Tea on Tuesday

                    'Tis the season to be jolly..............

                                                                      or

                                                          stressed

                      by all the last minute things you feel you must do for the holiday!!!!!

So, it is always a good time to have a nice cup of tea, sit back, take a deep breath, and think about the real reason for the season..............

This morning's tea is a mug of chamomile- because I am hoping to go back to  bed after writing this post - it is wa-a-a-ay too early!!!!!! Words were struggling to get out of my head, so.......

My favorite tea of late has been loose leaf Provence Rooisbos- I just love the scent and the flavor- and it is caffeine free! From South Africa, it contains rooisbos, rosehip, lavender, raisins, black currants, blueberries, and rose petals. 

Yesterday, a friend gave me some Twinings Winter Spice to taste test. It passed the test!! It is a "camomile tea flavoured with cinnamon, cardomom and cloves".

 

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This past Friday was Julieanna's 2nd Annual Holiday Dessert Tea and Teacup Exchange.

I designed and made the 43 ornaments, with some additional embellishment by Julie.

 

One of the teacup exchange attendees made a gorgeous pineapple centerpiece

 

The dessert included chai mousse, a peppermint scone, and another tasty treat with pecans-pecan puff, maybe?

 

The mystery teacups lined up for the exchange

Tea mistress Susan getting ready to read her traditional tea story

Some of the lovely tea cups that were exchanged

I LOVE this blue one, received by my friend, Judy. It is a pottery mug/teacup, created by one of the guest's mom. The potter goes by the name Hot Flash Pottery!!!! Gotta love it!!!

I received a lovely, delicate, vintage Noritake demitasse set- coincidentally, from the same lady who gave me a wonderful Shelley set last year!

The rest......

A lovely time was had by all - Susan and Julie outdid themselves, as usual!!

Today, after I get more sleep - I will be off to a cookie exchange. D/H and I spent several hours night before last, making 9 dozen pizzelles. Next week, we should be making another 9 or 10 dozen. The holiday is not complete without pizzelles- we have been making them together, for over 20 years....

One of my daughter's fondest memories, is pulling a chair up to get at the container of pizzelle "trimmings", that I would "hide" on top of the refrigerator.

Trimmings are just as delicious as the cookie, by the handful or, as she would do - in a bowl of milk!!

Please be sure to drop by Kim and Patty, for links to other tea fanciers.

Tea on Tuesday.......

......will be short today!
Only 33 more days 'til Christmas, and only 16 days 'til Julieanna's 2nd Annual Holiday Teacup Exchange. I am making the little commemorative ornaments for the exchange- and am in a hurry to finish!! Will post a pic when they are complete!

I had my roobois tea for the morning, and now am enjoying a glass of homemade grape juice - from the end of summer harvest of our one huge  vine of vintage Concord grapes.

I keeping with the tea theme - here's a quick peek at Julieanna's tea tasting this past Saturday.
The construction of the tea room is coming long - the walls are painted, the window frames are a work in progress. The room is useable, and hopefully, come spring, the tea room will be ready, and the customers will be a steady flow.

 

Julie and her granddaughter at the gift wrapping station

 

I met 2 friends, Judy and Bobbie, at the tea tasting. The pic I took of them caught them mid bite into a delicious cookie - so, I better not show that!!!

We had a lovely time, and did a little brainstorming about my upcoming quilt retreat.

(where- BTW- Pat Sloan will be teaching a workshop, and local rug hooker Donna Bleam will be doing a show and tell)

Well, back to the ornaments!!!!!!

Be sure to stop by and visit Kim and Patty for a list of other tea lovers

Late Afternoon Tea on Tuesday

Yesterday was my birthday - I will refrain from exposing to the world how OLD I actually am.....!!LOL

And, surprise - my gifts all had a tea theme!!!! 

When 

      in 

         doubt, 

                                                    get me a teacup!!!

First one was from Teresa:

                           Sorry, blogger is still not recognizing the fact that I HAVE rotated my photos!!!!
                                                                    
                                                          Thank you, Teresa!!!!!!



Next, was from my mom. She had a teacup that I really admired - and I told her never to sell it - leave it to me in the will!! Instead- she gave it to me for my b'day - along with a little spending $$$ to get more!!! She was afraid if she tried to buy me one, it would not suit my taste!!! Hardly...............

                               Neptune Belleek - probably the best, or 2nd best in my collection!!!

With the some of the spending money - as luck would have it- I fell into 10 more cups - at the thrift store today!!!!!! I went in to volunteer, and there they were!!!

                                              I REALLY need a new display cabinet now!!!!!

The best about this new collection- is that each c & s cost $2.60 each!!!! The little Wedgwood Peter Rabbit was 35 cents!!!

For those of us who have to turn the cup over to see who the maker is - I will indulge you with photos!!

For those of you not that enamored with teacup finds - I apologise!!!!! LOL
                                          But, it's my birthday week- so I can do what I want!!!

 

 

 

I found a pair of these white c & s's for a dollar each - they will go with my everyday mix and match white vintage china pieces!

                                                            I know, are we DONE yet????????


Also, found at the thrift store- a set of 4 Laurel Burch coasters.Perfect to set a scone upon....
( Again, sorry for Blogger's inability to rotate!!!)

AS I type this, you would think I am sipping tea out of one of these lovely finds!! But, no,I am drinking some very good oolong tea out of a cool hand thrown pottery mug (another one of my weaknesses - pottery)

I really think that blogger has something against my new camera. FB has the same problem, recognizing photos that have been rotated and saved- but at least FB gives the option to rotate- I have yet to find that function on Blogger. If anyone has a clue to how to do this - PLEASE let me know!!!

Other lovely non tea b'day giftees will be shown off in another blog post..but thank you, thank you, to everyone who took the time to think of me!!!!!

In the coming weeks, I will be announcing another teacup exchange - one of these thrift shop lovelies may make it into the swap. I'll keep you posted~!!!!

Altho, I am sure you have already been there- please visit Kim and Patty for a list of other Tea on Tuesday players!!!

Tea on Tuesday

Hope everyone had a wonder-full holiday!

I am keeping this short - trying not to type too much on the computer- minor horse related incident hurt my hand, not to worry, not such a big deal, that time, and the heating pad won't cure!!

Here is a delightful, totally not tea related artist for you all to enjoy - Adele Enersen and her blog here

A reminder - if you would like to join my teacup exchange, one on one swap, sign up here- closes tonite, and I will assign partners in the next few days, with teacups to be mailed by January 15.

Please visit Kimmie or Patty for a list of t.o.t. participants


Happy New Year everyone!!!!!

Tea on Tuesday

Well, here we are again, and only one more Tea on Tuesday before the end of 2010.

Did any of you get up/stay up to take a peek at the lunar eclipse? For the first time in 400 years, the lunar eclipse happened on the Winter Solstice. I should have been holding my Yule log over a bonfire to singe it, sealing in the good luck for the coming year. But,

                                                           I  

                                                                 was 

                                                                                 sleeping............

Only 4 more shopping days 'til Christmas, and I am proud to say, I only left the boonies only ONCE, to venture into the mad crazy crowds at the mall !  This year was less buying, more handmade, or making use of the internet for purchases.

Speaking of internet buying, I have been on eBay, a little too much!! After announcing my teacup exchange (click link to play along!), a friend got on eBay and started enticing me with all these fabulous finds of hers!!!

Below is a pic of only PART of a lot she scored on eBay- and who knows, one of these lovelies may end up in the teacup exchange!!! Or, maybe not!! I know I could not bear to part with any!!

She managed to win quite a few more auctions!! And, in the process, got me sitting in front of the computer, scrolling thru eBay on a search for the perfect teacup!

I have not been so lucky - I lost out on a lovely Willets Belleek cup and saucer, by 50 cents!!!!! I set a limit, and it was not meant to be, I guess. The other bidder got a VERY good deal! I would love to have a piece or two of Willets Belleek - Willets is my maiden name. I have 2 or three pieces of Shamrock Belleek that my mom gave me.  My mom has a few pieces of Belleek of her own- including a Neptune beauty just like this:

She found hers in an antique store a few years ago for a mere (!) $30- they now go for a low of $50 up to $100+- for ONE cup and saucer!!!! Yikes!!

Now, to play in  our teacup exchange, we don't expect such high end teacups - but, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all afford to give away such niceties -LOL!  Just a pretty thrift shop find, or vintage one, or one from your stash that you are willing to part with. You could even buy a new one, if you desire! It's up to you. Only requirement is that they be in good condition, no cracks or chips, and have a matching saucer.

The exchange will be open til the next Tea on Tuesday, then I will throw the names into the proverbial hat, and match each player up with someone - this  will be a one on one exchange.

Teacups should be in the mail by January 15th, after the excitement of the holidays is over!
Leave your name and email in the comments in that post and start thinking about teacups!!!

Thanks for dropping by, and make sure to visit Kimmie and Patty for a list of other Tea on Tuesday folks!

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Quote for the day:

Art is a guarantee of sanity.-------sculptor Louise Bourgeois  1912-2010

Tea on Tuesday

Here is what I am drinking, on this totally frigid Tuesday- Earl Grey's Lady Grey, with dark honey, in this lovely oversized thrift store cup and saucer. The cup is English Royal Castle bone china - heavy- not  vintage, but I like it for the size.My daughter was thinking it would make a great coffee or hot chocolate cup for her!!

Today I am sharing pix of  this past Saturday afternoon's teacup exchange at Julieanna's. This would be their first annual holiday tea and exchange (well, actually the 2nd - they had one on Thursday night also). Both were well attended and beautifully set up!!

Julieanna's is a great little gift shop in Broadway, Va, that I've mentioned before, owned by Julie Wilkins,with monthly tea tastings served by her friend Susan Teter.

The ladies outdid themselves! They hope to open a tea room within the shop sometime next year, and if Saturday was any indication of the quality, their  tearoom will always be full!!

This first picture is of my gift bag, with a tag I made for the occasion. Next to the bag are a couple of my thrift store teacups.

Here's the party:

I got so involved in talking, I forgot to take pictures before we sat down!

The pastries and desserts were scrumptious - didn't write down what they were!!! I suggested a need for a Julieanna's Tearoom Recipe Book, in the future!

Susan had a giveaway- winners had to be able to answer tea related questions! They were difficult!!!

That's Susan in the forefront, Julie in back.

Here are some of the cups that were exchanged- sorry- again, didn't take notes, so I can't tell you the origins- but they were all wonderful!

Last but not least, was the one I received - the lady that brought this one ended up with mine!!! I have always wanted a Shelley cup - and this is what I got!!! Delicate vintage English fine bone china - Shelley, in the Rose, Pansy, Forget-Me-Not pattern. I LOVE it!!!I had given a vintage white swirl English Ironstone, stuffed with goodies and a linen napkin. The set  was plain in comparison to the others - but the recipient loved it - turns out she has all white dinnerware.

Thanks for joining us for Tea on Tuesday- please drop by anytime, and be sure to visit Kimmie and Patty, for links to the other tea partiers!!!!