Tea Cups

This morning was a nice morning. I got up at 6 with Gabe and he fell right back to sleep but I had no such luck. I got up eventually and made blueberry lemon muffins before Matt even got up. We had to take our car back into the shop for them to replace the sunroof so Matt took that in and when he got back the work began. We moved the fridge and the oven and I finally got to clean back there (although it looked like that was something the previous owner never even thought to do). We're painting the kitchen today which I'm pumped for! The only issue is it's hard for me to cook (Subway for lunch! Pizza for dinner anyone?) After I bathed Gabe and got him settled for the afternoon I decided to run out and look for some teacups at thrift shops. Martha Stewart's trendy teacup candles are going to be part of my birthday present to ma mere. But first I needed the teacups! I had looked at Value Village a couple of days ago however their cheapest cups were $4 a piece. Not horrible but I was hoping for cheaper and for more than just one of a set. Matt pointed out that I'd actually be better off going to Homesense and buying some new ones - which he was, of course, right about. Well I decided to try my luck at the other thrift shops around town. The first one was a no go. They had one piece of china in the store and it was a 25th anniversary cup. The second store was a jackpot! I got a complete tea set (teapot, creamer dish, sugar bowl and 6 cup and saucer sets) for only $12 as well as a bunch more cups and saucers and a few solo cups for only $5 more. Well, I came home and looked up a couple of the sets online. The first ones I looked at I had paid $1 for a cup and saucer and I had gotten three of the sets. Online? $30 US for a cup and saucer. The second set I only got 2 cups and saucers and paid 50 cents for a set. Online they were $18 for a cup and saucer. The other ones are more difficult to find. The full teaset is actually labeled in Chinese and since I can't read Chinese I doubt I'll ever find out what it is or how much it is worth (that is, unless I decide to trouble the nice people at www.replacements.com who will identify your set if you send in a picture and measurements!) The solo cups will again be very difficult. Most manufacturers put their information on saucers but not cups - as is the case with these. And since I don't have the saucers, it only tells me that they were made in China. Those ones however wouldn't be worth as much anyway since they were, as mentioned, made in China, and not early enough for them to be worth more because of that fact.
Well, tonight Matt and I are meeting hopping. We each have a meeting scheduled for 7:00 on opposite ends of the city. Mine will be short though so that will be nice. In the meantime, Gabe is going swimming with Gran! He's really excited. I can tell :)
Oh and if you have ever wanted to be frustrated and confused by a book read the last three paragraph's of chapter 30 in Mansfield park and then skip ahead to Chapter 46 and read til the end. Chapter 30 has some of the most gorgeous and thoughtful reflections from a man professing to be in love with a woman and you totally want this guy to win over the girl but then you get to 46 and want to spit on him. Part of me wishes that Chapter 30 could be re-written with a different ending. Take that chapter, a few from before, and make a gorgeous love story. However, as I have said previously, Mansfield Park is more of a moral story than a romantic one and I suppose the fact that it doesn't end at Chapter 30 is what makes it one of Jane Austen's least popular novels (in spite of it being the most widely received and most successful one in the author's life)
Well, I'd better get my baby ready for his swim meet! Here's to finding good china in thrift shops!

Mrs. Vander Leek ;)