It's been snowing all day yesterday and most of today. We have about a foot of snow...and the last few inches looked like the snow you see in the movies. Nice big flakes, slowly falling to the ground :)

Today, I'm making blueberry muffins (to share with my mom) and having Earl Grey. It's my favorite! What are you doing for tea?

The snow sounds wonderful. Our snow will be washed away by the rain we'll be getting in a few days.

I like English Breakfast and Chai Spice tea. Made some chocolate chip shortbread cookies for a New Years cookie exchange. Now my shortbread angels have freckles, LOL.

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Blue and white with chocolate - looks pretty and yummy to me.

No rain here yet, but temps in the high 30's so snow is melting and everywhere it's becoming muddy. Did have ice on the sidewalk and stones this morning though. I had just started supper at 4pm, so decided to wait until 5pm to have some Prince of Wales tea with a piece of "Friendship Cake", given to me by a friend (of course)for Christmas.

My tea cart has been under a pile of books for a number of years now, and since under Lavender Lass's influence I've began to enjoy my tea again I need it to set a tray upon. But, that means unloading the books each time, so instead I'm going to look either for a bookcase or a small side table with handles. Does anyone know what I'm thinking of? I'm sure I've seen tables like this where the top is tray-like and to move the table about you just pick it up by the handles. Just a small one to place beside a chair is all I need. For Christmas I was given $75 in gift certificates to my favorite antique shop! but they don't have what I'm looking for right now. Are they sold new anywhere?

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Y'all make me wish I was a tea drinker. The woman who lives behind me is English and every day when the weather allows open windows I hear her kettle at 4pm. Makes me smile.

Schoolhouse, I bet someone on Home Decorating might know what you're talking about.

I raked leaves a couple days ago and was chilled when I came in, so made a mug of hot chocolate.

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Marshmallow cocoa, snowmen and daisies, now THAT'S a gardener's tea. :)

Well, for the heck of it I went online awhile ago, typed in "tray tables" and have been browsing for a half hour. Found lots of what I had in mind, not too many I liked though and are they ever expensive. Sheesh. Then I tried Ebay and found one I'd call "shabby chic",it's vintage but in rough shape. The top has a hunt scene on it, but it's been glued and there are water marks and bad places on the finish. They still wanted $99. But of course, it's just the type of thing I like - looks used! ha.

I guess I'd better buy the bookcase and use the tea cart.

Lois- Your dishes are beautiful and your cookies look very good!

Schoolhouse- Nice friendship cake...and I have always liked that cup and saucer. I vote for a nice end table...but if you need a reliable and inexpensive, small bookcase, try Shopko. They often go on sale for $19.99 and they're really easy to assemble. Usually have a few wood tones and white.

Natal- Daisies in December are such a treat. You hot cocoa cup is charming...such a cute snowman :)

I notice in my collection of trays that one has the bottom nearly falling out. The bottom was a type of masonite (sp?) with a wood frame around it with handles. I bet a person could remove the ruined bottom and replace it with another, and nail it or super glue it to the top of a small table. Or just use the wooden frame and nail/glue IT to the top of a table. Hmmmmmm.

Thanks for the tip about the bookcases lass. The room is pretty full of furniture already, so I'd have to really measure good before I bought a new case. Probably have to be narrow.

That cup is Royal Albert, one of their "Ancestral Series" cups called, "England's Glory" (bottom photo). Unfortunately, at the time the shop carried only one other in the series, "Emerald Isle" (top photo). I was always curious what scenes were on other cups in the series. If only I had had a computer in those days. :) I think I'll look them up later.

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Schoolhouse- Good idea about reusing one of your trays. Why not make your own furniture, if you can't find what you want?

You know I've always liked the cup and saucer with the roses, but the top one (all those shamrocks) makes me think of The Quiet Man, with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. I love that movie! :)

Lavender lass, I believe you mean this cup. It's the one I use most of the time. It's also Royal Albert but from one of their series called "Country Scenes", I only have this one from that series.

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I thought there was a cottage! :)

The other one is pretty, too, but I love the little cottage.

Schoolhouse, did you search "google" under "butler table". It may show you some options. I just did it, there are all sorts of tables with trays attached on them there! Something for everyone.
My last tea was some of the new tisanes my sister gave me for Christmas in the new tea steeping flask my brother in law gave me. The teas are really lovely. I can't wait to go to the store when I go back to Toronto.

What is a "tea steeping flask"?

When I was researching Royal Albert cups, most of the designs I have were for sale from 1970-1980s. Did you know there is a "Cottage Series" too??? Only it's not Royal Albert, I forget just now which company produced that; but some time ago I was browsing for cottage ware and I saw the collection of tea cups. Drool. They weren't that expensive, but of course how could you stop at just one? They were all so pretty.

Yes, I googled "tray tables" and there were butler tables among them ; but most of the nice looking tables (i.e. wood) were so expensive. I'll do an exclusive search for butler tables, tho and take a peek. Thanks.