Matching Your Dress to Your Teaware Part 31: Sweet Strawberries for Spring and Summer

Hello Kittens!

It's been a while since I've done one of these perfect pairing posts so I believe it is more than due time for one! When I first saw the new Berry Chantilly print from Trashy Diva released a couple months ago I knew it would be the perfect print to go with my strawberry tea cozy. <3

I bought this tea cozy from Stash Tea about a year ago (unfortunately though it's long sold out now). This adorable knit tea cozy is made in the form of a ripe strawberry and features a mound of leaves and daisies at the top and three cute decorative strawberries dangling down the side. It has a hole at the bottom as well as two holes on the side to be able to pop over any standard sized brown betty shaped teapot. Putting on a tea cozy is like popping a little sweater over your teapot to keep your fresh brew nice and warm as you leisurely relax and sip away.

Trashy Diva Hopscotch dress in Berry Chantilly

This tea cozy is the cutest thing to go with Trashy Diva's new Berry Chantilly print. Launched in early March, the Berry Chantilly print is a welcome sight and reminder that spring has sprung and the warm weather will be upon us soon. This print features ripe red strawberries on and off the vine with green leaves and white blooming spring flowers against a buttery yellow background. White ribbons and dainty parasols whimsically pervades the print leaving one with the feeling of dancing a waltz to the sound of spring and summer approaching.

How perfect a match made all the more perfect accompanied by a cup of strawberry herbal tea or for those on the wilder side, a strawberry infused black tea blend!



*Stay tuned for my full review of this gorgeous print from Trashy Diva coming soonish!

Matching Your Dress to Your Teaware Part 30: Halloween Edition #2

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

With it being the season of dress up I thought another special Halloween Edition of Perfect Pairings was in order! (You can see the first one from last year here.)

The Hopscotch dress in blue and white gingham by Trashy Diva is the perfect dress for channeling Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz! It features a classic a-line shape with flared skirt, a contrasting white top with a high peter pan collar that secures closed at the top, there are decorative pearl buttons on white discs which give this dress an extra edge of cuteness, and of course, then you have the blue and white gingham!

Trashy Diva Hopscotch dress in blue gingham

Trashy Diva Hopscotch dress in blue gingham with Paul Cardew Wizard of Oz teapot

I knew right away this dress had to be featured in a Halloween Edition of of Perfect Pairings! Then when I first saw Paul Cardew's Wizard of Oz teapot I knew I really had a Perfect Pairing indeed! The Paul Cardew teapot features several illustrated scenes from the movie including a ferocious tornado depicted on the spout of the teapot and a harmonious rainbow on the handle. Another feature that I really love about this teapot is a quote from the movie portrayed in an asymmetric cylindrical pattern around the top portion of the teapot. Because of the asymmetric cylindrical design and the changing size of the font, it's like the words themselves are flying around, trapped in the force of the tornado. My all time favorite feature of this teapot though is the cheeky Toto on the lid of the teapot. He stands crouched with his little tail up while standing on the yellow brick road. Such a cute dog and such a great teapot!

Paul Cardew's Wizard of Oz teapot

Paul Cardew's Wizard of Oz teapot

Paul Cardew's Wizard of Oz teapot

Toto- Close Up

"Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh my!"

Happy Halloween Kittens! I hope you all have a great Halloween weekend and great Halloween day on Monday!

 

Matching Your Dress to Your Teaware Part 29: Arsenic and Old Lace

"Well, how did the poison get in the wine?"

"Well, we put it in wine because it's less noticeable. When it's in tea, it has a distinct odor." --Arsenic and Old Lace

There's no arsenic in my wine or my tea but I thought conjuring up the image of the classic Halloween film Arsenic and Old Lace would be the perfect start to this edition of Matching Your Dress to Your Teaware.

There is something so romantically gothic about the Senorita pattern by Royal Albert. I love the contrast of the bold intricate black lace pattern against the stark white background. The silver edging and large printed rose adds a beautifully delicate and graceful touch that harmonizes well with the lace.

Footed Cup and Saucer in Senorita by Royal Albert, image source: Replacements.com, http://www.replacements.com/webquote/roasen.htm?rplSku=8822909

Teapot in Senorita by Royal Albert, image source: Replacements.com, http://www.replacements.com/webquote/roasen.htm?rplSku=8822909

I found this footed cup and saucer set and teapot on replacements.com and right away knew this would be the perfecting pairing with Stop Staring's Love dress. Stop Starting's Love dress is a classically structured 1950's style wiggle dress. It has an all over printed pattern of pink with delicate black lace. Like the smooth curvaceous lines of the Senorita footed cup and saucer and teapot, the ruching along the waist, bust, and shoulders of the Love dress makes for a flattering shapely look for any body type. Like the rose in the Senorita pattern, the Love dress features a back cut out and oversized back bow which adds a delicate and graceful touch to go along with this dress.

Stop Staring's Love dress- Front View

Stop Staring's Love dress- Back View

Stop Staring's Love dress- Close Up

Are those bats I see flying in the distance? I can hear a crackle of a small wood burning fire going in the background...

Such a Perfect Pairing for a candle lit tea on a dark stormy October night. 

Matching Your Dress To Your Teaware Part 28: Into the Sea

“I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air.”
― Bram Stoker, Dracula

Now that we are at the end of the last full month of the summer, I wanted to end things with a sea themed Perfect Pairing.

Last year Trashy Diva released their Deep Sea Coral print, a gorgeous novelty print. It is everything I love most about novelty prints- it's a little quirky, yet decidedly more mature than other vintage repro novelty prints out there. I love that it's on a dark background and I also love that it isn't too busy, both which help in giving it a somber feeling. This somberness transfers into elegance as one takes in the corals, shells, and minimal sea floor. From the way the print is illustrated, the corals seem to sway gently in this darkest quiet corner of the sea floor. The bubbles in the print give the print just the tiniest touch of whimsy and keeps this quirky somber elegant print fantastical rather than menacing.

Deep Sea Coral print by Trashy Diva- Close Up

Trashy Diva 40's dress in Deep Sea Coral Print

Like the Deep Sea Coral print by Trashy Diva, the Ebb Tide Pink and Turquoise Teapot by Hull found on Replacements.com perfectly illustrates the elegance and beauty of the sea. Moving up from the sea floor, finding ourselves at the shore, an ebb tide occurs between high tide and low tide when water is flowing away from the shore. I image a gentle day as the waves moves up touching the shore, then moves back out tickling the sand, the waves unfailingly crashing and receding, gently swaying and moving. The soft and varied color on this teapot bring to mind an early morning or early evening, like the ebb tide, a moment in between. A little bit quirky and whimsical, yet elegant and so graceful, this teapot is the most genital and refreshing dawn or dusk at the sea embodied.

Hull Ebb Tide Pink and Turquoise teapot, image source, Replacements.com: http://search.replacements.com/search/?query=hull+teapot+ebb+tide

Matching You Teaware to Your Dresses Part 27: Summertime Comics

There's something about the start of summer that makes me think of comics

Perhaps it's because it's the most perfect time for sitting someplace quiet in the the shade with a stack of comics... Perhaps it's because with the start of summer, it usually means the end of school for school age children, and so it's the memory of this that makes me want to bust out with my stack of comic books? Maybe though it's all the action hero blockbusters that usually come out in time for summer that's got comics on my mind? Whatever the case, I figured with the official start of summer here, I thought it would be the perfect time to do a comic themed perfect pairing on the blog!

I found this adorable and fun comic themed dress online at one of my favorite shops, Cats Like Us. The Pop Art Comic Book dress by Folter features a sweetheart neckline, adjustable straps, elastic at the back, and a back zip. This shorter cotton dress is perfect for the warmer summer months ...and it's currently on sale at Cats Like Us!

Folter Pop Art Comic Book dress, image source, Cats Like Us: http://catslikeus.com/products/folter-clothing-pop-art-comic-book-dress

Folter Pop Art Comic Book dress, image source, Cats Like Us: http://catslikeus.com/products/folter-clothing-pop-art-comic-book-dress

When I saw this dress online I knew I had to pair it here for a Perfect Pairing with my comic book themed teapot! I got this Betty Boop teapot the last time I was at Universal Studios in Orlando a couple Novembers ago (you can read all about it here). The comic theme on this teapot immediately caught my eye. The layout of the comic panels is perfect! It fits perfect on each component (the teapot and the tea cup) separately and is just how you would expect to see it in a weekly comic strip. But when placed together mimics how the panels would look in a comic book or graphic novel! It's smaller shape and tea for one design make it perfect for a quiet afternoon spent in a quiet corner alone reading a stack of comics too! Together with this Pop Art Comic Book dress, it is a match made in comic heaven!

Betty Boop teapot

Betty Boop teapot

Betty Boop teapot

Matching You Teaware to Your Dresses Part 26: Daisy Chain

It's Spring!

And what better way to celebrate Spring than with a refreshingly warm cup of herbal floral tea... perhaps something with rose hip, or lavender, or camomile in it? And in that vein, what better way to celebrate than with a floral perfect pairing to kick start this new blossoming season?

I found this Fred Roberts Daisy pattern teapot a few weeks ago on Etsy and could not resist adding it to my collection. How perfectly does this teapot evoke the feeling of Spring? With the all over molded flowers and touches of branches springing from the spout and the handle it's as though this teapot is blossoming as you look at it! The pops of white and yellow in the contrasting daisies only add to this blooming effect.

Fred Roberts Daisy pattern teapot

When I first saw this molded floral teapot I was amazed at how perfectly well it matches with Bernie Dexter's Paris dress in Daisy print, one of her newest dresses for the Spring season! Like the daisy teapot, this Bernie Dexter dress features an all over green background with pops of blooming white and yellow daisies all over. It's like this dress is blossoming as you look at it. This is Spring in a dress!

Bernie Dexter Paris Dress in Daisy Print, image source Bernie Dexter: http://berniedexter.com/collections/dresses/products/daisy-meadow-print-paris-dress

How wonderful it would be to have an outdoor garden tea party, or perhaps just a tea party for one, sipping tea from this teapot while relaxing amongst the blooming flowers in a dress which in itself invokes the glory of Spring?

Matching Your Dress To Your Teaware Part 25: My Wild Irish Rose

Happy St. Patrick's Day Kittens!

I feel like it's been a while since I last featured a perfect pairing but with the St. Patrick's holiday here I could not let this opportunity pass me by.

I found this gorgeous vintage Lefton Shamrock teapot on Etsy from the Etsy shop, Delights by Judy. This teapot is the perfect tea companion for St. Patrick's day. It is a classic beauty which features golden gilding along its trim and a beautiful double-hued green shamrock pattern throughout its body. A surprisingly fun secret that you won't know just looking at it though is that it is also a musical teapot which plays the tune of "My Sweet Irish Rose." Such a sweet and darling teapot it is!

Vintage Lefton Shamrock Teapot, image source, Delights By Judy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/256513078/vintage-lefton-shamrock-teapot-music-box?utm_source=OpenGraph&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share

This teapot would go so gorgeously with Trashy Diva's Jade Watercolor print! The Jade Watercolor print features an all over multi-shaded green print of shamrocks, leaves, and roses. The Lena top and circle skirt is a classic beauty, much like the classic beauty of the Lefton teapot. And like the Lefton teapot, this set holds a fun secret... while it looks like a dress when worn together, it is indeed two pieces!

Trashy Diva Lena top and Circle skirt in Jade Watercolor- Front View

How perfect it would be to be enjoying some quiet time to the tune of "My Sweet Irish Rose," sipping warm tea from this shamrock teapot, while wearing this shamrock themed dress!  

Matching Your Dress To Your Teaware Part 24: Winter Woodland

I'm super excited about today's Perfect Pairing

Not only do I get to bring you a wonderful perfect pairing full of woodland winter dreams but I also get to showcase a blogger that I love and a sweet friend of mine, Holly from Vintage Voluptuous. If you don't already follow Vintage Voluptuous you should check it out now! I love Holly's style which is full of vintage repro and true vintage clothing.

The pictures below are from her post, Curve Friendly Christmas Dresses: The Gilda Dress in Alpine Print by Lindy Bop. While this post was from back before the Christmas holiday I feel this dress would be a fun and festive one to wear all winter long! The alpine scene of this border print dress is so dreamy and fantastical. It reminds me of Disney-esque fairy tales set in enchanted forests. I love the light to dark graduation that the border print makes in conjunction with the white and light green body of the dress. The classic shirt waist styling gives it just the right amount of detailing to work with the border print of the dress without taking too much attention away from it.

Lindy Bop Gilda dress in Alpine print, image: http://www.vintagevoluptuous.com/2015/12/20/curve-friendly-christmas-dresses-the-gilda-dress-in-alpine-print-by-lindy-bop/

Lindy Bop Gilda dress in Alpine print close up, image: http://www.vintagevoluptuous.com/2015/12/20/curve-friendly-christmas-dresses-the-gilda-dress-in-alpine-print-by-lindy-bop/

When I saw this Handcrafted Forest Trees Teapot made by artist Dulcie Lindsoe-Johansen on the Stash Tea website I knew this would make a perfect pairing worthy of winter woodland dreams! Like the Gilda dress in Alpine print this teapot features a light to dark graduation formed by the contrast between the light green overall body of the teapot with its lower forest scene border design. The classic brown betty shape of the teapot is slightly offset by the whimsical bucolic oversized lip of the lid, lid handle, and rusticly curved lip on the teapot spout giving it a fantastical feel much like the scene pictured on it. 

Dulcie Lindsoe-Johansen Handcrafted Forest Trees Teapot, image: http://www.stashtea.com/Lindsoe-Clayworks-Handcrafted-Forest-Teapot/dp/B005S6G8JS?class=quickView&field_availability=-1&field_browse=2861425011&id=Lindsoe+Clayworks+Handcrafted+Forest+Teapot&ie=UTF8&refinementHistory=subjectbin,price,size_name,color_map&searchBinNameList=subjectbin,price,size_name,color_map&searchNodeID=2861425011&searchPage=4&searchRank=salesrank&searchSize=12

While the Lindy Bop Gilda dress in Alpine is a festive favorite for the Christmas seasons, like the Handcrafted Forest Trees Teapot, this winter woodland is perfect for any cold season day!

Matching Your Dress To Your Teaware Part 23: Red Roses For Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

With Christmas Eve here and Christmas day just around the corner I wanted to showcase a red roses pairing for this year's holiday season.

Red roses are the most sophisticated and elegant quintessential flower for floral prints. It's symbol for love is known worldwide. And while red roses is a common motif for the summer season and for Valentine's day, I think it is also a perfect flower for Christmas as well. After all, it is a classic beauty which should be enjoyed year round and in fact, even has Christmas colors built into it-- classic and traditional Christmas red and green!

I found this lovely Porcelain Red Rose Teapot on Etsy from the shop Willow Tree Chickadee. This teapot features a gorgeous and abundant all over red rose pattern which continues on top the teapot lid. The elegant molded swirls on the handle gives it a bit of a whimsical feel while the lovely handle on the lid is topped with small scalloping that is reminiscent of flower petals. One of the things that I love most about this teapot though is the scalloped edges on the top and at the bottom of the body of the teapot which not only gives this teapot texture but also visual balance. This teapot is so dainty and classically ladylike. 

Porcelain Red Rose Teapot, Photo: Willow Tree Chickadee, https://www.etsy.com/listing/258347176/porcelain-red-rose-teapot?ref=shop_home_active_12

The elegant red roses with their multi-shaded petals and leaves against a classic white background on this teapot are a perfect match with Trashy Diva's red roses print. The cut of this dress features graceful piping along the neckline, flattering ruching along the bust, and a shorter hemline than Trashy Diva's usual hemlines, all elements which give this dress a dainty and classically ladylike feel to it. While red roses are not a typical motif for Christmas celebrations, I feel that this elegant and classic design is perfect for a classic Christmas day celebration. What a perfect Christmas morning it would be to put on some Christmas tunes, preferably to the crooning of Doris Day or Elvis, while wearing this dress and sipping tea from this beautiful red roses teapot!

Trashy Diva Orlando Mini dress in Red Roses

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Matching Your Dress To Your Teaware Part 22: If You Give a Dog a Tea Cookie

Happy Holidays Friends!

With the Christmas season in full swing I thought it would be the perfect time to showcase this Perfect Pairing featuring Scottie dogs!

I found this adorable novelty Scottie Dog teapot from the online UK based shop, Owl Barn Gifts. In addition to a page full of unique novelty teapots this shop is also chock full of other wonderful gifts and homeware including this teapot which is in stock here!

This unique teapot is in the wonderful shape of a lovable little scottie dog. The dog itself is decked out in red tartan from its cute bow around its neck to the ceramic tartan ribbon that makes up the handle on the lid of the teapot and the handle of the teapot itself. This would be the perfect little teapot to showcase in front of a fire on Christmas morning... even all the better if showcased surrounded by Scottish shortbread cookies!

Scottie Dog Teapot, image source, Owl Barn Gifts: http://www.owlbarn.co.uk/item-p-121939/hw-tp-novelty-teapots/scottie-dog-teapot.htm

Scottie Dog Teapot, image source, Owl Barn Gifts: http://www.owlbarn.co.uk/item-p-121939/hw-tp-novelty-teapots/scottie-dog-teapot.htm

And if this teapot couldn't get any cuter... how cute is this teapot when paired with the Heart of Haute Ella top in Scottie Dogs!?

The Heart of Haute Ella top is a sleeveless cotton button down top featuring a classically cute necktie which gives it a vintage feel. The all over tiny scottie dogs in red and white are perfect against a black with white pin dots background. While adorable in itself, when paired with this lovely Scottie Dog teapot it is cuteness overloaded!

Heart of Haute Ella top in Scottie Dogs- Close Up

Heart of Haute Ella top in Scottie Dogs- Front View

All the tartan on the Scottie Dog teapot reminds me of last year's Christmas time Perfect Pairing of Bernie Dexter's Lori Pin Up dress in Red Tartan Plaid! It's a two for one Perfect Pairing! Check out last year's Tartan plaid post here.

Matching Your Dress to your Teaware Part 21: Halloween Edition #1

Happy Halloween Kittens!

In celebration of Halloween being just around the corner I wanted to post an extra special edition of Matching Your Dress to your Teaware featuring a modern take on Snow White!

I paired together an outfit that, to me, gave the vibe of Snow White. To create this look I wore my Trashy Diva yellow Maria dress with a true blue Heart of Haute Sweet sweater. For the final finishing touch I added a red bow headband which I feel really sets off the look!

I paired this with an adorable Snow White tea for one by Cardew which I found on Amazon.com.  While the Snow White on this tea for one is its own unique take on Snow White, I feel that the effect itself is perfect for Halloween.

This Cardew tea for one features an all over print of several different scenes throughout the story of Snow White. The colors are brilliant and abundant. It also features roses at the handle of the teapot which continues on the handle of the cup. One of my favorite things on novelty teapots is when quotes are incorporated into the design as they are here on the lid of the teapot with the words "Once upon a time in midwinter..." And again on the inside of the cup with the words, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall... who is the fairest of them all?" The placement itself is ingenious, creating a beautiful visual harmony throughout the two pieces.

Hope you all have a happy Halloween!

Matching Your Dress to Your Teawar Part 20: Miss Mary Poppins!

"Practically perfect in every way" is a perfect description for this Perfect Pairing! 

This Mary Poppins teapot with cup and saucer set from the Etsy shop, Second Chance Ceramics, is so incredibly cute and charming! It features illustrations from the original book illustrated by Mary Shepard. I love the layout and attention to detail in this teapot and cup and saucer set, all designed by shop owner Antonia at Second Change Ceramics who recycles white porcelain and stoneware mugs by adding her own handmade decals. This specific design is currently out of stock but there is a plethora of designs available through the shop!

Mary Poppins Teapot, image source, Second Chance Ceramics: https://www.etsy.com/listing/206987751/reserved-mary-poppins-tea-pot-teapot-cup?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share

Mary Poppins Teapot, image source, Second Chance Ceramics: https://www.etsy.com/listing/206987751/reserved-mary-poppins-tea-pot-teapot-cup?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share

Mary Poppins Cup and Saucer, image source, Second Chance Ceramics: https://www.etsy.com/listing/206987751/reserved-mary-poppins-tea-pot-teapot-cup?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share

Pairing with this teapot with cup and saucer set is this adorable Louise Green hat! When I first saw this Louise Green Cherry Doll Hat on Trashy Diva's website my thoughts immediately turned to Mary Poppins! I adore this dark woven boater style hat with all its cute attention to detail! I swoon every time I see it. While this particular style is sold out on the Trashy Diva website, Trashy Diva does not have a lack of other wonderful and equally amazing Louise Green hats! Oh how wonderful though, it would be to wear this hat while sipping a cup of tea! A spoonful of sugar and everything would be practically perfect in every way!

Louise Green Cherry Doll Hat, image source: http://www.trashydiva.com/

Matching Your Dress To Your Teaware Part 19: Apple Harvest!

Fall: The season for pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, warm apple cider, and apple harvests.

With this in mind, I figured this first day of Fall would be the perfect time for this apple themed Perfect Pairing.

I found this vintage apple shaped teapot at the Etsy shop, Snapshots Through Time. I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous red hue of the teapot. The color in conjunction with the high gloss glaze gives this teapot the sense of a perfectly ripe apple. To help give this teapot even more visual interest, the handles and spout of the teapot are formed in the shape and texture of branches from which the apple has come from.

Apple Shaped Teapot, image: Snapshots Through Time, https://www.etsy.com/listing/221387806/apple-shaped-teapot-red-fruit-shape?ref=shop_home_active_1&ga_search_query=apple

Apple Shaped Teapot, image: Snapshots Through Time, https://www.etsy.com/listing/221387806/apple-shaped-teapot-red-fruit-shape?ref=shop_home_active_1&ga_search_query=apple

I can just imagine the scene... sitting inside in a cozy warm corner, taking refuge from the chill of the outdoor Autumn air while pouring warm apple spice flavored tea from this pot!

Of course, no pairing would be complete without a proper and perfectly paired dress to wear. The Sheila dress by Hell Bunny is just the dress with its all over apple print against its mild green background. It's no surprise to see how this dress is the perfect pair for this apple teapot. The light weight fabric and modest cut of this dress with its high neckline and gathered short sleeves makes it perfect for the changing season where there is a crispness to the air yet where it's not quite cool enough to warrent the heavier fabrics or warmer coats of winter just yet.

Hell Bunny Sheila dress- Front View

Hell Bunny Sheila dress- Side View

Fall is one of the most perfect seasons in my opinion. Put on a pot of tea and watch the leaves fall one by one to the ground.