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Showing posts with label Sherlock Holmes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sherlock Holmes. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

A Look Back

While the clock ticks down the final hours 
of 2014, I thought it might be fun to look 
back over the past year at some of my
 activities and tea times. 

January - Tea at 221B
Ireland and England Weather Map teacup 
by Ali Miller of London

Moriarty carves a somewhat sinister message into an apple when he comes to see Sherlock at 221B in The Reichenbach Fall. "I owe you a fall, Sherlock."


February - Cup And Pansies


Birthday cup by Kent Pottery- a present from a dear friend. She also baked teacup cookies for me!




Footed Cup & Saucer Set in the Viola pattern by Wentworth-Japan

This cup and saucer inspired me to create a Viola greeting card





March - Leprechaun Lane

home made Irish Soda Bread and tea. Slainte!


Daffodil Time by Shelley



Enesco musical teacup party with mice

June - Oak Canyon

Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world. 
 John Muir



The Whistling Kettle's 1776 Blend




August - Queen's Seagull


Queen's Centenary Seagull Cup and Saucer


September - Kelos - It's Hot!



Fairy Garden in our old tiered fountain






Boo!


Halloween countdown


November - Autumn's Gold




I'm going to see how many more tea times I can squeeze into the remaining moments of 2014!

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Tea Time Tuesday
A Return To Loveliness



Saturday, January 25, 2014

Union Jack and Pink Banner


If you are looking for my Grow Your Blog post click HERE







Look what arrived in the mail shortly after I wrote THIS POST  about my Sherlock Holmes tea time - a crisp cotton linen Union Jack pillow cover! 
My sister sent it to me as a belated birthday gift. 
It's the perfect addition for our Holmes & Watson afternoon cuppa and reading time. 
And if that wasn't fun enough, you've got to see what Qwertee tee shirts had available the other day on their website - Sherlock Holmes and John Watson quote tees! These quotes are from the new BBC television series.



Can you stand it?! I had to order one of each for College Girl!


In addition to being a fan girl for Sherlock this week I also did housework, gardening and worked on several Valentine projects. If you missed it, I made a banner  to hang in the kitchen.

 

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 I have more projects to share with you and some recent photos of the fairy garden that I will post soon.



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Sunday, January 19, 2014

Tea at 221B

Home sweet home - our recreation of Sherlock and John's iconic flat.

 
After two years of waiting for the return of super sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his devoted companion, Dr. John Watson, it was with great anticipation that we curled up in front of the television to watch Series 3 of the BBC production of Sherlock! 
 

 
We lucked out in that College Girl has the know-how to use BBC's iPlayer so we could watch the episodes when they aired in the U.K. In the United States the first episode is airing on January 19 on PBS. 



Notice the cane? Meeting the one-and-only Consulting Detective let John, the injured soldier, forget his walking aid and embark on many adventures with his new friend.


After the Series Two cliffhanger where Sherlock seemingly jumps to his death from Bart's Hospital, Series Three opens with John Watson still mourning his friend's death, though he has someone new in his life. I won't give anything away, but if you've read the stories, you'll be pleased! College Girl, who is a big Sherlock fan, suggested we have tea and do a 221B themed photo shoot - she didn't have to twist my arm. 


The teacup is decorated on the outside with a black & white UK weather map accented with old world sailing ships. While a fun surprise adds contrast with the addition of red royal crowns, playfully revealed inside the teacup and on the saucer. An unusual design that blends classic British imagery together to create a new contemporary style.
 
Isn't this cup amazing? It's the very pattern used by Mrs. Hudson, and the one from which Moriarty drinks when he visits Sherlock. This unique teacup was designed by Ali Miller of London. It is called Ireland and UK Weather Map, is trimmed in gold plating and has a tiny clipper ship on the back.  

Moriarty carves a somewhat sinister message into an apple when he comes to see Sherlock at 221B in The Reichenbach Fall. "I owe you a fall, Sherlock."

I was so excited and surprised on Christmas Day when I opened one of my presents and found this beautiful China cup inside, all the way from England. I love it!
 
Sherlock's a graduate chemist, and he often conducts gruesome experiments in his flat.  Be careful with that USB - it may just contain top-secret government missile plans.


 In planning our photo shoot College Girl and I made a list of various things seen in Sherlock's flat, as well as items from different episodes. If you've watched the show you'll recognize key props. There are items from the new series too, so I don't want to point them out and give away any spoilers!

 
In The Sign of Three, Sherlock writes a violin piece for his best friend and the new woman in his life.

 One thing we were missing was a Union Jack pillow - that is on our to buy list now!

Sherlock teaches himself to play the violin between cases, eventually beginning to compose his own pieces.
 
If you take a good look at the photos, you'll notice a fancy napkin in the Sydney Opera House Fold. Thinking back to the second episode of Series Three makes me giggle every time I see it :)


Sherlock would be loathe to be caught without his signature dashing blue scarf.

You know, Arthur Conan Doyle never described Sherlock wearing a deerstalker cap! The reason many of us associate this 'fore and aft cap' with Mr. Holmes is due to illustrations by Sydney Paget. 


 I'm enjoying the television series so much that I went straight to the source and began reading the original stories about the distinguished Consulting Detective.




Arthur Conan Doyle, a Scottish physician, wrote fifty-six short stories and four novels detailing the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.



"Serial killers are always hard. Have to wait for them to make a mistake." "Yeah, but what mistake?" "PINK!" Sherlock was able to solve a murder by deducing the victim's favorite color.


 Since I don't have the matching Ali Miller teapot, I used my classic British Brown Betty.




http://www.givinggallery.com/images/products/27/Brown-Betty-Teapot-4-Cup-N9682_XL.jpg


This little teapot has quite a history! Its origins date back to the end of the 17th Century and the birth of the British Ceramic Teapot.

The original unglazed teapot was handmade out of red clay from the Bradell Woods area in Stoke-on-Trent. Today, the Brown Betty teapot is still handmade in Stoke-on-Trent with the same clay from the original area. British people believe the Brown Betty makes the best pot of tea because of the type of clay that is used and the shape of the pot. Brown Betty teapots are still lovingly hand-made in Staffordshire England, and are available in 2 cup, 4 cup, 6 cup and 8 cup sizes.
 

221B after Mrs. Hudson tidied up the place
  
 We can't wait for Series 4! Rumor has it that Sherlock creators Moffat and Gatiss already have scripts in the works.  Meanwhile, we will keep an eye open for a Union Jack pillow.
 As Sherlock says, 'the game is on!"



http://belakarloff221b.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/sherlock_2.jpg



 



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Thursday, January 2, 2014

I Don't Shave For Sherlock Holmes

We are smack dab in the middle of enjoying the Twelve Days Of Christmas, and are looking forward to January 6! I wrote posts about the 12 Days Of Christmas here and here.  

 

 
I'm so excited that the third series of BBC's Sherlock is back, and aired today in Britain! 


 

Although it doesn't air in the U.S. until January 19 on PBS, College Girl knew that we could watch it using the BBC iPlayer. Woohoo! We've been waiting a long time to see the return of Sherlock Holmes. 


http://projectfandom.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Screen-Shot-2013-11-23-at-2.44.12-PM.png


Most of all I couldn't wait to see Sherlock's reunion with John Watson. The episode was tear jerking, of course, but also had great moments of levity. No spoilers here, but it's great. 

halfbloodpierrot dot deviantart


College Girl and I are currently reading A. Conan Doyle's classic stories, which the series is based on. In true fan fashion, College Girl is on the hunt for a Holmes-style coat and scarf and I can't wait to show you my new Ali Miller teacup from England. It is like one used in the show! My sweet daughter had it shipped across the pond for me for Christmas :)


"I don't shave for Sherlock Holmes." Though soon after, he did.

Speaking of Christmas, I thought I'd share a couple of silly jokes that were inside our Christmas crackers this year:

Why did the scare crow get an award?
He was outstanding in his field.

Why did the tomato turn red?
It saw the salad dressing.

What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire?
Frostbite.


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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

October Gave a Party~

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came-
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
George Cooper

A whirlwind of activities occupy us as the leaves begin to exchange their glossy green coats for those of scarlet. We enjoyed Homecoming and Parent's Weekend at College Girl's campus the weekend before last, and Handyman was happy to get a free university baseball cap (I got one too). College Girl had her sorority initiation this past weekend, so now she is a full-fledged Kappa Alpha Theta! I can't wait to make a scrapbook page about it and already have a title in mind. Meanwhile, I am putting out the Fall decorations little by little...some will be displayed until Halloween while other things stay out until Thanksgiving.

I bought the Sherlock Holmes hat and pipe last year on clearance after October 31, and I think it looks great next to the typewriter. The spiffy velour hat with the orange ribbon was a gift from one of my dearest friends. I was wearing it around the house the other day to elicit a laugh from hubby and daughter and it made me want to play Monster Mash or Thriller and get my groove on! Or bust a move, or whatever the current term is - haha!

the living room clock
our Spring wreath dressed for Autumn

The front porch

Since it is Tuesday I'm going to share one of my pretty teacups. It has Hydrangeas on it which are a favorite of mine.


The Hydrangea bushes in our backyard only have one blossom each on them. It is time for me to trim them back for the coming winter. I will miss the enormous deep pink pom-poms they display all summer, but can reminisce while sipping from this charming cup.

Royal Patrician

Just inside, below the rim, is a Hydrangea branch all abloom
The handle, base and rim are lined with gold


It is mid term week, so I think College Girl is going to need a few extra cups of Chamomile tea to steady her nerves and help her get a full night's rest. Tis the season where our kettle will be busier than ever. :)



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