Culinary Arts College blog picks

The Culinary Arts College has listed “50 Awesome Blogs For Tea Aficionados” on their blog.  It is always fun to check out what other tea bloggers are writing about.  You can find the list here. 

The Culinary Arts College is a non-profit site.  Chef Cindy Cullen maintains the website and hopes to encourage and inform a new generation of chefs.

Bethany and Arthur Wood China

My teacup and teapot today are two different patterns and companies, but I think they are pretty together.  I like the soft butter yellow background and pink roses on the teacups.

It is a lovely chintz floral pattern with gilded edges.  It is not vintage china and my four cups and saucers were purchased less than five years ago.

It is fine bone china, made in Staffordshire England.

 Next is the pretty teapot that I usually pair with these cups.  The color is very similar, with a different floral pattern.

It has a lovely shape with a pretty gilded handle and knob.  It was made in England by Arthur Wood.  

Please visit Terri and Martha the hostesses for Teacup Tuesday.  Also Wanda Lee and Pam for Tuesday and Wednesday Teatime in Blogland.

Teacup Tuesday – Royal Albert & Wedgwood

This week I’m showing a Royal Albert teacup and a couple of Wedgwood teapots (or teapot and coffee pot).  The Brigadoon pattern with its soft colored thistles is quite pretty and a change from my usual floral cups.

The teacup has a lovely Montrose shaped bowl on a footed base.

The Brigadoon pattern was introduced in 1963 and discontinued in 1991. 

This piece is an older version of my Wedgwood Edme pattern.

This Wedgwood Queen’s Ware teapot is one of my favorites and I love it and the rest of my Edme tableware.

I’d like to add to this set and also see what pieces can be found in the older pattern with the pretty leafy  bands.

Please see  Terri and Martha's blogs – they are the ladies who host Tea Cup Tuesday and also Wanda Lee who hosts Tuesday Tea For Two. 

Paris Breakfast

A fascinating website came to my attention recently through my vacation club.  Although I’m not able to visit this beautiful city anytime soon, I can now travel to Paris without leaving my chair.

What fun to sit down in your PJ’s with a cup of tea and some cinnamon raisin toast (although I prefer croissants) and take a virtual tour of Paris and its twenty most beautiful monuments.

To achieve this panoramic view 2,346 single photos were stitched together.  You can soar above the city and zoom in for a closer look at the monuments.  It is amazing to actually be able to get close enough to see the signs on the shops and cafes or the pretty flowers in the window boxes and so many other sights.  Experience this wonderful tour for yourself by clicking here.  

Cabbage Patch Kids Tea

I can remember when my girls had these dolls back in the eighties.  They are still around today and I’m sure my new granddaughter will be adopting a Cabbage Patch Kid when she is a little bigger.

The special Mommy & Me Tea would be the perfect time to visit the new facilities at BabyLand General Hospital in Cleveland, GA.  How fun to dress up and enjoy traditional tea fare with your favorite little girl.

For more information you can visit their website here.  If you do attend the tea, I’d love to hear about it.

Tea Cup Tuesday

Although I didn’t buy any cups and saucers on my recent trips, I did find three just a few days before I left.  These were local yard sale finds.

The middle set was the only teacup out on the table when I arrived and it was priced at only $2. 

It is Crown fine bone china from Staffordshire, England.

I asked the homeowner if she had any other tea china for sale.  She went into the house and came back out with two more cups and a bunch of saucers.  We put together two sets.  I loved this one with the little roses.

The cup is Theodore Haviland,  New York by Wilton.

We paired it with a Limoges saucer from France.  I think they work well together.

The next set has pretty pale cream (almost yellow) bands with  delicate mixed floral designs.

 The teacup is made in Germany by KPM in the Athena pattern.

 

The saucer we chose for this cup was by Holly china marked Narumi, Occupied Japan, Merivale.  I have seen the Merivale teapot on Replacements Ltd and it is exquisite.

 

 This was the most fun I’ve had at a yard sale for a while.  The best part was when the homeowner decided that even though two of the sets were mismatched, they complimented each other enough that she would also charge $2 for them. 

I was delighted to hand over $6 in return for three lovely teacups to add to my collection.

You can visit Terri, Martha and Wanda Lee  for lots of wonderful tea time things and links to other Tuesday tea posts.

Savannah Tea Things

One of the pleasures of vacationing to me is looking for tea things to bring home.  It is fun to be reminded of your trip, as you are enjoying your purchases later.

It was disappointing that all the cups and saucers that I found in Savannah antique shops were too pricey, but I did manage to find a lovely Portmeirion Studio tea mug for only .55 at the Goodwill on Broughton St.  Since I already have one of these mugs in another floral motif, I'm on my way to another collection.

 

Of course, I always buy new teas (or old favorites like Barry’s) to try.

 As I mentioned in an earlier post, the First Flush Darjeeling Gopaldhara Estate tea is one of the best teas I’ve tried in a while.  This estate was planted by the British over 100 years ago.

 As many of you know, I enjoy robust black tea in the morning and Barry's Irish tea is a good one.

This pretty little tea spoon has a sundial on the handle. 

      

 I always pick up lots of postcards and tea themed greeting cards.

This time I added something to one of my smaller collections with a bunny tea bag holder.  I like the blanket stitched motif around the edges.

 

Do you also have lots of ticket stubs, restaurant menus, maps, postcards, stamps, etc. from your travels that you hold on to?  I’m always telling myself that one day I’ll use them in my scrapbooks, but meanwhile they sure are piling up.  Do you have any neat storage solutions for travel memorabilia?