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gingerbread and tea

A couple of days ago it snowed.
It was completely expected because the temperature was down to below something ridiculous for Vancouver and the upcoming snow was all anyone was talking about. It was on the news, on the radio, people were taking about it at the stores, neighbours, Chloe, my mother…snow plows were beign deployed, salt was being spread at an alarming rate, everyone was up in arms about the upcoming snow. Believe me, snow in town is a special thing because, after all I live on the West Wet Coast. And then it happened. I woke up to a centimetre of crystaly powdering over the garden and streets. It was so pretty. It was so perfect. It was as if overnight Christo and Martha Stewart got together and said, “Come on, you and me, let’s do this!” 🙂

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Yesterday I drove down the hill to pick up C from her work and to run a few errands and then, drove back up the hill again. It was only about 4:30pm but by that time the ground began to freeze and pulling my heavy 4runner up the steep grade made the front wheels dance like crazy from the pushing of the back wheels. Robert said that perhaps I should have engaged the four wheel drive and I said it wasn’t that bad. He said, “what do you consider ‘that bad’?” I said, “when it scares me…this was fun…a challenge.” He said, “what are you like?” 😀 (By the time I got home mom had already called 17 times because she was convinced I had spun off the road and was dead in some ditch in Richmond. I’m telling you, we Vancouverites take our snow seriously.)

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But mainly Vancouverites know better and tend to stay off the roads till everything melts, which is usually the very next day, so C and I decided to stay at home this afternoon and have tea and decorate the gingerbread cookies we baked.

Don’t you love the smell of gingerbread?

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We had our tea in these very special cups C bought recently. They are designed by Parisian artist Florence Balducci. She fell in love with them at Anthropologie and, when they were in the sale section, and it was Black Friday, and she just happened to be there to have supper with her father…well, what do you call it when everything comes together? The Bermuda triangle. But don’t you love them as much as gingerbread? There are birds on the cup. There’s a pheasant, a magpie and a woodpecker and an owl on the inside saying “me too”, and a fox wraps herself around the bottom of the cup from the plate.

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So we sat and drank some tea and watched this insane video of crazy winter driving, and decorated snowflakes and snowmen and raindeer and moose and gingerbread men and candles and Christmas trees and maples leaves, and sprinkled sugar and dragee balls and coconut flakes on our cookies, and now we have plenty of beautiful, fragrant cookies for everyone on our lists.

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It’s a good thing too because I’m off to England tomorrow. C is staying here though 🙁 but we will speak every day. (Shh…Please don’t tell C that she’s 21 and actually doesn’t HAVE to call me every day; she hasn’t figured that out yet.) Also, because it’s so much work to get the Vancouver house arranged before I leave and to get everything sorted for my flight, I might not be able to visit my tea lovelies for a couple of days…but I’ll try to do my best.

Linking with Terri and Martha and Sandi and Bernideen and Kathy and also Kathe with an e 🙂

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Comments: 22

  • Seline

    December 10, 2013
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    Those cookies look good! I hope you had a great day!

  • December 11, 2013
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    Nothing like cold snowy weather to bring out the baker in us all! hahaha
    I wish you safe travels and a fun time (regardless of what you have to get done). Your home will be safe with C~ she looks capable enough 🙂
    ~Dawn

  • December 11, 2013
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    love those cookies … i am hoping you are on your way to GB … travel safe!

  • December 11, 2013
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    Hello Veronica, I am late to your party, as I was traveling all day yesterday. We did hit a bit of snow and ice at one point, and I was wishing I had 4 wheel drive. But it miraculously got much better.
    I enjoyed your post very much. C looks lovely, and those new tea cups of hers are wonderful. Your festive cookies make me want to start baking! lol! You two did a wonderful job on them. Your house must smell like Christmas.
    I wish you the best on your trip!
    Hugs,
    Terri

  • December 11, 2013
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    Holy cow/reindeer!! Gorgeous cookies–no surprise with your artistic talent–especially love the candle with the wax/frosting drips. Have a safe trip! 🙂

  • December 11, 2013
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    Veronica, your cookies look marvelous! I haven’t made gingerbread cookies in a while and I really should. When my boys were growing up, of course I made them every year for Christmas. Gingerbread boys were always a big hit. I’m not doing the usual baking this year because of my back but I do enjoy looking at everyone else’s. Enjoy England and thanks for coming to Tea Time.

    Christmas blessings,
    Sandi

  • December 11, 2013
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    Oh, I forgot to mention your snow! My DIL had to send me pictures because of course, it is such a big deal to get it out there. Snow is so common here on the east coast.

  • Catherine Llewellyn

    December 12, 2013
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    oh no! I am torn between missing my daily fix of Veronica’s blog (while you’re travelling) and excitement about you being on the way over here and the chance to see you in person – loss/gain/loss/gain – reminds me of something – oh yes – life … love Catherine x

  • December 12, 2013
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    This is my first visit and I really enjoyed it! The cookies look so pretty. How I would love to be on your ‘good list’ this year! Lol That is one really crazy video!!! Oh, dear.

  • December 13, 2013
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    It looks So cosy! i wish I could be with my family right now and prepare some Christmas delicious cookies too.

    {Your last comment was so sweet, and I envy you so much for attending such an intimate concert of a Fine Frenzy. I love this band since their beginning, and I trully hope that I’ll have the chance to see them once}.

    Have a lovely day!

  • January 6, 2014
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    Your home looks so cosy with all the gingerbread and tea. Those cups are rather lovely.

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