TREAT YOURSELF TO THE LUXURY OF TEA

I come from a long line of tea drinkers. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my coffee in the morning.

So much so that I get strange looks from my family in Europe on extended stays when again and again, for the breakfast table, I choose a cup of coffee to their pot of tea.

My Dutch grandmother poured hot water on black tea leaves in her silver pot precisely at 3:30 every afternoon, there was nothing a hot cup of tea couldn’t fix in her {and therefore my own} mind.

Did you know that tea is the second most consumed beverage only next to water?  Brewing tea and drinking it is an important part of the day for people in almost every culture.

More than just a hot drink, brewing and sipping tea is a celebration of every day life, of taking a little time to smell the roses.

Brewing tea, smelling its delicate scent, and savoring each sip of the delicious, hot liquid encourages us to take a little break in the middle of the day.

To enjoy the moment, and really concentrate on the beauty of our day.

Drinking tea encourages thoughtful, peaceful thoughts, it brings a sense of peace and calm to an otherwise hectic day.

And these days, pretty much all our days are hectic if we let them be.

Tea asks us to slow our pace, to sit for a while, and be grateful for our homes and lives.

Drinking that beautiful cup of warmth out of an heirloom tea cup makes it all the more “special”, doesn’t it?

I have a collection of special antique tea cups, some remind me of the people who gifted them to me. When I pull out one of those cups, to drink my afternoon tea, I remember the special friendship or family ties I have with the person who gave that cup to me.

I am hoping that my daughters and granddaughters, and my darling little grand-boy too, will have sweet memories of me and tea time at our house long after I’m gone. And that they will relish drinking their own tea out of the antique cups they inherit from us.

There are as many different tea blends as there are people, finding one you love is not difficult. The calming blend of herbs and spices can restore health, promote a sense of well being, even cleanse our bodies of toxins.

 

Making tea a ritual in your days allows you to appreciate your surroundings, it’s a small luxury and a large grace note.  It’s also a wonderful way to treat yourself to a beauty break.

I love home design books, and BEAUTIFUL, by designer Mark D. Sikes does it’s title proud. I often take just 10-15 minutes to sit and enjoy glancing at some of the pages while drinking my cup of tea.

I was fortunate to win this gorgeous book from my dear friend Shirley, who blogs at Hospitality Designs. Shirley shares her love of decorating and her love of making her home a haven for her family in such a charming way. We had the opportunity to meet each other in person this month, and it was best-friends-at-first-sight. {Don’t you love that?}

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF TEA? {For me, there is nothing as delicious as Earl Grey tea, with its delicate balance of heady and refined scents and taste.}

SHOP TEA CUPS {we have heirloom cups starting at 49.-}

24 thoughts on “TREAT YOURSELF TO THE LUXURY OF TEA”

  1. Your post reminds me of a mistake I made when I hurriedly had to. I’d inherited my mother’s things. She had a lovely collection of cups and saucers which went to Salvation Army along with everything else. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve regretted not taking more time to keep some of what was donated.

    1. I’m so sorry Linda. I know sometimes we do that, make a too quick decision. The only blessing in all of that is that someone else probably felt like they were the luckiest person on earth when they were able to buy one of your Mom’s treasures and love it in their family now.

  2. I so remember my very first “tea ceremony” and thinking that yes, it is a celebration of precious tea, but yet a celebration of life itself. As you know, my mom is Japanese and covets her tea. I often wondered in my early years why my mom would insist me sitting down and having a cup of tea with her when I was so busy doing something…and then i realized, it was her way to tell me to stop and smell the tea and the roses too. Thanks my friend for the lovely shout out….you are a treasure and would make anyone feel like they have been your friend for life! xoxoxo’s P.S. Why does tea taste so much better in a beautiful tea cup? I guess it is all about making us feel special. Beautiful, beautiful images/photography as always!

    1. Thank you so much Shirley! I agree, having tea really makes us slow down and rest and take in all the beauty that surrounds us. Happy weekend, I know you will enjoy it. xo

  3. Peggy Cooper

    We don’t drink hot tea year round, but starting in fall and through the winter, we usually have a cup in the afternoon with a cookie or two. My favorite is Constant Comment with a touch of local honey.

  4. Peggy, I’d forgotten about Constant Comment, so thank you for the reminder. It has such a lovely taste, especially im the autumn. And a touch of local honey brings a beautiful sweetness, I’m sure. Happy weekend!

  5. When I was in Kenya, I picked tea with some friends who are growers. Only the top two leaves. Not easy.
    Marriage Frères is renowned for their teas, and have the most beautiful shop in Paris. Don’t miss it if you’re there!

    1. Susan, yes! It’s one of my favorite teas…and what a thrilling life you lead, friend. Happy weekend! Hope the weather is still pretty.

  6. It’s Earl Grey for me always in an antique cup. Just one cup will do with a teaspoon of the best Tupelo Honey. When I found Tupelo honey I’ve never wanted any other. When life dishes our lemons I can turn it to lemonade with that one cup. It calms even if only the time it takes to prepare and sit down to partake. Life is beautiful if we take time to look for the joys it offers.

    1. Alice, what beautiful words! I agree…running off to buy Tupelo Honey.

      Happy weekend!

  7. Kathryn Williams

    Here in Miami Cuban coffee is BIG and delicious with steamed milk, but I too love my teas. Earl grey, Irish and English breakfast are my black tea favs. I enjoy green tea too and I order a scrumptious oolong from China that I discovered on CBS Sunday Morning. It is exotic with notes of lychee nut. I make a cup, lean back, inhale the steam and watch the ducks and Ibis on the lake and in my backyard. You are transported to a dreamy land where all is well with the world.
    I have a modest, little collection of tea cups and when I saw that darling, blue floral it was “love at first sight”. Having a beautiful cup to sip from enhances the experience and I am thrilled to have found another beauty to add to my group. Thank you for reminding us , in so many ways, to bring beauty, love and peace into our everyday lives.

    1. I love Cuban coffee! My eldest daughter’s husband is from Cuban heritage, they just went to Cuba and brought back the most amazing Cuban coffee beans.
      Thank you for loving tea, and for always being an encourager of my blog and antiques.

      Wishing you a beautiful weekend!

  8. Kathryn Williams

    Alice, thank you so much for reminding me of tupelo honey. If you’ve ever had it you know how special it is. My favorite farm stand stopped carrying it years ago, but I just ordered some from my favorite source. It will be here Monday and I can’t wait to make tea in my new favorite cup when it arrives.
    Thank you Lidy for making all this possible.

  9. What a lovely and delightful post. Such beautiful pictures with panache!

    I throughly enjoyed all the comments, too.

    Now, I am inspired to pull out a vintage cup I bought in Switzerland and have a cup of tea.

    1. Love it, Bonnie! I hope that you enjoy it, and the memories of beautiful Switzerland.

  10. Mary Emanuelson

    I feel like a peasant, but my favorite teas are orange pekoe or English breakfast. I just bought a counted cross-stitch chart that says “There’s always time for tea”, and am planning on stitching it for Christmas gifts next year. Myself, my two sisters, and three friends……it looks like a fairly simple pattern, so should work up quickly (fingers crossed).

    1. Mary, both of those teas are delicious. English Breakfast is the perfect “pick-me-up” in morning, and then Orange Pekoe, well,
      that’s a favored classic.

      How wonderful that you are stitching gifts for your sisters and friends, I am sure they will be thrilled!

  11. Hi Lidy, I associate hot tea with my mother who always made me tea and toast when I was a young girl with a bad cold or even worse cramps. Somehow that hot tea always made me feel better. Now that I’m all grown up, I’m a daily coffee drinker. Still, a cup of steaming tea always makes me feel better when I need it. Hugs, Pat

  12. Pat, my Mom always made me a cup of hot tea too! That is such a sweet memory, isn’t it? I drink coffee, but I agree with you that tea, well, it always makes you feel better!

  13. Beverly Ivey

    I love several types of tea, but as Peggy said above, Constant Comment is my very favorite–especially with a couple of ginger cookies. Isn’t it amazing how much better tea tastes from a beautiful, thin china cup? Coffee is fine in a mug, but tea needs a vessel that matches it’s delicate qualities.

  14. Thanks for sharing this lovely post about tea, Lidy. I agree with Shirley and Beverly that it tastes so much better in a beautiful cup and your tea cups are exquisite! Darjeeling tea is one my favorites.

  15. Thank you Lisa. I agree with all of you, tea is special, and a thin, delicate cup makes it a daily luxury.

  16. Love your post.I love to sip tea twice a day.
    Just discovered your site and I am very pleased to find out you have Dutch roots hence the fact I am Dutch.

    1. Anja, wat leuk! Thank you for leaving a comment, I hope to see you here more often.

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