On The Bandwagon & More.

My Dears..

I cannot help it! I'm quite excited over the royal wedding! It's so refreshing to have such a happy, positive event to distract us (if only briefly) from the turmoil in our world. The question remains...will I be up at such an early hour to watch the nuptials? I'm thinking mayhaps not..however, anything is possible.
So how shall I celebrate the event since I cannot be there in person? It seems my invitation must have gotten lost in transit. Mail delivery just isn't what it use to be. *smirks*

Anyhow..I believe I shall wear one of my froufrou large hats. Feathers, flowers and lace must be the order of the day.

Definitely the one on the left!

Must have flowers to celebrate the occasion!

Oh! Let's not forget tea and scones! This afternoon I baked a batch of mini orange blossom scones. They are so yummy by themselves one may not require Devon cream or preserves with this recipe. The orange blossom glaze is tasty enough! Of course I keep a steady supply of cream, preserves, and curd on hand for those who prefer the traditional filled scone. Mmmm. A lovely cup of rose tea makes the perfect accompaniment. *happy sigh*

Mini scones with orange blossom glaze. Mmmm..

All right...enough about that! I do hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Those of you who celebrate the Easter holiday, I hope it was absolutely delightful! We had quite the lovely weather in these parts....perfect for an Easter egg hunt. No..I wasn't outdoors, scrambling on the lawn, searching for eggs! However, my fella and I enjoyed coloring eggs on Saturday night for my Easter bread.

I love the colors!

Here are my Easter breads! They were quite yummy!
 

My honey's sweet gifts for moi!

He put the basket together himself! See the Peeps??

My dahling man surprised me with tulips and a basket he put together himself. Naturally he included tea, Peeps, Godiva, and wine. This man knows me very well. *winks* We had quite the lovely Easter with family. Tis our second Easter together...and every moment is ever more blissful. *insert heart here*

So until the next my dears..I raise my cup of tea to the happy couple, oh and to William & Kate as well. *chuckles* I wish you all blissful tidings!

xoxo

Miss Sandra

Oaks & Diamonds

"When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure." ~Peter Marshall

My Dears,

Sometimes we need a reminder that no matter how bad things may seem today...tomorrow is another day and another chance is given to make our lives better.


I know I've posted this quote in the past..but it bears repeating: "Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday." 

image from HERE

Heaven knows my yesterdays were fraught with some concern and much uncertainty about my tomorrows....yet those tomorrows have come and gone. They have become my yesterdays and I am fine today. Granted, at this very moment I still have much to keep my mind wondering in concern for my tomorrows..but my fears are gently tempered with the knowledge that I've come this far and though I may stumble, I will pick myself up and continue through this journey called life. I know that the sun will shine and warm my soul....the flowers will bring a smile...and a kiss will deliver bliss.

Image from HERE

Challenges will come to each of us. It's how we handle these challenges that make us who we are today and who we shall become on the morrow. We can stand like oaks and bloom after the storm. Smile my dears...we alone can make the difference in our lives. We can all be diamonds.

Blissful tidings to each of you!
xoxo
Miss Sandra
                                                                                                                

A Little Of This...A Little Of That

 This was the view from my desk on this rainy day.

My Dears,

Hope you had a lovely weekend...albeit, for most of us it was quite stormy with these severe Spring showers.
The trees and plants seem to be happy as they continue to bud and flourish with all this rainy weather. It's not so bad really. There is something to be said about the sweet scent in the air after a spring misting. Just yesterday my landscaper was working on my neighbor's property. I walked outside and immediately was greeted by the heady scent of verdure. I find it quite intoxicating...and invigorating. Spring is in the air! *ponders somersaulting, but resists the silly urge.*

My side view from the desk. It was quite wet out there!

The cloudy sky didn't diminish the beauty of nature's palette.

I couldn't wait to get home from work today and put the kettle on. Today was such a tea and reading day. I arrived home to find my latest copy of The English Home waiting by the door. I knew a blissful interlude was to be had. So I poured myself a cuppa (Darjeeling), sat in my cozy chair, and opened my magazine. I've always considered myself quite the anglophile so it's no surprise, to those who know me, that I lose myself in this magazine. It wasn't too long before Mr. Knightley jumped on my lap and joined in on the bliss.

 Love this magazine!

Their ads are simply scrumptious! A feast for the eyes!

 Le sigh....

 I want this kitchen!! *getting the vapors now*
Actually, I want that stove!

 Yes..they feature beautiful gardens too!

***Magazine images courtesy of the English Home. 

Do go HERE for more info and subscriptions.

Okay I think you get the idea of just how much I enjoy this magazine. I apologize for the quality of these shots. I didn't have the right lighting at the time I photographed the pages. I just wanted to give you a taste of this most delightful indulgence. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading the English Home, please give it a try. I think you'll enjoy it!

*nudged by the cat* Okay, okay! I can take a hint! 

Mr. Knightley wants to be included in this post!

So this weekend my fella and I were away in Pennsylvania. On our way back we traveled through a a town called Zionsville and ventured into their antique mall. Heavens to Betsy!! This place was huge and walking through it all was our workout for the day. *chuckles* Really, this is quite the place and chock full of fabulous vintage wares. I must share with you what my honey bought for me!

My very own vintage waffle iron!!!

 Yes..my fella has offered to help clean it!

I absolutely love my waffle iron..and it works too!! Once we get it all clean, I shall waste no time in making my very own Harmonie House Waffles! My fella already has recipe ideas. He's quite the foodie you know!

I think I should like to return to that mall in the future and see what other sweet vintage finds will await me.

I have realized that I haven't shared a picture of my upstairs hallway table. It's not just any table, but an antique Singer treadle machine. I'm fortunate to own a pair and both in pretty nice condition. The one you are about to see is in my upstairs hall. Upon it is one of my earlier antique treasures...an old gas lamp that was electrified sometime in the 50's. The shade is milk glass.

A sweet spot in the hall.

Here's a closer look. It can use a little TLC, but I love it as is.

My other treadle machine is in better condition and I can actually use it if I chose to sew on it. Let's state for the record, I can sew...but I do not enjoy it much. I sew out of necessity not passion. That being said, I may one day share with you some of my Edwardian outfits made by moi. Anyhow...I thought you might like to have a look at my hall "table". *smiles*

Since I'm in show-and-tell mode, I might as well share with you an image of my sideboard taken on Valentine's evening.

The glow on Valentine's evening.

Isn't it pretty? My honey had these carnations delivered and brought me roses too (delivered personally)...and Godiva! Have you ever had a dark chocolate, raspberry filled truffle and washed it down with a nice glass of red wine? You may want to try it. No really...I mean it. Tis one of my indulgences.  *sigh* I guess I should have posted this picture in February, but better late than never...n'est pas?

So there you have it my dears...a little bit of this and a little bit of that! I'm tired and need to start getting ready for bed. I wish you all a fine week and as always, oodles of bliss!

xoxo

Miss Sandra

And The Winner Is....

My Dears,

I want to thank those of you who entered my giveaway. There were very few of you and the chances were good for each. Unfortunately, only one could win. I folded up the names and put them in my pretty Lenox bowl.

 I decided to have someone other than myself pick out the name. I walked outside and went around the corner to see my neighbor Mrs. Robinson. She gladly stirred the names and picked one.

 And the winner is........

A hearty congratulations to Brianne from Under The Florida Maples blog!! Please e-mail me your address so that I can send out your frame. To all of you out there, please make sure to visit Brianne's lovely blog by clicking HERE.

BUT WAIT!!! I decided to pick one more name from the bowl and send out an extra little surprise gift. Maybe it's the lovely Spring weather or the sweet purring emanating from Mr. Knightley sitting beside me, but I'm feeling mighty generous. Regardless, I picked out a name here at my desk and the winner of the surprise gift is...................*feel free to insert drumroll now*

Congratulations to Pam of Eastlake Victorian blog! Please contact me via e-mail and send me your addy! Now my dears, make sure to also visit Pam's lovely blog by clicking HERE.

Thank you all for leaving such sweet comments for my blogiversary...and thank you to those who entered. I wish I could pick every name and send a sweet gift to all of you..but alas I cannot. However, there will be other giveaways, so you will all have another chance in the near future.
Please know that each of you has helped to make blogging so special to me. Each day we're given the opportunity to step into each others world through merely a screen. It's amazing getting to know all of you through the power of the written word...and the magic of the internet.

Now I must share some blooming Spring shots from Harmonie House. I love the feeling of renewal during this time of year. The scents and sights are truly amazing. *sigh* I'm feeling quite blissful at this very moment.

Isn't the forsythia absolutely lovely?

Thanks to L. Starkey of The Healing Home,
I now know that this shrub is called the Pieris.

You all know just how I adore my magnolia tree! 

Oh such a heady scent!!

This is one of my creepers..not sure if it's myrtle. 

Again, you can assist me with this if you wish.

So there you have it my dears. Just a small taste of what's growing around Harmonie House. I cannot wait to be working out in the garden. I'm also looking forward to my first picnic of the season. There's something truly wondrous about a picnic in the spring, not to mention the yummy picnic fare! *winks*

I wish you all a most lovely evening and may the coming days kiss you with warmth, joy, and of course, bliss.

xoxo

Miss Sandra

Blogiversary Giveaway

My Dears,

Just a quick heads up to let you know that I'll be drawing the winner tomorrow 4/14/11 at 5pm Est. I'll post the winner's name thereafter. So if you haven't done so and would like to enter your name for the lovely Victorian style double frame, please leave a comment and let me know.

Good luck to all..and thank you for your sweet comments!

Blissful tidings!
xoxo
Miss Sandra

It's My Blogiversary & a Giveaway!

My Dears,

Today marks my 2nd year in blog-land. Yes, on that Tuesday April 7th, 2009, I took a chance on sharing my world with all of you out there. I had no idea how it would be, or if anyone would be interested to read my musings at all. Well as of today I have 75 followers, and many of you have become dear to me.

I am honored that you have taken the time to read my scribble, my thoughts, and my poetry. You have followed my journey of rediscovering myself after the loss of my husband. You have advised me, sent me hugs me when I've been blue, and expressed your joy when good, happy times came into my life. I may not know most of you personally..or even met you...but I'm sure glad to know you! I may not always comment on your pages, but please know that I do read your posts, and look forward to each one. It's like visiting family from afar.

So to honor this day I am hosting a giveaway!!! Yay! What am I giving away you wonder? Hmmm...whatever can it be? Well, you all know I'm an old fashioned gal, living in an old fashioned world, filled with pretty old fashioned things. *smiles playfully* So therefore, my gift to one lucky reader will be a most lovely Victorian inspired hanging, double picture frame.
Do take a look at it!

This is how it will look on your wall.
Sorry about the fuzziness and the glare.

This is a close-up.

...an even closer look.

If you'd like to take a chance on winning this pretty frame, just leave me a comment and let me know you'd like your name entered. Please feel free to share this giveaway on other blogs with a link to my page. I will give it a week's time. I will draw the winning name from a pretty glass bowl and announce it next Thursday the 14th. Good luck my dears!

Oh, and if you happen to be curious..here is a link to my very first post. Just click HERE.

So my dears, I want to thank you for sticking around and making my blogging experience ever so special. I raise my glass to each and every one of you and make a toast...
Here's to our blog-land journey! May each experience yield a most rewarding return...that of new friendship and new discoveries!

Hugs!
xoxo
Miss Sandra

A House..A Home.

My Dears,

I find myself in quite the contemplative mood of late. I think of my yesterday, my now, and my tomorrow. Actually, been thinking a lot about my tomorrows.

Have I ever told you the story about how I came to be in Harmonie House? Okay, I'll tell you, and will try to make it brief...really, I'll try.

My late husband and I were at an open house directly across the street from Harmonie. The house we were touring was much larger, and the previous owners had let some of it fall into disrepair. However, there was still lots of beauty and its 1916 character was still intact. Restoration itself would have been minimal but still monumental to an extent. It was tempting, but my husband and I knew that it would cost quite a bit to repair, replace, and restore.

So we walked out the front door and bumped into a nearby neighbor who said, and I quote, "Oh my dears, this house is too large for just the two of you. The one across the street would have suited better, but it was recently purchased by a couple and their sons."
I looked across the street..my true first glimpse of what was to become Harmonie House. I sighed and shrugged indifferently. We thanked her and left.

Funny thing was, that somehow, the image of Harmonie stayed with me. Every time we passed it on our way to the nearest highway, I would ask the Mr. to slow down so that I could take a look at it. ..and so it happened it would become the thing to do whenever we drove by. At Christmastime I'd take great pains to look at their tree by the window and wondered what the rest of the house would be like. That's what it was like for about about 2 years.

Then one day, my husband came home and told me the house I liked so much was for sale. My heart skipped a beat, but then plummeted just as quickly, for we had just recently renovated the apartment we were living in at the time, and I knew buying a house was not in the cards.

Fate stepped in however in the form of a break-in..not in my apartment, but in the one next to us where we kept some storage..including my fine wedding china. Yes my dears, my china was stolen..and I felt afraid, violated, and ever so uncomfortable in my sweet little abode.

I told hubby it wouldn't hurt to look at the house..just to sate our curiosity after all this time. Knowing how much it would mean to me, and to cheer me after the hubub with the break-in, he agreed. I scheduled a meeting with the owners..they didn't have it listed with a real estate broker. I was so nervous. I wanted to love it but by the same token, I didn't want to. I knew my husband wasn't going to want a house when we lived in a perfectly lovely and new apartment. Why get my hopes up?

Walking up the front steps, I felt a pull..a nervous energy, and a deep excitement. When the owner opened the door she let us in through a small, tiled vestibule and into the open, large living room area. My heart seem to lodge in my throat. I knew from the instant I stepped inside that something had changed that very moment..my life was already affected. I was home.

All right...I said I would keep it short, so I guess I aught to stop now. After all, you know the rest of the story. I live in my Shangri-La...Harmonie House. There is much more to tell. It really is somewhat of a love affair..a coming home of sorts. Tis a story I would love to write about some day. The laughter, tears, hopes, and dreams held within these walls throughout the years are an extension of not only myself, but of those who have loved this home before me.

*sigh* Told you I was in a contemplative mood. Though life can seem a bit controlling at times and tries to take the upper hand with difficult situations, I sit myself down and know that all will be fine. I've encountered loss in the past and I have climbed out of its despair. I smile today because of my yesterdays...I'm hopeful for my tomorrows..and blissful because of now. I'm blessed and grateful.

xoxo
Miss Sandra

Thank You Sarah!

My Dears,

Happy Spring! Okay..maybe for some of us, it still doesn't feel like Spring. In fact this morning we had snow, rain all afternoon, and just moments ago we had thunder and heavy sleet. Did I mention it's 35 degrees? I think I'm going to get some firewood ready and have myself a cozy eve sitting by the hearth while thumbing through a couple of fabulous decorating books!

...Which brings me to my topic for the evening. Recently the lovely Sarah from My Yellow House hosted a book giveaway. I took a chance, commented and added my name, then voila! Twas my name which was drawn as the winner! Tis the first time I've won anything in dear ol' blog-land. Sarah made my day!

So this past weekend I received said decorating books..sweetly wrapped with a lovely note.

So pretty I didn't want to unwrap it.

Such sweet detail. Pretty ribbon & bird.
I know the perfect spot to display the birdie!

Voila! Les livres!

Such lovely interiors!

Beautiful ideas on every page!

Can you tell I really like these books? This is what I call eye candy for the lover of beautiful homes. So again, I thank you Sarah for the gift of reading. After all..we all know I cannot get enough books to suit me! I may need another bookcase real soon! *smiles*

Now I ask each and every one of you to visit Sarah's lovely place "My Yellow House". It's not only a visual treat, but also a delight to read.

Sarah, I hope you've gotten over the flu bug and are all well again! Hugs!

To all of you I send blissful tidings!

xoxo

Miss Sandra

From Where I Sit...

My Dears,

From where I sit I can see the world outside of Harmonie House. It's from this view that the seasons play a most beautiful visual melody. Just weeks ago, the branches on my rhododendron were encased within ice...a most lovely glass-like image. It's amazing to see them now, not long after, showing signs of Spring's kisses upon the once weather-beaten foliage. The browned lawn seems to sigh in relief..breathing in the changing air and taking in the rain...knowing full well that in a month or so, it will spring forth in a blanket of green so vivid and so lovely. No longer will it crunch underneath my feet. Instead it will lovingly cushion my steps and give off its sweet scent of fresh verdure upon being mown.

Most of you who have followed me for quite some time know that I'm a Winter gal to the core. I love snow..I love the crisp cold air upon my face. I love the comforts of Winter. I must say..we did have quite the blustery season this time around. My wish for a blizzard was granted the day after Christmas and topped off with loads of more snow almost on a weekly basis. What more can a snow bunny ask for? *smiles*

Am I ready for Spring? I believe I am...for with that lovely season of new promise and renewal comes a most amazing display of nature's palette and scents. Yes I will say it...bring it on!

Magnolia in bloom.

Mountain Laurel, Pachysandra, Hosta..and more.

Deutzia growing over my swing/bench.

I love the rain..have I ever mentioned that? I so love a rainy day in Spring, but also those fabulous summer storms. Yes, I'm a gal who enjoys a rainy day sitting with a book or snuggling with my fella. *smiles playfully*.

Bring on the rain! I have my wellies and raincoat all ready!

...snuggling with my fella.
This shot was taken for our 1st Anniversary.

As you may have noticed from the picture at the intro of this post, I have moved my desk down to the library/sitting/music room. So from where I sit, I can listen to my old 78's playing on my 1915 Victor Victrola . I can also take a break and sit at my piano. Heaven knows I can use the practice! *bites bottom lip while pouting* That's one childhood wish I've yet to make come true...becoming an accomplished pianist.

I love my victrola.

I love my piano too!

From where I sit, I can turn to my right and look past the French doors into my living room, towards the stairs, to the landing by the stained glass window. Tis there I have made a cozy little sitting area where I can curl up and read or just sit and reflect.

A favorite spot..just because.

From where I sit I can look into the beautiful green eyes of my sweet Mr. Knightley, for many a time he will jump up on the desk and keep me company while I write. His soothing purrs provide me with a most blissful calm. There is such comfort to be found in the company of a most beloved pet.

My dear pet..Mr. Knightley.

From where I sit I can lose myself in this contraption of communication...the computer and the internet. It's here where I can view a world far, far away from my own. It's here I lose myself in dreamy images of beautiful landscapes, hone my culinary skills through cooking sites, and dream of blissful getaways in settings like the one below.

I cannot recall where this image is from so I cannot credit it.
...but isn't it absolutely dreamy?

Yes...the internet has provided us all with quite the getaway at our fingertips. It has also provided us with the bonds of friendship with people we've never met. It has closed the gap of distance merely through a screen. Tis here I can reach out to each and every one of you and share my world. Tis here I can give you a personal view...from where I sit.

I wish you bliss..and more bliss!!
xoxo,
Miss Sandra