Spring Cross Stitch, Button Bunny Pillow, and Dessert

 For today's tea, I have some things I'd like to share with you.  Let's sit and have a slice of Pistachio Layered Dessert that I have leftover from St. Patrick's Day and a cup of tea.  The gorgeous pink roses were found at a local grocery store, as a rainy day special, for $2.00!!!

This Spring Cross Stitch is a Lizzie Kate design that I recently finished.   I did it on linen and changed some of the colors up a bit to suit my tastes.  I'm doing all four seasons and will just change them out in the same frame.

My Petit Point teacup is by Royal Albert, and found on Ebay.  When I opened up the box, one of my granddaughters was here and she said, "Oh Nana. it looks like cross stitch!" 

I turned over my sweater pillow that I had made for Valentine's Day, and used buttons to make a bunny.  My inspiration was from a catalog from Pier 1, which I've shown below.  I just laid my buttons around until I liked the shape and then I hot glued them on.  You can see my heart button pillow here. 

Here's my inspiration for my bunny pillow.

Recently my friend Sandi, from Rose Chintz Cottage, made a pistachio dessert and I was inspired to make one again for St. Patrick's Day.  You can find my recipe that I shared last Spring, which can be found here.  This time, instead of using Oreos in the crust, I used a sleeve of Lorna Doone cookies, along with the melted butter.  They're both good!  You can also check out Sandi's  Pistachio Delight dessert here. 

I am sharing this with:

Tea Time Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea 

Friends Sharing Tea

Tea Cup Tuesday 
Roses of Inspiration 

Share Your Cup

Full Plate

Foodie Friday

Weekend Potluck

Green Velvet Cupcakes and Irish Tea

 Kathleen from Cuisine Kathleen is having her annual St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl, and Sandi from Rose Chintz Cottage is having her St. Patrick's Day and Spring Party.   I'm sharing my Irish Tea, and I'd love for you to join me.  I have extra cupcakes that I can bring to the table.

 This adorable teapot is one that I found for $1.50.  It's old, has crazing, and the spout is chipped,  but I just love her!  The bottom says Carrigaline Pottery Co., Cork Ireland. I like to think that someone so lovingly carried it over from Ireland, and now I have the privilege of using it. The lace doily is from a blogging friend.  Isn't it gorgeous?

 This cup was an Ebay purchase and the lady said that the china had belonged to her husband's family.  It looks very old and says Rolland, Johnson Brothers on the underside.  I have to say that I adore this pattern!

 The pattern looks like Celtic hearts and  I just fell in love with it.  Inside the cup, at the bottom, is a repeat of the same design as in the middle of the saucer. 

 Maybe you'd like to read my Irish Blessings Journal from our dream vacation that my late beloved hubby and I took back in 2009? 

 Now, let's enjoy a Green Velvet Cupcake with our tea, shall we? My adapted  recipe comes from Kraft and it turned out so pretty! Instead of using semi-sweet chocolate, I used white chocolate with the food coloring because I wanted a deep green for the cupcakes.   The frosting is so light and creamy.  I hope you can try these for a St. Paddy's Day treat!  My Mom gave me the pretty plate,  which has no marking, but isn't it sweet?

1 pkg.   (2-layer size) white cake mix

2  oz.  white chocolate, melted (Kraft kitchens actually used semi-sweet chocolate)

1  Tbsp.  green food coloring (I used a few drops of gel colors of blue and yellow to get the bright green)

4  oz.  (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, softened

1  jar  (7 oz.) Marshmallow Creme

1  tsp.  vanilla

1 (8 oz.) container of frozen whipped topping, thawed

  HEAT oven to 350 degrees.

PREPARE and bake cake batter as directed on package for 24 cupcakes, blending melted chocolate and food coloring into batter before spooning into prepared muffin cups. Cool completely.
 
BEAT cream cheese, marshmallow creme and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add the thawed frozen whipped topping; beat just until blended.
 
SPOON frosting mixture into resealable plastic bag. Cut corner off one bottom corner of bag; use to pipe COOL WHIP mixture onto tops of cupcakes.
 

These were my happy helpers and taste testers!

Here's my counted cross stitch that I did back in 1997 and recently turned  into an envelope style pillow.  Slainte'!

 

  I am sharing this with:

Cuisine Kathleen

Tea Time Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea 

Friends Sharing Tea

Tea Cup Tuesday 
Roses of Inspiration 

Share Your Cup

Full Plate

Foodie Friday

Weekend Potluck

Happy St. Patrick's Day! xo