wonderful gift from a friend. The teacups are so pretty. How lovely to have memories attached to the cups. Happy weekend, dear friend. I think the sun is suppose to come out here and hope for you too.

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  20. Such a lovely post, Lorrie, filled with sweet gifts and keepsakes that bring joy to the heart. It must be so wonderful to relax after a busy day with beautiful flowers, surrounded by all of your precious treasures. I love the play of light and shadow:) Hope you find some time to rest and renew this weekend. xx Karen

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  21. Anonymous3:47 PM

    How nice to have that package from Brenda to cheer you after a "spent" day!

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  22. Always feels good to receive a surprise gift, love the teacups. My Mother-in-law use to crochet lovely things like that for me, I miss her very much.

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  23. Lovely flowers and tea cups! I like to use mine in my decor as well!

    Have a great weekend!

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  24. It's so lovely to read your post and see the beautiful things that give you joy. I too have a teacup collection and each one is special. I hope you can rest a bit and enjoy your weekend. We're having a bit of a heat wave down here in southern California! My best to you, Pat

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  25. China and flowers - a perfect combination, and your combination is lovely. White tulips are sometimes hard to come by.

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  26. What a very sentimental stack of topsy turvy teacups. They are all so pretty together. Your tulips are such a beautiful soft shade of pink. It's nice to be busy, but when it all becomes stressful, the fun runs out of it. I hope things calm down for you soon. That was a lovely gift from Brenda, she is a sweet soul. Enjoy your weekend,
    Wendy

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  27. Your photos are like eye candy to me and now I long for pretty things like this.

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  28. This post is true perfection Lorrie! I am so thankful that you took moments for yourself to enjoy the little things. That shot of the teacups is just gorgeous.

    I would love for you to link up this post on the inaugural edition of Thoughts of Home on Thursday. I think readers would really enjoy it. There is also a giveaway associated with it. Every link is entered into the drawing. Hope to see you there!

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  29. So many lovely, peaceful, pleasing things to decorate your world! Especially love those wonderful china cups!

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  30. Your day book must have been full this week but as time goes on, things will even out. I do like your tea cups and usually bring mine out in May when I am thinking about Mother's Day. I have my grandmother's Old Country Rises cups saucers and bread plates and my mother's American Beauty set. Have a good week Lorrie!

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  31. Lately, well, now that we live outside of Arles, I either can't afford nice flowers or can only find ones that seem half-flower, half-packaging so these beautiful tulips did me a world of good. Merci et bisous.

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  32. I haven't been on my computer much but now that the Florida weather has turned cooler with rain I'm doing some catch up. Flowers always bring me joy so I can imagine after a long day how they bring you some too Lorrie. It was nice of Brenda to send you the magazine so you can take a break and relax with it.
    From your previous post, I love butternut squash and meant to cut up a couple and freeze them before we left. When shopping the other day I saw them in the store and remembered I forgot to do this so had to phone my neighbour to take them home.

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  33. Hi Lorrie,

    Tulips are such 'modest' flowers, aren't they? Not able to entice and hypnotize with a signature scent, they make up for it with their unique beauty, and still manage to remain humble.

    Congrats on your new class; hope you have a wonderful semester!

    Poppy




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  34. Such lovely things to enjoy after a busy day at work. Gorgeous tulips in their vase and your cups are so pretty:)

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  35. Lovely cheerful photos, I especially like your teacups.
    Have a great week
    Jill

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