The ones that got away

I think it's fair to say that these are the awesomest cookie cutters ever, and therefore it's no surprise that they're not available on this continent.

At Impressionen, if you can read German. Except I think they're out of stock.

The Pouch Mug

Totally useless for those of us who don't use teabags, yet still very cute. These would be great for a restaurant or cafe.

$11.50 at Catching Fireflies (via Apartment Therapy San Francisco)

More things I love

Check these out:

Just perfect, really.

Polly George handmade ceramics, via decor8

Mad about Jorine Oosterhoff

If I had way more dollars than I have, I would buy these:

I mean, check them out! They are some sassy teacups. IN HATS. It's like a physical manifestation of this blog.

At Rose and Radish, via i suwannee.

Famous Brown Teapot

Did anyone catch NOVA's Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial last night? My day job, for those who don't know, is all about evolution and creationism, so my coworkers and I had a big viewing party. It was awesome.

You may wonder why I'm bringing this up on my tea blog. The answer is that when documentary crews film people, they improvise sets. In our office, they usually use our Bone Clones skulls; NOVA used my two cup Brown Betty teapot. I don't know why they decided to use it - maybe Darwin = English = tea? - but it looked kind of cool. So if you haven't seen it yet or plan to re-watch it, look on the shelf in the clips with Nick Matzke. I just hope this taste of fame hasn't gone to its head.

You can watch Judgment Day online starting Friday 11/16.

Just Ducky

Abandoned ducklings raised in a teacup!

Baby ducks, washed out to sea, rescued by a passing canoeist and nursed back to health IN A TEACUP.

Sweet Christmas, look at that! That is the cutest thing I have ever seen, ever. Those of you with too many teacups (like me) should clearly consider alternate uses. Like baby duck-raising.

(via Cute Overload)

A different kind of flower pot

Isn't this pretty? June was outdoor home month at Apartment Therapy: NYC, and this detail from an apartment in Romania struck me as a charming way to use an extra teapot. Extra points for getting it to grow through the spout.

Of course, while teapots have long been recognized as good alternatives to traditional flower pots, tea cups are generally too small for planting. Fortunately, San Francisco Apartment Therapy found a solution in the form of a teacup planter. According to the site,

while Gitta's Plant Cup planter could probably hold a gallon or two of English Breakfast tea, we think you're better off filling it daisies or tulips.

I can't say I endorse that conclusion.

Things I'm coveting

So, I'm not buying things at the moment. My plan to move back to Canada both robs me of my spare cash flow and makes me reluctant to add to my already copious belongings. But if I wasn't so restrained, these are the things I might be buying.

Le Creuset Teapot in Citrus

I have no idea whether Le Creuset stoneware is as good as the metal stuff, and I don't care. This is simply the brightest, happiest teapot I think I've ever seen, and I love it for strictly aesthetic reasons. And really, it probably is pretty good.

Teapot Cookie Cutter

My parents - at whose house I do most of my cookie baking - have an absurdly large collection of cookie cutters, especially considering that we pretty much only use them at Christmas. They already have a teapot, but it's not as cute.

Copper Tea Kettle

Copper kettles are totally steampunk.

Peach-shaped Teapot

Oh my goodness, this is so cute. I'm a huge fan of peaches; to me, they stand for everything that's great about summer. I'd use this exclusively for fruity green and white teas.