Teacup Tales

The Pacific Northwest is one of my favorite travel destinations. I throughly enjoyed my trip to San Juan Island last week and fulfilled my dream of seeing orcas in the wild. Such an amazing sight! We stayed in Seattle for one night before returning home. I had the pleasure of visiting the Perennial Tea Room in Seattle. This tea shop is located on quaint Post Alley a block away from Pike Place Market. It is a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of the market. This tea shop does not serve tea (even though past reviews do indicate that they do at one point pre COVID) but has an amazing selection of loose tea. The tea is displayed quite nicely in glass containers. Upon entering the shop there is an area with laminated tea menus divided by type of tea. The staff is extremely knowledgeable about each tea featured and were welcoming. I was interested in expanding my oolong and white tea stash. Across from the loose tea are shelves of quality boxed teas and accessories. This shelf made me

"Tea is best enjoyed in pleasant surroundings, whether indoors or out, where the atmosphere is tranquil, the setting harmonious.   ~John Blofeld One of my simple pleasures is to read while enjoying a pot of tea outside in my garden. We have had a very cool spring, so these last two weeks were the first times I was able to partake in my favorite morning ritual. I wait all week for these weekend tea times.  My morning tea choices are usually Paris by Harney and Sons, Breakfast in Paris by Stash Tea or various loose English Breakfast blends. My yellow Beehouse teapot is my go to or my larger orange one if I have more time to spare. My reading choice is a magazine and the novel I'm currently reading. I have to admit that this current issue of Tea Time magazine is one of my favorites in terms of recipes. For the past year I have been savoring my alfresco tea in this adorable Shelley chintz teacup and saucer. The story behind it is my impetus for the direction of this blog. Last sum

  Today's featured teacup is "Serena" from Royal Albert. The Serena pattern was produced from 1945-1977. The earlier teacups featured flowers similar to Old Country Roses in a larger scale than the ones featured on my teacup. Inside the teacup there was a rim of gold designs similar to the circular design on the saucer (see below). The cup shape is Avon. I am a huge fan of teacups with interior designs.  The photos do not do this beautiful teacup justice. The colors are bright and stunning along with the intricate floral designs. It truly stands out in size and design! Back stamp Teatime is not complete without a good book and quality tea. Vacationland was an enjoyable read with a touch of mystery, strong characters and the desirable setting of the coast of Maine. I have been drinking "Breakfast in Paris" by STASH tea more and more in the morning. It is a crisp black tea with  bergamot oil and lavender which softens the bergamot in my opinion. I"m not a fan