Teatime Giveaway #20 - Teacup notecards from Chelsea's

The winner of the tea-themed fabric from last week is Steph, so congrats! I think you'll have fun with this fabric! And this week's giveaway is one that should appeal to just about everyone, some new teapot and teacup design notecards. I found these at Chelsea's tea room in Asheville and got a box for myself as well as a box for one of you!

I just love this design, one I hadn't seen before. When I opened the box, I was surprised to find the cards are edged in two different colors, some in a bright lime green and some in a soft aqua. I love them both, and I hope you do as well! If you'd like to be entered to win, just leave a comment to this post between now and noon EST on Friday, May 25. Good luck!

A vintage tea room menu from Lord & Taylor

Vintage menus from department store tea rooms are always fun to read, and perhaps the most unique one yet is this small menu (4-1/2 x 7-7/8 inches) from the Bird Cage tea room at Lord & Taylor, a store founded in New York in 1826 and still in business today! Can you see what's inside, that unusual little artifact up top? For a clue, see some images of the Bird Cage restaurant/tea rooms here and here.

It was, after all, called the BIRD Cage.

Inside is a winsome graphic of this bird winging its way to diners with tea and treats!

So yes, the fun find inside is a feather! (Slightly discolored from glue, I imagine.)

I so enjoy reading the offerings at the old department store tea rooms, things like Tuna Fish and Celery Salad Sandwich, Chive Cottage Cheese and the delightfully-named Piff-O-Puffs. (Any idea what those were, anyone?) But what really turned my head was …

OVEN BAKED BEANS WITH FRANKFURTER CHUNKS? DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THEY SERVED BEANEE WEENEES AT THE LORD AND TAYLOR TEA ROOM? (Sorry. Didn't mean to yell there, but I nearly got the vapors reading that!) Still, this was a unique addition to my little collection celebrating part of America's tea room history, and I'm also happy Lord & Taylor is still with us today!

Silver overlay Tea Room glass

My husband likes to give me eBay gift cards as gifts, and goodness knows I like for him to! It's always more fun spending OPM (other people's money), yet I wanted to find just the right thing. I held on to this year's Valentine's eBay gift card for nearly three months and am mighty glad I waited, for I found some wonderful Depression glass in the Tea Room pattern which featured silver overlay designs! I've collected a few pieces of silver overlay over the years, but I've never seen any on Tea Room glass before. Fun!

The silver was almost black when the pieces arrived, but I knew from experience they could be polished.

The silver is now sooooo polished, it almost looks white!

As a collector of this glass, I must say I'm thrilled with this year's Valentine's gift from my husband, and it was fun to find some unusual Tea Room pieces I never even knew existed before!

Tea, totes & T.J. Maxx

Are there any other tote bag fanatics reading today? Yes, I thought so! I can't seem to resist a nice tote bag, but I like the cheap ones as well. When stores started coming out with reusable 99-cent bags a few years ago, I was understandably pleased. I use these in my crafts room closet for storing yarns and thread, and they're good for transporting lightweight things like teatime linens as well.

Then, a friend pointed out to me one day how very thrifty it is to use these bags instead of traditional paper gift bags. They're certainly a nice alternative to the $3-$4 bags I've typically purchased, and with some creative use of tissue, you can easily fill up the space around just about any gift, large or small. As soon as I began using these as gift bags, I vowed that if I ever saw one with teacups or teapots on it, I would buy all I could find. When I saw this design at the T.J. Maxx in Rome, Ga. on Saturday, that's just what I did. (Alas, there were only 2.) But then I went to another store in Carrollton and bought the 12 they had, and I will s-l-o-w-l-y be giving them out *only* to tea friends in the coming months and years.

Teacups!

A tea kettle!

A teapot!

And there's even what appears to be some newsprint in the teacup designs! (I work for a newspaper, for heaven's sake!)

Although I decided I'd probably purchased enough of the bags, I couldn't help merely *looking* for more when I was at my local store this week, but I didn't see any. Still, if this design appeals to you as much as it does to me, you might want to be on the lookout next time you visit your local T.J. Maxx.

Love & Toast Mandarin Tea Handcreme

It's always fun to discover a new cosmetic containing tea, and last week I came across one I love for a whole variety of reasons, this Love & Toast Mandarin Tea Handcreme by Margot Elena! First: It smells yummy, and it did a great job of moisturizing some dry skin on my hands following a recent post-gardening battle with poison ivy.

I found this cream at a newly-opened gift shop, Gillyweed, located just a few doors down from my office. A formerly drab building has been turned into a cheerful, light-filled gift shop offering such goodies as jewelry, accessories, home decor, candles and, happily, even some cosmetic products I haven't seen before. It's always a good sign when I discover something tea-ish upon first visiting a new store, and the words "Mandarin Tea" on this Love & Toast Handcreme jumped out at me.

I'm a sucker for cute and clever packaging, and after I got home with this hand cream, I discovered that the box itself features the "love" ...

... and "toast" images. Kind of like "tea and toast" for us tea fans, eh?

The ingredients list shows this product does indeed contain our beloved camellia sinensis leaf extract, and it also includes another tea-related ingredient, oil of bergamot, the citrus fruit used to make Earl Grey tea. As if all that weren't enough, the company gives a portion of every sale to regional affiliates of Girls Inc. and says "we believe there is more than just being a pretty face. Along with Girls Inc., we encourage girls everywhere to be 'Strong, smart and bold.'" An impressive product and an impressive philosophy! To learn more about Love & Toast, go here.

A Paper Mosaic Teapot

When I needed a special "thank you" card for a crafty tea friend, I decided to try my hand at making one. The result is what I'm calling a Paper Mosaic Teapot!

I'd been flipping through a craft book at Joann the other day when I came across photos of some paper collages that were simply beautiful. Alas, I don't share that artist's skill at seeing color and light and shapes as exquisitely as she does. (I'm sorry I didn't write down her name so I could see more of her work!) But I did leave with the idea of using pieces of paper to create some tea-themed artwork. From my scrapbooking stash I selected several papers with handwriting or type on them. I had some 5x7 canvases that could serve as the background. My template was an old teapot-shaped piece I got in a craft kit perhaps 20 years ago! I have used this thing so many times, so for this project I just traced it on the canvas and added some background color from a rubber stamp I had on hand.

Who knew there is an art to tearing paper? I knew I wanted some of the white part to show as part of the design, and I soon learned you have to tear it from the back if you want white on the front. Kind of a fun little discovery!

A little Elmer's glue, a few dozen bits of paper, and there you go, a Paper Mosaic Teapot!

Teatime Giveaway #19 - "Tea for Two" fabric

The winner of the Sweet Remembrances Recipe Collection from last week is Denise, so congrats! If you'll send me your snail mail address via the e-mail button at right, I'll forward it to Nancy of Sweet Remembrances, who will get the book on its way to you! This week we have the first of two "Asheville souvenir" giveaways. Today's is one yard of this delightful fabric called "Tea for Two" by Whistler Studios for Windham Fabrics. (It was on sale for half-off at Waechter's Fine Fabrics when I was there, just in case some sewing enthusiast would like to know the source.)

I love the pink teacup!

And the green one too! If you'd like to be entered to win this fabric, just leave a comment between now and noon EST on Friday, May 18. Good luck!

A curiously gaudy teacup

On my drive from Asheville back to Georgia last week, I saw billboards advertising the Lavonia (Ga.) Antique Mall and decided to make a stop. Boy, was it worth it! This place was a china and glass lover's dream, I'm telling you! Prices were quite reasonable, and I came home with several new goodies, my favorite of which was this unusual pink and gold teacup in a nice large size for sipping tea. It's really quite gaudy, don't you think? Almost reminds me of an exotic animal print. The rim is interesting because it's got all these pointy little places in between the more rounded scallops. I tried to picture who might have chosen this style of teacup, and all I could come up with was a madam in a brothel!

My handle fetish continues, and this one's bamboo-like styling is intriguing.

Also, I don't think I have another teacup with such a highly "footed" saucer. From this angle, you can see the styling a bit better. There are no markings so I have no idea of the age or maker, but for only $6 I knew this hoochie mama of a teacup needed to come home with me!

Souvenirs from a teatime trip

Naturally, on our trip last week the other tea lovers and I were eager to see what we might discover in the Biltmore gift shops. My favorite souvenir is this teacup and saucer set, a reproduction of some Biltmore china we saw on display.

It's a very decorative and highly gilded design, which seemed well-suited to the house.

And while I've seen these miniature journals many places over the past few years, I've not seen one with teacups on it! Not sure what I'm going to use this for, but I know I'll have fun finding just the right tea-related use.

And I came *this* close to not coming home with this cute ornament for my tea-themed Christmas tree! I rushed right past the display of ornaments until Linda found me and showed me her own teacup ornament like this one, wanting to make sure I'd seen it. I immediately headed back to the display. There were two left, and a woman literally reached past me to get the last one just as I stood there taking this one off the rack. Whew!

Acorns are part of the Vanderbilt crest, and these acorn teaspoons were so pretty, I thought they'd be a nice addition to a fall-themed tea—and with a happy memory attached.

Love that little acorn!

I had done some "advance shopping research" before arriving in Asheville, and I knew I had to have this unique Lazy Morning Tea Cozy pattern I found at Waechter's Fine Fabrics in Biltmore Village. I also came home with a couple of other tea-related goodies that I can't show you because, to thank you for reading this week of travel-related posts, I am offering them as giveaways beginning Saturday. Stay tuned!

Touring Biltmore with tea friends

Before the Afternoon Tea I wrote about in yesterday's post, five of us had a great and busy day of exploring Biltmore House and Gardens, including some fun behind-the-scenes touring! In front of the Winter Garden are, from left, Linda, me, Phyllis, Lynn and Sandy.

The cover of this souvenir book includes the classic shot of Biltmore. When you first see the sweeping grandeur of the house, it nearly takes your breath away! I had been there before, and yet it continues to impress!

You enter here. On Linda's recommendation, we all purchased the audio tour, and like her, I highly recommend that! When I first visited years ago I don't believe that was available, so it very much helped me to see Biltmore through new eyes.

The sheer size of the 250-room mansion is just incredible, and I can never quite wrap my mind around the fact that George Washington Vanderbilt had the vision in the late 1800s to bring this house to life in western North Carolina. (With no internet to consult! And no iPhone to check in with his construction crew!)

And no, the Christmas wreath on this marble lion statue is not a sign someone forgot to take down the Christmas decorations! Biltmore was filming Christmas commercials while we were there, and it was quite fun to get a behind-the-scenes peek at how early they begin planning for the holidays.

After we finished the regular tour, invaded the gift shops and ate lunch, we cued up once more for a behind-the-scenes "Butler's Tour" we were greatly anticipating. I wish I had taken note of the last name of Marilyn, the charming lady who led our small group on this tour. She did a fantastic job of keeping it lively, interesting and fun. (Normally, I would rather have a root canal than go on a group tour. This one was quite the exception!) Here, we are on a balcony and had one of the rare opportunities to take photos, since they aren't allowed inside the house. (And you can just imagine how our group of bloggers would have been reaching for our cameras!)

After our behind-the-scenes tour, one unique thing we got to see was the Banquet Hall all decked out for Christmas (go here to see it in its "everyday" look) since one of the commercials was being filmed there! Ohhhhhh ... the china! The flowers! My friend Susan would have swooned at all the silver, glass, china and roses, and I mourned the fact I couldn't share it with her. Still, it was a sight to behold. And while I can't share those images, I *can* share a few links to photos that may be of interest to my fellow tea lovers! (Note to Biltmore: I would like to see a "Tea Lover's Tour" of the house, and I'll gladly drive up and create it for you sometime if you'd like!)

• To see George and Edith Vanderbilt's only child, Cornelia, with her little tea set, go here and scroll down to the bottom.

• To see the property's Tea House (which I did not know about, alas, until I got home and read my book), go here and here.

• If you'd like to see reproductions of some Vanderbilt china which you may purchase today, go here. (I'll bet you can guess which one of these items I got! I'll tell you tomorrow when I share some wonderful tea-related souvenirs I came home with.)

Taking tea at Biltmore

My second tea visit last week occurred at the beautifully appointed Inn on Biltmore Estate. From left are friends Sandy, Linda (who blogs at Friendship Tea), Lynn (Frivoli-tea), me, Phyllis (The Relevant Tea Leaf) and Lynn. A hat tip to the lovely young man named Odai, who smiled away as he snapped photos with the six cameras around the table. Now THAT's service — and we all commented on the lovely service we received at both Biltmore itself as well as at the inn!

Afternoon Tea in the library is available to guests of the inn as well as those who hold day passes or season's passes to Biltmore. Our table was ready and waiting when we arrived following a very full day of tours! (More on that tomorrow.)

Teas from Mighty Leaf Tea Company are elegantly presented in a wooden case and are available for inspection (i.e., sniffing!) before placing your order. I chose one of the Chocolate Truffle teas from Mighty Leaf and loved it!

The teawares are reproductions of Vanderbilt china and feature a rich burgundy color along with the family monogram.

I never fail to be impressed when a tea tray arrives, and this one was no exception!

The savories featured many artisan breads, and the flavors were, clockwise from lower left, a chicken salad with cranberries on a croissant, one I don't remember (I'm counting on one of the other tea friends to have taken note of it!), cucumber, egg salad with radish and dill, pimiento cheese with bacon and tomato, and a mini-quiche. All were delicious, and the chicken salad was my favorite.

Tasty scones were served with lemon curd, jam and cream, and then it was on to the lemon-blueberry bread, strawberry cream puffs, a small slice of a filled cake, and a rich caramel truffle.

Following Afternoon Tea we toured the back of the inn, where gardens were in full bloom. Taking tea at the Inn on Biltmore Estate was a delight for the soul as well as the body!