Aug 26, 2013

TEA CUPS, PARTIES AND THINKING TOO MUCH!



Welcome Ladies to Tea Cup Tuesday No. 180! This week was filled with parties for me. I did the decorations for my Best Friend's, 25th Wedding Anniversary this weekend. (I have a picture of the both of us at the bottom of this post.) All but one of the girls who was in the original wedding were there. Everything looked so beautiful. (I was so much thinner then.) We have been friends for over 30 years. Our children literally grew up together. God has blessed me with some amazing friends that seem like they have been with me through a life time. To have life long friends are treasures that cannot be purchased. As families do at times, my grown children will talk about all the crazy things I did to them as a young mother. (Like being a regular at McDonald's for breakfast, when running late for school.) I may not have been "Mrs. Brady", but I did teach each of my children the gift of making life long friendships. My three grown children can all say, they have friends they have known since childhood. My son is lucky enough to know some since birth, they continue to still be close friends. I taught my children about Jesus and how to be a good friend to someone. They can put that on my tombstone! That would put a smile on my face!


Catching up with friends and family you do not see very often, can make you do some serious thinking about what is important. Thinking is what I have been doing, all weekend. ("A dangerous pass time, I know.") Don't you ever feel like if you could just tell that young person to stop and learn from my experiences perhaps you would not have to go through the heart ache that you can see coming? I did feel that way about a young couple this weekend. However, I guess youth just has to learn from their own mistakes.




My home is very crazy looking right now, I am making my Autumn changes and I have been gone everyday last week. I do want to show you a couple of goodies I picked up this weekend. Believe it or not this tea cup, I got at an estate sale two blocks away from a party was on my way too. I couldn't help it. It was like a force that just stopped my car. You know I much I love Mustache cups. Not bad for 50 cents! I think this one is just wonderful. Love the pansies. Like many old Victoria cups, this one is unmarked. The items I pictured above are all treasures I picked up at this same estate sale all for under $10. Can you say "score?"




This next cup, I have coveted for years and finally about 3 years ago, I found it at a price I could afford. It is an Aynsley. Can't you just tell? I hope this does not sound wrong to anyone, but there is a scripture that says "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart!" I am not sure if that applies to tea cups, but when I see this tea cup, it always reminds me of that verse. I see them on Ebay for as much as $600 sometimes. I paid $25 and I can still remember that wonderful feeling of being blessed that I felt those three years ago. I know it is just a tea cup, but I think God cares even about dumb little things that make His children happy.



I guess you can tell I have been thinking too much. This last cup is a Haviland, Limoges. It is called "Autumn Leaf." I love the ring shaped handle it has. I have just begun to unpack my Autumn tea cups and I have decided I have to thin some of them out. So, look this week for tea cups I will be putting up for sales at Pretty Vintage Things. Somehow, I doubt that website will ever lack for things to sell! :)


Among the many birthdays we celebrated this week was for my beautiful daughter, Vanessa. She truly is a delight. I am so very proud of who she has become. Most importantly she is a young lady that loves the Lord! Happy Birthday Honey! (Thanks for the Grandchildren!)


We have only one more week before Terri returns from vacation. I can't wait. Things will go back to normal and be done right. Thank you so much for sticking with me and for each of your visits. It is always a pleasure to visit you. Blessings, Martha

Here is our Linky for this week.




Aug 19, 2013

TEA CUPS, POODLES AND FIRSTS' FOR ALL!



Hello Ladies! Welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday No. 179! I am so sorry about the different linky, however, I thought it would be better than no linky at all. We had a lot of new ladies join us last week. That was great because, many of our regular party ladies are taking the month of August off. I want to welcome everyone who joined us for the first time last week. Nothing brings ladies together more than a fancy tea cup and some wonderful tea shared with a new found friend. I love to visit each of you and can't wait to see what you are sharing today!



Can you believe August is almost gone? We need to start thinking Autumn. In California there are lots of fires and it seems everywhere else, there are floods. I am trying to stay away from too much news because it just makes me nervous and I need to trust God. My home is only 3 blocks away from the foot of mountains that have not burned in years. One of those three blocks includes a large park. I just have to pray that God has mercy on this country of ours.



I have begun to change my house over to blacks, whites, yellows and orange for the next month. It is done slowly but it is done each month. I have my kitchen almost done. This first tea cup that I am sharing is a New England Toile design. It is a new cup and as you can see I have several pieces. The little tag inside the cup is made by Terri. If Terri or anyone for that matter makes me something, I use it all year. It reminds me to pray for them and just how precious my friends are. Terri, is a keeper!




My next cup is a Royal Standard. It has a wonderful corset shape cup. Have I ever told you I collect poodles? Well, you guessed it I do. I don't know why I have failed to show you before, but you will find a few of them in this post. I have them in all colors. They remind me of my Grandmother. She loved them and I think that is way I collect them. They bring a smile to my face because of my Grandma. Anyway, that is my excuse and I am sticking to it!



This last cup is a Clarence from England. I love how it looks like someone just picked it up and the sides stayed ruffled. Too cute.




This last few days have been a week of first's! Maya had her first day of school, Noah his first day of Kindergarten and Sophia had her first sleep-over with Grandma. (Notice the black clouds under Noah's rainbow, may he was not so sure?) I pray that all our children will be safe and learn all they can this school year!


All in all a great week. (A new figurine, had to share it!) Don't tell anyone, I am cutting back on my collecting! Thanks for stopping by looking forward to having tea with you! Hugs, Martha





Aug 11, 2013

TEA CUPS, LADIES & PERFECT GRANDCHILDREN!



Hi Ladies! Welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday No. 178! So sorry about last week's link. I just could not get it to work. It took out my comment section, the whole right side of the blog and did not show the linky. I felt so bad. I hope this week's will work better. I am really starting to miss Terri!! Today is the start of another week, keep your fingers crossed for me, that it will work. Because I did not have the link, visits to your teas were very scarce. I did have a fun time joining several parties last week. I not quite sure how to add additional links to the party's I am joining. I guess I need to learn. Thanks for your patience. Terri, I miss you!



My son was home for 3 days this week. We were so happy! It was his birthday, so his sisters surrounded him all weekend. He also spent a lot of his time trying to get his sleep pattern back on track. He was working nights so he has had to get back to days. The first thing he said to me when he got back was "Mom, I had a great time!" I told his Dad, he must have dropped him when he was little and did not tell me. (He denied it!) We are so glad that for now, he is back to work on regular schedule. I had all three of the Grandchildren together. It was a blast for me. Here is a picture of Princess Maya and Princess Sophia's legs. They both have a thing for shoes!




I am sharing some of my favorite lady collections today. Hope you like them. I was reminded this weekend of all the collections I have. (I think it was in a good way?) If I ever had to moved, it would be so scary, collections are everywhere and I have been thinning out, really! My Sister in Law, told me I need to get rid of a lot. Of course, it needs to go her house. She would be glad to help me get rid of my problem and put it in her house. :) She is so helpful!



On to tea cups! My first tea cup is a Mitterteich, from Germany. As you know I love items with ladies and this one fits me perfect. It is a demitasse cup.




My next tea cup and teapot is a Franz. I picked them up at an antique shop a few years ago all for $35. It came with the matching spoon too, however, it broke. It's replacement cost is more than the whole set cost me, so it is spoon less right now. I think it is just amazing.





My last tea cup this week is a Coalport from England. It is on the simple side, but I really love the colors and I love the color green. Look at that cute little thumb rest!



Well, here is crossing my fingers for everything to work alright with Mr. Linky. I just have to add a couple more Grandchildren pictures. (I am Grandma, I can't help myself!)



SORRY NO LINKY AGAIN. IF YOU LEAVE A COMMENT, I CAN VISIT!

Hugs and blessing to all. Martha







Inspire Me Tuesday ~ http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
A Return to Loveliness ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/
Tea In The Garden ~ http://blog.bernideens.com/
What's It Wednesday ~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Aug 5, 2013

TEA CUPS AND THE MOTHER LODE OF ESTATE SALES!




Good morning and welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday No. 177! One more month of summer and then, we hit the ground running, holidays aka: Christmas! As you know our own Mrs. Terri is taking the month of August to create, so it will just be me this week. I will miss her lovely posts, but can't wait to see what she will do when she comes back. I began another scrapbook, will show it to you next week, as I did not finish it. I also hit the Mother Lode at an Estate Sales. All the pictures I am about to show you cost a total of $32, how could I pass them up? It would have been a sin! So, not to live with the guilt, I purchased them! Yeah! I know I said no more tea cups, but can you just blame me? I am going to give you a close up of them in this post. It would have been so wrong to leave them behind. :)








Let's get started, I am so excited to share them with you. My first cup is a Royal Albert "Señorita." I have wanted this cup for a while, it has always been too expensive to purchase. As you can see "all things come to those who wait!" I don't know who said that, but it is so true. I like the scripture that says "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart!" I am thinking this applies to tea cups too! I have a rather large collection of black and white tea cups, this one will be a perfect addition.



Just look at this second cup I got in that big haul. It is a Royal Stafford, "Rose, Pansy, Forget-Me-Not" pattern name. I know that at first it looks like a common pattern, but if you look closely at the rim design and the ring shape handle, you will see it is quite different. How could I pass this up? Tell me?


This next cup is my favorite of the five cups I found. It is demitasse and it is a Wurttemberg, Germany, Porcelain Rose Floral Design, with gold gilt. I wish the pictures could show how beautiful it really is. I just could not get them right this week. It is stunning. It was calling me by name "...Martha buy me!" What could I do?




Did I ever tell you I collect "Blue Bubble" Depression glass? I had a very large collection that I gave to my nephew. It serves 30 with all the extra pieces ever made for it. Every once in a while I see a piece or two that I can add to his collection so I pick them up for him. Our family is rather large and most of the large gatherings are at his home because it is the largest. Originally, this set was the only one that could serve everyone. He now has added new sets for the different occasions, but he still will use his Aunt Martha's set when the occasion calls for all blue.



I do hope you enjoyed my new treasures. I was so happy to spend the weekend with all my Grandchildren, including Princess Maya! We went to a small local theatre to see "The Princess and the Frog. Noah loved it, Maya said it was alright, but she was use to large stage productions! My little Noah hurt his foot on his bike. Sophia said she did not like it. (You can't please everyone!)



Here is the link for this week. I look forward to looking at all your cups. I am aware that many of the regular "party guests" are on August break, so us die hards just have to keep this party going! Blessings, Martha (Having trouble with link, sorry!)