Grammy Tea SLR, so congrats! I had no idea these little teaspoons would be so popular, so I'll keep them on my tea radar so that I can offer some as a giveaway again one day!
Friday, January 15, 2021
Tea-mail: It's better than e-mail
And what a great surprise it was to find this Sandy Lynam Clough teacup in the box as well! I was gifted the teapot, matching plate, and a teacup in this design from my friend Phyllis years ago, and I love it, but I have thought several times that it would be so nice to have a second teacup so that I could use this set when a friend comes over to quilt with me. (As I trust will happen one day soon once COVID-19 is behind us!) I was beaming when I saw that sweet Santa was joined by sweet Sandy, and it means so much to me that this favorite set of tea wares has been completely given to me by friends. How special is that? So this was my fun "tea mail" for the week. How about you? Did you get anything fun in the mail this week? I'm hearing of some friends whose Christmas gifts are just now arriving!
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
A surprise gift of Cherry Bing Tea
Monday, January 11, 2021
A January giveaway of tea and teaspoons!
Friday, January 8, 2021
An "unorthodox" method of making tea … in 1913
My friend Becky recently sent me a link to the Feeding America cookbook site at Michigan State University, and one of the books I looked into was from 1913, Dishes & Beverages of the Old South by Martha McCulloch-Williams. I'm interested in documenting any early references to tea in this country, so I always turn to the table of contents to see if "tea" is listed anywhere, and I found that section as I scrolled through the PDF of the book on my computer. Check out the author's "unorthodox" method of making tea:
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Empire of Tea's Pomegranate & Berries Tea
Monday, January 4, 2021
Winter whites and wishing for snow
Friday, January 1, 2021
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Some great new (to me) tea gifts!
This one is pretty in pink, and I love how the teacup is attached.
And Precious Moments! Remember when these sweet Precious Moments figurines were all the rage back in the eighties or so? (I imagine some people still collect them.) I seem to recall cross-stitching a few of these designs back in the day.
And among my other "old" gifts from Deberah was this set of tea-themed decorative plates, which I just love! They're marked "Sakura" on the back, and I'm busy imagining a wall grouping in the dining room.
Or maybe the living room! I've been thinking of taking down a shadow box there that I'm tired of looking at, and these would fit perfectly in that spot.
Hmm … it's fun to have options. And I ask this every year, but it's because I like knowing every year … did any of you receive tea gifts, old or new, for Christmas 2020? I'd love to hear about them!
Monday, December 28, 2020
This week between Christmas and New Year’s is always one of my favorite times of the year. The hustle and bustle leading up to Christmas has passed, and it’s a calmer, quieter time, and a time for reflection. This is the week I think about plans for the new year and what I hope to accomplish. Like many of us, I’ll be making my plans with a few tea-ish Christmas gifts at hand, including this teacup that Alex got me (I found it and he enabled it, ha!). This may well be the prettiest teacup I’ve ever had, and it is absolutely one of the most fragile. “Eggshell-thin” is a good description, and while I definitely plan to use it (what’s the point, otherwise?), I’m holding it by the base as well as the handle when it’s full of tea and at its heaviest, just in case.
The bottom of the teacup is marked M.Z. Austria.
The bottom of the saucer isn’t marked at all.
I just love all the roses and the scallops and the elaborate handle.
Daddy gives my sister and me money and tells us to go pick out our gifts at Christmas, so I bought some new teas and some new books with mine. One of the teas I got was this Raspberry Coconut blend from Tea Forté, and I’m enjoying it so much. I’m having the (slightly) fruity tea in between some of the mint teas I tend to wear out over Christmas.
So during this tea-sipping time of reflection, I’ve been thinking about how to approach 2021. The COVID pandemic is by no means over once the calendar turns to 2021, and someone online wrote about how, because of that, she’s anticipating another year that’s not very good. That just struck me as a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. I don’t want to be a Pollyanna, but I do think our attitude about life has much to do with how we experience it. I thought it was interesting timing that last week, a Christian speaker I heard in January of 2020 posted online about how she is determined to be "defiantly joyful." Wow, how I love that! I've never been one to choose a word or words for the year, but I think 2021 is a good time to try something new, so while I don't want to be delusional, I'm aiming to be "defiantly joyful" too. (Really, what is there to lose with that attitude?)So that's what I've been up to over the last few days. What about you, friends?
Friday, December 25, 2020
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
A last-minute treat idea
Monday, December 21, 2020
Counting down to Christmas …
Cookies and cards. That's going to be my theme for the week, I suppose, as those are the two things I have left to finish up before Christmas. Last week, I baked dozens of Spritz Cookies, Candy Cane Cookies, and Orange-Slice Bars to drop off with a few friends, but I still need more, so sometime between now and Wednesday, I plan to have another big baking session.
Friday, December 18, 2020
Who are those masked tea lovers?
A few weeks ago, I was out doing the weekend shopping when two women said to me, "I love your mask." I found that especially funny because a) my mask was a pitiful little homemade rectangle of pink floral fabric and b) I was wearing it only because the prettier, fitted one I found at Joann fogs up my glasses. So when tea friend Susan B. in North Carolina alerted me that Harney & Sons had a mask featuring teacups, I had to order one!
It arrived yesterday, and I love it! The website notes that it's 100 percent polyester and not medical-grade but instead designed for everyday use. It feels like a soft jersey knit.
I especially love that the elastic ties are adjustable. Perfect! I guess after so many months of mask wearing and making, makers have thoroughly fine-tuned the design. If you need a cute new tea-themed mask, too, go here to order. (And Harney has free shipping on all US orders, incredibly enough!)
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
A great new source for teatime art
One thing I've noticed in my years as a tea blogger is that many of us have similar interests. I have found, for instance, that more than a few tea-loving souls share my interest in sewing and crafting, and I love it when tea friends send me a link to a new fabric or rubber stamp that features a design of a teapot or teacup. Similarly, I find that many tea lovers are art lovers as well. And since those of us who enjoy teatime occasionally need a piece of artwork for this or that project, I'm always happy to share a source for teatime images in the public domain. This past week, Jane Friedman's Electric Speed writing newsletter listed a new source for art that's in the public domain, Artvee. Naturally, I had to see if any tea-related works showed up, and I was overwhelmed! I found such wonders as "Tea on the Terrace" by Frédéric Soulacroix (French, 1858–1933). (And may I just say that I love that these women are not skinny!)
Then there was "Time for Tea" by Albert Lynch (French, 1860–1950). I can practically feel the golden glow of the sunshine streaming into the room.