Shelley Green Daisy Chintz Teacup, Fab Wall Murals

Hi there! It's Thursday today...and time for Teacup Thursday and Vintage Thingie Thursday. We have been having a real few days of summer here with temperatures in the 80s which for us here in the Pacific Northwest is HOT! I know, I know...that's NOTHING compared to what the rest of the nation has been dealing with....and we have been praying for the drought and wildfires all over. Apparently the home we had in north eastern California on a lake by Lassen Volcanic National Park is threatened and many of our friends evacuated. Not good.

Because the daisies are so lush this time of the year, because of the warmth, I am sharing a Shelley China, England cup and saucer in the Daisy Chintz pattern and green colorway...it also came in blue, and I have one of those too (blue being my favorite color) in the Ripon shape which is one of my favorites. The teacups was made between 1940-1966 when the pottery closed.

I just love the pattern! First of all it's chintz which I love, and the daisies are perfect!  What are you drinking your tea from today? Actually...I'll probably be having my tea iced from a glass with the rest of the country this afternoon, although it's in a teacup this morning! I am drinking Murchie's Afternoon Blend from Victoria B.C.

When we were in Port Angeles recently for the Art In Action Sand Sculpture contest (see my previous post) I took photos of a wall mural at the Fiero Marine Life Center at the Community Pier where the sand sculpture contest was held. The murals were done by local artists, and depict the history of the town of Port Angeles. I just love them!

Well I hope you have a wonderful weekend! For more info on the teacup at Antiques And Teacups, click on the photo. Here are the blogs I am joining. 

I won't be posting for the next 3 weeks for Teacup Thursday or Vintage Thingie Thursday as we are having company, family and visiting, as well as just planning to get me away from the computer for a bit...I am planning on using self discipline! I will be back for Thursday Sept 13th. During the time we will do short visits to Victoria and stay at The Fairmont Empress, visit a friend near Vancouver, take walks at the beach, read books and generally chill and who knows what the visitors will want to do!  See you then!

Miss Spenser ~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/

Teacup Thursday

Coloradolady  ~ http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Mrs. Olson ~  http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Share Your Cup Thursday

Beverley ~ http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ 

Pink Saturday

Teacup Tuesday, Birthday Lunch, Sand Sculpture Contest

Hello my lovelies! Welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea! It's a mixed bag today...and I must confess I am hurrying to get this posted before the closing ceremonies of the London Olympics. Hope I don't make too many typpos!!!

I don't have a cup and saucer today but beach themed mugs from Dunoon, England that were designed by British watercolor artist Emma Ball. We have had 4 consecutive days in the hi 70s to low 80s which is summer here, and it's made me think of summer scenes.

English beach huts are such a national thing. They line the shores...which are usually pebbles, not sand...and are often gaily colored and lovingly decorated.

These watercolours are so evocative of days spent in Looe, Cornwall. We spent several weeks there and loved the area. Can't you just hear the gulls call and the water lap and shusssssh against the pebbly beach???

For my birthday last week, we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Alder Wood Bistro here in Sequim.  Alder Wood is a wood fired oven organic restaurant drawing from the organic farms in the area and serves literally 1-3 hours old seafood, and awesome pizza. We usually have the cedar planked fish with baby organic vegetables, but had something different this time. And wouldn't you know I'd forget my camera!!??  The photos here are from previous visits. The waitress is a friend, and she even brought me a special edible flower decked dessert with a candle, but no camera! What a doufus!!!!!
Alder Wood has a national, and even international following. Always yummy!!!

2 weeks ago we went to Port Angeles 10 miles away, for the annual Art In Action Sand Sculpture competition. We always go on the Friday when the artists are actually working, because we love to see the process. The octopus above is one of the permanent sculptures that festoon the downtown area and this is right at the Community pier where the contest and street fair was held.

First it was through the booths of the street fair to get to the beach where the sand artists from 8 countries...

A Hollywood Charlie Chaplain sculpture in process....

A prize winning sculpture called Metropolis....

One of the local radio stations KONP even had the engineers and disc jockeys involved....

 A Canadian tea's Canadian Mountie and emerging dog with a sled beside it was a popular sculpture

The People's Choice was a response to the shootings at the Dark Knight a few days before. They have a gun and the caption "This Is The Weapon Of The Enemy".

We had a great time. It's fascinating to watch them work. There are cash prizes, and some of the artists come back every year. There is a huge food court so you don't leave hungry. A wonderful, fun summer event!

Here is the linky and the list of some of the blogs I am visiting/participating. Also...for more info on the mugs at Antiques And Teacups, click on those photos.

Have a great day, and a cuppa tea!

Common Ground ~ http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com

Monday Marketplace

Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday

Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 
Tea Party Tuesday

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Teatime Tuesday

Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness

Martha~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday 

Ruth  ~ http://timewasantiquesfamily.blogspot.com

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Miss Kathy ~ http://thewritersreverie.blogspot.com/

Celia ~ http://attitudeivlife.blogspot.com/  

Afternoon Tea

Michelle ~ http://www.finchrest.com

Tea On Tuesday

Betty ~ http://teacoziecottage.blogspot.ca/

Tea Tuesday

Wanda Lee ~ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.ca

 Tuesday Teatime

Phyllis ~ http://www.relevanttealeaf.blogspot.com/

Tea On Tuesday

Shawn ~ http://poetryinapotoftea.blogspot.com/

Poetry In A Pot Of Tea

Bernideen’s ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

Friends Sharing Tea Wednesday

Ivy And Elephants ~http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

What’s It Wednesday

Shelley Blue, Birthday, Bolts And Bales! And Pink!

Hi there! Welcome to my Thursday blog...a bit late. But I had a birthday yesterday...I am now an OAP! If you are a Brit, you know what that is! For you Yanks, OAP stands for Old Age Pensioner....or as my nieces and nephews in the UK say...a wrinkly!  Yep...65. 

This is the card my son & family sent. The inside says:

 "Do you know how fast you were going over that hill? 

Happy Birthday!"

As you can see...I get a lot of respect...sigh...

Because this Thursday post has a lot to do with teacups as I am joining Teacup Thursday and the other blogs below, I have a special blue teacup today. It's blue and white because that's my fav color, and Shelley, England because that's my fav manufacturer. But this is a little different, because it is a Shelley miniature teacup, which are the most sought after and hard to find of Shelley teacups. This little cutie is in the Blue Charm pattern, number 13864 that was made between 1956 and 1966 when the pottery closed. Isn't it cute? I found it in Vancouver, BC Canada and couldn't believe my luck! So that's my vintage teacup for today.

Bales

And this week as we headed out to our local organic farm market, they had just finished baling hay. Out here they prefer the hay rolls...we call them "shredded wheat bales" after my husband's favorite cereal which comes i (or used to) in a similar rolled bale form in the UK. Welcome to Olympic Peninsula farm country!

And for Pink Saturday...pinky lavender from a local lavender farm....

Here are the blogs I am joining today. You will enjoy visiting them...I certainly do. For info on the Shelley mini at Antiques And Teacups, just click on the photos. 

Miss Spenser ~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/

Teacup Thursday

Coloradolady  ~ http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Mrs. Olson ~  http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Share Your Cup Thursday

Beverley ~ http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ 

Pink Saturday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Dunoon London Mug

Hi there! I hope you have all been enjoying the London Olympics as much as we have. The women's marathon today was wonderfully scenic and iconic as it wended it's way through London. And wasn't Michael Phelps' achievements stellar??!!

I also thought the flash mob at the Olympic tennis at Wimbledon,and congratulations to the Williams sisters and Andy Murray, was really fun. Here is a youtube video of it I found:




But this is a Tuesday Cuppa Tea post, so back on topic!!! Instead of a cup and saucer, in honour of the London Olympics here is an English bone china mug by artist Emma Ball made by Dunoon, England in 2007. All the fun things that make London...London are there...

I just love this design! The only criticism is the Guardsman is a Grenadier Guard and not a Coldstream Guard (my husband's regiment). Emma Ball does such wonderful watercolors!

Okay...one last bit of info about...

Did you wonder if the gold medals are gold???? Well, being married to a retired jeweler and diamond setter, I needed to find out. The last pure gold medal was given out in 1912. BUT the current gold medals are 92.5% silver (just below sterling silver) coated with a minimum of 3 grams of gold each. They have to be at least .6 of an inch thick. At the current gold price of around $1,600 per ounce, that still about $150 in gold value, let alone historical value. Cool!


Okay...that's it for today. Here is the linky for my Tuesday Cuppa Tea meme following the list of some of the blogs I'll be joining with. Have a great week, and I hope you get in lots of Olympics. Good grief...we are staying up to midnight every night! I'll be ready for a vacation after!

Common Ground ~ http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com

Monday Marketplace

Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday

Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 
Tea Party Tuesday

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Teatime Tuesday

Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness

Martha~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday 

Ruth  ~ http://timewasantiquesfamily.blogspot.com

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Miss Kathy ~ http://thewritersreverie.blogspot.com/

Celia ~ http://attitudeivlife.blogspot.com/  

Afternoon Tea

Michelle ~ http://www.finchrest.com

Tea On Tuesday

Betty ~ http://teacoziecottage.blogspot.ca/

Tea Tuesday

Wanda Lee ~ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.ca

 Tuesday Teatime

Phyllis ~ http://www.relevanttealeaf.blogspot.com/

Tea On Tuesday

Shawn ~ http://poetryinapotoftea.blogspot.com/

Poetry In A Pot Of Tea

Bernideen’s ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

Friends Sharing Tea Wednesday

Ivy And Elephants ~http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

What’s It Wednesday

Pink Polka Dot & Shades Teacups and Sunny Farms Country Market

Hello and welcomr! I am joining Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for Pink Saturday. It is always so fun!!!

I do a lot of fancy cups and saucers, but I just love this contemporary Pink Shades pattern of pink polka dots by Churchill, England in ironstone. A great everyday and cheerful china. Wouldn't that make you smile at breakfast??!

How cute is that??! And this set was made in England as well, which isn't often the case anymore.

And for Pink Saturday, some dinner plate pink dahlias from Sunny Farms Country Store,  one of our 2 organic farm markets here in Sequim, WA. These were outside the door for sale when we went for some produce. I usually don't have my camera...I am bad at remembering, and haven't really learned to use my smartphone camera. Sigh...

Because we are a major lavender area, they also sell lavender. The organic farm stores by us are wonderful! We love them!


Have a great time visiting the other wonderful blogs at Pink Saturday. For more info on the pink polka dot cups and saucers at Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos.


Team GB is 3rd in the London Olympic medal count...just behind the USA. Cool!

Aynsley Blue And Lace Teacup, Happy 150th Birthday Empress Hotel Victoria, BC

Hello my friends. Are you all square eyed from Olympics viewing? We watch as much as we can, and love it. The list of blogs I am joining is at the end of the post. Besides loving the Olympics themselves, they are in London...our favorite city and home away from home.  In our home, we root for the USA and GB...a divided loyalty because of heritage. For those who don't know, my husband is a Brit and I'm a first generation Yank from an English family.


I wanted to share on of my favorite cup shapes, the so called corset shape, by Aynsley, England in a gorgeous blue with an applied heavy gold lace on the interior. I LOVE it! If you have read any of my posts, you know I'm a sucker for blue...

This cup and saucer was made in the 1960s, and came in a number of colors which I have had over the years, but this blue is my favorite!  Perfect for a cozy cup of tea. 


Speaking of tea, one of our favorite places for tea is The Fairmont Wmpress Hotel in Victoria, BC Canada, a short ferry ride away for us, and our closest big city.

The Empress, designed by Thomas Rattenbury who also designed the House Of Parliament almost across the street from the Empress is celebrating her 15oth birthday tomorrow, on August 2nd.

This is Inner Harbour, directly across the street from The Empress. And below is a photo of the afternoon tea we had for my birthday a  couple of years ago.  We will be at the Empress later in the month for my birthday again.

I will have to share that visit later in the month. So...please wish the venerable and gorgeous Empress a happy birthday! Please visit the blogs below.  For more info on the teacup visit Antiques And Teacups or click on the photos.


And now...back to the Olympics!

Miss Spenser ~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/

Teacup Thursday

Coloradolady  ~ http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Mrs. Olson ~  http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Share Your Cup Thursday