"SUGARPLUM FAIRY TEA"

"SUGARPLUM", is always a good word to know, especially when the magic of Christmas is just around the corner. Recently I have been visiting and partaking in the fantasy of  fairies as they jump out of  boxes and join in a merry dance  preparing for the festive season.

It's a  whimsical day to share, what I consider to be my fairy cup... all decorated in  soft pinks, mauves and golds. Don't you agree that this set could be part of Queen Maubes teaparty!!! 

I adore this beautifully designed  Paragon cup and saucer...   with all the sweetmeats, sugar and colors of what might be described as a delicious sugarplum. Do any of you ladies make  Sugarplums for Christmas?  

Fairies were  definately the inspiration for Peter Tchaikovsky and his Nutcracker Suite.....and ... Who can forget that special scene, when the famous Sugar Plum Fairy and her attendants welcomed Clara at her court in the Kingdom of Sweets.

Beautiful costumes from Spain, Arabia and China were worn by many of the delightful dancers, who  affectionately, represented coffee, tea, chocolate and sugar candy.... mmmmmmm Good !!!!

I've been turning the cup around and around....like the ballet dancers...  Pas de Deux, in efforts to share and view all the delightful artistic aspects of this china.

Oh ..This is a side pretty!!! .... Don't you think that the variation of the blending and decorative  elements are  unusual ... Traditionally, cups and saucer have the same surrounding uniform pattern. Hmmmmm , I'll have to inspect some of my other cups and saucers.

Look at the  sweet little rivets rippling in and around the edges of the saucer ...  I keep running my fingers across it like some musical instrument. It makes my hand feel all tingly ....  Have you ever had a set that  gives you a " palm buzz "?  ( Ha ha) . Sounds like love doesn't it !!! ... or maybe it's just all that fairy dust floating around.

Sounds silly, but some china just makes you feel good . This one sets the tone of  the season for me. It's Magical.

The season is just beginning to come alive   with the  dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies. I'm inspired to prepare for the the festivities and dream like a child about the magic  and  excitement  of Christmas..... SO, I created these little fairies for my sugarplum tree which is being decorated at this very moment. ((Sparkle, Sparkle)

OH .... I forgot to mention that, the " Sugar Plum Fairies" may be seen throughout the year, winter , Spring , Summer and Fall especially,  if you tend to live life  looking through the eyes of your inner  child... or you just may have to put on those rose colored glasses. It's a  very worthwhile experience!!!

For all you lovers of  music and ballet, the Sugar Plum Fairies can be seen dancing and performing in most cities around the world at Christmas time.Please do  ENJOY your  fantasy and the magic in todays teacup.

( Twinkle Twinkle)

" TEATIME MEMORIES "

Green is the color of nature, fertility and life. It symbolizes self-respect and wellbeing. Since my daughter is visiting with my Grandson Bodhi, I thought  that  teatime in this fluted Windsor cup and saucer, just might give me the balance needed to keep up with a active little  two year old.

The intricately designed leaves on this  china  always remind me of learning, growth and harmony, thus, it becomes a peaceful vessel for a perfect teatime.  I must add, that I'm re-learning alot about running after a little toddler, in between my sips of tea.( ha ha)  

It's a whimsical cup that  possesses a lovely bell shape, that has been quite artistically trimmed with ruffled  gold gilded edges. 

The posies and vines of this saucer are hypnotic, as they interweave like  magical threads into  another time....Medieval perhaps!!!! What do you think ? I keep  seeing pretty Irish girls dancing !!! 

It seems that most of my china cups  originate in Longton, Stafforshire, England. This particular  set, was created by the Windsor- Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd, dated  from the 1940's to the 1960's . There were simply hundreds of patterns produced in this area of Britian, which poured over into extended pottery family names such as Clarence Bone China and  Crown Windsor Pottery. 

One more sip of tea before  my Grandson wakes up ... My how time flies in the life of a Child... I remember when Bohdi was born.... He was such  a tiny little fellow!!!!( Ha ha)

HMMMM  .... I'm enjoying this cup of camomile  tea, recalling a quiet moment  that I captured of my daughter, Manda  and her baby when he was one year old. I love this picture!

Now, Bohdi is a two year old darling, who gives lots of " NO "  hugs and kisses .... everything is " NO "... Ha Ha   

Goodness, how this cup is overflowing with a Tea Cup Tuesday abundance  of love and joyful memories ...  that only a child can fill. Maybe someday, he will sit and have a cup of tea with his Grandma !!!

Ladies, may I extend my sincere wishes, that you will find the time to cherish each precious moment with your children and  grandchildren ... as they grow sooooo quickly. In the meantime, I'm off to chase the little fellow around the piano... with a hop, skip and a jump .... "Tra- la- la " Are you tired yet ?

Soon, the Grand Lady will be ready for another cup of tea and a  relaxing visit to your  Tea Cup Tuesday Blogs... I can hardly wait. ( Huff and Puff)  

" CATNIP TEA "

Look what I found under the wood pile " bottoms up " a fiesty little kitten ready to take on the world.

Actually, we had a digger working  behind the barn, when suddenly, the driver jumped out of the cabin and started throwing wood aside. I quess, he noticed that he had dug up a bed of kittens... some scattered and some unfortunately may have been scooped up ...  We, all  ran to the pile, when we heard  a few mews and saw a little tail and backside struggling to free herself ...  Yes ... there she was, little Miss Hissy Fit, digging her way to China ...( Hiss Hiss) T'was a frightful experience , I'm sure !!!

Since Miss Hissy was traveling to China ...  I thought this pretty bird themed cup might fit the bill for this week Teacup Tuesday ( Ha Ha) ...  I pondered the future of the kitten drinking tea from this twittering vessel as it did seem to be " the cat's meow" especially if filled with warm milk ....  It's whimsical  florals  and butterflies, just seemed to complete the  antics of the day ... especially the sweet  bluebirds fluttering  around within  the colorful garden menagerie. 

It's a good thing, that  at five weeks, Miss Kitty, was not old enough to notice the pretty birds on the teacup  .... We've had alot of trouble with wild cats and alas she was one of them. Living in the country, the cat population just keeps growing, thus, we are very mindful of our birds and their habitats... It is however, difficult to  ignore the dilemma of any tiny feline .

While eyeing the sweet motifs and fluted edges of the saucer, I had to sip another cup of Jasmine tea to ponder my specific plans and preferences for nature. ... Heavens, I think I even see a bee buzzing around this teaset... or maybe

 it's just  wishful thinking.

I researched the internet for  this sweet pattern  but it came up with a regretable  lack of information...  and  infact I did start stomping my feet and hissing like little Miss Scarey Cat ( ha ha)   hoping something might turn up ... IT WORKED !!!!

Tah Dah ... I discovered that the S&N insignia  is part of the old Salt and Nixon China manufacturers  from the Longton, North Staffordshire  part of England. The set was dated  to the  Art Deco era, somewhere between  1897 and  1907. This is such a small bit of knowledge.... however, I'm  totally amazed at  how much china history there is floating around in cyberspace ... so I am content in knowing that ....

My teatime  wisdom is growing with every Teacup Tuesday ....  Till next time I bid you a fond farewell, filled with a feisty, cup of catnip tea from Miss Hissy Fit and Me.

Incidently, I have found her a good home. MEOW >>MEOW!!!! Thank you for your kind visits Ladies... I'll be visiting you soon .

"YOU, ME and SILHOUETTE TEA "

Glorious Sunflowers greeted me HOME...  How lovely !!!!  I'm weary but so happy ... I MISSED YOU ALLThank you for your kind patience, while I was away !!!! Teatime is never quite the same as settled into a cosy corner with my Teacup Tuesday Friends.

Today I herald a cup and saucer that I gleaned in an old antique shop   in  British Columbia, Canada... She was  such a lonely little cup amongst several flowering sets. I was at once attracted to the silhouettes that surrounded the circular beauty. Of course, the  ladies and gentlemen, in period  costumes, in a garden certainly ,stole my heart. The yellow and black colors were also, a plus that just lead me merrily,  down the pathways of curiosity.

The first question that ran through my mind was ... " When was it made"? and  "How old is this cup" ? I'm certainly not an expert in China  but I do have a passion for teatime cups and saucers, so I checked on the bottom.

 Hmmmmm ..... Surprise, surprise.... What is this all about..?  I knew that Paragon was a fine china and    recorded # 705235 on the bottom of the cup . Heavens ...I felt like  a super sleuth or Miss Marple uncovering the " Bone China caper".  

I knew that the pieces were old because the lovely gilded  rim of the china was alittle worn or should I say sublimely lipmarked with ageless sips . Yes there was definately evidence that this cup and saucer  had been used by a grand tealover.. How exciting !!!!

Yes... Sometimes a rough estimate of age may be discovered by the mark on the base of the china....so ...  I searched through the internet  for Paragon heirloom china and  Tah Dah ... I found the answer.

In this case the  backstamp indicated that it was manufactured between 1921  an 1933. How lucky I was to find, such  a fine example of this particular  Paragon edition of " Silhouette" in powder blue.   Yes ...Oh yes... I could be the next Agatha Christie ( hee hee)

Well, my teacup case is closed . I'm wondering,  if you have  solved  any teacup capers lately?  The more the merrier when it comes to teatime delights.  How special is a cup and saucer sipped from  the art deco or early 1900's  era. !!!!  I can tell you that it is fabulous.  I'm savouring every delectable sip through my imagination  ... as the Grand Lady  with my little finger tipped up !!!

 ( Ha ha) 

Your kind visits  were so WELCOMED today... I really did miss you all, Ladies....
  ENJOY your day !!!!

   Incidently, the sunflower  pictures  were taken outside of  my yard in the neighbouring fields.  ... Aren't they glorious !!!!

"BLOGGER LUXURY AWARD"

HAPPINESS is being home with my blogger friends. I missed you all.   HAPPINESS is relaxing with a cup of Jasmine tea, writing with pen in hand. HAPPINESS is  receiving my first Blog Award, from  Mariette's Back to Basics... Thank You ... Thank you .What a lovely Homecoming gift !!!  

 I'm not sure who drew this lovely blogger  award but I do know that it originated from Laura's blog, in Canada.  You're invited to  help me celebrate  my first  AWARD ... by  stopping over at both,  Mariette's, (http://www.mariettesbacktobasics.com),  and Laura's, (http://www.mylittlesewingroom.com) blogs. .  You'll be amazed at the variety of interesting and  inspiring  

 topics.

In the meantime, I'd like to pass along the award to some of the ladies that I've been admiring: Sol, Holly, Kathryn, Terri , WandaLee, Sandi, Johanna and Sandra

(http://www.solsantiago.blogspot.com)

(http://www.hollylovesart.blogspot.com)

(http://www.thewritersreverie.blogspot.com)

(http://www.artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com)

(http://www.theplumedpen.blogspot.com)

(http://www.sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com)

(http://www.yardencollections.blogspot.com)

(http://www.silber-rosen.blogspot.com)

Enjoy your Blogger Luxury Award ladies...YOU DESERVE IT !!!!