Tuesday, April 20, 2010

MARTHA AND TERRI'S TEA CUP TUESDAY




Every Tuesday, Martha, from Martha's Favorites, and from Artful Affirmations sponsor Tea Cup Tuesday. Thanks so much for doing this, Martha and Terri! It's so much fun!

Today's four different tea cups on this blog all have a violet theme! They are dainty and sweet, like the flowers painted all over them.

The cup shown above has swirls embossed on the saucer and a strip of gold on its fancy handle and around the rim of the saucer.

Certain images from childhood remain with us forever.

As a kid, I remember every spring going on walks in the woods with my cousins and Aunt Gert. It was so exciting to find violets and lilies of the valley. We'd stoop over, pick them, and make little bouquets to bring home and put into juice glasses.

Also, my paternal grandmother grew African violets, primarily in purple. So violets have always been a special flower for me.




The cup to the left has violets on its inside rim, so every sip of tea from this cup becomes extra special!
   Did you know that violets have been around for thousands of years?   They can be used in soups, but, personally, I wouldn't eat them. Some people candy the petals of violets by dipping them in egg
white and sugar. Then they use them to decorate cakes and other desserts.
There's a superstition that says if you pick the first violet of spring, you can make a wish and it'll come true. Wish I had known that decades ago! ha! Yet another superstition says that if you dream of violets, your life will change for the better.


By the way, the superstitions and other information about violets were found on a website called Gardens Ablaze.  I like to give credit where credit is due.

Who knows if there's any truth to the superstitions? All I know is I love my little violet-covered tea cups and hope you do, too.

The cup right above is also very small and covered
with dainty violets.

The handle of the cup to the right is very ornate and the cup, itself, is quite small.






WHAT IS YOUR VERY FAVORITE SPRING FLOWER USED TO DECORATE TEA CUPS?


25 comments:

Chatty Crone said...

I love your teacups - love the violets and the color. So I am going to look for the first violets this year (lol) and I'm going to try to dream of them tonight! sandie

Susan said...

I love the violets on your beautiful tea cups. If I had a favorite flower to decorate a teacup it would be the rose............

Linda @ A La Carte said...

I think your teacups are so pretty. I always thought roses on teacups were pretty and they are! But I think I would love to find a teacup with violets! Just Beautiful, all of them.

BECKY said...

Susan, you're not going to believe this, but one of the tea cup/saucer sets I bought this weekend...has...you guessed it, a beautiful purple violet floral design! I keep saying we are kindred spirits, sisters, etc...It just keeps happening! Yours are all so lovely, by the way!

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

What pretty voilet tea cups! They all look so delicate and dainty!! Thanks for sharing them with us!
Debbie

Victoria said...

Beautiful tea set!!lovely!! And what a wonderful memory..so sweet! Charing post! I love daffodils..smelling thme transports me back to childhood!
Kiki~

Leslie {Goodbye, house. Hello, home!} said...

My favorite spring flower used to decorate tea cups is not a Spring flower, I guess, but a summer rose--red ones!
Aunt Gert was a nature-lover like you- that's a great legacy for her to have passed on!
BTW--I nominated you for a Sunshine Award today :)
Check it out at:
http://goodbyehousehellohome.blogspot.com/2010/04/you-are-my-sunshine-my-only-sunshine.html
Blessings to you as you make your home today!

Jan Cline said...

I love teacups! These remind me of several that belonged to my grandmothers. My daughter now proudly displays them in her hutch. These are beautiful pictures.

Terri said...

Thank you for sharing your gorgeous Violet tea cups with us! I love violets and I have similar memories as yours about spring. There was a little patch on the side of our house that I would watch for them when the weather got warmer each spring. I loved seeing them!
Thanks again for sharing and bringing forth my happy memory,
Hugs,
Terri

Bunnym said...

I love anything that has Violets. These tea cups are gorgeous! Have a wonderful week!

tootles,
bunny

Patricia said...

How beautiful the tea cups are - I love the color violet and purple. At this time of year the violets grow wild in my tiny yard. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a great rest of the week.

Lynn-Teacupstitches said...

I have such a passion for violets and don't think I have even ONE teacup featuring them! Your 4 are simply the sweetest things and I'm going to have to go out and search for at least one!!
Thank you for sharing them!!
Lynn

Theresa said...

Such sweet tea cups with African violets. Violets were one of my grandma's favorite patterns~ So I must say I am partial to them. I hope you have a wonderful week and thanks for sharing your lovely tea cups!!
All my best,Theresa MsartistSewCrafty

Ldy ~~ Dy said...

I love, love, love the colors of violets and purples. To see them on teacups is wonderful. I have several with these colors and they are some of my favorites.

Terri Gordon said...

Oh, how I love violets, I have them all over my yard, I have several teacups with violets too, I just love them. Thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful week. Terri

Karen Lange said...

These are lovely. I think my favorite is the violet.

Vicki said...

Hi, Susan,
Your violet covered tea cups are delightful! I also enjoyed hearing your special memories about why violets are so special for you. I love any kind of flower I think, but I guess my all time favorite for tea cups would be roses. I am, however, going to be on the look out now for violet covered ones after seeing yours. Thank you so much for stopping by Bunny Cottage for a visit and for your kind comments. Love and blessings~ Vicki

Susan said...

Hello Everybody! I was out all day long and LOVED coming back and reading all your comments. It makes me so happy to know people have stopped by to visit.

Guess what? Even though violets on teacups are pretty, roses are my favorite! Yup. Pink, red, and yellow, particularly.

Thanks again and I hope all of you will come by again very soon. Sincerely, Susan

Martha's Favorites said...

Hi Susan: I like to pick a favorite cup on every site as I look. I must admit, yours is a hard one. I love them all. Every Tuesday, I am usually on Ebay by the end of the day, trying to get some of the beauties I have seen. You are making it hard, your are beautiful. I am so glad you are a part of the party. It would not be the same without you. Blessings and Hugs, Martha

Susan said...

Oh Martha. I feel so happy to be included in Tea Cup Tuesday. You and Terri are wonderful to host this fun "par-tay." I love all your tea cups as well as your many gorgeous treasures of every kind. Martha, you are awesome! Sincerely, Susan

Gypsy Purple said...

Susan, I want to thank you for all the lovely comments you always leave for me....You are already such a joy in my life!!!! I truly appreciate each and every one of them...thanks for being a wonderful blogging friend...sincerely...GYpsy Purple xx

Susan said...

Hi Gypsy! So happy to hear from you! Come by anytime. Love visiting your blog. Sincerely, Susan

Lou said...

Oh they are all gorgeous .... I think the first one is my fave..
Lou xx

Lady Katherine said...

The violet tea cups are so lovely! Oh, why do I not have one! lol I do love violets just as you, I loved hearing the about your walks and finding violets and lily of the valley! I found violet growing in the pasture last year and brought some to my flower beds, oh and how lovely they are! I have been searching for some lily of the valley, My daughter lives now where I use to, next door to me. In her back yard is lily of the valley I was so excited I had forgotten I had planted them there! Now I going to try and dig part of it up and bring it to my flower beds! Thanks for the memories! Stop by Tea Time Tuesday, I would love to have your violets there!

Susan said...

Dear Lou and Lady Katherine! How wonderful you both came to visit. Thanks for your comments, too. Hope you both return very soon.

Lady Katherine, can the same post be used simultaneously for Tea Time Tuesday? Let me know! Thanks. Sincerely, Susan

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