One of the things I love about the internet, is the way it has brought like-minded, kindred spirits together, in ways that would not be possible any other way. What I love about such online communities is how people are able to come up with ways to make the ordinary seem a little less ordinary. Sometimes, they make things seem quite extraordinary.
For years I have been participating in a ‘Twitter Hour’ called the ‘Tea Hour’, which brings together tea lovers from all over the world to chat about all things tea-related. It is a place where people who run small businesses can showcase their wares which are tea-related. As you can imagine, this is right up my street! Through it I have made some wonderful friends, discovered new things to do with tea, and gained lots of new customers and, of course, followers. But that is beside the point. The main attraction is talking about tea. More often than not, I get so engrossed in the fascinating discussions I forget to promote my own creations! That’s how interesting it is. If you are on Twitter, I encourage you to join it.
More recently, about a year or so ago, I came across the hashtag #TeacupTuesday. As a tea lover and Teacup enthusiast, I was immediately intrigued and excited to join in. I started looking into what sort of things people shared on ‘Teacup Tuesday’ and I was amazed at the vast array of things people shared for this weekly event. I have no idea who started the trend, but I thank whoever it was, because the whole thing has opened my eyes and opened my mind. The teacup, as you would expect, always takes centre-stage and as long as you observe that unspoken rule, anything else goes. You can be as inspired and creative as you want to be, as long as the teacup remains the feature and is your prompt.
I follow quite a few tea-related pages on Facebook. A few of them ask their communities to match up a variety of things with teacups. Most of them ask you to choose a teacup that would go with a certain dress or ball gown. A few just ask you to pick your favourite teacup and Saucer. I enjoy taking part in these match-ups. I love seeing what other people choose. It’s always great fun. These pages inspired me to create my own take on Teacup Tuesday and I pretty much changed things around. Instead of matching teacups to a particular main/featured item, I decided to make the teacup the main item, and then I choose things which can be paired up with the teacup. Whilst I always try to change things up a little bit now and again, to make them relevant to current themes, such as special holidays, my usual format is to feature a teacup and saucer, and then select some napkins or other teatime accessories such as cutlery, which I think could be paired up with the teacup. This has become quite a regular event on my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages, and I have loved each and every time I have done it. It’s such a wonderful and fun way to think of beautiful, happy things, and really engage with my kindred spirits.
I have decided to bring this wonderful fun to my blog, so that my blog readers who are not yet following me on my social media can join in the fun as well. Why not? Sharing is caring, right? So, expect to see this kind of post on most Tuesdays, until we all get tired of seeing teacups, which I doubt will ever happen!
For today’s match-up, I have chosen the beautiful Wedgwood teacup and saucer in the delightful Butterfly Bloom blue and pink design. This design was introduced in the year 2000, and has become a firm favourite amongst tea drinkers and teacup collectors alike. The set is made with fine bone china. The design is a romantic combination of butterflies and flowers etched on a pristine white background. It is not simplistic in any way but, equally, it is not garish and in your face. It’s a celebration of afternoon tea, and it incorporates the charms of a bygone era when fashion and flair were the norm, rather than the exception.
The colourful design gives you flexibility when it comes to choosing napkins and other teatime accessories to go with it. I have browsed Pinterest (one of my favourite sources for photos) for napkins which I think can be paired up with the teacup and saucer. I have linked the source for each photo below the gallery so that you can peruse them at leisure.
So in this Teacup Tuesday match up (see below), which napkins do you think would go best with the teacup and saucer set? I personally would choose option three, although I think all three would go beautifully with it. Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment.
Photo credits:
Wedgwood teacup and saucer – click here
Pink napkin – click here
White napkin – click here
Blue napkin – click here
If you are on Instagram, Facebook and/or Twitter, I’d love for you to join me and join the conversation. I promise you, you will not regret it. Until the next time I host Teacup Tuesday, happy Tuesday and happy teatimes!
*Disclosure: some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you click through and purchase, I will earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. For more details on affiliate links, please read my Disclosures page.
