Sometimes the simple things bring the most joy. This is what I have in mind, while bringing a new feature to my blog. As you may guess, I have quite a gathering of teacups and teapots at my house. And the tea is always overflowing. ;^D
So, I thought that featuring a teacup of the month might be fun. I’ll also showcase one of my favorite teas at the same time.
I had such a good time creating this still life photo. I selected a new cup that I received for Christmas and took it to my mother’s to photograph it with some of her cardinal collection. (If you think my teacup collection is large, you should see her cardinal collection. Vast does not begin to describe it.)
So ~~ here you see a vintage photo of cardinals and some of the other fun items with my “I ♥ Grandma” cup that my grand-daughter, Annabelle, gave me for Christmas. Annabelle is eight years old and she selected this cup at her school’s Christmas store. She’s so thoughtful and sweet. I love that she thought of me and chose this gift by herself. She even wrapped it and was so excited to give it to me that she couldn’t wait until Christmas for me to open it. ;^)
I ♥ you, too, Annabelle. ;^) (She and her brother and sister are my sweeties.) ♥ ♥ ♥
I also thought this would be a fun theme for the first “Teacup of the Month,” because the predominant color is red, which reminds me of garnet, which is the birthstone of January, which is my mother’s birth month. ;^) (Whew!) (Sometimes my mind really does take the rabbit trails — or in this case, the cardinal trails.) ;^)
I found this description on the American Gem Society website:
Garnet
“Garnet, the birthstone for January, signifies eternal friendship and trust and is the perfect gift for a friend. Garnet, derived from the word granatum, means seed, and is called so because of the gemstone’s resemblance to a pomegranate seed. References to the gemstone dates back to 3100 B.C., when the Egyptians used garnets as inlays jewelry. Garnet is the name of a group of minerals that comes in a rainbow of colors, from the deep red of the pyrope garnet to the vibrant green of tsavorites.”
Well — that is just perfect. ;^) Sowing seeds of friendship ~~ that just makes me happy. ;^)
The tea in the cup is almost garnet in color, too. It is Celestial Seasoning’s Black Cherry Berry. (I promise — they don’t pay me.) (But they really should.) ;^) Black Cherry Berry is an herbal tea and one of Annabelle’s favorites when we have tea-parties. (I like it when I want something a little sweet and fruity and need to avoid the temptation of sugar or other heavy sweets. It’s a nice dessert.) ;^)
There we have it. Miss Cynthia’s Spot of TranquiliTEA’s first Teacup of the Month! Happy Birthday, Mother, and to you, if you have a January birthday. ;^D
May many seeds of friendship scatter your way.
Thank you very much for stopping by and sharing this cup of tea with me. I can hardly wait to stage the February cup. Hmmmm ….
Miss Cynthia L. H.
What a sweet gift from Annabelle! I’m just sure you are a great Grandma!
I have a soft spot for teacups and tea, although much more so in the cold winter months.
Can’t wait to see your next cup and type of tea!
Shabby Girl,
Thank you so very much for stopping in! ;^)
Yes, my Annabelle is really a sweet one. She thinks that I’m a great Grandma. ;^)
I’m really looking forward to the second post. I already have a plan.
;^)
Miss C
Now that is interesting – I would call that a mug. Over here we tend to think of teacups as only those which have saucers. Mugs, of course, are easier and, more to the point, hold more but I do like the delicacy of a fine bone china cup and saucer. Since my Mum died I don’t think I’ve had a single cup of tea out of a cup and saucer and we only have two left in the house even though Jo and I had a small collection of Victorian ones at one time.
John,
That’s so funny that it took you to remind me that it’s a mug! I used to drink a lot of coffee, years back — had to give it up. Now I don’t even think about it. Therefore, all of the cups in my house are TEA cups! ;^D It doesn’t matter if it’s a coffee cup or a coffee mug or a bone-china teacup and saucer. They’re all for tea! It really strikes me as comical, now that you’ve pointed it out. ;^) ;^)
Victorian teacups! I would have loved to see that collection. Sounds wondrous.
Have a cup in the china for me.
;^)
Miss C
There is something about drinking vessels we are given which can connect us to the giver in a way that few other things do. It’s probably because we use them daily and see them constantly. I would cherish that cup. Indeed I am drinking my first cup of morning tea out of one that was given to me and which I, too, cherish.
GB,
That is very true. Annabelle said, “You don’t drink coffee, do you, Grandma? But that’s okay, because you drink tea and you drink hot-chocolate.”
;^D
Precious times.
;^)
C