Teacups and Music

Last Sunday evening we went to 'The Circle' in Old Towne Orange which is at the cross streets of Chapman Avenue and Glassell. In the intersection is a fountain, surrounded by small circular park, around which cars drive.

It is picturesque here and this area has been used by the film and television industry. On Sunday the city held a tree lighting and concert in The Circle. All traffic was blocked from driving through the area. There was a choir and small orchestra in the intersection as well as a stage. The Circle is now decorated with a creche and Nativity scene, a lighted Santa and a lighted toy soldier. 

 
 Vendors had booths from which they were selling hot chocolate, tamales, s'mores, cider, popcorn and even burritos!

 
 Santa and Mrs. Claus were available for photos. We had such a nice time listening to poems and stories, interspersed with beautiful music and singing. Everyone stood for the finale, which was a stirring performance of Handel's Messiah. We all sang along and I got goose bumps.

Can you guess who is in this spiffy red car? You can just glimpse Santa's white fur collar through the window as he and Mrs. Claus drive off at the end of the evening - the reindeer are at home resting up for the Big Night!

For Teacup Tuesday I thought I'd share a Christmas themed find I spotted at TJMaxx last week.

I love using teacups and saucers but there are times when I want a big 'cuppa' and I reach for a lovely china beaker like this one! I like the raised image of the holly leaves, don't you? It has a roomy handle, which would make it comfortable to hold.

Used my cell phone camera so this shot is a bit blurry, but you can see that the maker is Lenox and the pattern is 'Holiday' (It would hold a good six ounces of PGTips, Ruth!). There were some other fun tea service pieces there that day, like these owl cups.

...and this charming teapot and sugar bowl. I love the birds and bright red berries~

 This would make a lovely place to store tea sachets~

With all this talk of tea, I think I'll make a cup of Kusmi Troika tea  and play Handel's Messiah while I wrap gifts. Happy Advent!

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.
Bess Streeter Aldrich, Song of Years




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Mosaic Monday 
Make It Pretty 
Antiques and Teacups 
You're Going To Love It 
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Artful Affirmations 
Rose Chintz Cottage 
Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 
Time Travel Thursday, The Brambleberry Cottage 

Persian Teatime~

Ancient Persian art from Persepolis currently displayed in the British Museum. Some of the carvings look like they are carrying bowls of tea~

I stopped by the Chapman Coffee House in Orange, California on Tuesday. I've driven by it a number of times and was eager to visit and check out the tea offerings. It is located on Glassell just a block from the Old Towne Circle. This area is quaint with historic homes and charming antique shops, and a liveliness that only a college town has~ Chapman University is here too. I wrote a post about some of the Old Towne sights here in March 2011, if you'd like to see the central fountain and the Paris In A Cup shop.

Samovars

Parking is on the street, but there is a Public Parking Lot down the block if you don't mind walking.

Inside you place and pick up your order at the counter, then select from the upholstered and wooden chairs available to sit and drink your tea.(You may also get everything to go) There is a separate room in the rear that has a fireplace, and a small outdoor patio as well.

Chapman Coffee House offers a variety of hot and cold coffee drinks, hot chocolate, specialty drinks and teas. There is mint tea made with fresh mint sprigs and a variety of Harney & Sons teas. I went in because I wanted to try the Persian Tea!

The owner was gracious and friendly. He made my tea himself after I placed my order. I watched him pour hot water into the glass beaker to warm it while he prepared the tea. He scooped several spoonfuls of loose tea into a china pot, poured steaming water over the leaves and placed the teapot on top of a samovar to steep.

The samovar he used looked similiar to this but had a floral china teapot on top~ When the leaves had steeped long enough, he emptied the warmed glass of its water. He immediately poured piping hot tea (just the way I like it!) into the cup until it was half full, visually gauging its strength by the color of the tea. Next, he topped off the cup by adding hot water from the authentic samovar. Since the tea is brewed strong, filling the cup half full of tea allowed him to check its color and adjust the amount of tea and hot water accordingly. He placed the glass on a doily lined saucer next to two rectangular sugar pieces. 


Persian tea is always served in clear glass in order to see the color



The black tea is flavored with cardamom. The owner's daughter stepped up to the counter and explained that tradition calls for drinking the tea while holding sugar pieces in your mouth, which is also how Russians drink tea. I knew this to be the custom but had not tried it myself. I found a comfortable chair and sampled my first cup of Persian tea. The cardamom adds a bit of spice and a wonderful aroma. The tea tends to be on the strong side, which I enjoy, but you can always adjust the strength by adding more hot water. I placed the piece of sugar in my mouth and it slowly disolved with each sip.

  
The owner offered to make a second cup for me which I gladly accepted~

I was paging through a crafting mail order catalog that had lots of beading supplies, when a woman walked by, briefly leaned over my shoulder, and told me she loved beads. So, I finished looking through the catalog and walked over to offer it to this lady. She was so happy! She is a woman after my own heart...small things make me happy too. Like a warm, fragrant cup of tea poured from a samovar and served with lumps of sugar.




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Delightsome Life
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Brambleberry Cottage

Date Day~

My husband and I decided to visit the charming area of Old Towne Orange, with it's central Plaza Park, which has been a gathering place for residents and visitors for more than a century. This area has the largest Registered Historic District in California. It is a popular location for film and tv production too. There are antique shops, art galleries, an Army Navy Store, boutiques & restaurants. We started off by going into Tea Leaf Cottage on Glassell.

Lots of linens, dishes, jewelry and home decor to be discovered here. I found a chair I liked and it had a pillow on it with the perfect sentiment!

I browsed through some ephemera and saw vintage 'Merit Cards' with students and teachers names on them. Next, we headed over to Jalapenos for Mexican food. This place was hopping at 12:30. We placed our order at the counter, then found a comfy booth to sit and enjoy our food, salsa and beverages. The clientele was a happy mix of businessmen, college students, and couples.

We headed up the block to the intersection of Glassell Street and Chapman Avenue; here is the 'Circle', around which motorists pass the central fountain dedicated in 1937. We walked over to the fountain and sat in the sun to people watch and enjoy the weather...it was gorgeous out!

Refreshed, we continued south on Glassell to Paris In A Cup. I defy you to walk past this shop! It is charming on the outside, but wait until you get inside!

Yes, you read right...the window says Tea Salon, Market, and Chocolates! There are toile covered tables with umbrellas out front, and a doormat at the entrance that says Bonjour. Let's go inside!

My sweet, accomodating husband gave me plenty of time to look around and asked if there was anything I wanted to buy. There was SO much to see, and I knew I would be heading home with some delicious tea as soon as I saw the selection.

The owner has small clear jars with removable lids so you can see and smell the tea before purchasing. I chose Harney and Son's new PARIS which is a fruity black tea with vanilla and caramel, and a hint of bergamont. They also carry Kousmichoff teas; I love drinking Kusmi Troika in the afternoon. If you have yet to try loose leaf tea you are missing out! There is something for everybody, and it is simple to prepare a good 'cuppa'. Don't settle for tea 'crumbs' in bags dunked in lukewarm water...blech! Full afternoon tea and lunch is served in the elegant Tea Room here. I plan to return with my daughter for a gracious teatime experience, but for now we were full. So, I spoke with the cashier and asked to take photos of their charming gift and home decor displays. There are adorable Eiffel Tower themed items, soaps, candles, books, and chocolates.

Loved the necklaces and pins! Reasonable prices and unique gifts~

Everything was displayed so nicely~

I loved the chic paper napkins with the Eiffel Tower on them. Wouldn't those be nice for a casual brunch where you serve Quiche Lorraine?

Imagine the aroma! Mmmm, chocolate! Considering I had been a good girl and walked 4 miles the day before with my friend Stephanie, I did not want to undo the good we had done. So, I admired the view but grabbed my husband's hand and headed back to the car. It was a fun day.