{My 2nd Most Popular All Time Post So Far}

It is my blogpost: {1862 Christofle Sugar Sifter Spoon 'Filet Violon'} that received the 2nd most pageviews of all time. Just click the above hyperlink...

Guess this IS a lovely presentation for a warm heart shaped waffle with hot tea served on a tennis tray with teacup from Royal Albert Princess Anne in a lovely rose pattern...

The 1862 French Christofle Sugar Sifter Spoon 'Filet Violon' is a beauty!

The silver muffineer we had made for us while living and working in Indonesia, following an antique pattern and I will show that soon.

Cupid Awake and Cupid Asleep with its original 1897 sepia photos is THE most popular, even if it has been sold right away.

Temporarily you will find this sequence on my sidebar and you can also click on the thumbnail for going there...

{Meaningful GIFT from The Fairmont Empress Victoria}

Certain days sometimes are full of surprises, such as the mailman delivering an unexpected package. This time it came from dear FRIEND Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista, author and speaker... Carefully unwrapping and finding a very Meaningful gift from the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, Canada. What a joy! Both of us have stayed at two of the Fairmont hotels, the Fairmont Château Frontenac in Québec City on August 13 till 16 of 1998 and the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa from 18 till 20 August of 1998. 

Voilà... A beautiful cobalt blue with gold tin 'TEA at THE EMPRESS with 10 tea bags!

A lovely golden pouch holding this precious tea.

THE FAIRMONT EMPRESS Victoria...

From the Province of British Columbia, Canada where our daughter Liz is born!

THANKS a MILLION Celia for this precious gift and all the fond memories that it did evoke!

We used to live on 304 Fairmont Drive...

As said above, our daughter Liz is born in British Columbia, Canada...

Top seasonal quality tea from e.g. South India... where we have worked!

On our way to work we drove past those tea plantations.

TEA at THE EMPRESS

The South Indian component (Nilgiri mountains)... where we have worked!

So often we passed those tea plantations on our way to work high in the mountains when doing consulting in India for Pond's India for about a decade.

There is one more GIFT from another Canadian blogger FRIEND.

Susan from Ava Grace's Closet sent me this incredibly fine hand crocheted lace table topper; made by her Mama!

So here I did pair it with some fresh Gardenias from our garden on June 22, in our front porch since it was not light enough inside the home. I just finished my photo shoot before another tropical thunderstorm came up!

Using the 1930s teacup and saucer from my dear Mother in Law; blue transferware from Société Céramique Blue Boerenhoeve

Here it is: TEA at THE EMPRESS...

Hope you enjoyed this Meaningful gift of delicious tea!

THANKS again dear Celia and thanks dear Susan!

Related link:

{Our Hydrangea Trio and Tea in 1930s Blue Transfer Ware} | previous post by me

{Mother-in-law's 1930s Société Céramique Blue Boerenhoeve Transferware} | previous post by me

{Difference Between Coffee & Tea Cups} | previous post by me

{Our Gazebo with Chair Cushions}

On August 29, the day that it was exactly 30 years ago that we immigrated to the USA, from The Netherlands, we did have a mud-free gazebo with the washed concrete tile path and entrance being cleaned by husband Pieter. We felt confident that we will have no more tropical thunderstorms changing our outlook. So finally an entire lovely, sunny week with sunshine and lower humidity and also some wind. Perfect for drying out!

It was on July 8, that I wrote my post about {WHAT is THIS?} when I had rescued our gazebo's cushions.

Link you find below this post, for those that missed it...

Here they are! 

On July 12, they had their 15th birthday but we could not use them yet with all our flash flood warnings and reality.

We forgot to place the table back in the center of the gazebo... I saw this only after I uploaded my photos!

Guess we both were too excited of finally being able to use our gazebo!

Our gazebo got a new aluminum roof from Interlock Roofing as well.

We did place a new fan from Wayfair after the painters had finished their painting job here as well.

They did such a meticulous job with their two coatings of Benjamin Moore paint!

This Westinghouse Lighting 30" Wengue 3 Blade Ceiling Fan, has an incredible 18 degrees blade pitch!

It is in Chrome with Wengue Beech Blades.

Stepping back, towards the house...

The Vintage Woodworks ginger bread in the top part is adding such charm.

So does the Aluminum Slate roof in Aged Copper from Interlock Metal Roofing!

This is with the steps in the back, since we live on a slope. The house is now visible to the left.

There is a little patio at the landing of the steps...

Enjoying our tea together! 

With a rice cake and some unsalted mixed nuts... 

The container in the back is where we store those cushions and the top table cloth.

There is a round vinyl tablecloth with elastic underneath. Easy to wipe clean with moist wipes from Costco.

So finally you got to see the cushions in our gazebo!

Wearing my precious 925 silver rose ring (lost that in April of 2019...) and you see the vase with rain lilies with perfect rose bud in silver!

Related links:

{RAIN and MUD} | previous post by me

{New Power Wiring to Our Gazebo} | previous post by me where you also see the gazebo in wrong spot

{What is THIS?} | previous post by me where I did rescue our gazebo's chair cushions...

{AGRITURISMO & GERANIUMS - PELARGONIUM} | previous post by me, showing the geraniums in optima forma in their planter boxes in front of the gazebo

{French Floral Pillow Set and our Gazebo} | previous post by me showing the gazebo very well

{The Boston Tea Company}

When we went for 10 days on vacation to Curaçao in the Caribbean, we did take with us lots of healthy snacks to be eaten with some tea. Being with four adults, daughter Liz with husband Hans in the adjoining room and both of us, made it worthwhile for bringing some of our own tea. Hans very much loved the special Green Tea with Pomegranate we had and also the Black Tea with Pomegranate. Both from The Boston Tea Company...

We soon will have a special Care Package on its way to Rotterdam, The Netherlands, with also some of Hans' favorite Green Tea.

These photos I made on June 12, with our gorgeous fragrant Gardenias...

We found these Bentley's Tea tins at Tuesday Morning.

The Green Tea with Pomegranate has a surprising taste!

Using tea cups from my Royal Albert Gardenia china and the white wooden tea chest.

Drinking tea makes for a very special moment and it is so healthy.

Do you drink Green Tea like this?

Or Black Tea with Pomegranate...

A better view of the white wooden tea chest.

Bentley's with its royal crown...

Pomegranate Tea

{Difference Between Coffee & Tea Cups}

Yesterday I did mention in my post that those chevrons, pointed at the particular cups in the end of my TV Interview's video, were wrong. So here I like to point out to you the visible differences between Coffee & Tea Cups. 

Sorry for the poor photos, because of the camera focusing in on the windows... I placed each time two cups on an oak tray, placed on a ceramic pedestal. LEFT you see a Coffee Cup and to the RIGHT is a Tea Cup!

• Coffee cups are more narrow and mostly straight up. Teacups are lower and wider and often tapered down. 
• The reason that teacups are wider at the top and more shallow is because a good tea is set with BOILING water. 
• The bigger surface lets your tea cool down faster, to a consumable temperature.

To the left I also placed a smaller spoon than to the right. These cups are German Seltmann Weiden Mirabel in white.  Spoons are Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet.

Frontal view of Coffee Cup to the left and Tea Cup to the right.

Europeans brew their coffee a lot stronger than people here in the USA and or Canada.

We do use a dark French roast, that also makes the coffee darker but always mild and never bitter.

Nowadays the famous Dutch JACOBS DOUWE EGBERTS coffee, since 1753, is widely available in the USA as well.

These I do use as Coffee Cups; demitasse and regular size Coffee Cups. What is your guess? These are more tapered down.

This is WEDGWOOD CREAM COLOR ON CREAM COLOR (PLAIN EDGE). Even Replacements Ltd. does not specify the difference. It names the one to the left footed demitasse and the other footed cup & saucer.

Frontal view of the two cups & saucers.

This again is easier to judge. To the left is a demitasse for coffee and to the right a demitasse for tea. The French word Demi Tasse means Half Cup. This is ROSENTHAL SANSSOUCI ROSE-IVORY (GOLD TRIM).

Frontal view of the demitasse Coffee Cup to the left and demitasse Tea Cup to the right. For both I used the demitasse spoons from Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet.

Again an easy to judge set. To the left is a demitasse Coffee Cup and a regular Coffee Cup and to the right is a regular Tea Cup in MASON'S MANDALAY-CHARTREUSE.

Frontal view of the demitasse Coffee Cup to the left, regular Coffee Cup center and regular Tea Cup to the right. I used a demitasse Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet spoon for the demi and regular spoons in gold plate for the coffee and tea cups.

Christie's Mandalay by Masons

This one is again easy to judge. A demitasse Coffee Cup to the left and a demitasse Tea Cup to the right with regular spoons in gold plate. When I mean regular, it is NOT a regular American size spoon but a much smaller European size teaspoon. This is ROYAL ALBERT THE GARDENIA.

Frontal view of demitasse Coffee Cup to the left and demitasse Tea Cup to the right.

Again easy to guess: to the left a regular size Coffee Cup and to the right a regular size Tea Cup. Both with gold plated teaspoons. This is ROYAL ALBERT PRINCESS ANNE (BRUSHED GOLD EDGE).

Frontal view of regular size Coffee Cup to the left and regular size Tea Cup to the right.

Again somewhat difficult to analyze... The one to the left is called an After Dinner Cup and the one in the center a Coffee / Tea cup. The one to the right is named a Breakfast Cup...  Guess we can either pour coffee or tea in them! This is French GIEN ROSE.

Frontal view of those three cups... Here I used two demitasse spoons from ALVIN BRIDAL ROSE and to the right a five o'clock spoon.

Frontal stacked view and clear view of size difference.

Though these are not tapered down I presume that the one to the left is a Coffee Cup and to the right a Tea Cup. This is from POTTERIE DE DRIEHOEK in Huizen, The Netherlands. Spoons are demitasse and teaspoon by Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet.

Frontal view of this Coffee Cup and Tea Cup.

Here we are facing our final set of in my opinion again a demitasse Coffee Cup to the left and a regular Coffee Cup to the right. I used Alvin Bridal Rose demitasse spoons for both. This is ROYAL DOULTON ENGLISH ROSE.

One last frontal view of a demitasse Coffee Cup to the left and a regular Coffee Cup to the right...

Now you also know what I am using when hosting a High Tea. We have quite a choice on china. Will show you photos from such a High Tea later. My idea is that more people are using Tea Cups than Coffee Cups. What is your take on that? You might be able to reflect on your own stock or maybe heirloom pieces that you got handed down.

Worldwide, it seems that numerous people look for the 'right' cup... 

A total of 92,643 views so far.

Related links:
{My Etiquette Training Interview with WGXA.TV (FOX24/ABC16)} | yesterday's post (from WGXA.TV) by me referring to the cup differences in video
So, What's This About Coffee "Cans," Reggie? | previous post from Blogger Reggie Darling with interesting facts
{Our last Datura Angel's Trumpets and TEA with a Twist} | previous post by me, showing also Japanese tea
Learn from Mariette | Classes used to being offered by Mariette's Back to Basics
The World in your Teacup | book by Lisa Boalt Richardson

{Our Hydrangea Trio and Tea in 1930s Blue Transfer Ware}

• Have a look at our Hydrangea varieties and enjoy a tea in 1930s Société Céramique Maestricht Blue Boerenhoeve (Farmstead) Transfer ware, from my Mother-in-law. 
• My sister Diny was kind enough to find me some missing pieces in Maastricht. 
• Also the blue table cloth has been embroidered by my Mother-in-law. She will be smiling down from heaven, seeing that I still put it to use. 
• The blue Hydrangea trio did go so well with the blue transfer ware and the tablecloth, have a look...

• This is the bluest blue that we've ever seen on a Mophead Hydrangea! Stunning is the word...
• For a huge selection of Mophead and Lacecap Hydrangeas, please look at hydrangea.com to see their 105 varieties!

• There are three different varieties in this vase and again, the striking blue Mophead Hydrangea is shown.

• Here you get a better view of the Blue Transfer ware of the 1930s Société Céramique Maestricht, in the Boerenhoeve pattern. 
• Complete with a silver plated Delft blue spoon.  
• For my post from last year with the same Blue Transfer ware, please look below post.

• Now facing is a Lacecap Hydrangea.

• Top left you see the Hydrangea Macrophylla Ayesha.

• Nice view of all three...

• Hydrangea Macrophylla Ayesha blends so well with the pattern of the embroidery.

• Hydrangea Macrophylla Ayesha slightly affected by drought

• Hydrangea Macrophylla Ayesha on the shrub and in better shape still; three days prior to the above photos. 
• Pieter took it around 10:00 AM in the morning, still fresh. They do resemble lilacs.

• This is the Lacecap Hydrangea on the shrub.

• Detail of Lacecap Hydrangea.

• Zooming in on its beauty...

• But what about the ordinary Mophead Hydrangeas? They are beautiful too!
• Pieter took this photo around 10:00 AM in the morning sun. By mid afternoon they often do hang limp if not given enough water. 
• Hydrangeas are thirsty plants!

• The color changes as they open more...

• Mophead Hydrangeas are pretty!

• Mopheads on the shrub...

• These reside in our wood garden.

• Different hues of blue...

• Ending with a white Mophead Hydrangea...

Hope you enjoyed them!

Related link:

{Mother-in-law's 1930s Société Céramique Blue Boerenhoeve Transferware} | previous post by me

{5 Varieties of Hydrangea Are Blooming Now} | previous post by me

Mijn oude blauwe koffie servies | beautiful English Old Castle Blue by Barratts from Blogger Friend Marian