in the garden

arliss — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 20:11:20 GMT

Thanks so much, aerynsun5 for the pretty balloons V-gift. Balloons are a necessity for birthdays!

Thanks so much

arliss — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 06:42:04 GMT

to meus_venator for the tulips V-gift! It won't be long now, till actual tulip season--this is a lovely taste of what's to come!

LJversary

arliss — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 05:12:25 GMT

Yesterday was my fourteenth LJversary. I wasn't home to celebrate it. It's hard leaving home, but it's time to make home in a new place. I miss you, flist, those of you who are still here, and those of you who have moved on. Come visit--maybe you'll like the neighborhood.

This entry was originally posted at http://arliss.dreamwidth.org/910691.html. Please comment here or there.

LJ 18th anniversary

arliss — Sun, 16 Apr 2017 16:50:40 GMT

arliss at Dreamwidth and Tumblr

#mylivejournal #lj18 #happybirthday

arliss — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 20:24:46 GMT

Hi guys.

Here I am without so much as tea pictures to post. I did want to say that I've had a Dreamwidth account in this name since DW was in beta. I never managed to get xposting to work, but I manually xposted for a while, and then let that lapse.

I'm updating my DW from this account, and when that's done, I'll be moving over there permanently. I have ridiculous paid time, thanks to the new TOS, and as long as that lasts, if the creek don't rise I'll still be reading here and commenting on your posts. But this is probably my last post here.

It sucks. This account is fourteen years old this month. That's a lot of fandom and friends history, and honestly, it hurts to leave it behind. Those of you who'll be moving to DW, find me over there. My arliss account has been dormant for awhile, but I still read and comment there.

I don't want to leave LJ, it's been home. But I can't stay, under the Russian law our journals are now subject to. Find me at Dreamwidth. I don't want to lose touch with any of you.

Hallo, lovely people

arliss — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 18:05:32 GMT

I know, I know. I never call, I never write. I never make an appearance except to invite you all to tea. Here we are again. Again.

Paragon's "Melanie" china, Portmeirion "Botannic Garden" teapot. Typhoo black in the pot. Makes a grey and rainy afternoon more cozy.

arliss — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 01:55:06 GMT

H makes a vat of vegebarleybeef soup several times a year, particularly welcome in winter. He offered a quart to the next door neighbor, who said, "Oh, I couldn't eat that much!" and accepted a pint, instead. This afternoon we found the pint container on the back steps with homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies inside. I'm liking this arrangement!

Minton's Haddon Hall plate, cup, and saucer, thrifted sugar and creamer, Portmeirion "A Fine Romance" teapot. It pleases me the tea towel has herbs printed in purple and green.

arliss — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 01:10:23 GMT

It's been a while. I'm settled by the front window, watching the snowflakes fall like it's their job, with a throw over my legs and a pot of English Breakfast. Walker's shortbread and French raspberry tartlet. The cream jug is new-to-me, a Christmas gift from a friend.

Auntie Em! Auntie Em!

arliss — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 10:08:01 GMT

Blustery afternoon, building to gale force winds, 50 mph, this evening and overnight. Time for curling on the couch with some tea.

Shelley "Hedgerow" cup and saucer, plate is marked "Mira, Occupied Japan, Royal Chelsea sugar and cream jug, French triple plate spoon, unmarked tea pot.

May all who observe Thanksgiving tomorrow have one full of warmth and laughter. And those who don't are wished a happy Thursday, and your share of warmth and laughter as well.

cheering myself up with a cuppa

arliss — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 06:19:22 GMT

In need of a bracing cup of tea and a cinnamon bun today.

Doulton plate, Crafton cup and saucer, Foley cream and sugar, coin silver spoon, thrifted silverplate tongs. Cobalt pot isn't marked.

arliss — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 00:19:14 GMT

Hi, yes, hello, here we are again.

Another thrifted pot, sugarbowl, plate. Another Foley cup and saucer. This one reminds me of rolling Tuscan hills, or stylized waves in Japanese paintings, or fish scales--maybe dragon scales!

arliss — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 05:55:42 GMT

The weather's turned off cool--in the low 60s, and 40s at night. It's welcome, but a bit of a change. The chill makes my tea even more welcome.

This is my favorite $2.00 thrift shop teapot. I love how the gold lattice on the Foley cup and saucer pick up the green checkerboard on the plate and sugarbowl, both stamped "Japan."

arliss — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 18:48:51 GMT

The color black is used less often than most colors in china patterns. So when I have a few pieces that do have some black in them, it pleases me to use them together.

The plate is Royal Standard's "1810" black chintzware, with daisies and daffodils. The yellow triangles teacup is Paragon's "718X" first produced in 1918, and the second cup and saucer, while beautiful, are unmarked. Two views, to reveal the floral decoration inside, and the shape of the foot and the pretty handle.

arliss — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 04:00:16 GMT

We drove out to Deception Pass this afternoon. His ashes are scattered there, where you can gaze out past the islands toward Japan. We scattered some on the NC coast before we left there, too. H says he has a foot on each coast, an eye on each ocean.

arliss — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 02:36:40 GMT

I love my Brown Betty with the downturned spout--no drips or dribbles! Today's china is Johnson Brothers' Strawberry Fair. Cookies courtesy of Pepperidge Farm.

arliss — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 23:07:08 GMT

In anticipation of late summer and fall, I thought this afternoon we'd celebrate in browns.

click to enlarge

The cloth is a dresser scarf with fancy french knots, satin stich, chain stitch, etc. embroidered by my mom, and edged with lace tatted by my grandmother.

I love the English Burslem pot, hand painted with foxgloves and tulips. The cups, Colclough, Sutherland's "Chiang," and Rosina "4951" all have brown details, and look cheerful gathered with the pot. One spoon is coin silver, the other spoons, the lemon fork and tongs are vintage silverplate. Nibbles are raspberry jam bar cookies, and oatmeal bites.

arliss — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 23:57:58 GMT

This afternoon's tea. Black? Or Earl Grey?

Dates stuffed with almonds and cream cheese, dredged in sugar, fresh strawberries, and boxed cookies.

Paragon China's "Melanie" pattern, antique silver spoons. The silver pot with bird finial on the lid was found derelict and heavily tarnished--it's shiny inside and out, now.

arliss — Fri, 20 May 2016 04:38:00 GMT

It's been a while. I hope the flist is doing well. I thought I'd share some pictures.

Morning light in the garden. I love the delicate salal flowers.

And this afternoon's tea. Black Typhoo in the pot I found for $2.00, thrifted, unmarked early 20th Century American redware. Restaurant creamer, thrifted teapot stand, coin silver spoon, silverplate tongs. Mt. Clemens “Mildred” pottery, gifted, thrifted, and found. The plate was under a flowerpot with a dead plant in our apartment in Germany. It cleaned up nicely.

arliss — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 01:57:37 GMT

(apologies to those of you who may have seen this elsewhere)

Thrift shop china, the pot was $2.00, unmarked early 20th century American redware. The cream jug was a gift. Cream cheese and homemade raspberry-pomegranite preserves on half the rice cake, homemade lemon curd on the other.

Books, bears, tarot–Dreaming Way, Deviant Moon, Sun and Moon decks–and tea. The Peanut Gallery: Naomi Laight’s Georgiana, Steiff’s Snap-apart bear, assorted Steiff 10cm bears, one tiny artist’s bear, and Ralph, who started life as a keychain fob. Ralph and Timiny (Steiff, blue sweater) travel wherever I go, in a special pouch in my purse. The bears don’t care about tea, but they’re very fond of honey toast.

today's tea

arliss — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 02:02:03 GMT

Yes, that's tea--black and strong. Portmeirion teapot, teapot stand, plate, and tea strainer all courtesy of ebay. Other items from antiques shops: cup and saucer from Havelock, NC, tray from Kernersville, NC, cream jug from Southern Pines, NC, sugar bowl from Hillsborough, NC, tongs from Bellingham, WA. Full-leaded Typhoo in the pot, homemade pumpkin-walnut bread garnished with plain nonfat yogurt. Nom!

arliss — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 00:02:41 GMT

Some mornings when the better course would seem to be just not getting up, even for coffee, what motivates me out of bed is knowing I get to open another day on my Jacquie Lawson Advent calendar. A little sad, but you know, whatever works.

H just went out and bought a whole string of lights just for four replacement bulbs on our "pre-lit" tree--that has two swaths of impenetrable dark. Ooh! One of those just lit up.

Last night's supper was a giant bowl of steamed broccoli dusted with sea salt. Nom! I should do that more often.

I have not done cards. I have not sent the few presents I need to send. We blew off going to the movies this afternoon as neither of us could be arsed to care enough to go. I am overcome with ennui and the urgent need to nap. A brisk walk in the bracing air does not energize, it merely enhances the nappishness. Moar coffee just makes me both jittery *and* nappish, possibly entertaining for the observer. From here, not so much.

Perhaps I should open tomorrow's day on the advent calendar. Or go back and start at Day One again, that might be fun. Or nap. Naaap.

arliss — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 19:20:23 GMT

To everyone who celebrates this day, let me wish sufficient good food to share with family, friends, and strangers in need. Warmest good wishes to us all.

Dear Writers...

arliss — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 23:58:38 GMT

If you are writing about Domination/submission, your Dom is supposed to dominate his or her partner, who submits. Your Dom is the dominant, his/her partner is the submissive. To sum up, Dominate or submit, *a* Dominant or *a* submissive. I know, verbs, adverbs, so confusing. But words, who knew? Not interchangeable.

arliss — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 18:06:44 GMT

I seem to have acquired a number of Rider-Waite decks. This one is my favorite.

Sometimes beginners' luck is a real and wonderful thing. I began my collection by buying the Londa (click "more samples") and the Aquarian (click) decks for myself. But the Rider-Waite is a classic, and I thought I should probably have a R-W deck for study. It didn't actually appeal to me visually and I felt I'd be satisfied with a used deck. I was casually cruising ebay, and ran across the University Books edition. Packaged in a brown slipcase box, the card backs feature wavy pink stripes on white, centered with a dark pink rectangle surrounding a pink ankh. Eight bucks and shipping, and it was mine.

That's the slipcase on the right, up there in the first pic. The card on the reverse of the slipcase was missing, but some research showed it was supposed to be the Empress. A friend scanned the Empress card from this deck and printed it onto card stock for me (made a couple of copies--more later), and I trimmed it, using the original card as template, and glued the copy in place on the slipcase.

The cards were in pristine condition, showed absolutely no wear, as if they'd never, or rarely, been used. The only damage to the slipcase, other than missing the Empress card, was normal shelf wear.

A few cards from this edition--shown with a regular style box.

A while later, I bought a one of a kind designer tarot bag from an online vendor, and was surprised to find a used R-W deck inside. "For crafting," the designer wrote. In case I wanted to cut or glue the cards to a craft project of my own, since it was an incomplete deck. I went through the deck, obviously worn, but cared for, as it was slightly "soft", but not dirty or stained. And the only card missing was...the Empress. So I scanned the blue-black hatched plaid design on the back of this deck, and carefully cut and glued it to the extra copy of the Empress card my friend had made me, et voila! Another complete R-W deck.

Over time I accumulated a Universal Waite deck, a Giant Rider-Waite, a mini R-W, and even a Tarot of the New Vision, which is the R-W images, viewed from the back of each scene. And then another friend who has an ebay store gave me a boxed R-W she had found somewhere, again as "scrap", an incomplete deck. I checked carefully--all the cards are there. A little cleaning where needed, a little mending and reinforcing of the box with clear tape, a little cleansing of this deck and the surprise bagged deck, and my three "used" Rider-Waite decks are home and happy. I may find other, newer, better homes for the last two eventually. But the UBooks edition stays with me.

(pictures are not mine, as I am lazy and these are public domain)

arliss — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 16:29:29 GMT

Oh, here http://fufaraw.livejournal.com/36377.html is a thing devoutly to be wished. Any of you who with twitter accounts, get on that, would you?