The "Greening" Continues!

Yes...the tree is up....you'll notice it has to be kind of tucked behind

the sofa because of space issues. Isn't a major deal to figure out where
to place the tree? It is always a challenge but it always works out and
once those lights are twinkling who really cares if things are a bit crowded?

This arrangement on our coffee table was a gift I received several
years ago from a sweet friend, who is a very talented floral designer.
I added some fresh greenery and berries and one would never know that it isn't totally fresh arrangement.

OK...not to brag...but this arrangement below is the one I am most proud of!
A few weeks ago, Mr. Sweettea was out in the back yard pulling down this vine that was wrapped around one of our giant cedar trees.
He proudly showed me the vine he was yanking out of the tree when I suddenly screamed!
I realized it was a vine of bittersweet! I LOVE bittersweet! I pay good money for dried bittersweet vine!
In fact, I had my brother buy some for me last year at the craft fair and 
he was shocked at how expensive a dried up old vine was!(What is it about these guys that they don't appreciate fine things like bittersweet?)
Last year, after I was through with the vines, I threw them out in my back yard and I guess a bird or the wind carried some of the berries up under one of our cedar trees
where it proceeded to grow into a lovely vine. Mr Sweettea wasn't too happy that his "vine destuction" project was called to an abrupt halt and his new instructions were to carefully retrieve it for me.
But I convinced him that we were growing a "high dollar crop" and that if he didn't pull it up by the roots we would have a bumper crop of bittersweet in a few years!!
Below in the vase is the first bunch of our soon to be bumper crop of bittersweet!!


"I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I
in him, He will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing."

John 15:5 NIV

The Hanging of the Greens

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING DISCLAIMER BEFORE YOU READ THE FOLLOWING POST!
Besides being A.D.D., I am seriously "tech" challenged!! The mere fact that my blog is up and running is a minor miracle! The fact that some photographs are also included is another miracle! The fact that some of these pictures below vary in size from huge to mini are beyond my tech reasoning! Believe me when I tell you that I am not the sort of housekeeper that would deliberately enlarge a picture to such a degree that you can probably see the dust bunnies on and under the furniture! I have worked and worked to correct the situation until I convinced myself there is no such thing as "blogger's jail" and I would just live with it! I hope you will too! (Besides, it might make you very happy to find dust bunnies all around my house!) Someday, when I am a world famous blogger :)....and have "peeps" to do all my postings, ect. :), and actually own a camera that costs more than $99! :) ..... I will look back at these early blogs and laugh at them! For now....I will humbly ask you to pretend that these are all very high tech, expertly obtained pictures!! :) Now...on to business!

Oh how I love the Christmas season! Of course...it always seems to be here before I am prepared! The Hanging of the Greens had to begin immediately after Thanksgiving since I am hosting a little gathering of a girl's supper club that I'm in. We generally meet around each other's birthdays and have great fun talking, eating and mostly laughing!  It's a laid back group...which always makes it so much fun....we can wear what we want, cook what we want and say what we want! Anyway...I knew if I hosted it in early December we would be motivated to at least begin our Christmas decorating. I say "we" because Mr. Sweettea loves plays a large roll in the Hanging of the Greens... the all important task of getting all the boxes down and hanging the outdoor wreaths. Here's a peek of things so far.....

There's nothing like a little fresh pine, magnolia and cedar arranged thrown into a cachepot to say Merry Christmas as you enter the front door!

More fresh greens in a little cherub vase

Another cherub hung over a boxwood wreath that hangs over a mirror. I hung the wreath (a gift from my sweet friend SuSu) last Christmas and just couldn't ever bear to take it down! It is now a permanent fixture but I will remove the cherub after Christmas, though I really love her! You can tell that I really have "issues" with paring down my clutter....which is a BIG no no in the design world these days!! In the design world, now is the time for just a very few large, fabulous things on a table....clean and pared down! And I really love the look. So, clutter is "OUT" but my own home hasn't received the "design memo" quite yet!

Even the bunnies hold Christmas greens....


This bunny holds two vases and a candle on top! He is a multi tasking bunny!
I love and use him too much to only put him out in the spring. Besides, if I put
him away, I would probably not find him again for five years! I wish this picture
showed the pretty brown "log" candle on top before it burned down to a brown
and beige puddle! (Use your imagination!) Anyway...I really love to have tiny vases
around to hold greenery and flowers. It gives the same feel as having a large vase
of fresh flowers and greenery without all the time and expense.



More tomorrow...I'm tired! :)
Happy decorating to you and yours!~The Sweet Tea Cottage

God Bless America

Please remember to pray for the troops, families and community of Fort Hood.
Also, pray for our brave men and women serving our country all over the world.

More Hand Sewn Goodies

Ok...I promised y'all more pictures of the wonderful hand sewn
pieces that my friend Annelle has made
for my sweettea grands over the years.
Here are a few....there will be more to come so stay tuned!!

I love this sweet day gown because it's made out of the softest flannel!
It was just snuggly just like the little sweettea snuggle bug who wore it!



Notice the little finishing touch of the blue rick rack matching the monogram?


This is the day gown that same little snuggle bug wore home from the hospital.
He looked like such a sweettea in it!