Violets on the Tea Cups

Last month when I was in Indiana, Rachel had a gift for me. She said it was a thank you gift for helping her with her blog. I was so excited to open it up and discover a cup-and-saucer set to add to my violet tea set collection. It's the cup with a pedestal between the sugar bowl and cream pitcher. Isn't it beautiful?

My collection started in 1995 when my mother brought me the tea pot from England. Later she gave me a cup-and-saucer set that coordinated but was actually a different brand. Over the years the collection has grown piece by piece. I first started blogging about it in 2008, at which time I had the tea pot plus three cup-and-saucer sets. I've found several pieces at thrift stores or garage sales, but the ones I treasure most are those given to me by special people in my life.

Sentiment aside, I have a hard time choosing a favorite piece. I think it's so much more interesting to have an eclectic set, than if they all matched and were purchased at once.

Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory

Our sight-seeing expedition on Saturday took us to Boulder to the Celestial Seasonings Tea factory. This is something I had wanted to do at various times we had been in or through Colorado on vacation. Since Boulder's a little off the beaten path we never had worked it in.

The tour starts in the "tasting room" where we were given our "tea kits" (tickets) in the form a 3-bag sampler pack of tea to take home, along with a little cup for sipping samples of various teas while we waited for the tour to start.

Photos weren't allowed inside the factory, so I have no pictures to show you. The first thing we noticed when we went in was the strong fragrance of tea and herbs. It was so interesting to see the huge bales of dried tea and other botanicals and see how it was processed. The Mint Room was the most impressive part of the tour. We came to a garage-style door painted with red-and-white stripes. The tour guide raised the door and invited us to step inside. There really wasn't much to see, but oh, the smell! Dozens of wrapped bales stacked high above our heads isolated into a vault-like room concentrated the fragrance of mint into an intense experience. The Mint Room is where they store peppermint, spearmint, and catnip.

 The tour guide told us that Celestial Seasonings' best-selling tea is Sleepytime. (So of course, one of their photo props was the Sleepytime bear.) Chamomile is the second best-selling, with peppermint being third. Peppermint has always been my favorite herbal tea, though I do enjoy others as well. We were also told that most of their peppermint comes from Washington and Oregon. There were peppermint fields near where we lived in Idaho, as well. I always enjoyed driving past them at harvest time. Mmmm!

 I think my family wasn't too sure about going on a tea factory tour when I first suggested it, but they admitted that it was more interesting than they expected it to be. And of course, we had to bring home a few "new" teas to try.

St. Patrick's Tea

A few weeks ago my daughter decided she wanted to host a spring tea... just for fun! She has a special gift for hospitality and loves planning social events. After much thought and discussion, she decided on a St. Patrick's Day theme. The tea was yesterday.

Laura asked each of her guests to bring a treat to share that was either green or rainbow colored. We had a delectable selection to choose from... and most of it was naturally green, not food coloring. We enjoyed asparagus and swiss tarts, spinach roll-ups, green peppers, Waldorf salad, pistachio bread, pesto salad, kiwi, bananas dipped in (green) coconut, M&M cookies, and coconut M&Ms. Everything was delicious!

She also asked her guests to wear green... and a couple of them took it one step further and wore hats! She planned a couple of fun parlor games and made this adorable "Leprechaun pants" bag of "gold" as a prize.

After the scheduled festivities, we enjoyed visiting for the rest of the afternoon... and managed to finish off the coconut M&Ms.

It was a fun day with sweet friends!

Christmas with the Bearsaltandpeppers

Bernadine and Beauregard Bearsaltandpepper here, but you may call us Bernadine and Beauregard Bearsaltandpepper.

You probably haven't met us before, but you may know our more famous cousins, Brunhilda and Borris Bearsaltandpepper. They even have their own blog. While we love reading about their antics, we don't have any such ambitions. However, when Miss Karla asked us to do a guest post showing some of her Christmas decorations, we couldn't say no. After all, it gave us a chance to venture out of the downstairs "north woods" bathroom where we live-- which badly needs to be dusted, by the way-- and see all the pretties in the upstairs living room. And goodness knows, she hasn't been doing a very good job of blogging this month!

 Our first stop was at the Christmas barnyard on top of the "school shelf." The barn and trees are ceramic, but most of the animals are from Becky's Schleich collection. We are kinda out of proportion to the other animals, but that's okay, because they aren't exactly in proportion to each other either. I mean, those chickens are practically as tall as the calves.

 Next, we popped over to visit the Sarah, Plain and Tall village on top of the piano. This special set was a gift from Miss Karla's friend, Kay Conner, who has been in heaven for several years. We are even taller than the buildings there.

Here we are, swapping howdy-dos with the Precious Moments people. Miss Karla has had the shepherd boy with his lambs, and the little Santa pets on the bench for many years. The little girl reading to her dolly and the little boy warming his backside by the wood stove are "new" to her this year. Can you believe she found them at a garage sale this summer for just $1 each? The lady was selling them real cheap because they had broken off their bases. That didn't bother Miss Karla any. She just glued 'em back together. She's frugal like that. Plus she's always loved Precious Moments figurines.

 Our favorite stop was getting to worship Baby Jesus in the stable. This is Becky's toy "Timothy" set. Of course, we know that there weren't any Bearsaltandpeppers in Bethelehem. At least, the Bible doesn't mention it if there were. But since this is the Reason for the Season, we wanted to worship, too.

 Just for fun, we stopped by Santa's workshop, which he set up on the edge of one of the bookshelves. The Victorian hardbacks in the background don't exactly fit in with the North Pole theme going on, but whatever.

 Time for a quick cuddle on the couch with Miss Karla's Christmas throw pillow. Her kids gave it to her for Christmas a few years ago because the cute little pets look an awful lot like Cookie and Tabitha, the real-live animals who live with us.

 Our next visit was with the Freaky Dolls on the mantle. They were given to the girls several years ago by their great-great-aunt (originally belonging to the great-aunt we used to live with-- but that's a story for another time). The girls like the dolls and enjoy putting them on display each Christmas, but they call them the Freaky Dolls because they move. You see, they are mechanical and their arms move in and out... and when visitors first notice them they usually say, "Oh, that's freaky!"

Time for a cuppa Christmas cocoa! Miss Karla got this beautiful Christmas cup-and-saucer from Miss Farrah at the tea-themed gift exchange during the Christmas Baking Day a couple weeks ago.

The Cook family received this pretty basket with a trio of holiday cocoa from some other friends. The basket was so pretty that Miss Karla has made the family wait until Christmas Eve to enjoy the special cocoa. That's today... so it's time!

And speaking of time, now that we've had our adventure, it's time for us to scuttle back down to the bathroom to "settle our brains for a long winter's nap!" Maybe we'll see you again sometime.

"Happy Christmas to all! And to all a good-night!"

Christmas Baking Party

The girls and I hosted a Christmas baking party earlier this month. My friend Farrah was great about taking pictures and she has posted a full report on her blog, Light in the Sphere. (And yes, she took the picture for this post, too. I just "borrowed" it!)

Maybe she'll do a post about our other party, too. You'd think I'd be more diligent about taking pictures, knowing I'll want to blog about it. Too many things to think about, I guess.

Anyway... thanks, Farrah!

Vintage Sugar Bowl

I am just dying to show you my bedroom makeover, but until we start having some sunny days around here I'm having a hard time getting pretty pictures with natural light. I'm trying to appreciate the spring rains but I have to say the sunshine will be very welcome when it finally comes.

In the meantime, I thought I'd show you the latest addition to my mix-and-match violet tea set. I haven't been actively looking for pieces to add to it, because I have enough cups and saucers now to host a pretty good size tea party.

I was browsing a thrift store a few weeks ago and spotted a violet sugar bowl. I didn't have a sugar bowl!

It even had the lid with it. I've seen other sugar bowls at thrift stores and garage sales that are missing their lids. As I picked it up to examine it, I realized it went with the snack plates sitting under it, and they were priced as a set-- $6 for 5 plates and the sugar bowl. 

Now I ask you-- what would one do with a set of five snack plates (complete with rings for the cups to sit in-- but no cups) and a sugar bowl, except add it to an eclectic tea set? I couldn't pass up a deal like that, could I? Of course not.

The plates are shell-shaped and I thought they would match the one snack-set that my friend Denise sent me awhile back. It turns out that these plates are slightly bigger and the pattern is a little different. This isn't the first time I've added to my set thinking one piece matches another piece I already have, and then they turn out to be different. That's one aspect I enjoy so much about this collection.

I've also added a couple of vintage violet greeting cards that I came across among some old family letters. And my sister-in-law recently gave me a beautiful vintage hanky with embroidered violets to add to the display. (I had taken this picture before she gave it to me.)

I wonder what will be added next? A cream pitcher would be at the top of my wish list, but we'll see.

Since it's Thursday, I'll join in with Vintage Thingies Thursday @ Colorado Lady... and hopefully by next Thursday I'll have some pictures to show you of my "new" vintage bedroom furniture.

Pleasant Places

 

O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You maintain my lot.

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Yes, I have a good inheritance.

--Psalm 16:5-6

Friendship Tea

 I love the way God brings special friends alongside to encourage me just at the time I need it most. One day last week I received a package in the mail from my childhood friend, Denise. I haven't seen Denise in... oh, 20 years or more... but we reconnected online about 3 years ago and have stayed in touch sporadically since then. However, it had been awhile since I had heard from her. Her family has some health problems, so I was sure she had been busy with that. But when my daughters carried the package in to me the other day and I saw the return address, I just knew it was going to be something special!

And I was right! The box was filled with bubblewrap with this note on top:

Merry Christmas, Karla!
    Enclosed are three different tea cups with violets that I have collected for you! The collection was started when I briefly left my husband's hospital room for a break and visited a favorite thrift store nearby. There the snack plate with tea cup was spotted. A thought of you brightened my dreary day and the collecting began!
    Tea for one is fun... but not as much as tea with three! So, I thought I would wait to send it until I had enough for you and your girls! Yesterday, I finally found the third one!
     Enclosed are some homemade Buckeyes from the Buckeye State~ sweets from where you and your Sweeties first met!
     I trust you had a wonderful Christmas that 2011 will be the best year yet!
Love,
     Your Childhood Friend,
          Denise

 

 I have to say, that quite made my day! And gave me just the lift I needed! I loved unwrapping and admiring each beautiful piece to add to my eclectic violet tea set. My girls were just as charmed as I was.

Thank you, Denise, for such a lovely gift... and especially for your words of encouragement!

Additions to my violet tea-set

My eclectic violet tea-set is growing! Last summer I added a cup-and-saucer set I found at a garage sale, and then in March I received another cup-and-saucer set in a tea swap I participated in. So then I had the teapot plus 5 different cups-and-saucers.

A couple weeks ago I found this cute little demitasse-size cup-and-saucer at a thrift store to add to my collection.
Later, I couldn't pass up this pretty violet saucer for 75 cents at a garage sale, even if it didn't have a matching cup!
I just tucked it up under another saucer for now.
Who knows? I might come across a stray cup sometime that doesn't have a saucer, and then those two pieces can be partners!

A Tea Swap

This is a shout-out to Diane @ Little Birdie's Nest! Back in the fall she hosted a "Falling Leaves Tea Swap" that I participated in. I had a lot of fun putting my package together with fall themed basket of pumpkin spice tea, and some crocheted coaster doilies that I made of fall-colored thread and other goodies. I was disappointed when I learned that the package that was sent to me had been lost in the mail, but those things do happen from time-to-time... so I didn't think too much about it.

However, Diane did! When she found out I never received my package, she put together one for me! What happened was not at all her fault and she wasn't at all obligated to make up for it... but I think she must just be a very thoughtful person.

It was a delight to open the box and find a box of chamomile tea, a pretty vintage apron in spring green with a rose applique pocket, a set of rose-colored napkins, 2 pony-tail elastics, some tea-time recipes...
...and best of all, a violet cup-and-saucer set! Diane must have read back through my blog to discover that I have a mix-and-match violet tea-set! This makes 5 violet cup-and-saucer sets in my collection, and each one is distinctively different. I love it!

Thank you, Diane!

Wishing you love...

And now abide faith, hope, love,
these three;

but the greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13:13

Tea and Cookies for Fall

When the weather turns cool and crisp, nothing says "cozy" to me like a hot beverage! I have decided that hot beverages are my "comfort food." I like coffee, tea, cocoa, apple cider... and I like cute mugs! I splurged the other day and got a set of 4 pumpkin mugs just to celebrate the season.
Later, I found Pumpkin Spice tea in 2 different brands (at 2 different stores). Of course I had to try them both! Spice teas are my favorite... and since they "go" with my new mugs... well, what else could I do?

Another "fall tradition" that has evolved at our house is the Apple Glazed Cookies that my daughter makes each year, when apple season comes around.
She discovered the recipe in an Amish cookbook several years ago. This year she added "fall" sprinkles. I thought that was a fun touch!

I posted her recipe on The Persnickety Pantry, if you'd like to try it. Visit Looking Towards Heaven for more seasonal tricks and treats.

Violet Teacup

Remember my mix-and-match violet tea-set? I found another cup-and-saucer to go with it! That makes four... and each one different. This one's not quite as pretty as the other three, but for $3.50 I'm not complaining!
Isn't it fun to collect something just a little out-of-the-ordinary and then find a piece for your collection at a very reasonable price?

Just thought I'd show you the latest addition as part of Kelli's Show & Tell Friday.

Tea Pots

The theme for this week's Gracious Hospitality blog-o-thon is to tell about tea pots. Many of the ladies participating have lovely collections of tea pots. I don't. I only have 2... my beautiful china tea pot with violets on it, and my more practical stoneware tea pot in the Pfaltzgraff Yorktowne pattern. I have posted pictures of them previously, so I won't show them to you again... but I thought I would tell you about my new tea kettle!

A couple years ago a lady my husband worked with gave me a big collection of Yorktowne stoneware. Her dad had given her various pieces over the years so she had a sentimental attachment to it, but had gotten tired of it and didn't need it any more. She was glad to be able to give it to someone she knew would enjoy it and appreciate it. And I have. It's a pattern I've always liked.

A few weeks ago I was in our local Pfaltzgraff outlet store and was browsing the Yorktowne aisle. As many pieces as I have, there are tons more I don't have. Not that I need more. I was just interested to see how many things they had come up with for the collection. It occurred to me that I did need a new tea kettle, but that was one thing I didn't see on the Yorktowne aisle. After browsing a bit longer I started to leave the store when the lady asked if I found what I was looking for. On a whim I asked, "I guess there's not a tea kettle in the Yorktowne pattern, huh?" She told me, "Oh, yes, there is! It's over here with the tea kettle display!" Dummy me. I had been looking for it with all the other Yorktowne stuff! So I splurged a little and bought it! Isn't it pretty?

"Tea Room Ventures & Venues?"

This week's theme for the Gracious Hospital-i-Tea blog-a-thon is to tell of our favorite tea room. Would you believe I've never been to a real tea room? I think it would be fun! Just never had the opportunity, I guess. So I'm going to tell you about my favorite coffee shop, instead. Hey, they serve tea, too! Close enough, don't you think?

Last fall my friend, Jan, opened Pleasant Land Books & Espresso just a block down the street from where we lived. It is such a fun, cozy book and coffee shop. She has a huge cushy couch besides several tables for gathering around, and lots of books! I really enjoyed popping in often while we lived in the neighborhood.

One day last winter I needed to meet with some ladies to show them Sonlight Curriculum, so I made an appointment with them to meet them at Pleasant Land. While we were there someone from the local paper came in and took our picture! Jan was running a series of ads in the paper and needed some more pictures of folks enjoying the shop. We were happy to be her models. And here's "our" ad:
Now, I'll admit, I usually have a caramel latte at the coffee shop, but this is also where I first tasted chai tea. Before the shop was officially open Jan invited some of her friends and family in for an evening of testing and tasting. She was practicing making drinks and she needed lots of testers! As I read over her menu I mentioned that I had never tasted a chai tea latte... so she whipped one up for me. Now that's decadence!

The White, Green, Black, and Herb of Tea

I've been blogging about tea lately as part of the Gracious Hospital-i-tea blog-a-thon. A few weeks ago Laura asked me what my favorite tea is. And that's what I'm going to blog about today.

I don't have just one favorite... it's actually hard for me to choose a favorite of anything. It depends on my mood, among other things. And isn't variety the spice of life? But I can share with you some of my favorite varieties of tea!

First thing in the morning, I like... coffee. Whoops! That's not tea, is it? Oh, well. It's my blog so I can talk about it if I want to! Now, what I really like is a caramel latte... but (out of consideration for my waistline and my pocketbook) usually I just add some powdered French Vanilla or English Toffee cappuccino mix to my regular coffee... or drink it black. Again, according to my mood.

To get back to the subject at hand... namely, tea... I enjoy spicy-sweet teas throughout the day and at tea-time. Here are a few I like:

• Constant Comment (from Bigelow). It's been 15 or more years ago that a friend served me a cup of Constant Comment. It was so good that, of course, I commented on it! She said that it was well named because every time she served it she got comments on it!
  
• Good Earth Original. I first had this at a home-demonstration party (Usborne Books, maybe?) a few years ago. Caution: if you've never tasted it, be sure to take a sip before you add sweetener because it is a very sweet tea! Right, Farrah?
• Vanilla Chai. Chai tea is relatively new to me, so I am still experimenting with the amount of sweetener and milk I like in mine. I bought a sampler box with several flavors of chai from Stash recently. Usually I am finding that just a dollop of honey is all I care to add. But when I'm in the mood for something really sweet and creamy, the Oregon Chai latte is particularly decadent!
• Celestial Seasonings holiday teas. My sister-in-law introduced me to these one Christmas. My favorites are Gingerbread Spice, Candy Cane Lane, and Sugar Plum Spice.
  

Late in the evening, just before bedtime I like a piping hot cup of mint or chamomile tea with honey:

• Celestial Seasonings Peppermint.
• Bigelow Mint Medley.
• Good Earth Good Night.
• Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time.
  

What are your favorite teas? Have you tried any of the ones I've mentioned? I'd love to know!

The Sweet-and-Savory-of-Yummy

The theme for this week's tea party blog-a-thon at Gracious Hospital-i-tea is "The-Sweet-and-Savory-of-Yummy" and we're all supposed to share our favorite tea time recipes.

So, from my kitchen... first a favorite cookie recipe.

I have been making these for years from The Fanny Farmer Cookbook which says, "The meltingly light taste of these rich, buttery confections makes them disappear almost as quickly as you can make them."

Viennese Cresents

1/2 pound butter (use real butter for best flavor)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup ground nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla (again, real vanilla is best)
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter, then add granulated sugar, flour, nuts, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Shape with your fingers in delicate crescents, about 2 x 1/2 inches. Roll in powdered sugar and bake on ungreased cookie sheets for about 30 minutes, until just faintly browned. Cool, then roll in more powdered sugar before serving.

Next... a recipe for a delicious instant tea beverage that my mother liked to keep on hand when I was growing up. She said Mrs. Rehfeldt gave her this recipe.

Friendship Tea

1 cup instant tea
3 cups sugar
2 packages instant lemonade mix (Kool-aid)
1 14-ounce jar Tang (1 3/4 cups)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cloves

Mix all well. Use 1 to 3 teaspoons of mix to a cup of boiling water.

And finally... a favorite tea sandwich spread...

Cucumber Chive Spread

1 small cucumber (seeded and shredded)
8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
2 tablespoons chives
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Happy Tea-Time!