Like an old friend

This tea cup was recently gifted to me by a customer in the tea room. It is a beautiful Royal Albert bone china teacup from England. The marking on the bottom says 'Cotswold' which is a region in England with rolling hills and meadows, one that we visited several years ago. Tea rooms abound, and we tried very hard to visit them all. This sweet gift reminds me of that trip.

On the same day I received this cup, another customer shared a lovely quote found in an old magazine, author unknown. It says, "Like an old friend always there for you when you need her, the teacup is more than a vessel to hold your tea. It is a vessel to take you to a calmer state of mind - and, depending on its age or origin, to a faraway land or distant era."

This tea cup definitely took me to a faraway land! Thank you to both Brenda and Julia for their thoughtfulness.

Think Spring!

It's time to get serious... time to think spring.... with this beautiful Royal Albert Bone China tea cup and saucer from England. This pretty hand painted cup is one of a set of twelve, the Flower of the Month Series. It certainly evokes thoughts of springtime violets. We eagerly anticipate their appearance in the garden. We know they are ready to spring forth!

Showcasing the Black Teacup Collection

Gathering together the black teacups that I have in my collection, I was surprised to see the variety that I have. Since the majority of the teacups used in the tea room are either pink, yellow, or green, most of these sets are stowed safely in a cupboard.

This Royal Albert bone china tea cup from England is on display in the tea room. It is clearly marked on the bottom of the saucer and the cup. There is an elegance with the solid black saucer and the rich black and mauve roses circling the cup.

Found in another section of the tea room is this tea cup set with a slightly more modern design. The iridescent saucer sparkles, and the black and white swirl is replicated in both the saucer and the tea cup. There is no marking on this elegant and sophisticated cup.

These two pretty tea cups have matching designs on the saucer and cup. It's always a treat to finish drinking your tea and have the beautiful floral design to admire. The cup and saucer on the left is marked 'Made in Japan' while the set on the right is stamped Royal Sealy China, Japan.

And finally, this cup and saucer set was part of the original collection that was given to me from my mother shortly after the tea room opened. Mom was happy to pass her collection to me as she was thrilled to have more space in her cupboards to continue collecting!

Happy Birthday to the Queen!

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 90th birthday today in Windsor, England, no doubt with pomp and circumstance coupled with glorious pageantry as only the British can do. Celebrations have been ongoing all week. This little collection of English treasures are tucked high on a shelf in Sweet Remembrances Tea Room.

 The tin on the left, with a portrait of a stately young Queen was sold as a souvenir of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II which took place on the 2nd day of June, 1953. Originally it held flavoured Toffees. The small Royal Albert bone china dish was another commemorative piece for the Coronation. With a nod to the Queen Mother, the smaller teapot shaped caddie marks the 100th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. 

This beautiful Foley Bone China teacup and saucer was made in England and is another tribute to the 1953 Coronation of the Queen. It features the Royal Cypher, or monogram of Elizabeth II Regina.

And this beautiful teacup and saucer is part of The Royal Collection and was crafted to commemorate the 80th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Royal Collection Trust Shop has created a teacup and saucer in addition to other official commemorative chinaware in celebration of this milestone 90th birthday.

This collection of stamps shows the progression of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II over the years.

On the occasion of her 21st birthday she promised "my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service".  A promise she continues to steadfastly keep.

Long Live the Queen!
Long May she Reign!
and, Happy 90th Birthday!

New Year, New Tea Cup!

The newest addition to the tea cup collection falls into the 'too pretty to use' category! This was a gift from an older sister, and I acknowledge that I'm so lucky to have sisters that are always on the lookout for beautiful English bone china cups!

 This Royal Adderley cup features Canadian Provincial Flowers, in particular the Ladyslipper Orchid. The markings on the bottom of the cup show that it is Fine Bone China, Made in England. The orchard design is beautiful and appears on both the cup and the saucer, with a bud tucked inside the cup. The golden edging around the top of the cup and the base of the cup along with the edge of the saucer coupled with the golden highlights on the orchid all capture my eye with delight. Special thanks for this pretty treasure!

Tea Decor

This clever idea to display tea cups and saucers using old wooden staircase spindles was also part of the décor in Tea by Two. So fun, and such a clever way to display teacups and saucers while repurposing the spindles.

Shamrock Teacups!

As we march towards St. Patrick's Day with the end of winter approaching and the promise of warmer days, I thought I'd share my collection of shamrock themed teacups. The teacup on the left, with the ruffled cup is crafted by Royal Tara and Made in Ireland. The other two teacups are English Bone Chine, Made in England. The middle cup is Queen Anne while the last teacup is Regency.

 

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time -

a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic. 

~Adrienne Cook

Smile!

This whimsical little children's tea set has smiley faces on the petite teacups and also on the sugar and creamer.

So cheerful, it should brighten everyone's day that decides to make some pretend tea with this set. Special thanks to Claudette for finding this colorful set, and sharing it with me. It will definitely make an appearance at the Fairy Festival in September! Doesn't it just make you smile!?

Tea Friends Who Blog!

There is a new blog series going on... Tea Friends Who Blog.... compiled by Denise at Uniquely Tea.  Denise is an American, married to an Englishman, living in a quaint village in England, sipping tea and sharing stories.  She has a wonderful blog, a collection of bits and bobs solely about tea.  This month, she is sharing about the many different tea related blogs available, and yesterday was the feature about Rosemary's Sampler. 

This is a photo of Denise, taken in 2007 at the T Palace (no longer open) in London when Nancy joined Denise and others on a Tea in London excursion.  It was a wonderful and memorable experience, and the perfect way to experience London!  Denise is organizing another Tea in London adventure in the autumn of 2013.

Mrs. Bridges Pantry, CT

We enjoyed an afternoon visit to the charmingly British tea room, Mrs. Bridges Pantry in Woodstock, CT. The sign on one of the outbuildings announced the goodies to be found inside. 

Individual tea orders were taken from an extensive list of loose leaf teas or tea bag teas, from PG Tips to flavored blacks, greens, and herbals.
For starters, a thick and flavorful tomato Florentine soup.

The afternoon tea included a choice of sandwich, either egg salad, chicken salad, curried chicken salad, cucumber, or ham & cheese.  You received a full sandwich cut into four and served as shown. Since several of us ordered the afternoon tea, we mixed up the sandwiches at our table so we could each try a different triangle.

In addition to the afternoon tea option, guests are able to order from the menu, such things as spaghetti on toast, meat pies, bangers and mash, definitely offering a little 'slice of Britain' in this rural Connecticut area.

Our afternoon tea ended with a choice of warm, pre-sliced scones (lemon ginger, cranberry orange) served with a dollop of cream and lemon curd.

Tea Cup Thursday

Today, as we join Miss Spenser and others on Tea Cup Thursday, we are featuring this pretty collection of three delicate tea cups. The wispy garlands of petite pink roses mimic the ruffled edges of the tea cup base and saucer. They are simply marked 'Austria' on the bottom of the saucer.  While sipping tea from this pretty cup, one is surely transported to Austria, giving new meaning to the world in your teacup.

Tea cup Thursday

Alas, there are no markings on this richly decorated tea cup.  Just a beautiful design on a simply elegant tea cup.  Some of you have commented on this pretty tea towel that has been the background for several of our tea cups.  The towel is a linen/cotton mix, offered by Kay Dee Designs many years ago.  It was Made in Poland, but printed in the United States.  My intent was to have it framed at one point, but that hasn't happened yet, and now most of my wall space is otherwise committed.  It says 'Tea Time' at the bottom of the towel, and then the pattern is as shown, with the names of a wide variety of tea flavors and accompanying tea pots and cups.

Tea Cup Thursday

Time for another Tea Cup Thursday ~ still another treasure from this past Christmas! This delicate floral tea cup is hand painted and marked Lefton China on the bottom of the cup.

Almost too pretty to use!  Almost!

Please do visit Miss Spenser and others today to discover the wide variety of beautiful tea cups they are featuring on this Tea Cup Thursday.  

Tea Cup Thursday

Today we're featuring another gift received during the holiday season. This sweet little tea cup is from a monthly series and is marked
'January ~ Carnation'
on the bottom of the cup. 

A perfect cup to celebrate
National Hot Tea Month!

Join Miss Spenser and others for Tea Cup Thursday today.

Tea Cup Thursday

Sharing a few of my newest treasures today on Tea cup Thursday.  We're joining Miss Spenser and others, sharing the beautiful variety of tea cups to be found. Shown here, displayed on a sweetly embroidered tea towel (a gift from Angelica), are two bone china tea cups (gifts from Marj).








 The plum, is marked Regency, Genuine Bone China, Made in England.  It is always a special delight to find a tea cup with a fruit design.














The other tea cup is marked Regal Heritage, bone china, Made in England.  There is a crown stamped on the bottom of the cup also.  Another pretty addition to the growing collection!
Thank you to Angelica and Marj for discovering these fun tea time treasures!  They have indeed found a happy home!

Tea cup Thursday

As we march quickly towards Christmas day, we'd like to share A Cup of Christmas Tea as we join Miss Spenser and others today on Tea Cup Thursday.  This beautiful Bone China tea cup was introduced in 1992 to accompany the book by the same title, authored by Tom Hegg and illustrated by Warren Hanson.  Written in rhyming verse, it tells the story of a young man who reluctantly visits an elderly aunt at Christmastime, and shares the unexpected joy it brings as they both enjoy the memories of Christmas past over a cup of Christmas Tea.

The other book shown here, A Cozy Christmas Tea is a little treasure of recipes, quotes, and beautiful paintings by Sandy Lynam Clough.  The author encourages you to celebrate the joy and peace of the season with a cozy Christmas Tea, and what better way to do so than with this delightful tea cup specifically for a cup of Christmas tea. 

Tea cup Thursday

Running behind schedule, but better late than never, I thought I better share this teacup before it's January.  We're happy to join Miss Spenser and others for Tea cup Thursday.

The newest addition to the holiday tea cup collection is this beautiful Royal Albert, bone China, made in England, Flower of the Month series which features the Christmas Rose.
With its cheerful white blossoms and delicate shades of red, pink, and green with red berries and holly leaves, it has been a joy to place this on the holiday table.  A special thank you to sister Marj for finding this treasure, and presenting it to me early so that I could enjoy it throughout the season.

Tea cup Thursday

And today we introduce Miss September for Tea cup Thursday. In addition to August, September is the only other teacup I have in the Flower of the Month Series  Produced by Royal Albert, it is fine bone china, made in England.  September features the Michaelmas Daisy.  We are happy to join Miss Spenser and others for Tea Cup Thursday.  Happily, Miss Spenser's Special Teas tea room, located in Iowa, was recently featured in the newest edition of TeaTime Magazine.  Did you happen to see the article?  Some day we hope to meet Donna and her delightful family.  A visit to her tea room is on our bucket list!

Tea Cup Thursday

 

We're joining Miss Spenser and others for Teacup

Thursday today, featuring the birthday cup for the month of August. This Royal Albert bone china tea

cup from England, in both full size and petite cups, feature the Flower of the Month Series.  For August, it's the Poppy. The cups are both dated and copyright 1970.

The sweet little tea pot featuring precious blue blossoms, forget me knots perhaps, is marked on the bottom Lane End Pottery, Fine Bone China, England.

Tea Cup Thursday

We're joining Miss Spenser and others today for Tea Cup Thursday. This lovely little tea cupdelicately sits atop a blue covered 'cloth' adorned with daisiesand lace edging. This beautiful work of art was created by a bakery in Eastern PA. Layer upon layer of white and chocolate and more white cake with raspberry filling and chocolate filling and white filling, oh my! It was
amazingly high and definitely delicious!
What a fun addition to the afternoon tea celebration!