Feb 28, 2011

PRETTY PINK AND GREEN SANCTUARY!



Hello My Tea Cup Loving Friends: Welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday, No. 51! Here at home it is time to change the decor to one of my favorite colors, Pink and Green. These are the colors that fill my house this month. It feels like a my own special Pink and Green Sanctuary! There is something so comforting about these colors for me. They welcome Spring in! Sometimes it is feels like my job is to salvage my special treasures from thrift stores and estate sales. (Someone has to do it!)




Before the tea cups begin, I want to share about this weekend. I was having dinner with a friend when all of a sudden, the restaurant we were in started to empty out. The servers, bus boys, the diners everyone left while we were busy talking. Where did they go you asked? To play in the snow! I was in La Crescenta, a place that never sees snow. I know that you are all probably tried of snow, but for us it was a novelty. This is what my home looked like that afternoon. The whole block was outside building snowmen (little ones) and throwing snow balls.




I have been sick off and on with a cold this past week, but I did manage to purchase a few things at the thrift store. This first cup I am showing you is one of thoses treasures, a snack set. It is a Royal Albert, "Lady Hamilton". I have never really been draw to one before, but this one called my name and it was only $6. What do you think? Does anyone else like these snack sets?





This next tea cup is one of my very favorites. It was given to me by my sister in law, Maureen. Daisies are her favorite flower and she gave me this daisy to remind me of her! It is an Aynsley tea cup from England. The pattern is called "Daisy Petals" and I am told it is rare! I love it! It is perfect to welcome Spring to California.




I have noticed, while taking out my Pinks and Greens, that I have too many green tea cups. (Not the sharpest tool in the shed, you say!) Well, sometimes it takes me a while longer to get things. I will thin this group out to avoid the "hoarder" problem. I will not do it before I show you all the pretties. This next one was a gift from my mother. Who said "I needed another tea cup, like I need a whole in the head!" She got it for me anyway. It is so beautiful. Mom only gives practical gifts so this one is very special. I "needed it"! It is a Royal Albert, Old Country Roses, "Peppermint Demask". My favorite cup! (I have a lot of favorites!)




Since it is getting close to St. Patrick's Day, and like all good Mexicans, I celebrate the day. My next cup is a gorgeous, vintage, Shelley Tea Cup. The pattern name is "Shamrock", of course. Love the quatrefoil shape cup on this one. I have more shamrock designs to show you next week.





These next pictures are a few more treasures that were also found this weekend. The silver tea cups are salt and pepper shakers ($1.49). The figurines are "Josef".



Thank you so much for joining Terri and I for the party. You know what to do with Mr. Linky. Please remember that this link is about tea cup things! Hugs, Martha

Feb 20, 2011

COLLECTING TEA CUPS AND EVERYTHING ELSE!




Hello Tea Cup Lovers! Welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday No. 50! Terri and I are so pleased that you join us every week. We look forward to the beautiful tea cups we see each week. Today, I am sharing Chintz! I am a Chintz lover, however, they tend to be pricey so I do not have a lot. The ones I am sharing today are very similar yet quite different.





I like to blog twice a week otherwise, I am bursting with things to show you and things to say, risking boring you to death! I am afraid, this might be the big one for you, because I feel like I have not talked to you in a long time. (I know it has only been a week, but it feels like longer!) Ok, first the tea cups. My first tea cup is a new one. The cup is a trio by St. George China, in England. It is very dainty and always a beauty. Notice that the cup does not have any gold trim any where. Most Chintz cups are decorated or trimmed in gold, this one is not. Can't remember where or when I purchased this. (They say the memory is the first to go. I can tell you as a fact, other things go first!)




Cup No. 2 is a Royal Stafford, called "June Roses". As you can see, this Chintz pattern is much more intricate and detailed. It has a wider range of colors and patterns, obviously a more expensive cup. I love the handle on this one. The cup is very light weight. "June Roses" what an appropriate name!





Cup No. 3 is a Royal Standard. It has a fluted shape cup, with a wonderful handle. I love the pedestal type base. The Chintz teapot at the top of the page is a four piece, stacking tea pot set. It is an amazing Royal Nelson tea pot, pattern name "Rose Time". It is very beautifully decorated with a Rose Chintz pattern of shades of pink, rose, yellows, creams and purples. It has gilted edges with accents on the handles. Truly the pictures do not do this beauty justice. I know I have shown this tea pot to you before, but this one is worth repeating.





I spent Saturday with my beloved Sister-In-Law, Maureen. I have told you about her before. It felt like I had not seen her in a year! We did what we love to do best together; we talked, we laughed, we cried and we went to Estate Sales. These are some of the wonderful treasures I found with her. The plates were a dollar each! I just had to share them with you!




Before I forget, Noah's fever, finally broke on Friday night. He had 103 to 104 since last Monday. Thank you for your prayers. He has had no fever since Friday! Praise the Lord! You should have seen my home, sick bodies everywhere. Vanessa came to sleep, because Noah had not let her sleep. My son, Kyle, had a fever. There were no beds left in this inn, last week. Everyone came home to Mama. The chicken soup was fly out of here.



Oh, one more thing! This weekend I was also invited to an event called "Launch your Creativity". Sharon at http://pansycottagegarden.blogspot.com/ is hosting this event on April 9th. It is going to be held at Paris in a Cup Tea Salon, in Orange, CA. (Don't you just love the name?) This is a place for you to discover how to turn
your dreams of starting a business into a reality. It could not have come at a better time for me, since I will be opening my on-line shop within the next month. One of the speakers will be Jacqueline deMontravel, editor of Romantic Homes Magazine. If you live in the Southern California area, go visit her blog and get more information. (Visit her blog anyway, she has some amazing ideas!)



I believe I better stop talking now. (I told you I was going to be windy.) I just need to blog twice a week or I will bust! I have only began to show you what I got this weekend. I will post again this week! Here is Mr. Linky. So let's go see your amazing tea cups! Hugs, Martha

Feb 13, 2011

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH TEA CUPS!




Hello Dear Tea Cup Lovers!

Are you ready for another wonderful week of sharing tea cup treasures? I am writing this post late Sunday night because I know I will not have time on Monday. I hope that your Valentine Dreams came true for you. I just love feeling loved. Who doesn't? I thank God for February the month of love.



I want to thank you for all those positive comments on my up coming web site. So you know, I will not only be selling tea cups, but also thinning out some of my many collections. If you ever see an item on my blog that you would like to purchase, please email me. I am not saying I will sell it to you, however, you can make me an offer I can't refuse! I am always looking for something new to add to my collections and something has to give. This is my way of "staying healthy" (you know what I mean).



Now that Valentine's Day is behind us and our feet are back firmly on the ground, let's look at the Tea Pots and cups I am going to share this day after Valentine's Day with you. Terri at http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ and I have hosted 49 Tea Cup Tuesday. We both just love it!






I would like to start off with a relatively new Tea Pot set I purchased at the Thrift Store for $6.99. The tea pot and sugar and creamer are one of my favorites. When I first saw it on the shelf it was so dirty but I thought it might be Belleek because of how delicate it was. However, it turned out to be a Jolie Fleurs. The pattern name is "Mann". Interesting isn't it? The body is a white china with delicate pink roses as a design. Just beautiful as can be. A true treasure.




The next one is a hand painted rose cup and saucer and was Made in Japan. I normally do not care to much for cups that are Made in Japan. This one however, is a looker. All gold on the out side and completely Hand painted on the inside with a pedestal cup.





This next cup is from Schumann, Aazberg, Germany. It is decorated as much on the inside as it is on the outside. Usually, one side gets more decorations than the other, but not on this cup. Have you noticed the handles? Both this cup and the one above have amazing handles.




This next cup is amazing. First because it cost me $2.49, and secondly because it is a Shelly in mint condition. This was a Thrift store find. I think I mentioned this cup a while ago, but never posted a picture. The flowers on the cup look like cherry blooms. The pictures do not do this one justice.





This silver tray was also purchased at the Thrift Store. I really scored that day. It is sterling and costs me $2.99. It is so beautiful and dainty looking.



Before I put Mr. Linky up for you I want to show you the "Stylish Blog Award" I recently won. Never thought of myself as stylish so I am very honored to get it. The award came from http://gorightinmygarden.blogspot.com/. I am not sure of her name, but I am positive of her wonderful skills in gardening. You must stop by her post. It is truly amazing. Thank you for thinking of me as "Stylish" anything!



You know what to do with Mr. Linky. Thank you for your faithfulness! That amazing Valentine at the top of the page was made for me by Terri. That woman is so talented. She never stops amazing me. I was feeling very tender and the kindness made me cry. Thank you, Terri! I love it! Hugs and Kisses, Martha

PS: IT IS TUESDAY AND NOAH IS VERY SICK WITH A HIGH FEVER. HE HAS THE CROUP. YOU KNOW HOW HORRIBLE THAT CAN SOUND TO A MOM. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIM LADIES! THANK YOU, GRANDMA MARTHA