Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Far North Tea, Birthday Giveaway

Hello and thanks, my friends,  for visiting for Tuesday Cuppa Tea! It's been hot again, so today I am having a Far North Tea...and associated giveaway, because August is my birthday month!

A couple of months ago, we went on an Alaska cruise...I know some of you saying "Again??"...But, as you folks who live in or near Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, Los Angeles or any other cruise port, sometimes there are incredible deals out there. And we have been doing it long enough, and know enough local travel agents, that we get last minute deals cheaper than staying home!!!!

This, or rather these, are some of my tea cups for this week... that I DIDN'T buy while in Sitka, Alaska...they are by the Lomonosov, Russia company that are more famous for their blue and white, and I had planned to buy one, as I bought my last Lomonosov here in Sitka about 6 years ago and had several that I'd given away or sold at Antiques And Teacups over the years and thought I'd buy one this time and keep it....until I asked the price. The shop owner wouldn't even take them out of the case for me. The covered one was $450.00 and the other was $395.00. She was Russian, and had been selling them for years until about 5 years ago when the price shot through the roof, so these were the last and she would not be restocking. Wonder why! Whoa! So if you have one, treasure it! 

And this is the one I DID buy at the same Russian American store in Sitka...it in a Russian folk art style called Khokhloma...I could put it in Russian if I had a Cyrillic keyboard, but I don't...and is hand painted on black lacquer and a very popular Russian folk art. It goes with my other Russian things...in 1967 I spent 6 weeks in the USSR and associated communist countries. I had Russian all through high school & university, and I came home with lots of little things...many which have come back to me as I have lost the family members I brought them back for.  As you can see when you look at the wooden nesting dolls called Matriyoshka or Little Mother, the tallest and 2 similar are the oldest from 1967...much simpler decoration, and the others are ones I have gotten as gifts or picked up in Alaska from folk artists since than and they have  a different look.

These others are from 1967. The Khokhloma box was brought home for my mother, and returned to me; the little Baltic Amber bird was a Communist Revolution anniversary token gift from our Russian guide...or watchdog, really...whom I formed a friendship with as I spoke Russian; and the egg is a hand made Ukrainian Pysanky egg on it's little separate pedestal I bought from a wood carver in Kiev at a street market.  I keep meaning to get out the slides of that trip and do some digitals from them, but...hasn't happened. 

But...from this Alaska trip, some things I thought you might like to see...a new Keep Calm design in all the shops...it IS bear county!

Seen at a store in Juneau...a set of nail varnishes titled High Tea...with teacups on the box...

A wonderful potters in Homer, Alaska with a tea themed decor...but too dark inside...the photos didn't turn out...

This great shot of nesting Kittiwakes on the I beam of the pier we walked across from the ship... I enlarged it here so hopefully you can see the beak-to-tail birds on their nests all along the beam....

A shot of Portage Glacier by Anchorage....the blue means it's older, compressed ice that has recently be revealed after a recent calving event. I don't want to bore you with a lot of trip photos...I have loads, especially the other glaciers, but...I figure that's enough!

And now...Happy Birthday to me! My birthday is this month, so while I was in Alaska I thought about the blog giveaway I wanted to do for my birthday, so...here it is...

I had fun finding the items in different ports...but they had to be lightweight....

A cookbook called Baked Alaska by Alaskan author Sarah Eppenbach. This came from a bookstore in Ketchican that specializes in local authors...includes tea treats like Taku Glacier Lodge Wild Cranberry And Orange Scones, tea breads, lots of stufff. I regret I didn't buy one for myself...but I'll be back up there soon...heh heh...

A large bear cookie cutter...'cuz they ARE big!

From Icy Strait Point, Blueberry Tea...

Some 3 dimensional Alaska stickers from a Anchorage business...but made in China! Rats!!!  And a great coaster with a wonderful tea quote:

Simply be

rather than do

for just a moment

So that's it for this week's Tuesday Cuppa Tea. To enter my birthday giveaway,  just leave a comment Enter Me and I will draw a name with Random.org on Thursday August 12th. 

Below is the list of some of the blog parties I will be part of and there is the linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there! And I love to read your comments, and can find you to visit!

Mosaic Monday with Judith
 Tea Time Tuesday with Sandi 

A Return to Loveliness
 Tea Cup Tuesday 
 Friends Sharing Tea
 Share Your Cup Thursday

Roses Of Inspiration

An InLinkz Link-up