Sapphire Jubilee

Hello all!

This week the Queen of England and the Commonwealth is celebrating the longest reign of a living monarch in her country. They are celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's 65 years of reign with the sapphire jubilee. We thought we would honor this momentous festivity in our way by having a spot of tea.

The reason I found this occasion worth noting and celebrating is because I admire the Queen so dearly. Upon a closer study of her you will find commitment and duty at its finest. She is extremely disciplined and well poised. Inheriting a job you can never retire from would be a daunting task, but not for Her Majesty the Queen. With a smile and a wave she proudly represents the head of Her people's land, and land abroad, of a legacy so refined it would make anyone take notice.

We selected some light sandwiches, various fruit, cakes, and sweets for our celebration. Placing in fresh flowers, books, and magazines added an opportunity for celebratory conversation in the Queen's honor. We also added in blue accent color to represent the sapphire achievement. Finally, we chose some cinnamon tea from The Greenbrier to add to the charm. Our tea was quite lovely and we had a jolly good time. Here is to a wonderful 65 years of reigning to the Queen, with more wonderful years to come!

God Bless and God save the Queen,
Trina

The End of the Downton Abbey Era

Hello Everyone,

In honor of the very last episode of Downton Abbey, I have set up a plate of treats and tea to celebrate this wonderful show's ending. It is a definite must to enjoy this event in a Downton Abbey-style by having tea, a ritual that bound society together. In true Great Britain-style, a pot of tea brought comfort and support during many times for the Crawley family. It is only fitting that I should do the same to close the chapter on the series. Whether you can identify with the upstairs or downstairs characters while enjoying your tea milk-in-first, or milk-in-last (a historical practice of upper class or lower class way of having tea), I am sure for other fellow Downton Abbey enthusiasts, these characters have edged their way into your life as they have mine. This historical fiction series has followed the aristocratic Crawley family and their downstairs staff, and has kept my family entertained every winter. We have watched this family have a host of problems, many of which we can relate to today. We have also very much enjoyed the time period clothing, history, and cadences that went along with the time period. I hope that everyone in the show has a happy ending, especially Barrow and poor Edith! So as you tune in tonight, brew a cup of tea with me as we usher Donwton Abbey's final episode in by giving a toast to our favorite characters. Oh, and don't forget the tissues, goodbyes are never easy!

 

Thank you for entertaining us Crawleys, we will miss you!
We bid you farewell,

Trina

Giveaway Winner Announcement!!

Hello Friends!

As you may have noticed, we had a giveaway open this past week. We wanted to give back to our blog followers to say that we appreciate you. We also wanted to celebrate reaching 3000 page views, which to us is unheard of! So a huge thanks to each and everyone of you that continually return back to our page to support us.

Now that the giveaway is closed, it is time to announce our winner! I used this free random selector online to choose the winner to insure an unbiased selection. Drum roll please.

The winner of our giveaway is...

JILL STAGGS

Congratulations!!!! Thank you to all that participated! I hope everyone has a very blessed Christmas Eve, and be sure to check back tomorrow for our Christmas Day post!

Merry Christmas Eve,

Tilly

Santa Tea

Hello Everyone,

It is undoubtedly the most exciting time of year! It’s when every child has that certain glimmer in their eyes and one thing on their mind: what to put on the ole list to Santa Clause! Every child has that image in their mind of that jolly old soul who will bring them goodies and fill their stockings with treats. So why not take this enchanted Christmas theme and turn it into a lovely tea time to spend with your child. With just a few Christmas items you have laying around you could make up perfect tablescape that would make a perfect lifetime memory and tradition. While serving tea you could tell Christmas story’s and write out a letter to send to Santa. What an inviting time you would have! Cupcakes and cookies would be a wonderful thing to serve and that’s the exact treat Santa would love. If your child does not like tea, no problem, just serve whatever they like in a teacup. It’s the memories that counts and believe me drinking anything out of a tea cup makes it more fun.

I found this very inexpensive Santa teapot at TJMaxx but you could use any teapot you have laying around the house. I placed a tree ornament around a plain white teacup and it really made it pop with Christmas. I just gathered up a few items I already have lying out to decorate for Christmas and made a wonderful display to have a good holiday time. I hope this inspires you to want to have a childlike time for Santa inspired tea.

God Bless,

Trina Belle

Poinsettia | A Brief History

Hello Friends!

This week we will be putting a post up everyday until Christmas. Today I thought we'd kick off the week's holiday posts with a history of poinsettias. Poinsettias are traditionally used around Christmas time and are known for their red and green color. Poinsettias were brought to the United States in 1825 by Joel Roberts Poinsett (which is from whom their name derives from), and were brought to Mexico from Egypt! In Mexico they are known as Flor de Noche Buena, which translates to Christmas Eve Flower. Poinsettia were not associated with Christmas until the 16th century when the legend of a young girl too poor to present a present for the celebration of Jesus' birthday placed weeds in front of the church alter, as instructed by an angel. The weeds sprouted to resemble the poinsettia we know today. The star-shaped leaf pattern of the poinsettia is also said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, further tying it in to Christmas traditions.

A couple lesser known facts about the poinsettia includes that the poinsettia is toxic. Although the poinsettia's toxin is only mild, if the toxins get inside an eye cavity the eye will temporarily go blind. Another fact is that the poinsettias are different colors throughout the seasonal year.

Happy Holidays,

Tilly

Thanksgivng Catch Up and Candy Cane Hot Chocolate

 Hello Friends,

As you may have noticed, we did not post anything last week. Cooking, cleaning, and family time took precedence over blogging. But have no fear, we will be having a giveaway this month to make up for it so be sure to check back each week for the details on how to enter. I hope everyone had a grand time over Thanksgiving with their loved ones! Here is a look at out table scape and dessert we presented.

 

 

 

With the start of December, also starts my hot chocolate obsession. I have already started off every morning this week with a cup to wake me up as I am not a coffee drinker. But today, I wanted to have a nice mug full after my meal. My brother also insisted I make him a cup so I reached for these cute little mugs I got from the Dollar General for $1 each. To make our hot chocolate, we used the Swiss Miss brand, and added in whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and cocoa powder. Finally we added in some candy cane spoons!
 

 

 

Happy Holidays,
Tilly

Last of the Autumnal Season

Hello Friends,

With the first snow of the season today, I figured it was time to use up the last of the food related apple products in the house. After this week, I will be in full hot chocolate mode until February. As will the stores, for finding apple cider or apple butter becomes nearly impossible to locate in between all the gingerbread and peppermint flavored things. So here is how I savored my last cup of apple cider and apple butter for the season.

 

The tea pot/tea cup combo is made by Peggy Jo Ackley through CIC. I picked this up for $10 at a local antique store and thought it would bring the ambiance to my breakfast this morning.

Thanks for reading,

Tilly

Whimsical Pumkin Teapot

Hello Everyone,

I just returned home a few days ago from a much needed trip at the Amish Country.  Its a trip we usually take a couple times a year but have not been able to in the last year. Thus I was so excited about going. Its a place where you can fill your day with going from one antique store to another without end.  It is just amazing how many antique stores there are.  What that mostly means for me is the intoxicating search for tea pots and tea cups, and the and Amish Country never disappoints. The question is not if I can find any, but how many can I fit in my vehicle? Although I found quite a few good treasures, I decided to feature this whimsical cheery yellow pumpkin tea pot. It was a little bit more expensive than I wanted to invest in a seasonal tea pot and I am not sure where I will store it, but I could not resist.  I actually did place it back on the shelf for a few moments (out of some faint attempt of self-control) but then around the corner fate happened. I found this beautiful yellow and gold tea cup that just needed a whimsical tea pot to make a seasonal tea encounter wonderful.  So, back I went to collect the tea pot, and then to the cash register to check out.

The yellow kept making me think of lemons, so, I decided that Lemon Lift Black Tea would be perfect.  Its a distinctive blend with just the right amount of lemon and a dash of spice.  A little bit of lemon added to the top of this hot tea was perfect. I wanted something easy to go with my tea and decided on the usual choice of cupcakes.  Cupcakes are easy to make and definitely easy to find in any grocery store.  I didn't feel like whipping any up so I decided to pick some up at a grocery store after my son's futsal game.  My husband trying to be helpful packs up all my bags and puts them in the vehicle for me.  Upon arriving home, I discovered he had placed my cupcakes into the vehicle on their tops.  Needless to say they were not very pretty anymore.  I was able to salvage three and throw some sprinkles on top to cover the imperfections.  Because I was able to salvage a few cupcakes and my husband was really trying to be nice, I let him off the hook pretty easy.  Overall I was very pleased with this fall teatime especially since we only have a few more days before the Christmas fever takes over.

 

 

God Bless,

Trina Belle  

Psalm 46:10 | Be Still And Know That I Am God

Hello Everyone

On my way home travelling a few months ago I made the usual stop to eat at Cracker Barrel. Instead of patiently waiting on my food to arrive, I slipped out and thought I could occupy my time better by shopping. I love shopping to find the perfect treasure to bring home with me as a reminder of my time away. That’s when I found this beautiful linen embroidered with the scripture of Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God". It was the last one they had and I knew that it would be perfect to use not only for a perfect tea napkin, but to provide inspiration.  

In this fast paced life that is constantly filled with distractions, disappointments, and mindless chatter, it is next to impossible to be still. Because of this it is so easy for the world to rob the peace and joy and break down the communication between ourselves and God. As our souls yearn for God, this busyness yields a disconnect in our spirit, and an internal war ensues within us. As our minds begin to race with life our focus begins to shift from knowing God is in control to wondering why we must endure suffering. God becomes a distant glimpse while we become engulfed in the present reality of our problems. Instead of being tuned into what God has for us, this distance ensues a narcissistic cycle of constant discontentment and self-pity.

It is imperative in this secular world that we simply stop and take time to be still and meditate on what God’s design and plan is for our life. Knowing God in a deep intuitive way allows us to detach ourselves from our circumstance and rest upon who he is. Understanding that in the difficult times in our lives he is strengthening our inner man that we may endure the hardships of life and like Job say’s, “Though he may slay me I will rest in him”.

It is one of my life long struggles to drown out life and simply be still and know God for who he is. So, as my tea linen inspires me to work upon my deficiency and grow stronger in the faith, I pray this post inspires you to do the same.

God Bless, 

Trina Belle

Pumpkin Spice Tea | Review

Hello friends,

When they say pumpkin spiced everything, they MEAN pumpkin spiced everything. In more recent years pumpkin spice as a flavor has taken over during the fall months. I am not a strong connoisseur of the pumpkin spice flavor, but with the growing hype surrounding it, I decided to give it a whirl. A picked up Bigelow's Pumpkin Spice Black Tea (from my local Walmart), which claims to be a Hearty Spiced Tea. After letting it brew, I added in some sugar. Here is the result!

 

 

One of my first thoughts was that it was much better than I had originally expected. It quickly began to smell and taste of nutmeg and pumpkin pie. The ingredients for the tea are black tea, natural pumpkin flavors, cinnamon, licorice root, clove, ginger, and pumpkin flake. After reading the ingredients I realized one of the flavors I was tasting was the licorice root. The tea is gluten free and includes an average of 30-60 mg of caffeine. Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this tea and happy with my purchase. I hope this encourages you to try something new as well!

Happy Steeping,

Tilly

Decorating | Tea Pots and Tea Cups

Hello friends,

My mother and I have accrued multiple tea pots and tea cups through vintage shopping. I have been asked more than once what we do with it all. The answer is simple: we decorate with them!

A recently purchased of mine has been this tea cup (Rose Bouquet made in England by the Johnson Bros.) antique shopping for a mere $8. I decided to place in on top a couple books stacked on my nightstand. The other items on my nightstand are quite taller than the tea cup, so providing it with some elevation, helps to balance out the arrangement.

On a little round table in my room, I have placed a gold and white tea pot (made in Japan, no company stamp) with some other items in the same color scheme. There are two candles, one if front of the teapot and one top of a couple books. There are also two plants, one real in the glass case and one artificial flower in a glass jar. Keeping a color theme on a table is a great way to bring the pieces together and really make them look like they belong on the table.

Since I use my vanity daily I don't want a lot placed on it because it would get in my way. Here I simply have a pitcher I picked up for $12 antique shopping. In the pitcher I have my Maid of Honor bouquet I carried on my best friend's wedding day. This just helps to bring some extra color into my room in a unique way.

I hope you enjoyed seeing how I incorporate my antique tea finds into my bedroom décor. Please send me pictures of how you decorate with tea things! Also comment below which of the three decorating looks was your favorite.

Hope you have a great day!

Tilly 

The Teacup | A History

Hello Everyone,

“The mere chink of cups and saucers tune the mind to happy repose”  - George Gissing

    

There is nothing like the enjoyment someone can receive from owning and using the perfect tea cup.  Perhaps it’s the fond reminiscences of conversations during tea time with friends, or the memories invoked by a perfect day antiquing, that makes a tea cup hold a special place in your heart.  Each tea cup in my home not only holds a special story and pleasurable memory, but is considered a beloved collectible.

Like anything else, the tea cup has quite a history. Their history began in China as a simple and handle free vessel.  When tea became popular among the Europeans in the 17th century, they found it quite intolerable to hold a steaming hot cup. So the addition of a tea handle was born and became an integral part of teatime. They first used silver as the handles, but they seemed to also hold heat. This became a problem with the holding of the tea cup. Next came a wonderful solution through changing the silver to porcelain in the 1600’s. However, porcelain did had some draw backs as well. This is why an influential lady started adding milk in the teacup before the hot tea was served. Tempering the tea in this manner made the tea cup better to handle and kept it from cracking.

Now that teacups could be handled easily, they became integrated into society for not only a pleasurable experience for relationships, but status also.  In the 19th century, the tea cup took on another role as a collectible. They found their way upon display shelves and used as gifts and keepsakes. They became little pieces of art that could intrigue anyone’s interest. They have become a vital part of culture and deeply rooted in family tradition. Whether the expanse of your tea cup collection is large or small, expensive or modestly found at an antique store, the repose found in them is the same. I hope, like me, you find some comfort and enjoyment out of using a variety of your own teacup collection to ensure the legacy of the teacup endures to the future generation.

God Bless,

Trina Belle