Charles & Diana Gorgeous Wedding Mug from 1981

Below is a mug I have just added at Antiques And Teacups that I especially like. The mug is from the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 and is a really lovely design. Especially because it has the rare graphic on the back of Prince Charles' organic estate Highgrove House which will come to Prince William some day. We acquired 5 of them, each numbered from a limited production. I think they are so cool! For more info, click on the photos.

Remember we still have a few William and Kate Royal Wedding mugs and our 10% off coupon code BLOG can be applied at checkout. Just click on the mug photos on the sidebar to be taken to Antiques And Teacups.

Easter Greetings

Wishing everyone a blessed Easter Sunday...He is Risen!

Greetings and love from Antiques And Teacups

Victorian Easter Egg Meanings - The Delineator Magazine

Recently, a member, Martha, of my Afternoon Tea Across America Yahoo group posted some information she found in a Victorian Delineator magazine from 1894. The article was called Fortune Eggs. The Delineator was a Victorian combination of Good Housekeeping, Vogue and Crafts and was a trend and style setter of the late Victorian period.


The article said:

The one who gets an egg of white
In life shall find supreme delight

A striped egg bodes care & strife
A sullen man or scolding wife

The one who gets a golden egg
Will plenty have and never beg

The one who floral egg obrains
Will go through life by country lanes

A Silver egg will bring much joy
And happiness without alloy

The one who gets an egg of brown
Will have establishment in town

A lucky one - the egg of pink
The owner ne'er sees danger's brink

The one who gets an egg of purple shade
Will die a bachelor or old maid

The one who gets an egg of blue
Will find a sweetheart fond & true

The one who gets an egg of green
Will jealous be and not serene

Well...that should give everyone something fun to think about if you have any Easter egg hunts in your future. We have one for the kids at church tomorrow followed by a barbecue potluck which we are looking forward to.

And here is an egghead couple -  a porcelain eggcup and salt and pepper set from stock at Antiques And Teacups I think are really cute! Perfect for dealing with those Easter eggs! For more info, click on the photo.

Have a great day tomorrow....we are expecting the warmest day this year! WooHoo!!!

Teacup Thursday Royal Albert Dovedale Country Scenes, Royal Crown Derby Titanic Exhibit

Good morning and welcome to Teacup Thursday with Miss Spenser. I have a Royal Albert, England landscape cup and saucer today. The design is called Dovedale and the teacup is from a series called Country Scenes. I love it! Dovedale is a town in the Peak District of England not to far from the town of Derby where we have visited Royal Crown Derby.  The area is known for it's beauty and is a favorite holiday spot in England.

The teacup was made in the 1960s. Royal Albert is famous for doing series' of designs. I also have some from a series called Home Counties which is fun. They have done Language Of The Flowers sets, Garden Flowers, Birds, you name it. For more information on the Dovedale Royal Albert teacup at Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos.

Royal Crown Derby is presently running a Titanic Exhibition in connection with the 100th anniversary of the launch of Titanic as they supplied most of the china for the ship. Wish I were going to be there to visit.  


Today I have the joy of going to the dentist...it's life, isn't it? I hope you have a wonderful day visiting the other wonderful teacups and blogging friends. Cheers!

Princess Yourself for the Royal Wedding

Okay...this is pretty silly, but fun. Did you do the Office Depot Elf Yourself at Christmas a few years ago? WELL...TLC Channel has a "Princess Yourself" feature...you upload your photo and ...bingo...your Kate the Princess. So...if you wanna...here is the link!


PRINCESS YOURSELF


Smile...and remember to wave...

Teacup Tuesday, Shelley Bubble Flower Chintz Teacup, Antique Easter Card, Gibson's Teapot

Teacup Tuesday again! I am joining so many lovely teacup ladies today including:

Teacup Tuesday

Sandi for Teatime Tuesday

Terry for Teacup Tuesday

Wanda Lee for Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

Pam for Tea Pot And Tea Things Tuesday

and so many others!

I chose this Shelley, England rarely seen bubble and flower chintz because it reminds me of a spring bouquet...drowning in the rain!!!  We have had 268% of our normal rainfall this year! That's wet...even for Washington state! The teacup is in the Ripon shape which is one of my favorites. To see more photos and information of the Shelley Bubble Flower Chintz teacup at Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos.

And to go with the teacup, a Gibson's, England vintage 1940-1950s teapot in the Georgian shape.  So elegant! 


Today it was mostly sunny and we really enjoyed it.  I hope everyone stayed safe during all of the tornados in the midwest over the last few days. Our prayers have been with all you folks.

This is a neat antique Easter greeting card from 1914 that is one of the reasons I am fascinated by old cards. The card tells of asking about the making of maple sugar and of a mumps epidemic in Michigan..."Every house on our street has them".  For more info, click the photos.


The poem on the front, which features embossed lilies and the title A Glad Easter Tide reads:

Easter morn is the herald of joyful news in mankind

Rejoice! We are this day called to share in the glorious triumph of our Conqueror and Redeemer! The gates of heaven are thrown open wide to man.

A new Kingdom is heralded into this world, and like the lilies of the field,

the sweet fragrance of righteousness, peace, purity

and love ever ascends from the souls of the redeemed.

This is the glad song of Easter in you.

Rev. W. Foyle

Have a wonderful Holy week or Passover and visit the lovely teacup parties.

Holy Week, Antique Easter Card, Peter Rabbit Mugs and Passover Seder plate, Choreseth Recipe

Good morning! This is a festive season shared by both Christians and Jews. It's the beginning of Holy Week and tonight starts Passover. I am a Christian, but have a deep love of things Jewish fostered by the fact that Jesus was a Jew, and also my many Jewish friends growing up. I was part of an evangelistic association for several years and traveled doing seminars on basic Biblical Hebrew so that believers could resource the tools like Hebrew lexicons, to better understand the Hebrew language and culture that is intrinsically basic to the Bible.


But...first, here is an antique Easter greeting card from the stock of Antiques And Teacups. For more info click on the photos

A Joyful Easter with the cutest little 3 dimensional embossed chick pulling a ribbon on a vase of flowers from the 1920s.

This isn't an Easter design specifically, but bunnies tend to be in folks' minds so I remembered this cute little English made Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter design mug we had at Antiques And Teacups. They were favorite stories when I was small, albeit a bit scary at times, but I loved the drawings!  For more info, click on the photos.


And this is a Passover seder plate I brought home from Hebron, Israel in 1984 from a 3 week visit. Seder means order, and the plate has the essential elements of the Passover meal. I have the plate in a place of honor in my kitchen. Each of the elements have historical and spiritual meaning applicable to Christians and Jews. 

The bottom  left element in the 7 o'clock position is called her haroseth (chareseth) which symbolized the mortar which held together all the bricks the Hebrews made in Egypt...but it is certainly the best tasting of the elements! My favorite version follows but there are LOADS of variations, as well as spellings because Hebrew doesn't have vowels (just jots & tittles which are debated hotly):

Choreseth

1 cup of walnuts

1 Granny Smith or similar green apple

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons sugar

red wine for moistening

Chop all ingredients or process until you get the consistency of mortar, really your preference of texture. Some folks like it chunky, others prefer it smoother and more like paste. Makes a great spread for toast...but if it's Passover, don't used leavened bread and DEFINITELY not with butter! Not kosher!

So...Pesach Shalom or have a blessed Holy week.

Pink Saturday - Antique Pink Easter Card, Royal Worcester Easter Egg Egg Coddler, Royal Wedding Cavalry News

Happy Pink Saturday. I am joining How Sweet the sound.
Today I am sharing a lovely pink antique Easter greeting card or gift enclosure from the 1920s that I have at Antiques And Teacups. For more info, click on the photos.

The card is a pretty pink with lots of metallic gold, an art deco cottage and a sweet Easter message which reads:

Wishing Easter Joy

Earth it's fresh green life renews,

Smiles the sky with warmer hues,

All the joy that's everywhere!

I love vintage cards and postcards for a glimpse into the styles and hearts of a bygone era. I love the art deco period, and LOVE cottages!

The next is an egg coddler by Royal Worcester in the Easter Egg pattern which is rarely seen and just went to a new home this week. We have been selling egg coddlers to all over the world this month...Finland, Denmark and Germany. How fun!  Lots of pink for Pink Saturday in these Easter eggs!

Isn't that cute? The pattern was apparently made only in 2000.

And on to Royal Wedding news, as Prince William and Kate's wedding is SOOO close! The Royal household cavalry are preparing for the wedding and have released a video on Flickr about it that was linked on the news media.  Apparently 2 of the horses participating have been names Prince William and Kate Middleton! Okay....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishmonarchy/sets/72157626379106079/show/

Have a great Pink Saturday!

Easter Bunny Coconut Cake - Bunny Eggcup, Baking Mold or Mould

Good morning! I found this great recipe for a bunny shaped cake in Good Housekeeping magazine and thought I'd add it here...as it's Easter bunny time fast approaching.

I thought it was so cute!!

Pineapple-Coconut Bunny Cake

Serves: 16 Edit

Yields: 16 servings

Prep Time: 35 min

Prep Time: 25 min

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 cup(s) well-stirred cream of coconut (from 15-ounce can)*
• 1 can(s) (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice
• 1 tablespoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup(s) sugar
• 1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3 large eggs

Silky Coconut Butter Frosting

• 3/4 cup(s) sugar
• 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup(s) well-stirred cream of coconut
• 2 tablespoon(s) well-stirred cream of coconut
• 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1 cup(s) (2 sticks) unsalted butter (no substitutions), softened

Decorations

• 1 bag(s) (7 ounces, or 2 2/3 cups) sweetened flaked coconut
• 2  pink Jordan almonds
• 1  blue jelly bean
• 1  red heart-shaped tart candy
• 2  (2-inch) lengths black licorice lace

---

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan.
2. Prepare Pineapple-Coconut Cake: On waxed paper, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In 2-cup liquid measuring cup, combine cream of coconut, pineapple with its juice, and vanilla.
3. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and butter just until blended. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes or until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Beat in flour mixture alternately with pineapple mixture just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture and occasionally scraping bowl.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen cake from pan; invert onto rack to cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, prepare Silky Coconut Butter Frosting: In 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar and flour. Gradually stir in cream of coconut until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool completely.
7. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in cream-of-coconut mixture. Makes about 3 cups.
8. Enlarge bunny pattern following this diagram. (Note: one square = one inch.) Unfortunately no longer available, so make your own...
9. When cake is cool, transfer to large flat platter. Using pattern and knife, cut out bunny's body and ears from cake. Place some cake trimmings on tail and ears to add height. With metal spatula, spread frosting over side and top of cake. Gently press coconut into frosting on cake. Decorate bunny with Jordan almonds for ear, jelly bean for eye, heart-shaped candy for mouth, and licorice for whiskers.
10. *Reserve cream of coconut remaining in can (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) to use in frosting recipe.

And in the spirit of the cake...here are a couple of Easter related and bunny related items at Antiques And Teacups. To see more info on the items there, click on the photos.

A fun filled (and bunny filled) English egg cup I call "funny bunnies"

This is a vintage Nutbrown English tin individual dessert or cake mold in the shape of a bunny rabbit. I have 2 of them. Aren't they cute??? I love these little guys!

The next 2 items are from my personal collections...one a Dunoon mug and the other a French art deco antique crystal knife rest from the 1920s that I love. Bunnies rule!

Have a great weekend. I am thrilled I got my income tax filed last week. Whew...always glad to have that behind me! Now I am working on enjoying all the programs on the Royal Wedding and adding wonderful new items to the shops. Some of the items are fresh from auction and others are from the back of the warehouse from an English buying trip several trips ago. The items arrived just as we were packing to move so they were re-wrapped and packed in bins and were in the back of the warehouse. We decided to try to get the back of the warehouse cleaned out last year, but didn't quite make it last year, so are continuing this year. Opening one of those containers is just like Christmas because you've forgotten about what you'd gotten! LOVE IT!!!

Teacup Thursday - Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Teacup 1887

I thought I'd share something a little different for Teacup Thursday with Miss Spenser today.  As the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton approaches, I thought I'd share this teacup from Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. The Queen had been crowned 50 years before in 1837 and at this point became the longest reigning English monarch. She went on to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and dies in 1901. Queen Victoria is in a direct line to Prince William.

The teacup was all hand painted and has a very pale pink background color. There are gold beads all around, and where you see the white dots, unfortunately a gold bead has come off. This teacup isn't perfect, but it is rare and I love it. For more info on the Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee teacup, click the photo and go to Antiques And Teacups.


The Golden Jubilee has a special place in my family, as I grew up listening to my grandmother recount going to the Golden Jubilee celebrations in a coach and having to remain inside with a blanket, muff and foot warmer because she was recovering from scarlet fever. My grandmother was 16, and was so sad because they were roasting an oxen on the village green with long tables decorated with bunting. Everyone brought contributions of food, potatoes were roasting in the embers of the fires dotting the area and there were to be firewords at dusk. But she had to stay in the carriage and go home early and back to bed and so missed the fireworks. She said she cried herself to sleep because she missed all the excitement.


Here is a photo of our cat Tinker who has stolen my husband's recliner to take an abandoned nap. My DH couldn't bear to move him so he watched the Masters golf tournament for a couple of hours on the couch...which isn't as comfy as the recliner. Who's a softy, do you think???

I hope you have a great day visiting all the wonderful teacups and making new friends.