Welcome!

Hi all!

Today I'm going to be talking about my journey in becoming the Vintage Teacup Lady!

I spent many summer days at my grandparents house as a young girl. They had a set of Fire King Coffee Mugs and everytime I see them, it reminds me of the days spent with them as a child and my grandmother making peppermint tea with LOTS of sugar for me and serving it in one of these mugs. For some reason, my grandparents always kept their spoon in their cup while they drank the whole tea and I inherited that trait. Coffee or tea just doesn't taste the same without the spoon in it! I love these mugs and I love the memories that this mug represents. Everytime I am at my grandmothers house, I simply can't leave without making myself a tea in one of these mugs. My grandparents were very simple people and always maintained all of the things in their house. Nothing was replaced unless it was absolutely necessary, things were fixed if they had broke - not thrown away. Looking back at that now, I find it so remarkable. In an age where we live in so much excess, these two little birds were more than happy with what they had and didn't feel the need to re-vamp, replace or discard. This mug is a representation of a constant, something that symbolizes that it isn't the objects that we obtain in life, but the memories that we can create with what we already have.

Growing up in an Italian household, coffee was an absolute staple. Our cupboards were always stocked of freshly ground espresso beans and in the mornings, the rumbling sound of the stove top espresso and smell of the steaming hot coffee lingered throughout the house. My parents also owned an Italian cafe that had an espresso machine. Whenever I hear the sound of a portafilter knocking into a drawer, emptying it for a fresh espresso or the screeching sound of milk being steamed for a cappuccino, it immediately brings me back to my childhood. While some kids had dirt in their finger nails, mine had espresso coffee grounds. 

My mom at the espresso machine in 1986

With espresso, of course, comes latte, cappuccino and espresso cups. Many espresso drinkers have a particular type of cup that they prefer to drink espresso beverages from and between our cafe and our home, we pretty much had them all. Needless to say, I developed a love for coffee at a very young age and my love for it only grew stronger into my teenage years as I found myself a barista position at my local Starbucks. Working at Starbucks was one of the best experiences I've ever had. I worked with cool artists, got to know our regulars and made coffee all day - what more can you ask for at 16? My coffee addiction grew and so did my affinity for coffee mugs. I was starting to see how my employee discount would soon shape who I was as a collector of coffee mugs and teacups.
 
I started collecting all of my favorite types of Starbucks mugs and teacups and soon, I had a whole chest full of them! Eventually, I got other jobs and could no longer call myself a barista nor use the employee discount and my collection came to a halt. Some time went by and I found myself in the midst of planning a friends bridal shower (the friend never ended up getting married, but this is just a perfect example of how everything happens for a reason). I thought it would be just lovely to have a tea party bridal shower (p.s. this was about 7 years ago before the more recent trend of teacup parties/bridal showers) and she absolutely loved the idea! I started looking up Royal Doulton's, and Paragon's and absolutely fell in love. My favorite ones were vintage pieces that I would come across by fluke at flea markets and consignment sales. Every purchase was like uncovering a secret treasure that was precisely placed in my path to find. I got the idea for teacup candles when I came across three prestine Adeline teacups and saucers and thought they would be beautiful as candles and since there were three, my sisters and I (I have two sisters) could keep one each. Once I transformed the teacup into a repurposed, beautiful teacup candle, I received an outpour of positive feedback from family and friends about how much they loved them and then it began! I was on the hunt for the best vintage teacups in the city and I found them - ALL! 

The hunt is still ongoing and I can say that I'm truly in my glory when I'm on the hunt. I began getting familiar with fine bone china brands and now I can almost always guess the brand of a set before I even flip it over to reveal the brand and where it's made. Becoming this re-purposer of vintage finds has become my passion and I'm thrilled that I can share this with you. Grab a fancy hat, start your kettle, pull out your favorite teacup and enjoy the journey with me, The Vintage Teacup Lady!

Thank you all for reading! 

- Netti, The Vintage Teacup Lady