Tea gifts 2015

I took these pictures right after Christmas to share this year's tea haul, but then didn't get around to posting until now...so Christmas trees in this post too.  I finished putting away the last one today though, so my house is now tree free...except for the needles...it's amazing how those fake needles get EVERYWHERE.

 

I'll start with my new kitchen calendar...Teapots!

 

Next, the cool bag my aunt brought back from her trip to the Celestial Seasonings store/factory in Boulder, Colorado.

 

(I really wish they made a tin with the gingerbread design!)

(teapot mountain)

My new apron from my parents:

 

London!  Here is a close up of the pattern that has teapots and little teacups throughout.



 

They also got me a big box of 100(!) teabags.

Here are the four different types included:

 

And last, a very cool surprise ornament. 

 

 

I saw this when I was with my parents, but it was a bit more money then I wanted to spend.  My parents saw how much I liked it and went back and got it for me.

 

It's so cool...the front of the teapot has two cups of teas with teaspoons.

The back has tea sandwiches and mini Victorian sponge cake desserts.







All on a silver tray of course.

Now I feel like I especially need to give Downton Abbey a try.  I have an ornament! 

Holiday Tea with family

My family came over Sunday for a last minute get together, so I decided I might as well use my Christmas china.  I also haven't really shared it before (even though I've now had two Decembers on the blog), so why not?  I won't take my decorations down until this weekend anyway :).

I set the table in my dining room, which is also home to my carousel tree (cue different view of the room!).

My Christmas china is Royal Albert's Christmas Tree. 

Because this was a bit last minute, I just cooked up some scones I had in the freezer (the Christmas scones I shared last month) and some left over salted toffee, butterscotch, and milk chocolate cookies from New Year's.  This is my new Royal Doulton Christmas figurine--The First Noel, from the Songs of Christmas series.





I served two different teas.  The Downton Christmas tea from my "On this Winter's night" post in my Lenox teapot, and Celestial Seasonings Cranberry Vanilla Wonderland tea in my Old Country Roses pot (which of course goes with my OCR Christmas china!).  Both teas were hits. 

The Cranberry Vanilla Wonderland tea is a rooibos tea with cranberry, vanilla flavors, hibiscus, cinnamon, roasted chicory, orange peel, chamomile, juniper berries, and stevia extract!  With the stevia it is already sweet, but I still added more sweetner.  I bought this tea after Christmas last year and saved it--and I'm glad too, since the new Celestial Seasonings box designs aren't as pretty.

Here is one last view of my dining room so you can better see the tree, and my tea cart hiding between the windows.  Okay, I lied when I said that I was done sharing Christmas trees.  This tree has a carousel theme.



I'm linking to these parties:

Bernideen's Tea Time, Collage, and Garden Blog Party 

 No Place Like Home

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Cookies for...Mickey?

One last tree to share for 2015...my Disney themed tree!

 

If you've visited my blog before, you probably aren't surprised that I have a Disney themed tree--I do love Disney!

 

First, let's start with the tree.

 

The tree topper is one of my ear headbands from Walt Disney World and the "wishing star" just below was a little gift included with my first dinner in Cinderella's Castle in 2014.

 

The little card that says 25 I received when I visited Walt Disney World for their 25th anniversary in 1997--the year the castle was a pink cake!  We were given the cards which say "guest of honor" at the top, and a sticker was applied for the year of your first visit--mine was in 1987.

The pumpkin Mickey candy bucket in the picture below is from this year's Halloween themed visit.

I've started collecting a pin (or two) for each of my trips for the special events I've attended and the different Disney resorts I've stayed at, some of which you can see below on the tree.

 

 

Shoe ornaments are a big thing at the parks--this one is Mulan's design,

 

 



and of course no Disney tree is complete without the Disney princesses, 

(This picture includes Ariel, Snow White, Tiana, Belle, and Rapunzel from Tangled)

and Frozen! 

 

Do you want to build a snowman?

Here are some of my Disney gifts this year:  Olaf, a Mickey shaped cookie cutter (maybe there will be a Disney tea in my future...I see a tea sandwich cutter!) and a Mickey shaped gingerbread cutter!!!  Next year I will have a lot of fun with my gingerbread cookies.

 

Under the tea I have characters from Mickey's Christmas Carol, which is probably my favorite childhood Christmas film.

 

 

I have a little picnic tea set under the tree so Santa can take a cookie break, with a Mickey mug perfect for milk (or tea or hot chocolate). 

 

 

 

My sister got the mug when were at Walt Disney World for Christmas in 2011 during Mickey's Christmas Party, and I borrowed it for today's post.

My Minnie cookie plate from last year's after Christmas sale.  It has a bit of a chip at the end of her hat, but a bit of clear nail polish and we are ready to go!





 And here ends my tree posts of 2015!

The (tea) trees of Christmas

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!  I'm all sorts of behind in my Christmas posts--unfortunately, I left my camera at my parent's house and had to go back over and get it.  I figure I can still post Christmas trees until New Year's anyway--I keep my outside lights on until then, so trees should still be acceptable as well :).

This post focuses on my two trees in with tea related decorations.  First I'll start with the tree in my kitchen (it may look familiar, this tree was in the background for my Christmas brunch post).  This tree has a sweets theme--especially gingerbread!

(Isn't the gingerbread teapot bag adorable!  My aunt and uncle gave me a cute ribbon candy ornament in this bag, which quickly became part of my décor)

 

(I found this ornament this year and the large heart cookie was screaming to be personalized)

 

I'm obviously a big fan of the gingerbread/teacup combo.  Next I thought I would share my actual tea tree:

 

 

 



 I first shared this tree last year, but I thought I would post this years updated tree, to showcase my new acquisitions.

 

(Mrs. Potts!!!  I found her in a consignment store and was so excited.  I'm not sure if she will stay on the tea tree next year...but more on that with this week's tea party post)

(the Irish teapot with the crystal drop)

(A teabag rest I found at Oatlands after the Christmas tea I attended)

(The teapot and matching cup and saucer with the pink rose surrounded by blue were new Homegoods finds this year--they are Royal Albert)

(I was really excited to see this teapot--it is Royal Albert Cheeky pink!  One of my favorite patterns)

(Matching cheeky pink cup and saucer)

Next a tea tin find from a trip to Houston, TX for work last month.

I LOVE this Christmas tea tin by Ahmad Tea.  Big Ben, The London Eye and even a bit of Westminster Abbey in the background.   

 

It reminds me of my 2013 trip to London, although it was definitely not snowing then!

 

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season!



On this winter's night

Happy Christmas week, and the first day of winter!  With all the last minute hectic-ness, how about we take time to relax with a cup of tea by the fire,

With some relaxing music?





The candle's burning low upon my table top,

The snow is softly falling.

I brew a pot of fragrant (Downton Christmas) tea,

the steam rising in the shadows overhead

my cup is almost empty.



I would be happy to share this thing I love,

Upon this winter's night with you.

The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim
The shades of night are liftin'
The mornin' light steals across my windowpane
Where webs of snow are driftin'



The sun's rays gleaming overhead

The white wilds are wakin'



This tea has a bit of a poinsettia theme for December's flower of the month tea, so I also wanted to share a couple of pictures from the National Botanical Gardens in D.C.  Every Christmas season the botanical gardens are taken over by poinsettia and models of the famous buildings and monuments around town, all made out of plants.

(Capital)

(Supreme Court)

 (Washington Monument)



(Lincoln Memorial)

(White House)

Thanks so much for joining me!  The cookies I served at tonight's tea are white chocolate cranberry pretzel...I'll share the recipe later this week.  I really enjoyed the Downton Abbey tea and it was even good iced!  I really should try and watch that show.

I'm linking to these parties this week:

Bernideen's Tea Time, Collage, and Garden Blog Party 

 No Place Like Home

Tuesday Cuppa Tea