Happy New Year's Eve 2018 and 2019 Enters

Happy 2019!
Greeting you with an antique postcard... one of the only ones I have ever had with something tea related on it...
so cute!

Aukd Lang Syne rings out 2018...
It has been the most difficut one for us for 10 years, so am glad to see the back of it and are looking forward to a better year in 2019, Lord willing!

I always love it when I can find variations on the Auld Lang Syne transferware...it has been made by several companies. The above is a huge cup and saucer from the 1930s from the archives of Antiques And Teacups,

And this is a Wedgwood cup orphan in not the best shape from the 1890s that always sits on my desk, as I can't part with it...damaged or no!

And this one is a Copeland Spode version from 1910.

So wishing you the BEST of ...

Cheers!

Boxing Day, December 26th

And a Happy Boxing Day!

My antique postcard today is another Christmas ones, because I have never had one for Boxing Day!

The riding is apropos, as you will see.

 Boxing day was a medieval tradition of reflecting after the feats of Christmas Day to the needs of the poor.  The name came from distributing the gifts that have accumulated in the parish "poor box" to those in need... Christmas was especially reflective for giving.

The Victorians revived the custom... and I am sure you remember the 2 men asking Scrooge in Dicken's A Christmas Carol  for donations to feed the poor.

Commonwealth countries, following the lead of England, celebrate Boxing Day.

I found a great blog delving into the traditions of Boxing Day... couldn't do it better, so to read more,
  click HERE for this great blog at Foodal

BOUNTIFUL BOXING DAY TRADITIONS

Referring to our postcard at the top of the page, fox hunts were traditional as well, although that has changed quire a bit with attitudes and the breaking up of many of the large estates which fostered the tradition.

And, of course, day after Christmas sales!

Antiques And Teacups is having our annual 

code SANTAFORGOT

15% OFF Sale!

On now!

Have a lovely day filled with tea, leftovers and joy!

The Queen's Christmas message for 2018

December 25th Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Our antique Christmas postcard for today...

And lo, there was with the angel

a heavenly host

praising God and saying
Glory To God...

Wishing you and yours the Merriest of Christmases!

December 24th Antique Postcard, Mince Pies!

And wishes for a very happy December 24th... 

Christmas Eve Day!

Certainly a bit late posting today...

as Bob Cratchitt said when being behind his time getting to work...

we made rather merry yesterday...

with a 5 house Christmas crawl block party...

the first social things with the neighbors my husband has been able to do in almost a year!

We have an antique Nativity postcard today...

wishing you

A Peaceful Christmas...

On December 8th, we attended a Christmas tea at one of our local organic Ffarm-to-table restaurants Nourish...

you can see that post HERE

Well, they also have Dine At Home meals take out once a week, and for this week they had their mince meat tarts... so we got a few.

When only 2 were left, I remembered to take photos!

So out came one of my Christmas teacups, Noel by Royal Grafton from the 1950s.

My husband had a Christmas mug, but didn't think it out to be in the photo, so...

The mincemeat tarts came with brandy butter...which is smeared on top. Delicious!

Yesterday I made mincemeat bread, but with the party I forgot to photograph that... sigh...

The delicious mince tart was on our usual Royal Doulton Rosebud china...

December 23rd Antique Christmas Postcard

Christmas is almost here!

I do love the lights and carols, friendship and foods,

and commemorating the birth of Jesus!

From 1905... you can barely see the gold Merry Christmas...

but it is there...

and so is my wish for you this Christmas!

May it be merry and bright

Joyous and peaceful

with a thankful heart....

December 22nd Antique Postcard, Christmas Remembered, Cinnamon Pecan Currant Scones

Our antique Christmas postcard for today...

is from 1911... Hearty Xmas Wishes. 

Love the embossed holly and the rural scene...

We dodged a storm bullet here in Sequim this last week...everywhere else there was heavy wind and rain, trees down, power outages and flooding.  It was quiet, albeit wet. Perspective wise...the West End of the Olympic Peninsula has had 90 inches of rain in so far in the rain year...and we have 17.

Was remembering receiving this teacup in 2014 from a frind, as I took it from the china cabinet.

An early Christmas gift of a Royal Albert Old Country Roses Christmas coordinates teacup!

From my special friend...the one I miss so much! 

My tea buddy! So sweet of her!  

So we had tea in the sunroom, and I got out the whole wheat Christmas tree cutouts I got at the health food store from a Seattle natural bakery called Bite Me Bakery...and we did!

In the package was a Christmas collection of teas from Stash Teas...Christmas Eve herbal, White Christmas tea and Christmas Morning which is a combination of black and green tea. Also a sample of their Christmas In Paris herbal tea...

I REALLY liked the Christmas is Paris...a bit of chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon...very nice! The Christmas Morning is rather flowery...reminds me of a Murchie's I like. The Christmas Eve has all the Christmas spices in an herbal, and I haven't tried the White Christmas yet....tomorrow....

I have put up my Christmas cross stitches....this one I did years ago, but it just is Christmas in a frame....

I planned to make these scones for today...it's a favorite recipe of ours, but ...well, life kept getting in the way....but here's the recipe....

Cinnamon, Pecan, and Currant Cream Scones

• 1/4 cup heavy cream plus additional for brushing the scones
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar plus additional for sprinkling the scones
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried currants

In a small bowl whisk together 1/4 cup of the cream, the egg yolk, and the vanilla. Into a bowl sift together the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the salt, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the cinnamon, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the pecans, the currants, add the cream mixture with a fork until the mixture forms a sticky but manageable dough. Knead the dough gently on a lightly floured surface for 30 seconds, pat it into a 3/4-inch-thick round, and cut it into 6 wedges. Transfer the wedges to a lightly greased baking sheet, brush them with the additional cream, and sprinkle them with the additional sugar. Bake the scones in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are golden.

But I am baking tomorrow... have some mincemeat that is calling me...

December 21st Winter Solstice, Antique Postcard, Solstice Books

Hello! Today, December 21st, is the shortest day of the year... the inter Solstice...

the first official day of winter...

So my antique postcard today, isn't a Christmas postcard, but for the First Day Of Winter...

From the 1920s...

With that in mind, I always bring out 2 books tea read during this week, slightly interrupting my Christmas book reading...

I love Rosamund Pilcher's books... and this one, Winter Solstice is no exception. A tale...not unlike the feelings many have at the darkest day of the year...that things will never get better or be brighter again...replaced by hope, joy, light and new beginnings.

It's set in Cornwall and Scotland and makes you laugh and cry.

Written in 2000

This next one is Death Of A Fool by Ngaio Marsh centered around the English Morris dancing traditions in a remote village with strong feudal remnants and a gem of an "undiscovered" solstice dance/morris/mummers survival that includes murder in the best English cozy tradition with Scotland Yard Chief Superintendant Roderick Alleyn.

Morris dancers side in Trafalgar Square, London a few years ago... we have also seen them in Bourton-on-the-Water and a few other places.

Anyway, the book was written in 1957, and totally fun and charming.

And thanks to Canadian friend, blogger and photographer Pamela Gordon

who gave me permission to use her photo! 

Love it!

Happy Winter Solstice!

And, ready for a cuppa and a mince pie!