Teatime surprises from Colorado

It has been a fun week of opening the mail at my house. First I got an unexpected vintage teacup in the mail, and then I received the package containing the "little something" that my fellow tea blogger Bernideen had said she was going to send me. It included all of these great goodies. Want to see what's inside a few of them?

My favorite item, by far, was in this flat box from Younker Bros., Inc., a famous department store in Des Moines, Iowa. Bernideen knows my love for department store history (especially department store tea rooms), and in fact she has shared with me before that she went to Bible College in Des Moines and on two occasions attended events held in the Younkers Tea Room. The box was very lightweight and about the size of an old 45 record.

The piece of paper inside tells what item the box contains: 

"You may use this kerchief

For your little nose

Or let it in your pocket

Nearest your heart repose.

This little thing

Of brighest hue

At this Christmastide

We give to you

With kindest wishes

And bushels of cheer

For a merry Christmas

And Happy Newyear."

And inside is this pretty candy-cane-embroidered handkerchief in absolutely mint condition! I'll happily add it to my small collection of vintage Christmas hankies, but I'm definitely going to keep it in this box with a great bit of history behind it! (Do you suppose the store actually gave these as gifts to customers? It sounds that way… And I have to wonder how the hankie made its way from Des Moines to the antique mall in Denver where Bernideen found it!)

One of my favorite features in all of the blogosphere each spring is Bernideen's popular "tea in the garden" series, and in this tin she packed some dried goodies that actually came from her garden! Oh, how I wish I could click "insert scent" and let it waft its way to you over the Internet. Instead, you'll just have to trust me when I say the lovely, lemony scent of dried botanicals is so addictive I keep lifting the lid on the tin just to take a whiff whenever I walk by. I may display these in a pretty dish after Christmas, once the scents of cinnamon and apple cider candles have departed!

I'll bet many of you have seen these cute little teatime recipe books before, and this is one I've never seen before, so I am extra happy to have it! With lots of recipes for cakes, gingerbread, tea loafs and more, I'm sure I'll be baking something out of this very soon.

And last but not least, there was a tin of Republic of Tea's Dream by the Fire tea, a wonderful rooibos blend with cinnamon and vanilla (which I am sipping as I blog). Christmas is still a week away, but I must say I've already had a very, very good one, especially with some unexpected gifts from tea blogger friends this week!