Friends, Tradition, and Tea For Every Day Of The Year!

"A cup that is already full cannot have more added to it. In order to receive the further good to which we are entitled, we must give of that which we have" ~Quote by Margaret Becker

I became a Tea Cup Collector nearly 15 or more years ago. Inspired by a mentor of mine, Devi Titus, when I attended a Baby Shower she was hosting for a friend from church. On the dining room table was the largest selection of tea cups I'd ever seen in my entire life, and uniquely...none matched! And that's exactly what I loved about the display, we all got to pick the one that fancied us the most.

Shortly thereafter, I walked into a Hallmark store and purchased my very first fine porcelain tea cup "Made in England", which would be come the first of one hundred plus in my collection I now have today. The cup in this photo was given to me from one of my best friends of nearly 20 years, Kathleen Ellis. Kathleen also began a collection shortly after I started mine. I'd say she may be catching up to the number I have in my own and hers are encased in the most beautiful Vintage Distressed Hutches; they are breathtaking!

Many a great conversation has been enjoyed over the sipping of tea from the cups in my collection. Some between two old friends, and some between groups of women enjoying a tea party to get acquainted with new neighbors over the years. Each time I move, I host a "Get Acquainted Tea" to get to know some of the women in my neighborhood. They are always a hit, and the women fall in love with the variety of scones I make, fresh lemon curd, my mock devonshire cream, and last but not least, the tea! I've even made some tremendous new Tea Bud's when hosting my Get Acquainted Teas, like Lya! Lya and I met in September of 2007, and we've been enjoying a monthly tea ever since. We rotate homes each month and we both look forward to the time together, conversation, and tea. We don't overwhelm ourselves with the refreshments and settle for a bit of sweetness, but enjoy multiple cups of the tea of the day!

On occasion, I've been inspired to share one of the cups from my collection with others that God leads into my life. There is no rhyme or reason, and I totally wait for the nudge from Him to give one away. In some cases, I've given the very first tea cup to start their own collection. In other cases, it's because I have wanted the person to always remember our tea times together no matter where life will lead them. One cup was shared with a friend that now lives in England, who would have guessed one of my cups would now reside so far away? We still stay in touch to this day and we often refer to the days in our correspondence of which we enjoyed our tea time together and the friendship we enjoyed and continue to do so.

Whether you have started your own tea cup collection or not, consider doing so. It's much fun, and many of the cups I've obtained are from vintage shops, consignment boutiques, gifts from family and friends once they knew I collected cups, and even yard sales. Tea Cups really are like friends, you never quite know when you're going to find a new one! Now, you say you don't drink tea? Well, I didn't either till right before I started my collection. Start with a mild black tea and add sugar if needed. My girlfriend Kathleen also swayed me into drinking milk in my tea, which I now nearly cannot live without.

Staying In The Day today with something Light Hearted for the Holidays! Fa la la la la! Celebrating the Birth of Jesus, as He IS the Reason for this Season! ~CC