Christmas Teas and Tea Cup

With the Christmas holidays getting nearer and nearer, I thought I’d share one of the inspirational books that I reach for during the Christmas season. There are so many colorful books with photos and ideas to make your celebration beautiful and meaningful. On such book is The Twelve Teas of Christmas: Sharing the Season With Those You Love by Emilie Barnes.


The book is illustrated with lovely paintings by Sandy Lynam Clough. The cover illustration shows a tea setting in Sandy’s richly detailed, elegant style, with china, linen, candles, and cookies.

The twelve teas each celebrates a different theme which contributes to the wonder and richness of the Christmas season – friendship, family, joy, warmth, sharing, merriment, peace, Dreams, tradition, giving creation, and stillness. Each of the twelve chapters presents suggestions for menus with recipes, décor ideas, organization and homekeeping tasks, along with tidbits of history, customs and lore about tea and Christmas.
The teacup I’m sharing this week is another$3.00 thrift store bargain. It is Royal Albert white bone china decorated with holly leaves, the "Yuletide" pattern.

As with other Royal Albert patterns this teacup has a graceful shape, including a lovely handle.

The saucer’s rim is gently curved and edged in gilt, following the same lines of the cup rim.

Together cup and saucer make a lovely set. Don’t you just enjoy Royal Albert? It always provides distinction for our settings, and this is especially wonderful during the Christmastide.

I am linking today’s post to:

Tea Cup Tuesday, is co-hosted by Martha at Martha’s Favorites and Terri at Artful Affirmations.

Tea For Two Tuesday at the Plumed Pen with Wanda Lee.

Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday with Wanda Lee and Pam at The Silken Purse and at Breath of Fresh Air.

Tea Party Tuesday at Sweetology.

Tea Time Tuesday hosted by Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage.

Teacup Thursday at Miss Spenser’s Blog.

Thrifty Thursday with Leigh at Tales From Bloggeritaville.

ERII Commemoratives, Part 2

As the bath is en suite with the bedroom, where I have light blue Wedgewood jasperware collection on display, I also carried on the Wedgwood into the bath. There they are as part of my Royal Rose Collection in honor of Diana Princess of Wales.

Just inside the door is a display in honor of Queen Elizabeth II which I shared here.
On the opposite wall from that is another Wedgwood item relating to the Queen. The top plate depicts a cameo of the Queen, while the bottom one is of London.

The adjacent wall also has another Wedgwood plate, this one depicting cupids. The plate above is a Lladro from Spain.
First is the light blue and white Wedgwood jasperware silver jubilee plate. The inscription is “1952 Silver Jubilee 1977/ Queen Elizabeth II.”

The London plate is decorated with famous landmark buildings all around the plate. Right at the top center is Buckingham Palace, London residence of the Queen:


I am linking to the following weekly events. Please visit these hostesses for more posts:
Show and Tell Friday at Cindy’s My Romantic Home.

Also linking to Flaunt It Friday at Chic on a Shoestring Decorating.

Royal Commemoratives: ERII

Often in visiting other blogs we are reminded of something which we might share for our weekly blog events. For some weeks now, Miss Kathy at The Writers Reverie has been sharing her antique royal commemoratives, and it reminded my of my collection of British royal commemorative items.

For today’s post I am sharing some commemorative items relating to Queen Elizabeth II. All items were made in England and they include items that are now vintage since they span her many decades long reign.

These items are all displayed on a small two-shelf unit just inside my bathroom.

This is the top shelf with a small plate commemorating the coronation in 1953, a framed postcard portrait, and a cup and saucer celebrating the coronation:

This is the bottom shelf, with another vintage teacup and saucer, and a lovely mug:

This bone china coronation teacup and saucer was made by Rosina. The design on the front has a beautiful emblem with a cameo portrait of the queen and royal mottoes.

The back illustration reads "Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II June 22nd 1953". (Sorry the photo is not clear.)

The teacup has fluting all around and its lovely slim handle curves into a point.

The saucer repeats the illustrations from the cup and has a graceful scalloped edge outlined in gold.

A second coronation commemorative teacup and saucer is by Adderley and it is also of bone china. The front shows the royal shield with a cameo portrait of Elizabeth II:


The back illustration is of the cipher "ERII"

The saucer repeats the two graphics from the cup. It is edged in shallow scallops and gilt-edged:


Next is a small plate commemorating the 1953 coronation. I got this at a flea market where I pointed to a dish drainer full of various dishes and called out to the owner as to how much they were. He said "50 cents each." So I picked out this lovely 5-inch plate by Alfred Meakin:

The inscription under the flags around the plate states, "Crowned June 2nd, 1953." Under her photo it reads, "She Reigns."

Here is the vintage postcard of the young beauty, in a stunning portrait by distinguished photographer, Dorothy Wilding in 1952. I framed it in a gilt metal frame from a thrift shop:

An earlier black and white photograph shows young bride Princess Elizabeth with groom Philip, Duke of Edinburg in November 1947.

More recent commemoratives celebrate her silver jubilee in 1977. On the back of this small plate is inscribed 1977/ The Queen’s Silver Jubilee" and "Pride of Britain/ Silver Jubilee Souvenir/ Produced by/ Wood & Sons/ England/ Potters for 100 years.

Also for the silver jubilee is a bone china mug by Ashley.

Next is a deep blue with white Wedgwood jasperware small dish. It depicts the Queen in profile with a banner reading "1957 Silver Jubilee 1977"

For her diamond jubilee in 2002 I have a small covered box with her portrait. The box is white banded in blue with gilt garlands. Inside her portrait is repeated. The bottom inscription reads: "the queen’s Golden Jubilee 2002/ Edwardian/ Fine Bone China/ Made in England:

I am linking today’s post to:
Table Top Tuesday hosted by Marty at A Stroll Thru Life .
Tea Cup Tuesday, is co-hosted by Martha at Martha’s Favorites and Terri at Artful Affirmations.

Tea For Two Tuesday at the Plumed Pen.
Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday with Wanda Lee and Pam at The Silken Purse and at Breath of Fresh Air.
Tea Party Tuesday at Sweetology.
Tea Time Tuesday hosted by Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage.
Tea Time Tuesday hosted by Lady Katherine at Lady Katherine Tea Parlor
Teacup Thursday at Miss Spenser’s Blog.
Vintage Thingie Thursday with Suzanne at Coloradolady.
Thrifty Thursday with Leigh at Tales From Bloggeritaville.

Royal Sealy in Fall Colors

After visiting the thrift store where I found the Paragon cup and saucer, I went to the hospital guild thrift shop where I spotted another yellow cup and saucer. It was marked $3.00, but I asked if I could have it for $2 and the sales lady graciously agreed!

This is a vintage set made by Royal Sealy of Japan. It has a luster finish and its floral pattern is done in browns and yellows, just right for this time of year.

Here is a mosiac showing some of its features:

The teacup rests on a pedestal stand, and the entire outside is embellished with blooms:

The saucer is also patterned with flowers and the edging is pierced all around:

The inside of the cup is decorated by a single floral motif:

The cup handle is intricately formed and is edged in gold, as are the rims of the cup and saucer.

This cup would grace a fall tea table quite nicely.

I am linking today’s post to:

Mosaic Monday with Mary at Little Red House.

Tea Cup Tuesday, co-hosted by Martha at Martha’s Favorites and Terri at Artful Affirmations.

Tea For Two Tuesday at the Plumed Pen.

Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday with Wanda Lee and Pam at The Silken Purse and at Breath of Fresh Air.

Tea Party Tuesday at Sweetology.

Tea Time Tuesday hosted by Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage.

Tea Time Tuesday hosted by Lady Katherine at Lady Katherine Tea Parlor

Black and White Setting

Although we’re into fall now I still have not taken out my fall things; so today’s table setting is in black and white with green highlights. I wanted something fairly cool and serene, yet with a bit of dramatic contrast.
The linens consist of one Waverly "Country Life" Toile in black on cream runner with black tassel at each end, and four Waverly "Country Life" Toile in black on cream oval placemats with striped fabric on reverse. The napkins are white with a black scroll design.

The black and white theme started with the Royal Stafford checked bowls. They are set on Bordallo Pinheiro "Cabbage"dessert plates, which in turn rest on vintage cream Wedgwood Etruria "Edme" dinner plates. The silverplated flatware is the 1941 vintage Holmes and Edwards "Youth."

To go along with the clean looks of black on white I decided on clear glass accessories. Three pairs of clear crystal candlesticks with green taper candles, and two tulip shaped votives with green votives form the centerpiece with green hydrangeas from a previous table setting.

Next are four Durand "Vendange" goblets and four vintage footed glasses in etched crystal w black/ amethyst base.

A set of four crystal salt cellars and tiny spoons add more sparkle:

A pressed glass butter dish and "Youth" butter knife rest on a doily on a shell-shaped black glass dinner plate.

Four fabric napkin rings in the Waverly "Country Life" toile are supplemented by rectangular silverplated napkin rings.

The full place setting

I am joining

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch ,where we can enjoy more Tablescape Thursday posts.

Suzanne with Vintage Thingies Thursday at Coloradolady.

Cindy’s Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home.