Image courtesy: Dard Meade

I'm sad to say that I didn't have time to get my post up about the museum's architecture and the tea treats we enjoyed under the canopy of the huge shade trees. There were too many architectural details that I wanted to show you and not enough time to work with the pictures since hubby and I have been painting like crazy people trying to get our cupboard finished by the weekend. So, I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll be able to post the pictures of the buildings.

Until then Tudaloosheeboo!

P.S.
My hubby emailed me this morning from work and closed with the funny little word above. I just love that he creates his own little words...so cute!

This is me and I'm ready to go for another exciting Tea and a Fashion show. I thought it best to paint my toes since I'd be wearing my ever fashionable flip flops to the event. It was held outdoors and the day was expected to be hot and it was.

Do you remember Natalie Meyer from last weeks tea? Well, here she is again. She's in charge of all the costume events that are held at Heritage Square...what a fun job!!!!
Her gown was so beautiful and in my favorite shades of taupe's and creams... be still my heart!
Did I remember to take notes of the gowns...NO! I thought for sure all the details would stay neatly tucked in one of the crannies of my brain so I'll have to see how I do.
Natalie's gown was from around the Civil War.

This is Natalie dressing Cookie in her proper under garments for the Victorian Era. I talked with Cookie after the show and she was telling me how wonderfully comfortable her corset is. Have you ever worn a corset and did you think it was comfortable?

See the funny little contraptions at Cookies hips? Those are called Pannier's and were placed under women's skirts during the 1660's. They were used to stash a woman's car keys, her cell phone, credit cards, make up, and whatever else she needed to carry about with her for the days activities. But in reality it would have been more along the lines of hankies, bits of ribbon, and other such things. This was one of the first pockets. Pretty creative way to conceal your accessories don't you think? Me to!

Do you see the lovely little garland of roses across Cookies fanny? I placed it there to hide her flesh. She is after all, putting on the under garments of any proper Victorian Lady and all proper Victorian Ladies wore crotchless drawers. I'll bet you didn't know that now did you? Could you imagine having to make a mad dash to the ladies room and lift up who knows how many layers of petticoats and a chemise and then get under your corset to pull your drawers down? I would imagine there may have been many embarrassing moments so the simple solution...drawers without crotches. And by the way, it was only the ladies of ill-repute who wore stitched up drawers. Go figure!

A front view of Natalie's gown and her darling bonnet.

This is a Bustle gown from the 1880's and would have been worn when a woman was either receiving guests in her home or was visiting at a friends. This particular gown is from a Historic collection owned by one of the models. If you look at her left arm she has a small bag that matches the gown. It's known as a "ridicule" and is the precursor to the hand bag. Women were often teased when they first started carrying them, thus the name.

Now ladies, how is this for a bathing beauty? This guy was so funny and kept doing his muscle man poses for us all in his lovely woolen bathing suit. Now why can't guys wear those now-a-days? I think they're rather cute!

Now this is my kind of bathing suit!!! Up to the neck and down to the toes. Why I'd even wear the shoes in the water and look at that exposed leg...very scandalous!!

This was one of the most beautiful vintage pieces modeled. It's from the Edwardian Era about 1912. The linen fabric was in such excellent shape and the detailing along the hem was exquisite. You can click on the picture to get a better view.

I don't remember a thing about this piece other than it's vintage and has beautiful detail work.

This is what a typical young service man would have worn while enlisted. His calves are wrapped to protect the hem of his pants and I would think to keep him from getting tangled in who knows what.

A young girls Edwardian gown.

I loved this little Regency gown made of butter cream yellow and the sweet little Bonnet to match. Those of you who love Jane Austen will probably recognize this gown as the style that was popular during her day. Napoleon had just discovered Pompeii which caused all things Grecian to become popular during this time in history.

Another beautiful example of an Edwardian Tea gown with all its tucks and pleats. Don't forget to click on the picture for more details.

A close up of the sweet little Bonnet. For some reason Blogger isn't allowing me to move my pictures where I want them so many of them are out of order. I'm so sorry!

And a closer look at the beautiful pleating and lace work on the tea gown.
I took a million more pictures, but didn't want to bore you to death so for now this will be enough. I don't know about you, but after seeing all the gorgeous gowns and fabrics I think I'm ready to enroll in costume college!

If you come back tomorrow I'll share some of the Architecture and tea treats we were able to sample.
Until then have a fun afternoon!

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.

Psalm 27:4

God give us visions of spiritual beauty that we may turn them into realities in common life. All our heavenward aspirations we should bring down and work into acts. All our longings and desires we should make true experiences. Every day's Bible text taken into the heart should shine forth tomorrow in some new touch of spiritual beauty. As the look of the face in the camera is held there, so every time Christ looks in upon our souls, even for an instant, some impression of His features should become fixed there, and remain as part of our own spiritual beauty. So in all our life the words of Christ we hear, the lessons we are taught, and the holy influences that touch our souls, should enter into our very being and reappear in disposition, character, deeds.

J.R. Miller (1840-1912)

Heritage Park

I wanted to be able to share my fun afternoon with all of you, but right now I'm exhausted, sun burnt, and have a little teeny tiny headache (it must have been all those delicious tea cookies I ate :0). So for now, I'm off to rest my tired eyes and will post about our Tea on Monday.

The picture above is of one of the homes at The Heritage Square. Isn't it just gorgeous with all it's bright colors? It sits right off the 110 freeway and has been known to cause a lot of traffic jams. I know every time I drive by I slow down to take a look.

See you all tomorrow!

xoxo Cori

This morning I'm on my way to L.A. to meet my sister-in-law for another Tea adventure at the Heritage Square Museum. I'll let you know how it went when I get home.

I hope you all have a fun Saturday!

Oh! Here's a link so you can do a bit of investigating on your own :).

Heritage Square

The "Sign" and other wonders

Do you remember the "sign" that I like to borrow quotes from on my way into work?
Well, this is it...ta da! Isn't it just a lovely example of signage? No, I don't think so either, but it does come up with some thought provoking sayings from time to time.
Since hubby and I were meeting at the lumber yard I decided I'd take a picture of the sign for you and aren't you glad I did? Lately the sign hasn't said much of anything as I pass by. It just stares blankly. Not that there's nothing on it just nothing that calls out to me :).
So, now you've seen the sign.

Here's a wonder! Hubby pulling up on his motorcycle. This is one of two that he owns. And why should any man need more than one motorcycle you might ask? I think it's like a pair of shoes for us girls. Some are flat heeled and can get us places perdy darn quickly while others have high heels that we teeter precariously on and are only able to move at a snails pace. Thus for the man in my life one bike is fast for speeding while the other is for cruising and sights seeing.



And another wonder. Do you remember the little cupboard that hubby started building in January? It's now complete and ready for paint then it'll be placed in it's new home and filled with all my pink dishes. Isn't it cute? I just love it! We added a piece of egg and dart trim just below the crown to give it a little more dimension and I'm hoping to paint it over the weekend or at least get started.
I have a busy weekend ahead of me with another tea on Saturday and dinner at one of my cousin's houses on Sunday. When will I have time to paint? I don't know. All I know is I'm ready to get the vitamins off the counters as well as the mixing bowls and the tea cups and the nuts and and and...
One last wonder...we've had some incredible sunsets lately...wouldn't you agree?

THE Daughters of Jerusalem

Where has your beloved gone,
O fairest among women?
Where has your beloved turned aside,
That we may seek him with you?

THE Shulamite

My beloved has gone to his garden,
To the beds of spices,
To feed his flock in the gardens,
And to gather lilies.
I am my beloved’s,
And my beloved is mine.
He feeds his flock among the lilies.

Song of Solomon 6: 1-3

Good Morning Ladies,

I've never done a study on Song of Solomon, but as I was reading this passage I was wondering about its significance and if it had any or was it just a dialogue between the women. And then it struck me that the Shulamites Beloved was not with her (obvious) and yet she knew where he has and that he had not left or abandoned her.
I think many times we feel this way about the Lord. We are unable to see Him and often don't hear His voice or feel His presence and yet HE NEVER LEAVES OUR SIDE. He is an ever present help in times of need.

I hope you all feel His nearness today!

For more ABC's of the Word visit Pam @ Grey Like Snuffie and help us stir up God's word in our hearts. Or if you would like to join us that would be wonderful too! Pam has all the info on her blog.

I'm one of those girls who loves certain rituals and routines like fresh brewed coffee every morning or wandering through the garden in my robe before the sun peaks over the Cypress trees. I have different rituals for different seasons. For Christmas I try to visit Disneyland as many times as possible, but for Spring I try to visit Roger's Gardens right before Easter to see what treats they have. They had their Spring Open House over the weekend but since I was enjoying tea with my friend Janet I showed up a week early. The staff were in the middle of setting up all the displays, but thankfully there was still plenty to ooh and awe over.
Let's take a peek shall we?

This piece was done by an artist named Ashley Carter of Goldbug Studio. Her creations are always so whimsical and charming. Don't you just love the little dog with the crown? I'm on a crown kick lately, in fact, tomorrow after work I'll be having my permanent crown glued into my mouth. How exciting is that!? Yah... I know... not very!

Easter is one of my favorite Celebrations! I adore all the bunnies, chickies, and chocolate eggs, but what I love the most is the gift that was given by the Creator of the universe to His children...the death and Resurrection of His only Begotten Son. Without His sacrifice there would be no Easter or hope!

Aren't these cute little shoes and don't you wish they came in your size? Me too! I love the delicate pink velvet rose plopped right on top. So girly!

Another creation from Goldbug Studios. This little bride looks like she's having a bit of attitude for her new groom to be. I think she means business :)!

Roger's had a whole display of these sweet little creatures and if I could have taken them all home I would have, but Brambleberry Cottage is bursting at the seams and I'm trying to cut back on spending and cute clutter :0. But, there's something about bunnies that always sing to my heart.

Clowns have always scared me for some reason or another, but who could resist "Bunny Clowns"? Not I! Why am I frightened of clowns you might ask...well, I don't know, but I do remember there was a painting of a clown hanging over my bed when I was in elementary school and it always gave me the eebie jeebies. I didn't like its big red nose or funny expression and I certainly didn't like it staring at me when I hopped into bed. OK, enough of clowns.

You can spend several hours meandering through the shops and plantings, but after a couple I decided to head home as there was just too much to tempt my pocket book plus the employees were starting to look at me strangely as I'd collect things then place them back on the shelf. I did manage to come away with a few trinkets though.

If you'd like to see more of Rogers Gardens click on the link and enjoy!

Let's talk Tea!

Saturday afternoon my friend Janet and I attended one of our favorite annual events:
LOCKE & NOBLE TEA COMPANY'S
High Tea and Tea Talk.

The guest speaker Natalie Meyer is a member of the Local Costumer's Guild and gave us an informal lecture on Fashion Silhouettes from 1660 to 1910.
While attending my many years in community college I took a class on History of Costume so it's always fun to see what I remember...or don't :0!

Here I am all dressed up for tea.
See my little friend at my feet? This is what I deal with on a daily basis...
"No! Don't go! PlEaSe Don'T LeAve Me here with HER!!!!"
The "her" would be none other than Princess Cupcake or as we call her Coco Loco, but you didn't come for puppy antics did you? No, I didn't think so, but I still need to finish this little tale of how I begin each day, so please bear with me just a little longer...thank you!
Each morning it's the same routine. I get ready to leave and I'm met with those pleading brown eyes that always make me feel so guilty for abandoning my sweet baby boy, but when Tea Time calls I must answer..."see ya Elmo! I'll let you know what I ate when I get home.

Here's Janet and I seated at our table eagerly awaiting our delicious, delectable tea treats.
The couple that host this event do all the cooking and baking in their kitchen. The living room furniture is moved out to the side porch so the tables can be set up indoors.
They have some gorgeous antiques.

Is this not the prettiest China pattern that you've ever seen? I think so too! In fact I'm so in love with it that I think I need to find a few pieces to add to my collection...I'm sure hubby won't mind in the least.

Second Course:
Ooh! This was so delicious!
Gingered Carrot Soup and the little crackers are Asiago Sables. They were so crisp and flaky with a strong cheesy flavor. I could have eaten an entire bowl.
The soup was filled with chewy chunks of ginger that made for an interesting combination...interesting in a good way :).

Janet and I just playing around. She's my Faerie Tea buddy.
When ever we get together there's always tea or faeries involved...and Pink Flamingos.

Third Course:
Potato Leek Tart with Chived Bearnaise Sauce.
Such a wonderful mix of flavors and textures. I'm not really a Leek person, but this was delicious and the crust was so buttery. I wish I could describe just how wonderful this was.
Third course was also served with: Decadent White Chocolate Chip Scones
with clotted cream and jam.

Janet and I ordered different teas so we could sample each others. I ordered the Mid Summer's Peach while she ordered the Keemun. I have to admit that while mine was delicious hers was rather odd. It had a strange smokiness to it which is apparently its appeal. "Why would someone want to sip smoke?" I asked myself. I politely sipped my cup until it was gone then went back to my Peach. But isn't that a darling tea pot? There were so many different styles and shapes.

Fourth Course:
Chicken Pot Pie with Creamy Veloute.
The ingredients were all rolled up in these perfect little balls. Tucked neatly inside were chunks of chicken, peas, carrots, and celery.
The creamy veloute was so rich with just a hint of Rosemary.

Did you see the movie, "The Age of Innocence?" It's always been one of my favorites and Michelle Pfiffer was simply stunning in all her Bustle Gowns. This is my favorite era from the 1880's.

Natalie shared many interesting facts about each era that I wanted to pass on to you, but my pen ran out of ink at the beginning of the lecture. Did I ask Janet to borrow a pen...NO! Sometimes I don't use my brain to well.
Any way, here she was demonstrating how the corset works and telling us about how girls were corseted about the age of 12. As they continued to grow their corsets remained the same size which caused all sorts of internal problems as rib cages were deformed and organs were squeezed into other locations. Sounds fun doesn't it? It's not that bad, but then I didn't try on one of these lovely contraptions until the age of 33.

Janet was our lovely model for the 1855 petticoat and caused quite a stir when she asked if she had to lift her arms to get into it. For some reason all the women at the table behind us started talking about the fact that she couldn't lift her arms. "Is her blouse to tight?" I heard one say. After several comments about her arms not being lifted over her head one of the ladies tapped me on the back of the shoulder and asked "why?" Janet is recovering from surgery and is on pain medication. Lifting the tea pot was a challenge we weren't sure she was up to, but she wasn't about to allow anyone to keep her from taking tea...You go Janet!!!
Isn't she darling?

Fifth Course:
DESSERTS!
If you spell it backwards it spells Stressed
so the next time you're stressed just flip it over and have desserts.
For the last course we were treated to Chocolate Cheese Bites,
Lemon Curd Sandwiches
Carrot Whisky Cake,
Sara Bernhart Cookies...YUM! These had a layer of marzipan!!
and Strawberry Walnut Gateau.
Everything was so completely wonderful that I can't wait until
next year!

Aah! Now I'm back home and fully satiated from my delicious Tea and delectables and yes, Elmo is sitting right beside me trying desperately to sniff what I ate.

OH! Locke & Noble host several Tea's throughout the year so if you're interested and live in my area leave me a comment and I'll email you their phone Number. They have all the dates listed on their answering machine.
Now I'm off to take a nap.

I hope you have a lovely rest of the evening!

HOLD FAST
Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Hebrews 12: 2

Hold fast that which you have,
and let no one take your crown.

Let no one hinder you in pursuit of the reward.
Let nothing stand in the way of your complete victory.

Let no weariness or discouraging thought cause you to loosen the rope of faith, but bind it tighter and anchor fast to My Word.
My Word can never fail.

Taken from: "365 One-minute Meditations from Come Away My Beloved," published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by Permission.

I was visiting my sweet friend Fairmaiden's blog, Sea Cottage, some time ago and she had this beautiful post that just made my heart melt. So I inquired as to who the Author was. I then went on line and bought several of her books. I simply can't take my nose out of them! The writing is just lovely.
Oh the author? Her name is Frances J. Roberts

Welcome Spring to Brambleberry Gardens!

AaaHhh! The sweet smell of roses is wafting on the breeze. It's been beautiful here the last few days and I've been working in my gardens diligently...how I love spring!
The roses are such pretty shades of pinks and peaches and one that produces both pink and white flowers. Sounds strange, I know, but it's true!
I used to know each plant by name, but some how over the years I've forgotten. Thankfully they don't seem to mind as long as I keep them watered and well fed. This is going to sound nutty, but I used to make them banana shakes. I had a huge mulch pile (with the most beautiful worms) where all my kitchen scraps went except the banana's. Those I kept in a special place and at the end of each week I blended them all up to put at the base of each rose. They just LoVe the potasium!

The bees are happily buzzing about the wisteria and as long as they stay out of my way I'll stay out of there's.

Here's my little hummer friend who happily flits about my head. Every time I go outback he's there to greet me with his happy little antics. Have you ever seen a hummer stick his tongue out? Well this little guy is doing it right now...my that tongue is long!

Even Elmo is laughing because it's spring...
He's my funny little companion who follows me every where. If I go outside there he is... if I stay indoors there he is...if someone comes over to visit he won't leave my side. He's very silly and sweet and loves to sit at my feet.

Aaaahhh! Colette! Her I remember. Sweet little double rose buds in the prettiest shades of peach and such a heady scent. One little flower can perfume an entire room for days. Hubby's not as fond of her as I am for she has the tiniest little rose hips with the sharpest little thorns. She reminds me of the one that the Little Prince tended on his planet. Always demanding, but ever so delightful!

My gardens are covered in butterflies and the spiky little worms that they emerge from!
When I went out to water the lawn this little one was basking on the brick path that leads to the Faerie Ring. I turned on the sprinkler, went back in the house and when I returned a short while later she was on her back with her sweet little legs flailing in the air. I was so horrified!!! I would hate to think that I was responsible for the death of a butterfly. Thankfully she allowed me to pick her up where she rested on my finger until I placed her on the rose.

This one I remember too! she goes by the name of Brass Band.
Not a particularly lovely name for such a beautiful rose.

We have darling little morning doves that play beneath the roses, but I never get close enough to take a picture of their sweet little faces.

Don't you just love spring? I know I do!

Well, I must be off! My friend Janet and I are attending a High Tea this afternoon with eight courses and a lecture. It's an annual event put on by a couple in their historic Home and it's always a delight. The food is delicious and the lectures lively. In the past we've learned about Victorian Mourning Customs, Victorian Unmentionables (underwear) Petticoats and striped socks :), and Historic Costumes. I don't remember what today's lecture is, but I'll be sure to let you know and of course my camera battery is fully charged!!!

Whatever you do today, I hope it is lovely!
Bye now!