The Basement of the Bargains

When I wake up in the morning for my daily dose of caffeine, I like a bit of whimsey with it. So imagine my delight when I ran across these delightful cup and saucer sets whilst browsing the Gevalia website.

Have your coffee or tea in high style from the Mona Lisa or the work of Claude Monet. The VanGough, alas! appears to be gone forever. And I have a particular fondness for those irises.

A set of two cups and saucers in your choice of design was originally $42.95. Now, however, you can toast the art world from a great work of art for just $22.95. Or, if you want just one, it’s now $14.95, marked down from $21.47.

At last I think I’ve found a replacement for my greatly mourned American Gothic coffee mug that sadly met its demise a few months ago. Oh, Mona? Want to come have coffee with me?

I love coffee. I love espresso. I sometimes wake up longing to attach myself to an espresso IV…except that I’d rather taste it going in.

One of these days, that means I’m going to have to convince Mr. Twistie that there is room both in the budget and the kitchen to put an espresso machine on the counter. When that day comes, this is the one I want.

Why this one? This Jura-Capresso espresso machine not only looks great, but has the sorts of features I’ve been looking for. It’s programmable, can make eight cups of espresso, has a built in grinder and water filter, and is reassuringly made in Switzerland. With precision instruments, that’s always a good sign.

More than that, the customer revue at Amazon includes the following line:

If you can tie your shoes, you can use one of these machines.

Now that’s what I call reassurance!

If you’ve got some spare cash lying around and a Jones for espresso drinks, this might be a great time to get it, too. Right now, Amazon has it on sale for more than seven hundred dollars off the list price. That means you can get it for just $1,998.00. Now if I could just find that much spare change in the sofa cushions….

There’s nothing like a relaxing cuppa and a little something either sweet or savory in the middle of the afternoon. Of course it’s more than possible to simply dunk a Lipton’s tea bag into any random mug and snag a Krispy Kreme…but then the ritual and the sense of self-nurture is lost.

To have a good, soul-sustaining afternoon tea (high tea is, ironically enough, not the fancy one but a working class version of dinner) there needs to be a bit more. A pretty tea pot, some good quality tea, and hopefully cucumber or watercress sandwiches can really make the experience something more than a simple snack.

Ralph Lauren clearly understood the concept when he designed this charmingly festive tea set.

There’s a nod to the East in the bamboo handle on the pot and the four Asian style tea cups with no handles or saucers. Add some simple dessert plates, and you’ve got the perfect look to delight the eyes along with your taste buds. And since the set has been marked down from $135.50 to a mere $99.99, you’ll have enough left over for some good tea and a couple small treats, besides.

Make mine Darjeeling, please.

Coffee, that sweet nectar of life! Let us celebrate it as it deserves.

This gorgeous set of three canvas prints showcases vintage advertising art of three popular European coffee brands. The attractive lines will grace any wall, and the bright colors will perk you right up, even while you wait for your coffee to brew.

Best of all, if you order them from Smart Bargains, you’ll get them at a great deal. Available elsewhere at $349.00, Smart Bargains has the set for just $219.99 for a savings of 36%!

What’s more, if you place an order for more than $100.00 exclusive of shipping charges and taxes by 2:59AM EST 2/29/08, and you will receive a gift card worth $20.00 off your next purchase.

Folks, that ain’t beans!

I must admit I have a bit of a thing for the whimsical, particularly when it’s tableware. And so it was that these delightful flower teacups and saucers caught my eye.

The set of four comes with one each of: tulip, carnation, water lily, and pansy. Each cup and saucer is handpainted porcelain. So pretty.

And of course you know if you’re reading about them here, they’re on sale. The original price on the eight piece set was not at all bad. That was $72.95. Of couse, the sale price from Wrappables is even better. That’s a mere $59.99.

Now, do you take lemon in your tea?

There are few pleasures greater than sitting down with a nice, hot cup of tea and a sweet nibble on a cold, winter’s day. Why not share that feeling this holiday season with someone you care about by sending this fun gift basket from The English Tea Store?

Included in the attractive painted tray are:
# McVities Moment 300 G Cookies
# Amsterdam 6 cup Teapot
# Stash 18 count White Christmas Tea
# Walkers Traditional Milk Chocolate Toffees
# Snowman Plump Figurine
# Think Snow Themed Pasta
# Think Snow Designer Cookies
# Winter Warm Up drinks

What’s more, it’s currently on sale for just $49.99 (regular price $54.95).

With treats like these, all I can say is let it snow!