{1940s - 1950s Royal Albert Princess Anne Tennis Set for Coffee or Tea}

When I was doing consulting work with my husband and partner Pieter, we were in Calgary, Canada with one of the staff members shopping at an antique store. That's where I bought my very first 1940s - 1950s Royal Albert Princess Anne piece of china. It was a handled cake plate. Over time I kept adding and I especially loved these Tennis Sets for Coffee or Tea. Did you know about them? This is something from the UK, but I love their practical approach for being able to hold this with one hand in an informal setting.



On January 18, we had our white hyacinth blooming. Got it at Trader Joe's and wish they would last forever as I LOVE their fragrance.

So here is our Royal Albert Princess Anne teapot and one each of a Tennis Set for Coffee and one for Tea.
To me it does not look quite fair as the Tennis Set for Tea is far bigger...



Don't you agree that the Tennis Set for Coffee is smaller in size?

WHY would hat be...

To photograph these two sets together proved to be very hard!

Here it is out of perspective a bit because the Tennis Set for Tea is in the front and looking way bigger.

This is the best I could do for showing both of them at more or less eye level.

You notice that the tea cup is wider and more shallow and tapered down. The coffee cup is more narrow and mostly straight up.
To the right on the sidebar you see my most popular post is: {Difference Between Coffee & Tea Cups} just click the hyperlink for finding out.
But still those Tennis Set differences puzzle me...!

When I tried to find out more, I found this interesting site from Royal Albert Patterns.com with this lovely photo. Shown is a coffee cup and saucer to the right; teacup and saucer to the left; cream & sugar set - which I have several of, also differently sized. My handled cake plate that I found in Calgary, Canada is shown here and a coffee pot which I don't have one.
To the bottom are different teacups.
They mention only the Cup Shape being Countess (for Tea) or Avon (for Coffee).
You just scroll all the way down on this site, from above hyperlink, or if you search for any other pattern you might find it there as well.
There even is a Royal Albert Patterns FB Page, just click the hyperlink.

This is the regular Coffee Cup & Saucer with a regular Tea Cup & Saucer...

We Heart It did have my photo tagged by 46 people. That shows maybe that more people are searching to find out more about those differences.

Would you know an answer for those Tennis Set differences?

A very frequently visited post...

{Anna Burda Crocheted Table Topper}

From the Anna Burda's June 1988 magazine this hand crocheted table topper must have been made by my friend Marianne's  Mom, in Germany. Whatever its background, I received it as a gift and I'm very pleased with this linen and crocheted treasure. Have a look...

In our veranda on the oak coffee table with some blooming hyacinths on January 18...

No doubt that Marianne's Mom did crochet it after this Anna Burda pattern from June 1988!

Just lovely...

Pure linen is being crocheted around in a very perfect way with an impeccable steady hand it seems.

Guess Marianne's Mom will be smiling down from heaven when she sees it still is being loved!

{French Pewter Taste Vin}

Do you know a Taste Vin? Ancient Greeks used already its forerunner for wine tasting as a glazed clay krater or wine cup. In medieval times they got made of faience, ceramic and pewter. In Louisiana, USA they briefly served another function as taste-indigo for testing the crystallization of indigo dye.

Shown here is our French Pewter Taste Vin with a a Royal Selangor pewter vase.

Royal Selangor is established in 1885 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 Our lovely daughter Anita inside metal frame...

This French Pewter Taste Vin from ETAINS DU MANOIR was a gift from our French colleagues.

Inside you read the French Wine Quote: Beuvez toujours ne mourrez jamais...

Beuvez toujours, vous ne mourrez jamais. Loosely: Drink always and never die. Also: Drink constantly; never die. Widely attributed to François Rabelais.

Meanwhile I am the lucky owner of the hardcover book: The Epicurean Collector: Exploring the World of Culinary Antiques by Patrick Dunne from Luculluss Antiques in New Orleans, who did write this book together with the Editors of Southern Accents. The photo below is on page 109. Available at Amazon.

Patrick Dunne does explain a lot better than I ever can but he is writing about some pure silver Taste Vins...

These are Patrick Dunne's silver Taste Vins...

There is one thing in common with our French Pewter Taste Vin however; the coiled serpent loop handle is similar to ours! You can read more about that in the last copy of Patrick Dunne's pages.

His book is a very valuable piece of information for serious collectors.

Sadly the beautiful magazine of Southern Accents is no more but this book is as close as you can come to that!

Above is the mention of the use for taste-indigo in Louisiana.

One of the enigmatic motifs that frequently appear on taste-vins is a loop handle formed by a coiled serpent...

Hope you enjoyed this Taste Vin post. Do you have one at your home?

{1999 with Brother Jan, I Saw The Best of Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance in Orlando, Florida}

Who has ever seen a show of The Best of Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance? Well, on August 5, 1999, I was fortunate for being at Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida where Michael Flatley did bring his high-energy step-dancing Troupe to perform for my youngest Brother Jan Van den Munckhof, my sister-in-law Wilma and me and of course a lot of other people! WOW; that was real high energy. Never seen a show like that one. Michael Flatley is my youngest brother's age but that's the only comparison...

 'Very excited' Michael Flatley to return to Lord Of The Dance for first time in 12 years

The above photo is from 2010 where Michael Flatley played himself at age 51.

In total his troupe has played for 60 million people in 60 countries!

So glad that I got to see them play too...

Lord of the Dance (musical) link for the above text - click on the above for easier reading...

Flatley signed a contract with Disney for Lord of the Dance to perform at Epcot in Walt Disney World in the summer of 1999 and Lord of the Dance was asked back the following summer in 2000. 

How lucky we were for JUST being there in 1999!

Lord of the Dance link for photo from FB Fan Page

Did you know that Lord of the Dance was written, devised, produced and choreographed by Michael Flatley within just 8 weeks of its inception?

By the end of the opening night, the show had received several standing ovations and such rave reviews that it was to become the most talked about, most written about, and the most critically acclaimed show in musical history.

Michael Flatley - Lord of the dance finale YouTube video at age 51 from the top picture

 The Best of Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance | June 4, 1999 The Orlando Sentinel

Michael Flatley - Whispering Winds | where he is playing the flute and his Mom cried...

{Our Silver Muffineer Custom Made After Antique Model}

Being an International Consultant did Open Up the World to us. So no wonder that after finding in a favorite magazine a beautiful Antique Silver Muffineer, we actually could have ours Custom Made after that model!
WOW... Would you not take the opportunity?

This is IT! Don't you think it is lovely?

This was the page from the magazine with the Antique Muffineer...

Custom made for us in Kotagede, Indonesia!

Below this post you find a link about the making of silver in Kotagede.

Now, eat your heart out! Sprinkle some generous powdered sugar on your waffles, add some maple syrup and whipped cream from the tiny French ramekins.

All china is Pillivuyt France and all can be used in the oven as well!

Rose silverware is from Germany. Silber-und-Rosen-Shop might have some similar pieces...

Crystal wine glass is from Our Life in Italy. Don't know the pattern name... Wish I could find out!

Vintage linen tablecloth with roses...

Raspberries are so yummy and so are blueberries and strawberries...

A  better view of the silver muffineer and the crystal glass.

Don't know if it is from Italy but we bought it there when we were living and working in Italy.

To wet your appetite... Grade A Maple syrup to the left and whipped cream.

And YES, I do LOVE roses...!

So how did you like our Silver Muffineer and its use?

You like to have some waffles now; please have a seat in our gazebo at this table...

If only we could eat there again but WINTER is not YET OVER!

Thanks for visiting.

Related link:
{Antique French 19th Century 950/1000 Silver & Crystal Muffineer, Sugar Shaker, Caster Sifter} | previous post by me
{1862 Christofle Sugar Sifter Spoon 'Filet Violon'} | my 2nd Most Popular All Time Post
{Antique 19th Century Silver Toast Rack Replica, Made in Kotagede, Indonesia}| previous post by me
{Have YOU Ever Seen the Making of Silver in Kotagede, Indonesia?} | previous post by me

{Splendid book about Silver Rose Flatware} | previous blog post with mention of author Johanna Gehrlein
The tarnished future of Kotagede silver | The Jakarta Post, December 11, 2009
THE SILVER SOCIETY about the making of silver

{Water Control Project Finished}

Almost doing the happy dance! On January 21, the crew came to pour the concrete. 

Water Control Project Finished!

Of course, such a job could not be handled by husband Pieter...

The big truck arrived and by wheelbarrow the concrete was brought to the spot.

That meant ACTION!

NO cat-supervisors now; they're all hiding as they are scared of strangers...

Thick consistency makes it heavy to handle...

Dumping it onto a wooden board and than spreading it out...

Husband Pieter made them this wooden beam for leveling it; just extending across the aluminum gutter.
They do a great job!

Cake art in the rough...

Smoothing it really well.

Six days later; all dried up and looking very nice!

This is the bay window kitchen area...

Pieter showing how neat they worked around the aluminum gutter. They did an excellent job and understood quite well what Pieter wanted.

The other side of the bay window towards the front porch.

This is from the retainer wall looking towards the front porch.
It did dry out nicely.

Detail of the aluminum gutter and the Scallop Concrete Edger...

When the danger of frost will be gone, those 20 x 20 cm or 8 x 8 inch tiles will be put on!
Will show you later the tiled Patio job.
Do you like it?

Related links:
{Final Preparations for Water Control Project} | previous post by me
{Retainer Wall Extension for Water Control} | previous post by me
{Pipe under Brick Walkway & Trench for Water Control} | previous post by me
{Our New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket Fence} | previous post showing you part I of Water Control
{65 Year Old Pine Tree Cut Down} | previouis post showing you preparation of Water Control

{Antique French Gilt Metal & Glass Biscuit Box with Handle}

On the French eBay I did come across this beautiful Antique French Gilt Metal & Glass Biscuit Box with Handle. The only problem was that one side of the handle had a missing threaded rivet... When I asked my husband if he could repair that, he said yes I can. So off I went and bid on it but the person was NOT willing to ship it to the USA. Well, I asked friend Janny from Rozen van Papier (Paper Roses) if she could help me out. She graciously did so and that's how I ended up being in possession of this antique French Biscuit Box. Only at Christie's I did find something similar: A VICTORIAN GILT METAL BISCUIT BARREL AND COVER WITH CUT-GLASS LINER, LATE 19TH CENTURY... Have a look at ours below, it is the same size as the one at Christie's above but not as valuable. But this is now our treasure!

Would you not have fallen in love with it?

One of those threaded rivets on the side of the handle was missing...

So what did I do to find a matching one?

Husband Pieter took the two off from the glass lid and replaced the one missing on the handle with one of them.

Than I went on line for finding two new ones for putting on the glass lid again.

Guess what? I ended up at Restoration Supply Company in Escondido, California where I ordered my two round threaded rivets and nut hex! 

We received excellent service from Miss Brandi K. Gay!

To the right is Brandi K. Gray.

A very caring company with OUTSTANDING customer service!

So refreshing to learn that such high courtesy companies still exist...

Somebody had tried to glue them to the glass top...

Tricky for removing all that gunk without damaging but Pieter managed to do so.

On top of the lid are the two new round threaded rivets with their matching hex nut that Pieter did saw to fit.

This Gilt Metal & Glass Biscuit Box measures 18.5 cm x 12 cm and 11 cm high or 7.3 inches long and 4.7 inch wide and 4.3 inch high. Quite a size and I filled it up with home baked Amaretti cookies made from almond meal.

Quite lovely or not?

What a history this biscuit box has had... wish it could speak!

So glad it arrived here safely in one piece; all the way from France.

Love those ball feet! Very nice beveled corners too.

If you like to sit down for a while, I will make you a tea or coffee to go with these Amaretti cookies.

ENJOY!