It was on this day in 1773 that the world-famous Boston Tea Party occurred, so today I thought I'd show you my floaty pen commemorating the event!
I'm a pen fanatic as well as a tea fanatic, so when I saw this pen several years ago I just had to have it.
At left you can see the crates of tea.
Tilt the pen to the right and before you know it, those crates are in the water behind the ship. Yes, I know, I'm easily amused. Happy Boston Tea Party Day!
My mom and I can have so much fun when we're out antiquing together. At one Marietta antique mall this weekend, she found a great pink lady's head vase for her collection and asked me to look it over for any defects, which we like to do for each other. It looked great to me, and I told her so, adding, "I'd say at auction, it would definitely be worth at least two in the bush!" She cracked up (I hope you're familiar with the Geico commercial I referenced), and we got tickled when the ladies around us started laughing too. "I LOVE that commercial!" one of them said. Me too! My husband and I love to imitate that fun woman in the commercial saying "Reeeeeeally?" But that vase was my mother's fun find of the day. Mine was this teacup, which for my tastes is absolutely perfect!
Why? I tried to explain it to the DH, who genuinely likes to know my preferences in such things but, like most men, requires tutoring. It's obviously quite old as it's unmarked, made of some sort of earthenware and not bone china. The saucer and cup both are trimmed in this absolutely yummy grayish teal color.
And it has ribbons and gold garlands on both the cup and saucer.
I LOVE ribbons! I LOVE garlands!
It's also sort of Shabby Chic in that it's missing a little color and it's got some gentle crazing. I LOVE crazing!
Like everything in that seller's booth it was also 20 percent off (I LOVE getting 20 percent off!), and — get this — my purchase entitled me to choose a free cookbook. I LOVE free cookbooks, and I am enjoying reading "Savannah Seasons" by Elizabeth Terry. I try not to buy myself anything right before Christmas, but when you come across the perfect teacup, and a gift-with-purchase too, well, you have to bend the rules sometimes!
When Samovar sent a press release about its innovative new tea packaging, I was happy to agree to try a sample. They are the first tea company I've heard say that the box their tea is packaged in is biodegradable! From the package itself: "Composed of post-consumer recycled materials, it's held together with natural glue, and printed with water-based inks. The interior airtight bag is wood-based. The entire parcel will biodegrade completely within a few months." Now, really, how cool is that!
I'm going to save my boxes for composting in the spring (I want to record the process!), but meanwhile I was also happy to have two new teas to try. When I opened the Earl Grey, I was surprised to find this cute tea sticker inside. This is better than Cracker Jacks! And the tea was delicious, by the way. I actually haven't had any Earl Grey in quite a while, so when I opened the package and was greeted with a yummy bergamot scent, I was pleased. The taste was strong but not overbearing. I steeped a scant teaspoon of it for just 4 minutes and absolutely loved the results.
Yet another sticker greeted me in the box of Ocean of Wisdom herbal infusion. This tea consists of rooibos, ginger, clove, cinnamon and licorice, all organic, and was a great blend for the holidays.
The other feature that impressed me about Samovar's packages of tea? They include these tiny gold clips! I usually have small office-supply clips around for closing such teabags, and I think Samovar is brilliant to include them right in the package. So check back in the spring and I'll let you know how well my boxes are decomposing. In the meantime, go here to learn more about the tea and packaging!
Until last year, I hadn't realized how relatively scarce vintage Christmas teawares are. After concluding I simply don't love a lot of the popular Christmas china patterns, I purposed to begin collecting a hodgepodge of vintage ones. I found just two vintage Christmas teacups last year and one this year -- and that latest one from eBay since the antique malls have turned up nothing. My most recently added vintage cup and saucer in a Christmas design is this set made by Royal Tuscan, part of the Wedgwood group.
The pattern is called "Noel," so I like that it even has a Christmas sounding name.
One of the two sets I found last year was this Duchess pattern teacup and saucer. Its color palette isn't as bright as some, so perhaps that's why this design is simply called ...
Winter.
I like the pinecones, holly leaves and berries on Winter's saucer.
And the other set from last year, which is shown in my banner up top, is this unnamed pattern of cup and saucer. The scalloped shape of the cup reminds me of Shelley cups, but this one is by ...
Crown Staffordshire. Recently I was delighted to get to see vintage Christmas teawares owned by tea blogger friends Marilyn and Linda. I think these pieces are so beautiful!
Whatever you're sipping your tea from this Christmas season, if you'd like a suggestion for a new flavor to try let me recommend Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride from Celestial Seasonings. This was a gift from tea friend Mary Jane, and my goodness, is it ever good! It really does capture the spirit of a sugar cookie in a teacup, and I have been sipping it like crazy for the past week or so, especially after I discovered I can get multiple steepings from a single teabag. It's a lovely way to, as the old song says, "Have a cup of cheer!"
Each year I need two wall calendars, one for the office and one for home. My office calendar is usually The Collectible Teapot & Tea Calendar, and the one for home varies according to whatever I find that is pretty. Happily, I learned that Sandy Lynam Clough has a new "Tea and Friendship" calendar out, so that's the one I will be using at home next year.
I found mine on Amazon, and the back of the calendar envelope shows the images inside. Some are ones I've seen before, some are new, all are lovely.
I absolutely adore this February design with all the silhouettes — and would sure love to come across some stationery and other products to match!
Some weeks ago I gave mini-reviews of some of the early Christmas magazines gathered this year. I've added quite a few since then and thought I'd share a few bits about these as well! One of my favorites is the 2010 Christmas magazine from Gooseberry Patch. It's visually beautiful and full of tasty treats, as always, but one of the sections is titled "Friendship Tea" and is ideal for tea lovers to enjoy. The recipes include Victorian Jam Cake, Pecan-Stuffed Dates with Bacon, Sherried Shrimp Sandwiches, Turkey-Watercress-&-Cranberry Sandwiches, Vegetable Canapés, Checkerboard Cheese Sandwiches, Poppy Seed Mini Muffins, Lemon Tea Loaf, Cranberry-Buttermilk Scones, Homemade Devonshire Cream, Iced Shortbread Cookies, Ginger Crinkles, Pecan Tassies, Dreamy Hot Chocolate, Friendship Sip Mix and Dainty Turkey Sandwiches.
Holiday Cookies from Martha Stewart is my other favorite from this latest batch of magazines. My favorite idea from this issue is to bake an entire round pan of shortbread and then wrap the disc in cheesecloth and tie it with ribbon. Lovely! There are too many great cookie flavors to list here, but there are plenty that would go well with a cup of tea -- including Matcha Tea Biscuits. There are also quite a few gluten-free and flour-free cookies in this issue.
Are any of you fans of stylemaker Matthew Mead? I've admired his work for years (in Victoria and Country Homes, among other magazines). This year, my hat is off to him for creating his *own* magazine, Holiday with Matthew Mead, and self-publishing it! If you are a fan of the vintage, the recycled/upcycled, the elegantly handcrafted, you will love this issue. The entire magazine is visually quite lovely and full of Mead's trademark style. It's sold online-only (go here to order), and I hope he publishes one again next year. (Hint: Pre-order, as I did, to save money next year!)
A matte paper stock was also used for the cover of Christmas Cottage, a special issue from Hoffman Media, the folks behind Tea Time and Southern Lady. This issue has lovely features in a variety of decorating styles (bright stripes and candy colored hues, cool aqua and white tones), and the recipes for bite-size sweets (one in chocolate cups!) and Homemade Tea will be a treat for tea-loving readers.
Do any of you midwestern readers subscribe to Midwest Living? I found myself buying it so often I got a subscription for the office! It is one of the loveliest of the city/regional magazines I've come across, and I find this cover wreath simply stunning! This issue's recipes are great, and I especially like the feature "Layers of Love," which tells how to make those popular food-in-a-jar gifts.
The October/November 2010 issue of The Stampers' Sampler is full of beautiful card ideas but also ideas for shoe-shaped favors similar to ones made for our recent Tea for Toys. Tea lovers should note that the feature on Luscious Lunch Sacks includes one regular paper sandwich bag which was dolled up with a tea theme in a piece titled "Cuppa." It's worth a look if you're in your local craft store!
Southern Living Christmas at Home is a great issue for southern readers to enjoy. As you would expect, it is full of great recipes (should I make the Red Velvet Trifle for the office Christmas luncheon?). What I like most, however, is the can-do decorating tips that you can try with things you already have on hand and can use in a new way. Plus, I loved reading about unique Christmas decorating schemes (yellow!).
And finally, there is of course Martha Stewart Living's Christmas issue, the annual issue which reminds us why we all love Martha so much in the first place. Tons of great cookie recipes, beautiful decorating ideas — there's really no one like her. Which is why I laughed all the louder when I read her account of hosting a holiday brunch for colleagues, some of whom brought their children: "Parents are so thoughtful; it often seems that they have prompted the children to respect Martha's house and its contents — be careful!" Now that is just hysterical. Don't you know those kids' parents threatened them to within an inch of their lives if they dared touch anything at Martha's! Still, when it comes to holiday decorating and baking, Martha rules the roost, and her Christmas magazines are ones I keep year to year.
I never thought I'd say this, but I think I have too many teapot and teacup ornaments! Well, not really. It's just that I think the collection is outgrowing my little pink feather tree from Hobby Lobby.
An early Christmas gift from a girlfriend was this beautiful silver lamp, which really just seems to belong in this spot, doesn't it? (How did she know I'd been looking for a small lamp?)
On the other side, I used the silver tea service my husband picked up for me at a yard sale this year.
Despite all the great ornaments I've found this year, I think my favorite ornament for 2010 will probably be the "Alice in Wonderland" ornament from Hallmark, because it reminds me of going to see the new "Alice" movie with my nieces this year. I sure enjoy all the happy memories on this tree!
Finally! For several years now I've wanted to try decorating my Christmas tree entirely with Santa mugs from my collection, and this year it came to pass!
I'd tried it before using a real tree (the mugs slipped right off the branches) and an aluminum one (no way was that going to work), but this year my mom had found me a 7-foot artificial tree at a yard sale (price: $3), and that seemed to do the trick. I even used a Santa mug on top! So yes, you can drink tea as well as cocoa from a Santa mug, but they also make pretty nifty tree ornaments!
Really, all you have to do is slip the handle through one to three branches, depending on the weight of the particular mug, give the branch a twist upward, and there you go. I am going to *love* not picking up wire ornament hangers this year!
It's always so fun opening that big plastic crate of Santa mugs because I've usually forgotten what all the different ones look like.
This is one of the "newer" of the vintage mugs, and I thought he looked a bit startled when I unpacked him. But I guess if I'd been locked up in the garage for a year and was just seeing the light of day, perhaps I'd look startled too!
Since I wrote about our Tea for Toys event several times before it was held on Dec. 2, I thought you might enjoy hearing how the event went! I must say I was thrilled with all the ladies who attended and their response -- and by the end of the day we had a toy chest overflowing and spilling into the hallway with gifts that will go to local foster children this Christmas! Incredibly enough, several of this blog's readers from other states surprised me by mailing toys, and a few of my local friends who couldn't attend the tea sent toys as well. I was truly humbled by everyone's kindness, and my friend who organizes the local toy distribution program each year was just beaming as she collected all the toys for the children!
The tea wouldn't have happened, of course, without the wonderful efforts of my friends at Holly Cottage Tearoom, and I can't even begin to tell you how truly amazing they were! In addition to providing the delicious tea plate shown here, Chef Linda also donated a toy and some fantastic door prizes for the event. (I'm sorry I forgot to photograph the English trifle we had for dessert, but it was yummy just as I knew it would be, having enjoyed it here before.) And if you haven't tried it yet, I must say the Cranberry-Orange Scone is sooooo tender and tasty!
My friend Deberah outdid herself on the table favors. Earlier this year I wrote about the paper shoe my friend Kathy had made for me. Well, when I found I have absolutely no skills at making paper shoes, sweet Deberah made enough for every lady there all by herself! (Well, OK, I tied the bows.) Each shoe was to contain a small teabag, and I found it interesting timing that the good folks at Stash Tea sent me a gift box of teabags that arrived just in time to be included in our event. Teas were held at 11 a.m. and again at 2 p.m., and I was surprised how quickly the time slipped by. Between meeting all the ladies, giving away door prizes, collecting toys, and sharing a few baking and decorating ideas, we found it was over all too soon.
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll recognize ParTea Lady/Maureen at left and my tea friend Sandra, second from right, in this photo. It was so nice to get to visit with both of them! I also had so much fun seeing all the other ladies, some I already knew but plenty I did not. And after buying a ticket to the tea AND donating a toy, can you believe they thanked US for having the tea? And that they are already asking if we'll do it again next year? (And yes, I hope so!) So I'll conclude with a few photos of the ladies enjoying themselves at what I hope will become an annual tradition in Newnan!
