Happy, Happy, Happy...Cuppa!

" Royal Crown Pottery, Fine Bone China, England "Frontham" #11"

This delicate and simple powder pink puff of a tea cup was the first one presented to me from my sister Becky, among the now maybe "five cups" she's given me over the years. She still remains one of my favorites~my "PINK BECKY" of course! Hey, if there can be a PINK FLOYD, I can have a PINK BECKY! teahehe!

My sister and I get to spend much more time together since I moved to GA, we're only 45 minutes apart! She's the baby out of six of us, I'm five years her senior; but somehow she's always taken care of me like I'm the baby....... Hmmm, what's up with that? For real, she's the best Sissy anyone could want!

PINK BECKY and I probably have shared a cuppa together more often than anyone else, except it's typically an evening cup instead of an afternoon cup. Regardless, we always enjoy it!

"Te'a Mutt"
"Royal Grafton Fine Bone China Cup, Made in England, #844/5"
Royal Albert Bone China Saucer, England
"Tootie Fruitie" (the cup) was a gift to myself one day while shopping at a consignment store, my favorite place to shop? Emma's Attic here in GA, of course! This find came from the state of PA however at another consignment shop. I remember she was only $3, since she had no matching saucer. My mother gave me a 50th Anniverary cup that belonged to a distant cousin who passed away, so I decided to borrow her saucer to give Tootie Fruitie some stability! You know, to give her that sense of security if tea should slip from her lip~

Who would ever guess these two aren't a match? Lovem, Lovem, Lovem...
"Duchess Fine Bone China, Made in England"
"Royale Becky", yes........here's another one of my blessings from sister Becky! I'm not sure where she falls in the lineage of gifts..but, isn't she a beauty? I adore tea cups that have fruit, and this one reminds me of the pink version of Yvonne on one of my other postings.

"Royale Becky" is a constant pick of mine when I grab one of my beauties... I think sometimes the other cups get a bit "teaved" when she's the lucky one to join me for tea some days! But, that's what makes a tea collection fun, it's like I'm still that little girl with the tea set that my girlfriend gave me when I was 10 years old. But now, instead of 4 teency weency cups that I pretend with, I have 100 + cups that I play for real with, and my friends are no longer make believe! Now that's progress! wink, wink!
"Te`a Mutt"
"Princess House Exclusive, Hammersley Fine Bone China Cup, Made in England"
"Andrea by Sadek Saucer"
Glory, Glory, Glory... "Glory" is this cups name, because I simply have a lapse in memory from where I picked her up. She's a Te`a Mutt, so I know I'm the one who gifted myself with her. So, "Glory" seemed to be a fitting name, don't you agree?

The saucer actually belongs to a sweet "teapot/cup in one set" that my girlfriend Kathleen gave me a few years back. The saucer looked so great with this lonesome cup that I gave it a new home. The really cool thing is that when I have a large party, I mix the matching cup to this saucer with another Te`a Mutt saucer and it's another mismatched beauty!
"Temple Collection, LENOX, Citation Platinum", Made in USA"
I may be in deep "Tea Tea" here...but I "think" this cup was a gift from my daughter Kimberly. My friend Kathleen asked me how I could remember so many details about all my cups., the interesting thing is that many of the cups I have vivid details of and some for an unknown reason I'm blank on. Anyways...meet "Miss USA" ~ I thought that would be a fitting name for her, since she is my only true tea cup in the collection that is made in the USA.

She's elegant, slender, sleek, and wears platinum. It appears she's definitely done some competition in her day! Notice how modern she looks too! I'd say one of my tea partners in her 20's would go for Miss USA, don't you agree?

Ciao for Now...

Featured Guest -

Welcome to Catherine de th`e Cups!

Allow me to introduce you to one of my most precious treasures, "Patricia"

"Rose Cameo Pink" is a Royal Albert Bone China Cup"

I received this "treasure" as a gift when hosting a "Get Acquainted Tea" in the neighborhood I had just moved into when I moved to GA. The lady that gave her to me is Patricia, so that's what I named her! I began a little system many years back that when a friend would give me a tea cup as a gift, the cup then became named in honor of the giver.

"Patricia" has quickly become many of my guests favorite cup to select from, especially the young guests. Who can resist that pink?

What I love about hosting "Get Acquainted Teas" are that once the first introductions are made, the tea and homemade scones and curds are served... friendships have been birthed. This past year, since I held the initial tea, I've met on a monthly basis with "Lya", and have met others at random when time has allowed. Patricia actually invited me out for lunch one day after the Get Acquainted Tea and we had a lovely relaxing chat while we enjoyed our lunch and dessert. I never invite all the same age people to my GAT's, actually...Patricia is probably 20+ years my senior, but what a rich woman I am to have such a vast array of new acquaintances.

I never want to have the mindset that my friendships necessarily have to be hand picked by me. I find the best ones are like my tea cups; pleasant surprises that God hand selects! Patricia is one of the hand selected friends in my life that I enjoy very much! And as long as I have this precious "Rose Cameo Pink" in my collection, Patricia will forever be with me, pretty and PINK!

Tea Cups Have A Way Of Creating Instant Replays Of Great Memories!

Lefton Fine Bone China, Made in England

May I introduce "Nori" to you? I actually had the pleasure of having tea today with my friend Lya and I chose "Nori" as my favorite cup to use. Lya selected "Frenchy", the special all white embossed tea cup that you will locate on an earlier posting. She fell in love with "Frenchy" as soon as she saw her in the posting.

Nori Chesney is a dear friend of mine, and also a World Traveling Evangelist! I had the privilege of getting to know her and becoming a dear friend of hers in 1999 when we moved to the Charlotte, NC area. Nori is once again living in the UK and working full time as an Evangelist with her husband Dan.

Nori surprised me with this lovely "debutante" for a special occasion. As you can see, she is quite the beauty! Even though I don't get to chat with Nori often, we still keep in touch when she comes to the states and she keeps me posted with emails and DCM Ministries Newsletters. It was grand to enjoy tea today with both "Nori" and Lya! Ciao~
Crown Victorian Fine Bone China, Staffordshire England
As you'll soon learn, I have quite a few cups either named Rebecca, Becky, or a variety there of. Such as "Becky Sue" here. That's because my baby sister blesses me often with a new cup for my collection.

This cup has a unique shape, you can't really notice with this one because of the angle I've taken the photo from. But, isn't this a great view when you've sipped the very last drop of tea from the cup? This cup is all about "Forget Me Not" flowers. Forget Me Nots remind me of my dear friend Val in Carlisle, PA. Val and I used to have monthly tea. Before I moved to the south, we talked about Forget Me Not flowers and how much we both loved them. She and I both shared the love of gardening too.

Val & I have lost touch the past few years and writing this posting has helped me to make up my mind that we need to reconnect. Tea cups can do that you know? They have a way of replaying favorite times spent with dear friends and family. Do you need to rekindle an old friendship too?
Hudson Middleton, Lady Diana Fine Bone China, Made in England
Have you ever noticed how a gift given by a friend that knows you well can be exactly the gift you would have purchased yourself? If I had my way, I'd have Kathleen buy all my gifts... "hint, hint". "Kathleen" is another cup of royalty that was given as a gift many years past.

I've loved her from the moment I opened the box, and I love her each and every time she passes my eye. I'm so fortunate to have her in my collection. She is a loyal friend that continually makes me feel that I'm having tea with Queen Elizabeth when I sip from her rim. My dear friend Kathleen is also someone I'm fortunate to have in my collection of friends. My cup of life is so full; I am content. Ahhhh....

Royal Court Fine Bone China Cup, Made in England

Clare Bone China Saucer, Made in England

Amidst my "Te`a Mutts" is "Missy", short for another Misfit set. I purchased the saucer at a consignment shop on a $1 table, I'm still trying to locate a cup to match this beauty. It's like a pink thistle flower...so wispy and delicate. The cup, another stand alone Model, lonely with a bit of blue. Put them together, and you have Missy!

Missy is so elegant that when I point out to anyone selecting her that the two are not actually a set, they are amazed. I love it when two gorgeous pieces create such beauty! You must start shopping for the stand alones and not be intimidated to start matching your own beauties.

It's really very rewarding!

Crown Victorian Fine Bone China, Staffordshire England

Nearly a "twin" this one is; it matches "Becky Sue" above. My sister actually gave me this cup before she gave me the other. She wanted me to have a pair for when my tea partner and I want a matching set. They each came with a dessert dish as well. This cup is "Sissy", because that's what my sister Becky and I call one another at times.

Forget Me Not...

© The Beauty Within Is Not Always Complete Until We Meet The Perfect Partner....

Aynsley - England Bone China #C493/7

Meet "Kimberly", my Mother's Day cup of a few years back, given to me by my precious daughter Kim. She went on a mission to find me a cup to match the pastel pink scenic saucer I had found all alone at a consignment shop.

The inspector Gadget that she is, she wrote all the details from the bottom of the saucer and began her search, but instead of finding a pink cup in this pattern, she found this lovely light buttery yellow set. I absolutely adore the scenery, it reminds me of the day I was at the Middleton Plantation with my husband when we traveled to the Charleston area a few summers ago.

This cup spent a fair summer day in my Mother's Iris Garden during an afternoon garden party that we had under the apple trees, while shading ourselves from the intense garden. This cup actually made it big on my other Blog, "Stay In The Day"., and became a featured photo at the bottom of the blog. After our garden party, I went photocrazed and spent hours just photographing this cup, my silver tea pot, and the hundreds of irises as the backdrop!

"Te`a Mutt"

"Sadler, Wellington Fine Bone China ` Made in England"

"Janet" arrived at my door step from a friend I've had for over 23 years. Janet is a friend that God selected for me, and I learned many endearing things about friendship from this wonderful lady.

Janet bought me this cup one year prior to my move to the South in 1999. At the time I lived in PA, and we met while attending a local church together. Janet became an adoptive aunt to my children, and we spent many times together during our 17 years in that area.

I miss my Janet...but am often reminded of her when I use this cup! Unfortunately during our move to GA, the original saucer broke in transition. Fortunately for me, my love for collecting lonely saucers here and there came in handy, as this one is so close that you can hardly tell it's not a perfect match!

"Mlle n° Nom" translation in French: "Miss No Name"
This cup and saucer is one of my favorite stories to tell. I lived in Mechanicsburg, PA at the time I located the cup at a local yard sale. Once again, the lonely soul made her way into my heart. She is the color of butter yellow and white lustre.

"Mlle no Nom" does not have any markings on the bottom of the cup, that's how she got her name. About two months after I added her to my collection, I visited another yard sale and noticed what I thought looked very similar to the cup I'd purchased only miles away from someone else. How can you go wrong when the saucer is only 10 cents? So, I made my large purchase and anxiously awaited for the two to meet.

Sliding into the drive way, I raced into the house to grab Mlle no Nom., and sure enough, she met her mate! A perfect match that they are., and she is often selected as a favorite from my
Tea guests.

"Te`a Mutt"

"Cup ~ Bavaria Germany"
This cup appears to be hand painted porcelain and I found it in an antique shop in Martinsburg, VA as a single gal! "Tomi", as I call her, was perched in a vendors booth with all the vintage items I love rummaging through. Simply this...she begged me to take her home. I took the bait, payed the unbelievably super price of $3 for her and here she is now, a Southern Gal!

Her saucer is the Aynsley England Bone China pretty pastel pink scenic saucer that inspired my Mother's Day cup, Kimberly, above. Doesn't she look great matched with Tomi? Yes, I guess you would say she's another one of my Tea Mutt's. A pretty one at that too...just love her, don't you?

"Hammersley & Co. Bone China ` Made in England "
"Rebecca", named after my sister that gave her to me years ago, is so delicate and is what I believe to be a flower that....hmmm, can't recall! This flower blooms in May in the north, I'll do her justice by locating the exact name and updating later.

I love the fancy handle she struts, isn't it cool? I know she is a Georgia Peach gal because that's where my sister purchased her. This set always makes me feel like Spring...even on a Wintery cold day, Brrrrrr....

Collections

"Botanic Australis, Illustrated by Philippa Nikulinsky, Porcelain by Australian Fine China"

"Aussie", as I call her, came home with me from one of my journey's to Australia. Truly one of my favorite countries I've been blessed to experience, it took me forever to find a porcelain cup in Australia. I thought I would have to settle for Ironstone, as I did in New Zealand.

Lo and behold, I visited the Botanical Garden in Sydney the day before we were to return home. And there she was, sitting on the gift shop shelf staring at me. My Mother-in-law was with me during the find, and it was a great feat finding this little "Aussie" gal so many thousand miles away. She's one of my more conservative cups I'd say...she is gorgeous, neat, and the markings are delicate and only bordering the outside top of the cup. She's elegant and I love her!
"Royal Vale, Made in England Bone China, #1999 Inscribed on bottom of cup"

This cup has an interesting history. The pretty green floral saucer she sits on is a thrift store find for a dime by Nikko. I can never resist these orphan cups and saucers that I see from time to time, so I mix and match them to create new interest amongst the brood. I guess some might say this one is a Te`a Mutt.

The cup was also purchased as a "stand alone" and thus, we now have this gorgeous pair together. The cup has a unique flower that I believe is a Columbine flower, one of my favorites. They reseed very easily and can populate a garden year after year with new babies. That's the flower I'm referring to, not Te`a Mutt!
"Tree of Kashmir" By Appointment To Her Majesty The Queen China Potters, Paragon Fine Bone China, England Reg'd.
This cup was, I believe, my first cup given as a gift from my girlfriend Kathleen! One good cup deserves another, right? I love this cup...and of course, her name is Kathleen!

The interesting story behind this cup is that one day while living in Harrisburg, NC, my neighbor at the time was having a yard sale. She had two 10" plates for sale that matched this cup exactly, same manufacturer, etc... Perfect for a tea for two, but wait a minute, I only have one cup! So, now I'm on the look out for a cup just like this one! If you find it for me, please let me know... 8=) I'll invite you for tea if you locate one for me to purchase!
"Royal Albert Bone China England"
This is Polly! Have you ever heard of the largest Yard Sale in the country? Well, my good friend Polly, my daughter's Mother-in-law, knew I collected tea cups and she brought her home to me as a gift in 2007.

This cup is so mysterious, not only does it have unique pink and purple shades on the roses, but the cup itself is the most interesting shaped cup I have in all the cups I own. The cup shape appears to almost look like a flower blooming when you look at it from the bottom up. Inside the cup you'll notice a single purple rose in full bloom. You can also see fine ridged lines all around the middle to the top of the cup on the outside.
" Aynsley, Fine Bone China & Made in England"
This was my first Aynsley cup to enter my collection. Her name is "Yvonne" and she was given to me by a lovely friend with raven black hair that originally was born in Wales named Yvonne, of course. She moved to England at one point in her young life and eventually made it to the states with her husband and children.

We met at a church in Charlotte, NC and we spent many times together throughout the years we lived there enjoying tea, scones, and more importantly, a wonderful friendship. We once visited a lovely tea house together in Matthews, NC., what lovely memories this tea cup evokes!

Collections

"Philippe Deshoulieres, Limoges France" is inscribed on the bottom of the cup.

One of my favorites in my collection is "Frenchy". I call her Frenchy because I found her in a French shop in Dijon France in August of 2000 while vacationing there. The cup is fine white glazed porcelain with an embossed floral and leaf design.

I tend to be partial to her when selecting a cup to enjoy a shared tea with, maybe I select her because she reminds me of the fabulous time I had while in France. I still remember my daughter and I lying on the grass beneath the Eiffel Tower gazing up in awe...it all seemed like a dream. "Frenchy" reminds me that it was the real deal! Now, I bring a bit of France back into my day when I have tea with her!
Windsor Bone China - Made in England, 400.M/68 is inscribed on the bottom of the cup.
This Fruit motive cup was a gift given to me from my Mother-in-law, it had belonged to my husband's Grandmother Frances, her mother.

I really cherish this cup, because of the sentimental value. I have no idea as to whether this was a part of a set, or whether it was a gift to her at one time from a friend. Regardless if she ever used it or not, I'm thankful that she now calls my home her home. "Frances" as she's now called is a lovely addition to my collection because she has such depth in color and style. She appears very royal with her deep burgundy palette and gold trim.
"Moonlight Rose" is a Royal Albert Bone China Cup.
She hails from London, as that's where I was visiting in May of 1999. I had earned a trip for four and accompanying me were my husband John, mother Myra, and sister Becky.

My sister knew I loved collecting tea cups and was always bringing one home from every country I visited, so she decided she'd buy my cup in honor of London. So, together in the Royal Albert store in London, I picked this one out. The cups name? Becky, of course!

I decided I loved the cup so much that if she were buying me one, I'd buy my daughter one just like it then as a souvenir. My daughter also has begun her own tea cup collection, "Et la tradition se poursuit". Translated in French, that means: "and the tradition continues".
Aynsley, Bone China England, Reg'd No. 765788 - #5190/6
This cup has a unique story behind it. It reminded me of a stunning cup that was to be the first tea cup that I gave my friend Kathleen for her tea cup collection. I searched and searched for a specific cup, because her favorite color is purple. The cup I purchased for her was found in an antique store and I think I payed more for that cup than any that I've ever paid for, but it was well worth it. Her cup, very much like this one, had tiny little deep purple like thistle blooms.

Well, this cup has a yellow tint to the cup, versus hers being white, but I still fell in love with it when I found it on Ebay. Yes, I said Ebay! It was the "first" and "last" purchase I ever made there. I must say, the price was virtually less than half of what I paid for my friends cup, but what the "tea"...it was the experience of the search and find that I enjoyed the most. Now when I have a cup of tea with "Eb`a", I get a little chuckle!