Would You Like A Spot of Tea?

Tea has never been my drink of choice but I love tea CUPS.

Guess I could never be a proper Englishwoman since I find most teas rather wishy washy, (kind of like dishwater?) There have been a few that tasted pretty good, such as raspberry and peach but the majority have not been anything I'd write home about. A lot of people who are die hard connoisseurs of tea would probably beg to differ with me about tea.


Tea cups, on the other hand, fascinate me, especially if they are covered with roses or rimmed with gold. The prettier they are, the more I am willing to drink tea.

When we lived in Tucson, Arizona, I remember hearing about a new tea place that was getting ready to open. It was called the Chantilly Tea Room The first time I went there, I fell madly in love with the enchanting decor, the Victorian looking tablecloths, the stop-your-heart gift shop filled with so many gorgeous things it made your eyeballs spin, and the tea cups! Customers were led to a rack of teacups and told to pick one out. The server would pour the hot tea of choice into the cup selected.

The teacup racks held many different cups of all styles and designs, and on the spot, the desire for a teacup collection was born. From that point on, whenever I'd zip into a thrift shop or go to an estate or yard sale, I'd be on the prowl for fancy tea cups that appealed to me.

Then came a cross country move back to the east. One day at a yard sale, there it was----a lovely wall-mounted teacup rack. I bit my lip, squinted, and looked at the price tag....$8. Perfect price! Into the car it went and, as the old cliche goes, the rest is history.

People gave me tea cups as gifts and, little by little, the rack began to fill. It's now filled to capacity so HALT to the teacup collection. It's a colorful and beautiful assortment of teacups. I love offering guests tea to be served in the lovely cups. Occasionally, I even drink tea, myself, just to use them!

So, tea anyone?