The Tea Rooms have reopened!

 After a very long hiatus, there is some good news about the Rose Cottage Tea Room.

It has reopened on the beautiful Isle of Wight! The proprietress Hitty Joyful is looking forward to Spring and Summer visitors.

The sign is at the door, fresh flowers are hanging on the wall and they are in business.

Hitty Joyful was delighted to have so many guests immediately she reopened.

Aha!  So this is where Hitty Phoebe got to...she sneaked off to have morning tea with a friend!

They delighted in having a wonderful morning tea with lovely goodies to eat.  Hitty Mary Jean especially got dressed up for the occasion.  

Hitty Joyful is hopeful she will get many new visitors to her tea room. 

Christmas Lights!

Hitty Mary Jean thought she would get the lights ready while they were waiting for the other girls to bring the tree back.

There seems to be something wrong with them.

Oh no!  Disaster.  Hitty Patience is shocked that somehow the lights have lost their 'plug' and no longer work.  What are we going to do?

Never fear though, Hitty Moana comes to the rescue. 

With my trusty shopping basket I can go down to the shops and be back with some lights ready in time for the arrival of the tree.

What a relief!

Who has been sitting in MY chair?

Gosh a post, and not before time!  Although it will still be short and sweet.  Had fun thinking up something for the Hitty Girls 'Goldilocks and The Three Bears Challenge'. 

Hitty Mary Jean wanted to play the part of Goldilocks as she said her hair been red rather than black was closer to Gold than the other Hitty Girls...Of course she was able to play the part quite well!

Look! It's Arrived!

Hitty Mary Jean came running up in excitement this morning.

Look!  Look!  She cried. Our little book from the Robertson Hittys has arrived!

It was a very timely arrival as we had just been thinking about it this morning and hoping it hadn't gone astray, but fortunately not.  

She couldn't wait to start reading it and the other gathered round in excitement.

It is starting to look a lot like Christmas

Here at Rose Cottage there is a hive of activity...

Hitty Mary Jean has almost finished trimming the tree.

Hitty Annabel and Hitty Ethel have been having a change round in the living room and moving furniture.

Outside Hitty Moana and Hitty Rimu have been decorating the largest pine tree.

Hitty Natalie Rose has been putting up the Nativity Scene.

Still more to do, but it is looking just lovely.

Hitty Madge's Surprise!

 Well all the Hittys at Rose Cottage were in for a bit of a shock!

Hitty Madge, normally pretty undemanding, came home with a big surprise for them yesterday.  She decided it was time that they joined the 21st Century.

Oh my goodness!  They gasp.  What have you done Madge, can you drive?  

Well if I can fly a helicopter, then driving a car can't be too difficult! She tells them.

She hops out.  They really can't believe their eyes!

It's a convertible.  She tells them.

A convertible what?  Hitty Mary Jean asks.

Silly!  It is a convertible car, that means you can put the top down.  Ideal for warm summery days.  Madge explains.

But it is winter!  Mary Jean reminds her.

Yes, but it won't ALWAYS be winter. She replies.

Would you like to go for a ride?  I can fit in three at a time.  She says.

Hitty Moana, Hitty Rimu and Hitty Mary Jean hop in while Hitty Phoebe stands by and watches from a safe distance.

Whee!  This is fun calls out Hitty Mary Jean.  I think this is a great idea!

Some time later...Hitty Madge surprises them yet again!

What is this?  Hitty Moana asks?

Well what do you think it is?  Madge replies with a hint of mischievous in her voice.

I've got us a caravan!  

Come inside.  She suggests.

They follow her inside.

Hitty Mary Jean can't quite believe it.

Hitty Moana and Hitty Phoebe have to sit down to take it all in.

She shows them all the 'mod cons' as she calls them.

Mary Jean tries the bed out.

Well?  She asks.

Well!  They all chorus.  But it is winter time!  We can't go camping in winter, it is too wet and cold.

Well we COULD, she replies, but of course you are right, it would be far nicer in the summer.  In the meantime I though we could occupy ourselves over the winter months by making accessories for it, to make our camping experience more comfortable!

It looks like the girls have a winter project!  

A Busy Monday

Rose Cottage was buzzing with activity today.

Hitty Mary Jean was helping Becassine tidy up the Boarding house when she found the two shells Hitty Helen R & M had found on Orewa Beach in New Zealand...they must have forgot to pack them so she packaged them up and they are now on their way to them.

Hitty Madge was admiring the purple rhododendrons

She also picked some purple flowers for the vase in their living room.

There, that looks pretty.

Hitty Phoebe is going to go and do some shopping and asks Hitty Moana and Hitty Rimu if they would like to come with her.

Hitty Joyful is busy in the tearoom.

Whilst out side the boys are playing, Hitty Carol Faith is doing what she does best and Hitty Natalie Rose is going to plant some seeds.

A New Girl has Awakened.

There were rather a few tears last week...but hopefully Hitty Mary Jean has cheered up now.

She should do soon anyway as Hitty Anne has finally awakened!  

Here she is waiting to dry.

I didn't have and could find the right size dowel for her pegs, so used elastic and some little buttons instead.  She is much happier now she is altogether.

She finally got to put on her 'welcome home' clothes that were made back in January!

Our First Visitor to Rose Cottage Boarding House has Arrived!

The excitement here in Rose Cottage reached a high this morning as the first, yes you heard right, the first of not one, not two, but possibly THREE visitors to Rose Cottage Boarding House arrived.  This was most unexpected.... seems the thought of  visiting us here in England and then travelling with Hitty Madge  to New Zealand is a very popular destination indeed.

So anyway....who was the first to arrive we wondered?

Hitty Mary Jean gets the scissors to help open the travelling box.

Oh wow look!  Our visitor is from the United States of America!  How very exciting!

Lots of white polystyrene peanuts to protect and soften the journey.

Hitty Rimu, Hitty Madge, Hitty Mary Jean and myself, Hitty Patience start trying to clear the way.

First we discover all these amazing little baskets - this was certainly unexpected and very exciting.

We put them aside for now so we can see who is in her special travel pouch.

We are delighted to see she knows how to travel in style.

Untying and lifting the lid and there is Hitty Helen.

We welcome her to England.  She is a little bewildered after her long journey.

To give her a chance to recover before meeting the rest of the Hittys we take her to the Rose Cottage Tea Room where Hitty Joyful has been making her some sandwiches and cakes and of course the ever needed cup of tea.

Enjoying some sustenance, Hitty Helen appreciates a bit of a quiet chat.  She is very pleased to have arrived safely after her long journey.