Friday, August 31, 2012

TEA COZY PARADISE!

by Nancy Jill Thames




I promised to do an article on tea cozies so here we go! 

Some friends of ours were stationed in England and lived there for five years. When they returned to the U.S. they were hooked on serving tea. Once Pat McLatchey poured me a cup  from a cozy covered teapot, I was hooked too!

Over the years my friends and I even made tea cozies, along with other crafty pieces like pillows and aprons, but none of the cozies compared to the ones from Thistledown.

Now, meet the girls. In the photo you'll see my line-up of tea cozies next to a custard pie I baked for my husband.  Perhaps some of you may already have a cozy, or you may want to get one. I know just the place! After searching online and speaking to a few tea shop owners, I landed at the Thistledown Tea Cozy site and placed my order. The cozies come in all sizes, shapes and patterns - and at reasonable prices.


This little lady was the first cozy I bought from a small restaurant, nestled in the Gold Rush hills of the California. The name of the cafe was "The Jug and Rose" located in the tiny town of Volcano. One year, roads leading into the community were washed away by a flood, and due to a lack of business the restaurant closed. I won't tell you about the breakfasts they served -  sourdough pancakes with hot cinnamon syrup and fresh blueberry syrup, ham steak, scrambled eggs with ham and cheese, fresh fruit parfaits with rainbow sherbet and of course, lovely, lovely scones. The Jug and Rose also featured delicious teas; choosing one took several moments. I still miss that place. And the friends who went with us were the same people who introduced me to afternoon tea. Whenever I look at this crochet cozy and pad, I think of them. The tea pot was a house warming gift from a garden club friend, Vindya Seshadri.





This is a Thistledown cozy holding a teapot from my everyday Abundance pattern, by Corelle. I use this cozy in the fall and winter. The burgundy ribbon tie matches my decor.










This cute pink and green cozy matches my rose topped teapot. This was a Mother's Day gift I ordered for myself and signed my children's names on the gift card. The cozy is also from Thistledown.






These cozies really do keep the tea warm and add such a nice touch to my tea parties. When I use them to serve friends and family, my guests feel special. And so do I!

I hope you'll visit the Thistledown site and check out their array of cozies.The site will take you to the retail stores where you can buy one of your own. Cheers!


Dark Chocolate Rice-Krispy
You may also want to visit the Cozy Kitchen and take a peek at S. Dionne Moore's recipe for Dark Chocolate Rice-Krispy.  Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

~Nancy Jill Thames
Author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries
"Queen of Afternoon Tea" Celebrity Author Interviews

2 comments:

  1. Love the tea cozies. Nancy, I think you and I ought to do a series of posts on our favorite tea pots, tea cups and cozies. A little history on them makes the pictures all the more special. i enjoyed hearing about yours!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Linda,

    I knew you'd like this post and I agree - Let's do it! I'm looking forward to your first article...:)

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.