Angela Webster McRae's Blog, page 121

November Giveaway: Talbots Teacup Socks!

For the November giveaway, I thought one of you might enjoy the same little treat I picked up for myself last month, these new teacup socks from Talbots! I love these and got them on sale (with free shipping; always look for a deal, right?). 

If you'd like to win the socks, simply leave an "Enter me" to this post between now and 7 a.m. EST on Friday, November 9, making sure to include an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner, and you'll be entered to win. US only, please. Good luck!

Bigelow Benefits Ginger & Peach Herbal Tea

Have any of you come across the Bigelow Benefits teas at the grocery store?
I spotted their Ginger & Peach Herbal Tea and decided to give it a try. As always, one of the selling points of Bigelow's teas is that they are packaged in those nice, thick foil packets!

I've had several cups of this new tea and am enjoying it very much, but I must say that I was not expecting peppermint (which I happen to love) to be such a prominent flavor in a tea labeled "Ginger & Peach." I do detect a little kick from the ginger, but I'm not getting much peach taste at all. Still, this tea is so enjoyable with the mint and ginger that I'm sipping it right up. If you've tried this one or another in this line of teas, I'd love to hear your review!

A Greeting for Hallowe'en

"Things" to be thankful for

Yesterday afternoon, my husband was commenting on the fact that he and I have much to be thankful for, and we do. In addition to each other (a better deal for me than for him, no doubt!), we have our health; happy and healthy family members; and we also enjoy many spiritual, emotional, and even material blessings. I thought about this when I was decorating the tea trolley for fall over the weekend. I don't imagine every woman in the world can reach into closets and shelves and pull out tea accoutrements for every season of the year. And I'm thankful for mine!
The eye-catching embroidered tablecloth is something I won on Bernideen's blog many years ago, and I think it's just as beautiful as I did back when I won it.
The tea bag holders were an antique mall find years ago.
The teapot was part of the Bernideen bonanza I won. I love it!
And this "give thanks" art is actually a Papyrus card I bought on our recent trip to Wisconsin. I realized I could place it in a frame without glass so that the fabric details would show (and use the card more than once). Because I bought it on a trip, the card also reminds me that I occasionally get to travel, and I'm thankful for that too. I have been tempted to fast-forward to Christmas this year, but thinking about "giving thanks" has made me slow down and savor  the holidays in their proper order. So what are you thankful for?

Tea Lovers' Book Club: "The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories" by Agatha Christie

Summary: A colorful tea set plays a pivotal role in the short story given star billing in this collection by the woman considered the queen of mystery, Agatha Christie.
My thoughts: For women who write and/or read mysteries, I think it's important to have at least a nodding acquaintance with Agatha Christie, and since I'd read only a couple of her books, I decided this short story collection with "tea" in the title would be a good place to start. It did not disappointment, and I was impressed by the brevity with which she was able to lay the groundwork and effectively create a mini mystery with each story.
The judgment: I liked "The Harlequin Tea Set" just fine, but it was not my favorite short story in the book. I liked "The Edge," "The Actress," and "The Lonely God" much better. I noted that the old mistaken-identity device was used in her stories several times, but I always enjoy that one. I once heard it said that there are only seven different plots in the world (don't ask me to name them!), so if that's true, it stands to reason that some of them will be repeated. And if the story's interesting, I don't mind that at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection of stories and think other tea lovers would too, as tea is mentioned in almost every story.
For discussion:
• If you read the book, did you have a favorite short story? If so, which one? (Or have you ever read Agatha Christie? Or watched the TV and movie versions of her stories?)
• In "The Harlequin Tea Set," there was a passage I found myself nodding along with. The narrator is commenting on the hostess: "Continually offering people cakes, taking their cups away and replenishing them, handing things round. Somehow, he thought, it would be more pleasant and more informal if she let people help themselves." I certainly agree with that assessment, and it made me wonder whether perhaps most of us prefer a hostess who doesn't hover. Your thoughts?
Next month's read is a bit of history that sounds intriguing: The Imperial Tea Party: Family, Politics and Betrayal: The Ill-Fated British and Russian Royal Alliance by Frances Welch

'Tis the season … to decorate!

The holiday decorating magazines have hit the local newsstands, and I wanted to share two of the new ones I'm enjoying, Holiday Decor and Vintage Holiday.

Traditionalists and minimalists might enjoy seeing this pastel-decorated tea cart in Holiday Decor magazine. I love the understated elegance here.
And this little detail on the tea cart caught my eye: cookies served in some of those pretty scalloped baking cups. I've used those to make cupcakes and to serve sliced fruit, but this photo made me realize that bite-size brownies, lemon bars, shortbread bites, and truffles would also be pretty served in these cups.
I'm looking forward to pulling out my Santa mug collection again this year, so I enjoyed this photo in Vintage Holiday magazine (plus, I'm still hankering for one of those vintage campers like the one shown on the bottom shelf).

Vintage Holiday also used a metal tea cart — they call it a "bar cart," but whatever — to display a Christmas vignette. I like this idea as well!

And Vintage Holiday also shows a vintage Christmas tablecloth with mix-and-match plates and teacups, and it dawned on me that those old green teacups would blend well with some new Ralph Lauren plaid dessert plates I've been using at Christmas. So those are the first two Christmas magazines I've read this year, and I enjoyed them very much. Have you started reading Christmas magazines yet? Spotted tea in any of them?

A memorable October visit to Wisconsin

On Wednesday, Alex and I headed to Wisconsin to visit our grandsons Michael and Andrew (and their parents!) for a few days and help celebrate Michael's eighth birthday. We got back to Atlanta last night and had a great time on our trip as always, and this year's visit was particularly memorable because of what the boys' Saturday morning soccer games looked like.
They looked like this! I did not pack a winter coat and knew better than to join them, so I was content to get on-the-scene photos from their mom and stay at home where it was warm. Not too long after the boys' soccer snow, it began snowing at the house, although it didn't stick. Still, I'm pretty sure this is the only time in my 54 years that I've ever seen snow in October!
Staying warm on this trip was easy since I had taken along a few tea samples from friends, and I also picked up this new Teavana Peach Tranquility herbal tea I found at a Walmart in Wisconsin. I must admit that the cup-style packaging (with a foil inner seal) caught my attention when I saw this tea advertised somewhere recently.
The tea sachets had a pleasant if delicate peach taste, and what I liked best about the tea was its citrusy notes. Have you tried any of these new Teavana teas? If so, I'd love to hear about them—whether you live in the snowy Midwest, the sunny South, or somewhere else!

Pumpkin Chai candles at T.J. Maxx

Consider this an early fall shopping alert: T.J. Maxx has small Pumpkin Chai candles for $2.99!
The teapot design is what caught my eye, but the scent is quite yummy too (definitely more fruity than spicy), and the price is certainly right. I found only one of these, though, so good luck if you decide to search for one!

The creamer I was supposed to find

October is a sentimental month for me. I love fall, and October has so many wonderful moments each year, but October will also forever be the month in which my beloved mother passed away five years ago. I wondered if I would ever get to the point where it will be "just another month," but then I heard a friend in Sunday School mention that she was missing her mother, remembering when she passed away twenty years ago, and I thought, "No, I guess not." A few years before her death, my mom surprised me with a lovely pink rose Fitz and Floyd teapot and sugar bowl she'd found at a garage sale, and she laughed and said, "You'll have to find the creamer yourself." And last week, while I was in Goodwill with Aunt Jane, I did.

It needs a good soak in some mild detergent, and it's got a few chips, which normally might keep me from buying it, but not this time. And the $1.31 price meant I didn't have to think twice.

A friend suggested I touch up the chipped parts with pink nail polish, and that's just what I plan to do!  (Somehow, I think Mama would be pleased.)

And next spring, when it's time to pull out the pink tea wares again, the Fitz and Floyd family will be complete. Look for it!

A fall visit to Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, Georgia

Over the weekend, my friend Lynn and I went to Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, Georgia. I think I’m the last person in my neck of the woods to pay a visit, as everybody I know seems to have been raving about the place for years, but Lynn had a guest pass and invited me to go with her on Saturday, and what a gorgeous feast for the senses this was!

At my house, the plants have largely given up for the year. Not these!

Gibbs Gardens is so well laid out, and on Saturday, they had a live band playing in the midst of the gardens, so we ordered lunch at the Arbor Café and enjoyed the music. Lynn recommended their Tarragon Chicken Salad, so I got a sandwich and tea for lunch. (And the chunky chicken salad was terrific!)


Did y’all know that Gold Peak makes a Lemonade Tea? I did not, and for a bottled tea, this one was pretty good! Lynn liked her Sweet Tea as well.


It was a fabulous way to welcome fall, and I’m happy that now I know what all the well-deserved praise was about. Here are a few more photos of the day. Enjoy!