Packets and tins of Decaf Typhoo, Twinnings Earl Grey, Silk Road assorted blends, Murchies Golden Jubilee and Harrods Stronger Tea and English Breakfast fill my tea cabinet.
Coffee on the other hand is an occasional treat and I prefer a decaf Americano in which I must use cream.
Cream is rich and higher on the WW point scale so it is with moderation that I indulge...
cream is a rich shade and one that I am drawn to like a moth to a flame.
Perhaps that is why I adore the lustrous nacre of pearls.
I collect vintage cream ware.
McCoy, Beswick, Weller and a few other makers.
I have whittled down my cream ware collection and kept only my favourite pieces.
Pottery from Thetis Island
made by a woman named Nice.
I was immediately drawn to the aquatic nature of her work.
Arts and Crafts Weller pottery.
I bought this at an auction...
I was so excited that I raised my hand and bid against myself which was extremely embarrassing.
This Weller piece was acquired by absentee bid...
I had learned my lesson the hard way!
I love this cheerful pin which is fun to wear in the summertime.
The pin is unsigned and I have no idea who might have made it but that does not diminish my appreciation for it's beauty and design.
While it might look good against this carpet on the cat platform it looks much better on a jacket.
I opted to wear it on my Gap denim jacket white tee and jeans and paired it with some gold sandals by Franco Sarto.
These orchid blooms are technically white
they take on a creamy disposition when placed beside the dark wood panelling and offer a source of cheer.
Orchids are such a great value and these easy to grow phalaenopsis or window sill orchids are your best bet if you are a novice orchid keeper.
They are often on sale and less expensive than a bouquet of flowers and they bloom for months on end and re bloom if you water them once a week and keep them on a bright window out of direct sunlight.
They like humidity so they are happy above a kitchen sink or in a bathroom or in our case near a single paned window on the south side of the house where draughts are common.
As I am saving in earnest for my trip to Paris I will be thinking of ways to add luxury without breaking the bank.
Having a few orchids in the bungalow feels like a wee bit of luxury and on a shoestring budget.
Shoestring being a relative term and it does depend on your circumstances...
what might be a shoestring for me would be different for others and visa versa.
Give yourself permission to indulge in a few luxurious moments of reflection...
think about all that you have to be grateful for in your life
perhaps you'll be taking tea in a beautiful china patterned tea cup
or sipping a coffee with cream
you might be at a cafe watching the world go by...
you might be fortunate enough to be seated at a sidewalk cafe in Paris!
"Luxury is anything you don't need, right? I mean, you need food, water, clothing, shelter... but good wine, good food, beautiful interiors, nice clothes; those aren't necessities, they are luxuries - it's all luxury."
~ Marc Jacobs ~
13 comments:
You have a wonderful eye for pottery! Me, I'm a coffee drinker and love it strong, black and unsweetened. I've been wanting to pick up some of those orchids for my office, but have trouble keeping them alive.
Love your Cream Ware pieces . . .
I'd love to call that pitcher mine . . .
Beautiful cream ware. I like the Thetis Island piece. No coffee for me, I'll stick with tea, but I love the smell of coffee.
Drum Roaster coffee - the best! That's my on-the-way-up-island stop every time.
I agree with you concerning orchids. If I could only get them to re-bloom I'd be very happy!
I really like the Thetis Island piece of pottery. I am a double expresso woman or a café crême en France. I keep trying to acquire a tea habit so I can enjoy one of my teacups and a biscuit as a luxury break. I am cutting back in a lot of ways right now so affordable luxuries are great.
Socrates: "Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty." :-) Emily
What a great post! I too am a serious tea drinker. It's rare these days, as everyone seems to be obsessed with coffee!
Love a cup of tea too. It has to be strong with just a dash of milk and I always need two cups at a sitting. One is never satisfying for me. However, coffee is my drink of choice when I get to work in the mornings. I’m usually at my desk at 7:30 with a plunger of coffee. Then the day can begin! And I’m fussy about my mug or cup too and it must be fine china. I hate a thick cup. Tonkath
Do you mean that absentee bidding was a mistake? Sorry I don't understand what you mean when you say that you learned your lesson the hard way!
Beautiful cream colored pottery, such pretty designs on each piece. Your creamy white orchid has such big pretty blooms. Love the gold and cream colors on your pin. I like my tea with a bit of milk in it. I always need to make enough tea with milk to have some to share with my little Fuzzy Pomeranian. He loves warm tea with milk.
Very lovely pottery. I love old ironstone and tend to buy it here at car boot sales and then try to get it back to Vancouver! I know what you mean about saving in earnest. I'm often setting a savings goal. The last was a week in Mexico with my youngest and a trip to Prague before England this year. Boy the money goes, doesn't it? Orchids are such good value though. Do you keep yours from year to year? I tend to. They seem to do quite well for me. Hope your week is turning out brilliantly. :D
Absentee bidding is better for me as I don't get excited and bid against myself forcing the price higher than necessary!
Don't you just love those gorgeous pieces of "Clinton Ivory" Weller pottery. I'm a pottery hound myself, have quite a collection of old Weller and McCoy pieces that will soon be bona fide antiques. I was told early on when I started collecting that you can always recognize a piece of Weller because its surface will be smooth as a baby's behind. :-) One is lucky now to find a gorgeous piece at a reasonable price; all the really good stuff has been snarfed up, and it will take another generation before it gets handed down again.
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