Christmas Tea

only four more sleeps until Christmas morning…

our family celebrates German Christmas on the 24th with a visit over the river to my Mom’s (Mutti’s) house with food and merriment…

we make our way home by way of the Capitol and White House Christmas trees in Washington D.C. listening to Christmas music all the way…

my tea today is delicious Earl Grey Supreme by Harney & Sons…the aroma is gorgeous…even the foil packet smells great…the silken sachet bags come in handy for wings and things…the little angel (3 in tall) is one of many that my talented mother used to make…no two were alike as they each seemed to have their own personalities…

I found these glass teddy bear maple syrups with knitted hats impossible to resist…

kumquats are a seasonal treat that I really look forward to eating over the holidays…

you can make quick and easy pomanders out of the fresh fruit by pressing whole cloves into them…

sometimes it helps to poke a hole first with a sturdy toothpick…

sprinkle the studded fruit with a bit of cinnamon and let them dry on a wire rack for several weeks…

you can tell they are dry when they get very lightweight…

stored in a plastic bag they last from season to season…

wishing you all a T Tuesday that is merry and bright…

to those of you in the Northern Hemisphere…Happy Winter Solstice

thanks as always for stopping by …

for more holiday cheer you can visit Kimmie’s sidebar here…all are most welcome to join in…

fa la la

24 responses to “Christmas Tea

  1. Jingle all the way!!! You look like you are ready for t he arrival of the fat guy in the red coat!! Beautiful decorations! Have fun at Muttie´s haus!!

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  2. Beautiful decorations … this syrup teddy is really good fun … enjoy your tea and have a wonderful Christmas Eve!

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  3. Good Mornng! I recognize several of the items in your photos that also reside in our house…..nice T Tuesday…thanks for sharing. A very Happy Holiday Season to you all.

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  4. Merry Christmas to your dear Mutti. I Love all your choice decorations to celebrate. There are a few things I see here in my home too, how nice. You’ve done a Lovely job of displaying your Christmas treasures.

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  5. Ho Ho Ho….dear friend…..loving the decor and glad you like kumquats…they’re lovely aren’t they? Happy Day to you!!!

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  6. Love your quilted star Santa!!! Where oh where did you find kumquats?? Wegmans, right???

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  7. Christmas with mutti… enjoy!!! And you just reminded me that my mom used to make pomanders with christmas… oranges with clove… hmmmm! I might buy me a bag of oranges this week! Enjoy your christmas days dear one!

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  8. What beautiful, peaceful pictures! I love your star Santa! And the Be Merry pillow!! And the little angel made by your mother! Ahhhhhh….Christmas!

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  9. I must try making a pomander from kumquats. I bought some limes to do the same thing. As always, your photos are superb, and your home is so inviting. It’s always a joy to visit and see your stunning vignettes. Happy Tea Tuesday to you, too, dear friend.

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  10. Oh I just love your house at Christmas Patty! I love to see all of your decorations! The tea sounds splendid, and the kumquats are just too darn cute! Happy T to you, thanks again for the you know what… hugs, Christen

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  11. What fun decor! I don’t do a ton of decorating. I got rid of a lot of Christmas decorations a few years ago. No room to store them.
    The maple syrup bear is very cute…I can’t see why he was hard to resist!

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  12. Happy Tea Tuesday dear Patty … And Merry Chrostmas too! Your mother’s angel is so sweet …. I can see that you must have learned at an early age how fun it is to make lovely things! Thank you for the how-to on pomanders. I may try that with mandarins ….. I love kumquats …. I eat them skin and all ….

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  13. What a beautiful Christmas post. I love the bear with the hat…. I wish you a very safe, happy and contented Christmas Patty. XX

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  14. Another gloriously enchanting post, I love your descriptions.

    Solstice blessings to you and yours, and a happy Christmas too 🙂

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  15. Sweet blessings to you, Patty! May you, C, and J have a very Merry Christmas! Love all the beautiful items you have in your lovely home.

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  16. What a warm Christmas, Patty. It all looks so cozy! I also love the bear with the hat. I could not have resisted him. I can resist the kumquats, though. They taste funny to me!

    Thanks so much for all your support, dear heart!

    Hugs,
    Suz

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  17. Very cute Santa pillow. Your tea is so warm and inviting- wish I was there at your house! I baked today… I’ll be over in a sec with snicker doodles, puppy chow and choc chip cookies.

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  18. a wonderful post, patti! we also had “real” candles on our tree at home, but now i wouldn´t dare any longer… you have to watch it every second…
    have a great time and lots of joy on christmas eve!

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  19. Your holiday tradition sounds wonderfully festive. Over the river and all! Oh, to see the lights in the Capitol….it must be a beautiful sight. One day I hope to see it, too.

    I remember putting cloves into oranges….there is NOTHING like that smell, is there? Now why didn’t I make those this year?? I’ll put it in my noggin for next year, though, because it’s just wonderful!

    Happy holidays to you and yours. We’re headed to a backcountry ski trip tomorrow and will be back Monday. Skiing to a cabin in the woods with friends. I hope it snows a TON!

    Warm hugs my friend. You are a special and dear girl!

    Jan

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  20. I had a kumquat tree for alot of years and once i made 5 small bottles of jam from it ! hope you have lovely Christmas with your Mutti…

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  21. Another Tuesday Christmas this year..2012. Suspicious 2013…a real mystery.

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  22. Pingback: tis the season tea… | Magpie's Nest ~*~ Patty Szymkowicz

  23. What a sweet post. Makes me teary now….

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  24. Pingback: Christmas Tea … | Magpie's Nest ~*~ Patty Szymkowicz

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