Much like the stereotypical ideal of a lolita, I adore tea. The ceremony of a formal, traditional tea service really appeals to me, and going to an elegant afternoon tea with my friends always fills me with delight! I’ve been trying to accumulate teatime accouterments for a very long time, as I’ve loved tea since long before I was ever interested in lolita fashion. (My grandmother collects teapots and took me to tea often in my childhood.)
Whenever it’s possible, I like to have friends (most of whom are lolita) over to my home for tea. To make this possible, I’ve collected several teapots and teacups~ Right now they’re all displayed on a narrow shelf in my tiny kitchen, and seeing the bright colors and cheerful patterns always adds some cheeriness to my day!
Although I certainly swoon over pricely porcelain, most of my tea-time pieces are from resale shops or discount stores. Discount stores are one of my favourite places to check for teacups or teapots, since they often have quite a selection of housewares. In either store it can take a lot of sifting through to find the pieces you’ll truly fall in love with. I take it as a challenge~
Of course, I’ve also gotten a number of teacups added to my collection as gifts from my grandmother. She’s historically been my strongest tea-enabler, and she hasn’t hasn’t slackened in adding bits and pieces to my collection. Some of my nicest teacups have been spotted by her in awful condition, then cleaned up before making their way to me. Every cup in the above picture was a gift from her, and there are certainly more!
One of the reasons that I love having people over for tea is the intimacy. I find that people relax when seated and offered beverages and snacks. Tea is warm and soothing, and most people won’t turn down nibbling on a cookie or two. ♥ Also, preparing tea gives plenty of time to engage in conversation. The water has to boil, the leaves have to steep, and then the cup of freshly-poured tea has to cool. It allows two (or more!) friends quite an opportunity to converse and listen to each other. Tea is rarely distracting, unlike larger meals or attention-requiring activities.
Tea services are easy to collect–they don’t need to be purchased all at once. You can start with a pretty cup or two, then look for a nice teapot. Not everything has to match–sometimes mis-matched sets have more charm. It’s not hard to find teaspoons just a few at a time, and there are always nifty little gadgets to find–like sugar tongs or drip-stoppers! There’s a lot of possibility!
And if you don’t like drinking tea, that doesn’t even matter! You can serve just about anything out of a teacup or teapot, after all. Maybe hot chocolate, soda–it’s up to you.
