Teacup and Mug exchange galore!

At the beginning of September, my dearest friend Stephanie from The Enchanting Rose blog hosted one of her lovely teacup and mug exchanges.

If you've never heard of such swaps, then you are in for a treat!

The rules are quite simple: once you sign up for the exchange (choosing to swap only the teacup, only the mug or both), Stephanie will send you an email with the name, address and details of the person you are going to bless with your little parcel. In turn, you will receive a teacup, a mug or both items from two other people, therefore potentially making a total of 4 friends along the way.

You are encouraged to swap other little goodies alongside the teacup and mug, to make the exchange extra special!

This was my third exchange so far, and as usual I was greatly blessed by it.

I had the honor to send a little something to two lovely ladies in the United Kingdom and Canada. In turn, I received two amazing parcels from two other delightful ladies.

Here are some pictures for you all to enjoy.

 First, the beautiful teacup ensemble I received from Lorrie in Canada:

In detail, the oh so very pretty Royal Albert teacup and saucer, from the Lavender Rose collection, which perfectly fits my favorite color palette with its delicate décor and vintage feel.

Lorrie also included a bountiful of other goodies! Starting with a delightful little vintage cookbook devoted to Biscuits and Scones (which has already been put to good use!), alongside a beautiful tag.

Then, some pretty foodpicks with a vintage feel paired with the Twinings Lemon and Ginger infusion that I like so much.

Moving on to a set of two splendid vintage napkins with such an exquisite fabric, which reminds me of brocade.

Lastly, she completed the package with a beautiful handmade card and two handmade lavender sachets adorned with sequins and lace.

I had decided to take part in the mug swap as well, and this time I received my delectable parcel from Barbara, a fellow UK resident.

Here are the stunning surprises that awaited me as I carefully unfolded layer after layer of bubble wrap and tissue paper:

The very pretty mug from the National Trust collection, depicting the trees and greenery which can be found all around the United Kingdom, sitting on a set of two lovely embroidered vintage napkins. The mug has already been put to good use, helping me get through the long days at the office.

Then, some "foodie goodies" for the ginger lover in me: the peppery Twinings ginger infusion, as well as a sachet of pure ceylon tea and some decadent, melt-in-your-mouth ginger fudge.

Finally, Barbara included a very pretty handmade card, a delightful booklet, a bookmark with a lovely verse and a small lavender sachet. Sorry I cannot seem to be able to rotate this image... IT skills aren't my forte. At all!

Such precious blessings from sweet people whom I hope to keep in touch with for years to come! If you have never tried an exchange like this before, I strongly encourage you to do so: it is so fun going around thrift and vintage shops to find the perfect little cup to bless another person. It is good for the soul, a small and selfless act which helps us to think outside the box and do something really nice for a person we've never met before.

On a personal note, life in London goes on full steam, and I have recently celebrated my first year in the city.
Looking back I am amazed... wow... life really does go on! I have come such a long way since last year, when I was still not sure if I would have ever been able to find a job or settle into a place of my own, for that matter.

Fast forward to today, and I feel so very blessed by an amazing job which allows me to bless others, by the many new friends I have met, whom I now consider my "London family", by the timeless beauty chaotic London offers day in and day out, by the quiet rainy days spent cross-stitching and reading at home with a nice cup of tea, by the renewed appreciation I came to have for my family at home in Italy. I can truly see God's hand, His ever so loving hand in all of those seemingly unimportant choices and occurrencies which led me to where I am today.

Many blessings to all of you!

Alice