Jessica at her most recent piano recital

More on bottle cutting

I realized I should have included the link when I talked about bottle cutting before. this technique works the best for me so far. I do not have the bottle cutter, but a small cheap tool from the hardware store. I fasten that in a vise, then with a solid grip I turn the bottle around in a circle, letting the cutter cut all around the bottle once or more if needed.

 The piece on the left is a cut cod liver oil bottle, and the glass on the right is from a sprite bottle. (In Belize most sodas still come in glass bottles)

 This can be tricky, and too often I end up with broken bottles.They don't break while cutting, but while pouring the hot or cold water to separate the two pieces.

 Do you see that this bottle is thick in some ares and thin in others? If you have a bottle like this, you just happen to be unfortunate, because they don't want to behave when splitting. I threw away two of these big rum bottles and am thinking they might never work for me.

 I am most successful with the regular wine bottles that I cut at the bottom. These I can turn into wine glasses or candle lanterns, either one.

 If these glasses tip over, they will most likely break. Trust me, I speak from experience! 

And here's what you don't want -- an explosion. Too bad for me, I had to find this one out personally too! Before pouring hot water for the first time, make sure the cap is off! I had a frosted bottle that was supposed to work out well, but since I had forgotten to take the cap off, it exploded into two when pouring the hot water. DON"T do that! No one got hurt, but it still gave me a good scare.

They do make lovely flower vases.

Girls' Rainy Day Tea Party

 

 Last week I decided it was time for another tea party. In Belize the hot dry summer days are over for now, and the rainy humid season has started. During the hot months one does not feel like drinking hot tea, only lots of sweet iced tea.

But, when it is dark and rainy outside, what's better than to light some candles, decorate a table and brew some tea. Invite some friends first, and here's what we will serve:

 

 Homemade cookies dipped in chocolate.

Some Brookside chocolate covered fruit candy. The best!

 

 Happy cow cheese.

 ...and some chips brought by one of the friends completes the perfect tea snack.

 For the centerpiece we used my cut glass bottle.

 Some of our latest teacups that we used:

 

 Dilmah teas...apple cinnamon and blueberry vanilla.

The three happy friends at the party. They loved it!

 

 It is especially rewarding for me to host a party like this and then to hear the remark, "I have never done this before." And then to see the smile on their faces and the sparkle in their eyes, knowing that one of their girlish dreams have probably just come true, is a very fulfilling and rewarding feeling.

Linked up at
the Shabby Nest
and:
Bernideen's Tea Time Blog