A gift of a new teacup

Although they shouldn't, my friends often seem to bring me gifts when I have them over for tea. One of the gifts I received after the tea held over the weekend was this Duchess bone china teacup from England.

Duchess is a name I've seen frequently in the teacup world, and I particularly love the design of this one. The background color is what I'd called "winter white," not stark white or beige, and the roses are soft and subtle. What a great teacup by which to remember my "Tea in the Snow."

I've been using this teacup ever since I received it, and there's something else I really like about it too: the handle is nice and wide, and my finger hooks through it quite comfortably. If you're a longtime teacup user, I'll bet you know what I'm talking about when I say some teacups are awkward to hold because you have to either "pinch" the handle between your thumb and first two fingers or else risk breaking off the handle when you force your fingers through. Some etiquette experts recommend the "pinch" method of holding a teacup anyway, but I'm all in favor of the "comfort" method, meaning whatever is comfortable to you. And with all the cold days we've had recently, I so appreciate having a comfy, pretty cup to use for all these cups of hot tea I'm sipping!