My Country, 'Tis of Tea — North Carolina

North Carolina is a state I have grown to love for a number of reasons. My tea friend Ginger lives there, my favorite statewide magazine is based there (Our State North Carolina), and not insignificantly, the awesome publishing company I edit for, Red Adept, is based there. And happily, I know that some pretty unique tea news comes out of North Carolina!

• This vintage postcard depicts a teapot that marks the site of the famous Edenton Tea Party in Edenton, N.C. Some courageous women led by a Penelope Barker vowed they would no longer “conform to ye pernicious Custom of Drinking Tea.” Some 51 women met on October 25, 1774 to protest the Tea Act passed by the British Parliament in 1773. They signed a petition vowing that they would give up their tea and boycott other British products "until such time that all acts which tend to enslave our Native country shall be repealed."

• Camellia Forest Nursery in Chapel Hill, N.C. is a well-known nursery that grows and sells tea plants. A friend and former blogger in North Carolina actually gave me my own thriving camellia sinensis plant, and if I ever need another, one of the first places I will turn will be Camellia Forest Nursery. You can go here to learn more about the varieties of tea plant they sell.

 

• The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has spearheaded a tea mapping project showing the locations of tea plantations in the U.S. The U.S. League of Tea Growers wrote about the project here. With tea being grown all over the U.S. these days, I think it's a great idea to map all of the tea-growing areas of the country, and I look forward to hearing more about this project in the years to come!
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One more coloring book giveaway!

Friends, I have two more of these "Time for Tea" coloring books from Dollar Tree to give away, so I thought I'd make this a weekend giveaway and give everyone until Monday at 7 a.m. to enter.

If you'd like to be in the giveaway, just leave an "Enter me" to this post before August 22 at 7 a.m. EST and you'll be entered to win. US and Canada only, please. Good luck!

A Chinese tea and cake party

One of the tea-themed images I recently found on the New York Public Library website was this 1908 postcard titled "A Chinese Tea and cake Party." Do you find it interesting that the tea party attendees are all men? I do. It's not surprising that Chinese men are drinking tea, but it is surprising that this is called a "tea and cake party" and it's attended by men. I think it's highly possible the men wouldn't have labeled their gathering in this way!

I always like to find that one person in a photo who looks like he wishes the photographer would go away, and that's pretty clearly the gentleman at far right.

If you ever have a hankering to look for old tea images like this, by the way, the website is here, and it's well worth browsing!

Celebrating the new T.J. Maxx & HomeGoods in Peachtree City

Last Thursday, I was getting ready to go to a business function when I got word that the new Peachtree City T.J. Maxx & HomeGoods store (a two-in-one sort of store) was celebrating its Grand Opening that day. I was torn (do I skip the event or head to Peachtree City?), but duty won the day and I headed to my event. The next morning I had another meeting, but as soon as it was over, I headed my little Ford Focus to Peachtree City and was stunned to discover the entire parking lot of the new shopping center was full! Didn't those women (and yeah, it was 110 percent women) know that these were *my* stores? How dare they! At any rate, I had to make it for the opening weekend, and after a parking space finally opened up, I did some leisurely shopping and left with a new notebook (not tea-themed, but writers can never have enough notebooks) as well as some new teapot spreaders and a new tea mug.

They had very few teacups, which was a surprise, but they had a great selection of tea mugs, including a cute one with teapots on it, but I resisted. Then, I got to the very-long-but-very-efficient checkout line, and that's where I spotted this Milly Green mug in honor of Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday. I'm trying to downsize my china a bit and had told myself, "Self, no more tea mugs!" but a $3.99 royal commemorative? So, yeah. Had to.

And have you ever seen prettier spreaders in your life? I had not. These were $7.99 (less than $2 each!), and I have some tea events planned soon where these will come in handy. Not a bad beginning to the new T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods store, which is located 8 miles from my house. And yes, I clocked it. Wouldn't you?

For Tea's Sake Sour Apple Martini Tea

When I was at Plumyumi Day Spa last week, I was intrigued by the name of one tea in particular, the Sour Apple Martini blend. It's rather ironic since I'm a teetotaler (or tea-totaler, as I like to say), but I have always love-love-loved sour apple anything! When I commented that I was interested in this tea, the owner of the spa offered to brew me a cup on the spot, and I took him up on it. It was a wise move on his part, because after just one cup, I bought the largest tin they had before I left!

Are you a fan of sour apple flavor? I remember fondly the sour apple Jolly Ranchers of my youth, and I also recall a sour apple chewing gum that I don't see around anymore. A good grown-up replacement is this Sour Apple Martini green tea, which contains green tea, apple and lemon pieces, safflower and sunflower petals, and natural flavors. Somehow, they managed to subtly capture that "sour" taste in the tea, and I just love it!

I steeped the tea in a filter basket in my teacup, and I enjoyed seeing the bits of fruit and the tea leaves spring to life. While this tea is one of those I'm now fortunate to be able to  purchase locally, if you don't live nearby, you can visit the For Tea's Sake website and check it out for yourself!

Plumyumi Day Spa now offering loose leaf teas!

Have I ever written about a day spa on this blog before? I don't think so, so today may be a first! A few months ago, Eddy Logan, the owner of Plumyumi Day Spa in Peachtree City, contacted me in search of some tea advice. His wife had discovered my tea blog, and since they were considering offering specialty teas at their spa, he asked if I would mind meeting with him and sharing my thoughts. I've never been asked to talk about tea to anyone in the spa business, but Eddy seemed genuinely interested in tea and the process of properly preparing and serving it, so I was happy to meet with him. He asked about varieties of tea, presentation of the tea, storing the tea, steeping the tea, the electric kettle for boiling water for the tea, the best implements for infusing and filtering the tea … all the things that let me know he had done his homework!

When he texted me last week to say that the new tea display was now up at Plumyumi, I of course asked if I could stop by and take a few photos, and he graciously agreed. I love that a new line of teas is now available just eight miles from my house in the Thomas Crossroads area of Newnan, and for local readers, I highly suggest a visit to Plumyumi! If you're a spa-goer, that's great, but you don't have to be booking a spa service to shop here. (By the way, if you're headed to Peachtree City from Newnan on Highway 54, Plumyumi is in the shopping center on the right that's *just before* the shopping center with the new T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods. I personally am delighted with the proximity of these businesses!)

The line chosen to launch the new tea experience at Plumyumi is called For Tea's Sake, and the ones I've sampled so far have been absolutely delicious. The staff has obviously mastered the art of brewing them perfectly. Last week, I tried the Red Velvet Party, a wonderfully rich and truly velvety rooibos; Skinny Sip, a terrific oolong and green tea with a subtle smoky hint; and a third tea that I'll tell you about tomorrow because I brought a tin of it home with me!

I love the variety of teas, the colorful packaging, and the fact that samples are available for sniffing. Also, the price point ($12.95 for the large, nearly-3-ounce tin) is a very good value today.

I think Plumyumi is very wise to have decided they will welcome anyone to stop by and have a free cup of tea anytime! To begin with, they'll be offering three different varieties each day, and they're happy to serve you while you browse the teas and the rest of the boutique area. Their tea gifts alone are impressive: glass teapots, tea sample sets, mugs, infuser travel mugs, tea filters, infusers, flavored honeys and more.

On a side note, I was delighted to see they have Ginger Snaps, that line of interchangeable jeweled pieces that pop in and out of bracelets, necklaces and other jewelry. I love mine, and I love knowing I now have another place to buy them. I was also asked if I'd be interested in perhaps coming one evening this fall to speak to customers about tea and have a tea tasting, so I may have even more Plumyumi news to report in the weeks ahead. But mostly, I'm just thrilled that I've learned about a great new resource for quality tea and tea gifts. If you're near the spa (click here for the website), stop by for a cup of tea and tell them Angela sent you!

My Country, 'Tis of Tea — New York

I was not at all surprised to find lots of information about tea in New York, and I especially had fun discovering a few of the more obscure things about the Empire State!

• Tea Island on Lake George, New York, is a historic resort area that once had a tea house on it.  According to the 1868 book "Lake George" by B. F. DeCosta, "Two miles down the lake, on the west side, close to the shore, is the first island which we pass. It is called Tea Island, and is a perfect gem. In 1828 a 'Tea-house' was kept there to accommodate visitors, which fact accounts for its present name." And you can still visit Tea Island today! Click here if you'd like to see its modern incarnation.

• Some "society women" of a hundred years ago poured tea in New York City for the "motor men of Street Railway." This is one of those wonderful old Library of Congress images that raises more questions than it answers. Its title is simply what the photo reads up top, "Society women pouring tea for motormen of Street Railway." The photo, which is from around 1908, is part of the George Grantham Bain Collection. Who was Bain? He was a New York City photographer known as "the father of foreign photographic news." I can't help wondering whether Bain took this photo himself (those two men at right and that "society woman" closest to them look a bit, um, unimpressed, shall we say). "Motor man" appears to be a term for those who conducted trains and trolleys. So that's helpful, I guess, but why were the "society women" pouring tea for them? Motormen Appreciation Week, maybe? And did you notice the little candlestick lamps/lights on the table? Interesting. And isn't it funny that a century may pass, but we still need the basics of white tablecloths and stacks of plates and cups and a nice, big tea urn!

 • New York City is home of the Russian Tea Room, which is perhaps one of the most legendary tea rooms in the country.

This is a vintage postcard of the tea room I found some years ago, and the back reads: "Next Door to Carnegie Hall, Exquisite RUSSIAN and FRENCH CUISINE. Lunch - Afternoon Tea - Dinner - After-Theatre Supper - Vodka - Cocktails - Wines - Liquors." I've never been to the Russian Tea Room, but it's definitely on my bucket list! (Go here if you'd like to see more photos and their Afternoon Tea offerings.)

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Some tearoom history from Mississippi

I am so fortunate that my blog readers are such generous souls who know precisely the sort of things I like and often share things with me. Today, I wanted to share some pamphlets with you that I received from Patsy in Missouri. I have written about the Old Southern Tea Room in Vicksburg, Mississippi, before, so I was quite delighted to get a vintage pamphlet from this tearoom as well as two more pamphlets from Natchez, Mississippi. In the golden-colored pamphlet above, I was drawn to the image of the Mammy figure on the front. Some years ago, I attended an intriguing lecture in Atlanta by a university professor who was researching the Mammy figure in American history and culture. I was also intrigued to learn that some people actively collect "Mammy" art and artifacts. While the image makes me uncomfortable, I believe that even when researching something as seemingly innocent as the history of American tearooms, it's important to acknowledge this part of US history.

The text of this pamphlet begins, "After a hard drive from California or Maine, the motorist craves good food, and can find it at our Old Southern Tea Room in Vicksburg, Mississippi. This unique oasis of refreshment was established in response to an insistent demand, but does not employ fancy chefs to prepare ornamental dishes. Aunt Elvira, our cook, presides over our kitchen, just as her ancestors did at plantation hearths during the lavish days of the Old South." (I can't help thinking that "Aunt Elvira" might have taken a different view of the work of her ancestors "during the lavish days of the Old South"!)

It's also interesting to note that Duncan Hines and the American Automobile Association recommended this tearoom.

Another eatery recommended by AAA was the Carriage House Restaurant at Stanton Hall, a property of the Pilgrimage Garden Club of Natchez, Mississippi. I love to read old menus, and this one is fun because it focuses on Southern foods of chicken and ham, desserts, and coffee and tea. While there are some aspects of yesteryear that I wouldn't want to return to (see above), oh, for the days when we could have enjoyed a lunch of gumbo, salad, bread, dessert, and tea for just $1.75.

The "Book of Tea" winner is …

Daniele K.! I've sent you an email seeking your snail mail address, Daniele, so as soon as I receive it, I'll get this book headed your way. (And if I see any more copies of this book at Dollar Tree, I'll be sure and pick them up so we can have more giveaways!)

Tea-blending, circa 1896

I've written frequently over the past year of my fondness for the many great digital resources available on the Library of Congress website. I've often explored the newspaper and photography archives there, but I haven't delved too deeply into the digital *books* available on the site. This week, I was frankly surprised to learn about "Tea-Blending as a Fine Art," a book on tea-blending that was written (and self-published, interestingly enough) by Joseph M. Walsh in 1896! Mr. Walsh obviously placed great stock in the importance of tea, as the first sentence of his book reads, "There is no article handled by the grocer which demands greater attention, engages more of his time, or has a more important bearing upon the success of his business than Tea, as it stands in many respects far ahead of all the other commodities in commanding and maintaining patronage, as well as in attracting and retaining trade for numerous other articles, and at the same time yielding a larger margin of profit to the dealer."

When I flipped over to page 15, I was impressed by the variety of Oolongs Mr. Walsh was able to list: Ankoi, Amoy, Foochow, Formosa, Saryune and Pekoe. Then he moves on to "Congou Teas," which he notes are "grown principally in the Bohea hills in China, and are known to trade in this country as English Breakfast Teas. They are divided into Kaisow or Red-leaf and Moning or Black-leaf Tea, and are a distinct variety differing in color, liquor and flavor from the Oolong sorts."

I marvel that he wrote all this without benefit of iPad, iPhone, or Internet. Can you imagine? That's just a small sample of what's shared in Mr. Walsh's book, and I'm so happy to have discovered it. If you'd like to check out this book for yourself, or simply to bookmark it for later reading, as I often do, click here.

A midweek giveaway!

When I see a tea book for only $1 at Dollar Tree, I can't help myself. Yes, I already have "Book of Tea" by Annie Perrier-Robert (I posted a review of it here back in 2010), but I'm betting one of you could use it. Yes?

If so, please leave an "Enter me" comment to this post between now and 7 a.m. tomorrow morning, August 11, and you'll be entered to win! (US and Canada only, please.) Good luck!

Tea Time Magazine's September/October 2016 issue

Local public school students started back to class last week, and another sign that fall is on the way is that the September/October issue of Tea Time magazine landed in my mailbox. Oh, how I love when those spice tones of fall start appearing on the covers of my magazines!

The cover cake on this issue sounds like one I definitely need to try. Do you bake more in the fall? I sure do. In fact, I've been a slacker of a cook this whole summer, rarely doing anything more adventurous than oven-baking some of the copious quantities of (delicious!) squash my dad kept us in all season long. But this Walnut-Apricot Spice Cake ... oh my goodness. From the spicy-looking interior to the nutty exterior and the luscious looking apricot jam and vanilla buttercream on top, well, I can just imagine the glorious flavors. With a cup of apricot tea, perhaps. But it has to wait till fall. I just can't enjoy a fall flavor at the tail end of summer, can you?

And owing to my current love of all things turquoise, I enjoyed reading about this "Afternoon Teal" (not "tea" but "teal") that uses the teal color to bring awareness to ovarian cancer. (Note the simple ribbon-shaped fold of the napkin at lower left. Clever!) Kentucky tearooms are highlighted in this issue as well, including, I was pleased to see, the Greentree Tearoom in Lexington that I visited with Linda Jennings and other tea friends a few years back. There's also an article about Jane Pettigrew, whom I once got to meet at a World Tea Expo, receiving the British Empire Medal and attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace. Have you received your issue yet? If so, what were your favorite features?

"All-Butter ShortDead" by H. Y. Hanna a fun prequel!

Back in June, I had the pleasure of reading "A Scone to Die For," the first book in the Oxford Tearoom cozy mystery series by H. Y. Hanna. After reading that book, I had subscribed to Hanna's email newsletter, so last week I was pleased to receive word that she'd written a shorter cozy, a "prequel" to the series, and it was now available as a free download on Amazon.

"All-Butter ShortDead" begins with Gemma Rose flying home to Oxford, England, from Australia, having decided to leave her successful but stressful executive career behind in order to return to her family and follow her dream of opening a tearoom. On the plane, she finds her seatmate is a woman who seems terribly afraid of flying, and Gemma tries to help calm the woman's nerves, even as she finds something about the woman, Jenn, a little odd. When the plane lands, Jenn takes off and leaves a pretty scarf behind in her seat. Gemma remembers the name of the hotel in England where the woman is staying—it's not too far from Gemma—so she rings her up and offers to deliver the scarf. Jenn invites Gemma to join her for a drink at the hotel but ends up getting so drunk that Gemma finds it necessary to help her back to her room before calling it a night.

The next morning, Gemma gets word that Jenna has been murdered, and all fingers seem to point at Gemma. She's in danger of losing her new tearoom before she's even signed the contract on it, and rumors are swirling about her personal life as well.

This book is shorter than the other novel, but it was a fun read, and since it's free for only a limited time, I'd encourage those of you who like cozy mysteries to go here and download it now. The books are perfect reads for tea lovers, and I look forward to reading the entire series!

My Country, 'Tis of Tea — New Mexico

I've not yet had the pleasure of traveling to the Southwest, so I especially enjoyed learning about this week's featured state, New Mexico, and the rich influence of Hispanics and Native Americans. Come along with me, will you?

• La Fonda on the Plaza, which sits on the site of Santa Fe's first inn, established in 1607, is considered "the oldest hotel corner in America." This screen grab is from their website. (Click here to see it larger and to learn more about the fascinating history of La Fonda). The photo isn't identified, but those are definitely cups and saucers the women are holding. And if you scroll down, you'll see an image of a waitress at La Fonda delivering tea sometime between 1935 and 1940 (I found the ID on another website), so I feel fairly safe in surmising that tea has been served there over the years, although I've yet to read of "afternoon tea" or tearooms, per se. The La Fonda website reveals that "During Prohibition, when 'teas' were popular pretenses for stronger beverages, the bohemian crowd in the capital city imbibed freely. La Fonda was a favorite gathering spot for these writers and artists whose outings included generous servings of gossip. Among the literati was visiting author Willa Cather who stayed at La Fonda while writing her famed novel 'Death Comes for the Archbishop' (1927)." La Fonda has a wonderful history book available for viewing right on its website, and you can access it here in case you are planning a trip out west!

• The New Mexico Tea Company in Albuquerque is a nearly 10-year-old business that sells tea from around the world and also offers classes and tea tastings. I found a great article about the shop here, and a map on their Facebook page (yay! still in business!) shows all the cities where they have shipped tea. Cool!

• The most famous tearoom I'd never heard of? That could well be the tearoom in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, run by Edith Warner, who is the subject of a book I've just learned I must read, "The House at Otowi Bridge: The Story of Edith Warner and Los Alamos" by Peggy Pond Church. Apparently Edith, who was from Philadelphia, befriended both the Pueblos and the scientists working on the Manhattan Project, which makes me think this would have been THE tearoom in which I would most like to have eavesdropped! The modern-day ruins of her tearoom are shown here in a photo from 2009. Wow. Just wow.

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A new owner for Something Special

Several times over the years, I have written about the pleasure of taking tea at Something Special, the antebellum home and gardens here in Newnan. I recently received word from owner Mike Meyer that he was retiring and the business had been sold and will now be known as "Something Special at Lillian Gardens."

A well-respected local businessman, Mike was the second owner of Something Special I had the pleasure of knowing. I've wished him well even as I look forward to enjoying new experiences at Lillian Gardens at Something Special. If you're local, you may want to do as I did and follow their Facebook page here.

And here's the press release I received from Mike:

The name Something Special has a 36 year history in this community.  It was first opened in 1980 by Miss Virginia Davis and her daughter Martha Sue McCain as a Tea Room.  The tea room catered to the downtown lunch crowd as well as bridal and baby showers.  They retired after 14 years in the restaurant business and ended the first chapter of Something Special history.

I purchased the beautiful 1859 Antebellum home in 1996 and after extensive renovations, re-opened it as Something Special Events in 1997.  It has been a pleasure and honor for me to be part of this wonderful Newnan community and host special events for families and corporations. Over the 19 years, I have helped families create memories and watched them grow.   I am fortunate the facility is located in the heart of the Newnan’s historic district which gave me the opportunity to belong to the Greenville Lagrange Neighborhood Association.  I enjoyed being part of the Newnan Coweta Chamber of Commerce, Carnegie Library Association, and Coweta Master Gardeners. I cherish the support this amazing community provided me over the years.

The journey of life brings us through many different phases.  In addition to running the event facility, I was the primary caregiver through my mother’s 9 year illness.  I married 3 years ago and share my time between the facility and our Atlanta home.  With all these life changes, I decided it was time to retire from the event business and close my chapter in the history of Something Special. I have close friends and family in the community and will be spending much of my time at our Lake House in nearby Whitesburg.

I am passing the Something Special torch to a beautiful young lady who is full of energy and new ideas to start the next chapter and continue creating memories for families.  Ashley Bercich comes to us from Douglasville, Georgia.  She is married with two children and has had a career in finance for the past nine years.  She has always had a passion for helping friends and families with weddings and special events and is very excited to become part of this community.

The name will change to Something Special at Lillian Gardens and the facility will undertake renovations and a fresh coat of paint.  I am partnering with her until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition and the existing catering department, event coordinators, and office staff will continue to bring excellence to the facility.

Please watch for the grand re-opening of Something Special at Lillian Gardens in early Fall!

My August teatime column: On High Tea vs. Afternoon Tea

For those of you who live outside Coweta County, here is my latest column in The Coweta Shopper, and this month's column addresses a topic near and dear to many of our hearts, the difference between "High Tea" and "Afternoon Tea." Click hear to view it online, and thanks for reading!

The latest news from Fortnum & Mason …

From the Fortnum & Mason email newsletter

Even though I've visited it only twice, the supremely elegant Fortnum & Mason in London remains my favorite department store in the world. A while back I signed up for their email newsletter, and it is that rare email advertisement that I actually look forward to reading. The latest one contained a tidbit so splendid, I wanted to share it here. That image above? It's a screen grab from the latest newsletter showing something I so wish I could run by and enjoy this week: their new Afternoon Tea Sundae. Just imagine this ice cream inspired by their Afternoon Tea and made with four ice creams: Cucumber and Mint, Strawberry and Scones, Rose Ripple, and Coronation, a curry and mango flavor. So who's going to London next? Go and have one of these for me, will you?

The other intriguing news is that British food writer and critic Tom Parker Bowles, whose mother is Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is coming out with a cookbook for F&M. According to the email, "Fortnum & Mason is proud and excited to unveil this, our first ever cook book. Written and signed by Tom Parker Bowles, The Fortnum's Cook Book brings together recipes from all three centuries of our history - from famous Scotch Eggs and Afternoon Tea Scones to contemporary dishes like Grilled Bones and Welsh Rarebit." The book comes out October 6, and I do hope it will be available through US booksellers!

To sign up for the Fortnum & Mason newsletter for yourself, click here and scroll down to the bottom where it says "Sign up."

Snapple's Straight Up Teas

So I was in Publix when I saw these new flavors of Straight Up Tea from Snapple. I loved the packaging, and though there were three varieties — Unsweetened, Sorta Sweet, and Sweet — I bought only the Sorta Sweet and Sweet since I have never liked unsweetened bottled teas. And just so you know, I rarely — and I'm talking every-six-months-or-so rarely — use any sweetener at all in my tea!

That said, I was curious what the difference would be in Snapple's Sorta Sweet and Sweet teas. I tried the Sorta Sweet first. It tasted like wimpy sweet tea with a slight, slight lemony flavor. Was this tea supposed to be flavored? I didn't think so. The citric acid, maybe? I drank only half the bottle of this tea, but it turns out, if I'd had the whole bottle, I would have consumed 21 grams of sugar. By way of comparison, there are 20 grams of sugar in a Snickers bar. Friends, I would have much preferred the Snickers bar, even if I had to melt it and sip it out of a bottle.

The Sweet tea? I'm sorry to say I didn't bother to read the labeling until I got home and had drunk half the bottle — or more than a Snickers bar's worth — of this tea. Ironically, I didn't think this sugar-laden beverage tasted that sweet, and goodness knows it should have, considering all the sugar. At home, I drink my iced tea unsweetened, and I do not miss the sugar. In fact, in iced tea or hot tea, I like to taste the flavor of my tea, not the sugar. I do, however, like to try all the new bottled teas for the sheer novelty of them. These disappointing Snapple drinks, however, are going on the been-there-done-that list and won't be repeat purchases. Do you usually drink your tea, hot or iced, sweetened? I'm betting that many of us do not, so I'd love to hear your thoughts!

A new teacup and a new look!

Don't leave — you're at the right (blog) house! It's me, Angela, but with a bit of a different look! I've put off updating my blog header for way too long because, well, to be honest with you, I forgot how to do it. And I know just enough about Blogger to be dangerous, so I always have a slight fear that if I hit the wrong button or replace the wrong code, zap, nearly 10 years of blog posts will vanish into cyberspace. If you are reading this, that did not happen overnight, so yay! And yay to the new turquoise teacup I found at T.J. Maxx in Rome on Saturday, which spurred me on with the long-overdue redesign!

It's a Made-in-China cup and saucer from Gracie China, which has practically become my BFF of new teawares in recent years. In fact, I may just start saying "from my friend Gracie*" if I buy one of these teacups, and then you'll know what I'm talking about without me going into a big ole explanation.

But for now, I'm ready to chill out with a cup of tea after the mild panic that always sets in when I do scary computer things. Cheers, y'all!