Tea Room Postcard #12 -- M & O Tea Room (Gatlinburg, Tenn.)

Like a lot of southerners, I grew up going to Gatlinburg, Tenn. on family vacations. For that reason, I was intrigued when I found this vintage postcard for the M & O Tea Room and Craft Shop and The Rossmore in Gatlinburg. I like how the top of the card says "A Good Place to Rest or Play!" and "'Scrumptious' Meals - Beauty Rest Mattresses."

The back of the card is blank, and I wasn't able to find out anything about this tea room except that it was in operation around 1940 and some local weavers sold their wares here. I found another, more colorful image of this tea room on Pinterest, and you can see it here. I definitely think the colorful card is the newer one, and I'll bet the M & O served many a happy tourist in the tea room in its day.

The winner of the St. Patrick's Day Giveaway is ...

Drgnldy71! If you'll send me your snail mail address via the e-mail button at right, I'll get this package headed your way. Congrats!

Let's play "Name That Utensil!"

Friends, I have a burning question I am hoping one of you can help me with. What are these oddly-shaped slotted spoon thingies? Does anyone know? Have any guesses? I had just finished enjoying tea with some friends (more on that next week!) and was off antiquing with them when I spotted these, and none of us could quite figure out what they are. The antique mall owner guessed grapefruit forks (which I've never heard of), and we came up with other possibilities involving fish and butter, but I can't find that either of those is exactly right.

I hope you can tell from the photo that there are little slits or slots in the spoon. What could that possibly be for? One friend suggested it's for spreading butter, which sounds like a real possibility, but I can't find anything called "butter spoon" on the internet that looks like this. At any rate, it was just $15 for the set of four, and I was so perplexed I bought them to bring home with me and research. If one of you knows, I would be very, very grateful to find out exactly what I've bought!

Sir Thomas Lipton, man about town

"Get around, get around, I get around ..." Any Beach Boys fans reading today? I love that song, and it could certainly be used to describe one of tea's early celebrities, Sir Thomas Lipton. He's on the cover of the new Upton Tea Quarterly, shown aboard his yacht (!) in 1920 with Rose Kennedy and her sisters, Eunice and Agnes. The name "Lipton" is so common today it's easy to forget that Thomas Lipton was quite a popular man back in the day.

As the Upton Tea Quarterly article notes, Lipton was a millionaire "even before he sold his first ounce of tea." He had opened his first store in 1871, when he was just 21, and soon had a successful chain of stores. He would eventually sell tea in his stores before deciding to source the tea himself by becoming a tea grower. (If you'd like to know more about Lipton, I recommend this book.)

The Upton Tea Quarterly article also has a great story about why Lipton became known as "Jubilee Lipton," and as you might suspect, it has something to do with royalty. If you'd like to read the entire Upton article, go here.

Teavivre's Fengqing Dragon Pearl Black Tea

So, the plan was to enjoy a tea tasting of two of my new tea samples from Teavivre, but I was so excited over this one tea that I thought it deserved its very own post!

Ever heard of Dragon Pearl Green Tea? I've sipped it many times, the jasmine-flavored version, but I have never heard of Dragon Pearls that were black tea until I received this Fengqing Dragon Pearl Black Tea from Teavivre.

Watching the pearls become tea leaves is so enjoyable to me, I chose to steep this tea not in a gaiwan but rather in a clear glass infuser mug. The insert at left has little slits in the glass so you can lift it right out once your tea is ready.

And what a treat this tea was! It had a rich mouth feel, brisk but not astringent, and I was so pleased the taste matched the beauty of this tea. If you'd like to learn more, go here. You know, I think some photographer ought to create a book that is focused (literally and figuratively) on the beauty of tea. Now wouldn't that be a pleasure to see?

The new issue of Daphne's Diary

Does your brain ever need a break? Mine does. I have been a very busy girl over the past few months. I have edited everything from novels and self-help books to children's books and a cookbook. I have written reviews of all kinds of books and said sure when asked if I would consider reviewing even more. I researched and wrote an essay for a historic institute in Washington, D.C., and all at the same time, I wrote and wrote and wrote and finally hit the magical 75,000-word mark on my own first novel, a "cozy" about a jewelry designer who solves mysteries in her spare time. I think I deserve a little down time, and oddly enough, even though I am playing with words nearly every waking minute of the day, my favorite way to relax is still with a new book or magazine. Happily for me, the new issue of Daphne's Diary (which I first discovered here) landed at my local Barnes & Noble last week. Ahhh ... reading purely for pleasure!

It is so lovely to sit back and relax with a cup of you-know-what and thumb through the pages of this oversized magazine which started in the Netherlands but now has an English-language version. The cover has so many details, you really must stop to take them all in. Note the little tags along the bottom, including the one at far left with the teacup on it. What an elegant touch!

Daphne's Diary is really unique among magazines in that it's just this great and wonderful hodgepodge of articles on this and that, everything from decorating and gardening to antiquing and cooking. This pretty pedestal displaying cupcakes? There's no recipe. There are no words, in fact. It's purely eye candy, and I love that. There are also stickers, designer papers, a paperdoll craft … you just never know what wonderful gifts are waiting within the pages.

The quote above this teacup says, "Pick up the phone and invite someone round for a cup of tea today. Just because. Be spontaneous, you'll enjoy it!" I think that's fine advice, and as a matter of fact, I have plans to join some friends for tea later today — another of my favorite ways to relax and regroup!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I thought it would be fun to host a giveaway, so that's what we're doing today, and the winner will receive the goodies shown here!

First we have a shamrock teacup and saucer. It's one of my T.J. Maxx bargain finds, and I particularly like the shape of the handle and saucer on this set.

Naturally, you'll need some Irish Breakfast Tea to go in the teacup.

And last but not least, some of you may recall that I got a bargain on this oven mitt and potholder at Dollar Tree an upscale department store last month. Well, I bought an extra of each to give to one of you this month. So, if you'd like to win this St. Patrick's Day Giveaway, just leave an "Enter me" to this post between now and 7 a.m. Friday, March 21, and you'll be entered to win. Good luck!

Tea Room Postcard #11 -- Hains Point Tea House (Washington, D.C.)

"... There used to stand a small but stately, white-columned teahouse, facing resolutely south toward the open water of the Potomac. It stood there for 64 years, from 1923 to 1987, one of the best places to escape the oppressive summer heat of the city in the days before air conditioning."

— streetsofwashington.com

Are the trees blossoming in your neck of the woods? They are in mine, and that's one reason I am so enjoying this week's postcard of the Hains Point Tea House in Washington, D.C.

Though the card was never used (purchased as a souvenir, maybe?), I was delighted to find out more about the tea room on the Streets of Washington website. If you visit the link here, which I highly recommend, you'll also see a photo of the Girl Scout teahouse erected in Potomac Park around 1920, as well as a 1924 photo of President and Mrs. Coolidge standing in front of the Hains Point Tea House. There's also a remarkable photo of the tea house when it was flooded in 1985. We're not always able to learn so much about a tea house of yesteryear, but thanks to this website a wonderful bit of tea room history has been preserved!

Flea Market Outdoors Magazine

There's yet another new magazine about flea market gardening, Flea Market Outdoors, and when I came across the premiere issue this week I knew I had to share it here!

If you're like me, your eye goes straight to the china in any magazine you read. Well, who wouldn't have hit the brakes upon spotting this feature on Garden Whimsies? (Is it crazy that I spotted the saucer in the middle and recognized it as one I own, shown here?)

There's also advice on making these "garden totems" I've seen popping up in gardens and at craft shows.

There's plenty of gardening eye candy, such as this pretty potting shed which has a table for taking tea. Check out the chandelier up top with silver teawares in place of candles. I am *so* doing this! If you're ready to decorate the garden with teawares this year, I highly recommend you take a look at this charming new magazine!

What's in my teacup?

You know that credit card commercial that says, "What's in YOUR wallet?" Well, today you may be wondering, "What's in YOUR teacup?" and the answer is that I honestly do not know.

Actually, I do know what's in my teacup, and it's all this stuff shown here — it's just that I don't know what all "this" is. You see, my friend Janet recently traveled to the Holy Land. When she joked beforehand she might have tea with the Bedouins, I laughed and said great, bring me back a teabag. Instead, she brought me back two huge bags of tea from Israel and Jordan. This is the tea from Israel, which is obviously some sort of spice blend. I get a strong sent of cardamom, but beyond that, I have no idea. Do you recognize anything in the blend? I'm especially curious about that beige pod-looking thing shown at front left. The steeped tea, pictured up top, is the color of honey and tastes like a great spiced tea, the sort of thing you see a lot at Christmas. There's also a bit of zip I am guessing comes from ginger.

And here is the tea from Jordan, which was a minty tasting blend and has more little black particles which I think might be traditional ground tea leaves. I have greatly enjoyed sipping these new teas from my friend's travels. Since so many of us are "known" tea lovers, do your friends bring you back tea from their travels? If so, what have you sipped that came from afar?

"Bunnies for Tea" by Kate Stone

Ordinarily I don't like to wait in line, but if I hadn't had to wait in line at Barnes & Noble this week, I wouldn't have been looking around and I probably wouldn't have seen the display of children's Easter books near the checkout register, including "Bunnies for Tea" by Kate Stone.

I probably don't have to tell you what it was about this book that immediately caught my eye!

It's a sweet little tale, and I shan't reveal the plot since, after all, it's so short and sweet. I will tell you that the teatime artwork is absolutely adorable, and I'm a little surprised I haven't come across this 2012 book before. Have you? If not, you might do some checkout counter browsing next time you're in line at the bookstore!

Teacup PJ's

Does this print grab your attention as it did mine?

I spotted it in Walmart the other day. Where, I ask you, can you get this much pajama fun for $9.96? The top's lavender, and the bottoms are black with pink, lavender and purple teacups in a variety of designs.

I can almost always use some more lightweight spring/summer PJ's, and these are fun and the price sure can't be beat!

The Wearing of the Green

Last year I ordered this pretty shamrock-covered china teapot from eBay, and the gracious seller surprised me by including this shamrock teacup as well.

Isn't it lovely? The Lefton teacup has such a cheery pattern and pretty shape.

In fact, this seller included quite a few extra goodies in my package, including the runner and shamrock ornament shown here. At first I wasn't sure I had enough green things to compose a small St. Patrick's Day vignette on my tea trolley, but now I think I do, by golly!

The card at left was a surprise from a reader who recently won one of my giveaways. Perfect!

And the African violet I've been nursing along for two years has finally decided to bloom again, with little buds peeking out at right. Do you decorate for St. Patrick's Day? Maybe it's the Irish in me, but I must say I'm getting into the spirit this year!

Tea Room Postcard #10 -- Alma's Tea Room (Manchester, N.H.)

I just love the look of Alma M. Truesdale's old tea room in Manchester, N.H., established in 1923, with its seating capacity of 250 and "open the year around." Doesn't this look like it would have been a fun place to visit?

This postcard was mailed on Oct. 3, 1950, and reads, "Arrived O.K. - Leaving 9.20 this evening for Washington DC and have to bring my old gal to Mass. Eye & Ear on Friday morning. If you are home I'll see you. May be able to have dinner with Rodie in N.Y. on the way back from D.C. Love Mother." I was about to take umbrage at the phrase "my old gal" (how sexist!) until I read "Love Mother." I will always wonder what the postcard writer thought of the tea room or whether this was simply convenient stationery to use while traveling!

Shamrocks & Shortbread

Generally I prefer to make decorative cookies myself, but when I saw these Shamrock Cookies from Little Debbie at the grocery store, I had to get them to go with my afternoon tea!

Shamrocks are on my mind with St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, and earlier this week I found a short little vintage china shamrock mug at a new antique store that's opened up in Newnan on the Millard Farmer Bypass. I thought the price, $1.25, was irresistible! There's no backstamp on the bottom, just a number, A-1163.

The other reason these cookies appealed to me is that they are shortbread cookies, not sugar cookies. They come individually wrapped, too, which makes them a nice takealong treat from now through St. Patrick's Day!

A Teavivre tea tasting

I'll bet my mailman thinks I live a much more exotic life than I really do, receiving packages from China, India, England, and elsewhere. Most recently it was a new box of tea samples from Teavivre in China that I had delivered. This time I decided I'd sample two distinctly different types of tea, a puerh tea and a black tea. This puerh is Fengqing Zhuan Cha Raw Puerh Brick Tea 2005, and you will note the crumbly, sometimes powdery bits of tea from where it was separated from the tea brick.

It seems folks either love or hate the earthy flavor of puerh, and I happen to like it. This one had an almost sweet flavor to the puerh. Another reason I like sampling different teas is that I enjoy seeing how the leaves look after steeping!

The black tea I tried was this Nonpareil Yunnan Dian Hong Chinese Red Black Tea.

Even though I like puerhs, this terrific yunnan tea was my favorite of the two, and it had a very crisp, woodsy scent and a nice, brisk, black tea taste that was a welcome contrast to the flavored teas I've been drinking lately. If you haven't tried Teavivre teas, I definitely recommend them — and you can find out more by going here!

Let's get ready to "tea garden," y'all!

If Georgia can't decide whether she wants it to be winter or spring, fine. I'm gardening anyway. Or at least I'm gathering my seeds and getting ready to garden! This year I'm planning to grow two especially tea-ish plants, Earl Grey Larkspur and Zinger Hibiscus Herbal Tea.

My rosy garden tote has a happy memory attached, as I got it at Marshalls when I was out shopping with my friend ParTea Lady after she and I enjoyed tea together a couple of years ago. Now, I use it to store seeds, small pots, and garden doodads during the off season.

For some kitchen herbs, I'm going to try some of these new seeds Renee's Garden so generously sent. I especially love the name of "Mrs. Burns' Lemon Basil." Are you getting ready for the garden season? If there's something tea-ish in your garden seed stash, I'd dearly love to hear about it!

The weekend's tea finds

On Saturday I spent the day in the Marietta area shopping with my Aunt Jane. These were the only two tea-related items I picked up, but I love both of them!

First, this dessert/luncheon plate from America's Thrift Stores is just the size I like, 7-1/2 inches in diameter. Wish I had more of these--especially for the 79 cents I paid for this one. Unlike teacups, which demand a bit of storage space, plates are easy to add to a stash. Besides, I like having pretty plates on hand for styling photos, especially when the roses are so pretty. There was no mark on this plate at all, so I'm stumped as to the maker and the pattern.

And although I rediscovered a few lost oven mitts last week, I saw this pretty, thick, teacup and bird design oven mitt at HomeGoods for $4.99 and had to have it. My friend Phyllis recently found some pot holders in this pattern up in Michigan, and I loved the pretty blue print. Have you had any tea shopping success lately?