From Mrs. Pott's Cupboard | Cinderella's Pumpkin Tea

It's that time of year when everything pumpkin starts appearing in the stores - one of my favorite times of the year! I can't get enough of it and my Trader Joe's runs have become increasingly more orange. So what better princess tea to introduce this month than Cinderella's Pumpkin Tea?! For this one, you may not have all the ingredients on hand, and if not, they are fairly easy to come by, especially right now.

I have mentioned this before, but I do love shopping at Home Goods. They have a terrific baking area with lots of interesting flavorings. That's where I found my pumpkin pie flavoring. You can always purchase yours through Amazon. We are committed to using as much all-natural product in the cottage as we can, and I can vouch for this as being a quality product. If you are in need of Mulling Spices, I highly recommend Penzey's as a great place to purchase them. And they are wonderful to have on hand at this time of year. You can add them to a small pot of boiling water on your stove for an instant shot of autumn.

After tinkering with this blend several times, I realized that this tea really needs a mellowing ingredient. Don't skip the tarragon! It seems weird, I know. But it really helps the entire recipe blend together into a smooth cup. This is certainly one of my favorite tea recipes. I hope you enjoy this princess tea as much as I have. And until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Disney's Cinderella Castle Inspired Hand-Knit Socks

Time for another Disney inspired sock pattern! These socks were inspired by the gothic patterns on Cinderella's Castle in Walt Disney World. This is not my original pattern, but when I saw it, I was immediately reminded of the back of the castle - the view from the Carousel. I also knew I wanted to make them in this royal purple color.   I had been saving this lovely yarn for a special pattern. This was definitely the right one!

These socks were easy to knit and a welcome change after those intricate Dumbo socks last month! I was able to complete these in about two weeks. (A much more reasonable time frame for me!) I love the way they turned out. I think even Cinderella would be pleased! And since our weather is still a bit iffy (even snowy!), I can wear them a bit longer before they need to be retired to the sock drawer for the summer!

If you want all the particulars, including the pattern and the wonderfully soft alpaca yarn I used, you can find all the details on my Ravelry page. Until next time, stay cozy, and may all your days be filled with fairy dust!