Tea and cottages

[dedavis]

I just got the Stash Tea catalog for spring, and it made me think of you all. Here's the website: http://www.stashtea.com. This is a great one for browsing--beautiful designs. Tea and cottages go together.

I drink peppermint tea out of a silver pot most evenings (all my ceramic tea pots get broken). This winter I've been taking green tea chai to work in a thermos. When friends come over, we have tea and conversation.

Some of my most precious possesions are a couple of old cups and saucers that my great-grandmother had. One has Japanese ladies on it, and is so thin you can practically see through it. The other is pale green with pink flowers, and an elegant shape. These were always displayed, never used. I don't know where they came from.

Do you have any tea tales?

Deb

PS, Hey CL, teatime might be a fun article with recipes. Or take a trip to the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC for their afternoon tea...that's an old-fashioned experience.

[Memmey]

Your thin cup must be porcelain:)

[Chyna]

My fave brand is Celestial Seasonings. How can something be bad when it has bears on it? :p I also like the sayings all over the box. The current fave flavor is Honey Vanilla Chamomile. I have to be careful about stuff containing soy in it so companies like Lipton are OUT!

Tea Pot = Cottage. Works for me!

[Ladybug]

I LOVE teatime!!! Tea parties are such enjoyable experiences. I've planned and hosted several through the years...unfortunately, none in this house! I have a friend coming to visit next Tuesday and may have to do a Valentine tea just for her and I...it will be a "tea Christening" for the house!

You're right...tea and cottages just go together!

Forgot to add: Last year for my birthday Mom took me to a tearoom in a nearby town. I'd never been to a tearoom before and this was such a wonderful experience!!! If we go again this year, I'll take pics to share with you all!

[RoseMary]

This thread makes me think of Victoria Magazine. They always had such beatutiful flowers and teas. I miss looking at it every month!

I recently puchased a Blue Onion pattern Sadler teapot and have yet to use it. Maybe it's time to get it out!

[Jilliebean]

Wish I liked tea, or any hot beverage for that matter. I never caught on to the whole coffee/tea thing. I really love the smells, variety available and culture surrounding tea time, though.

[Ladybug]

I did a tea party for a group of little girls and we served pink lemonade! I don't think the beverage is nearly as important as the atmosphere surrounding teatime. There's something about it that makes you want to act on your best behavior. It makes little girls want to act like ladies and women feel like little girls. It's magical!!!

(Can you tell I LOVE teatime????) ;)

[Memmey]

Pretty manners get better and better if they get to practice them.They become natural and then they can relax and have fun instead of worrying about them don't you think? Tea time is great, I love the little cakes and sandwiches LOL:D

[Memmey]

This thread makes me think of Victoria Magazine. They always had such beatutiful flowers and teas. I miss looking at it every month!

I recently puchased a Blue Onion pattern Sadler teapot and have yet to use it. Maybe it's time to get it out!

Blue onion is such a wonderful pattern. I had a chance a few years ago to get some vintage cannisters in blue onion with the words in german on them and I passed on them becuase they weren't white..what an idiot I can be. My customer brought them to the salon to sell for nothing, they were her Mothers and she was about 76 herself. If you only knew the things that I have passed on but you know you cannot collect everything you just cannot it's too much.


I'M SORRY OFF THREAD AGAIN I APOLOGIZE UGHHHH I'M SORRY....

[dedavis]

I love blue and white. I have my Gramma Davis' blue willow pattern china. I think it's earthenware with the design transferred on, but I don't know the story behind it. That whole side of the family is gone now, and there's no one to ask. So many things I wish I had asked when people were still alive!

I also bought myself a blue willow teapot from Stash Tea, but broke the lid. I have a blue and white tea cozy to go with it. It really works to keep the tea hot in the pot.

Deb

[Memmey]

You may already know this but back in the day the English imported their dishes from China and when they got to the docks I guess they were sold or auctioned or whatever. They must have had some sort of price fixing or something about the transactons being crooked and the English stopped importing and so The chinnosiere(sp?) pattern dishes were an effort to copy the chinese. Also the dishes would break in transport so an English potter and I cannot think of his name darn it (menopause) well he formulated a ironstone china that did not break so easy I think he was one of the first and the wedgewood potters got his formulation. I may be rewriting history but I think that is correct. Your blue willow is an English copy of a chinese design. FYI:D :D

Brain flash Maybe the importers were the West Indies Company??? remember that from school?