You DO know cupcakes have become very popular, don’t you? And wouldn’t they be a fabulous addition to a tea party? I sure think so. I enjoyed finding the photo-rich blog, Cupcakes Take the Cake, filled with inspiration for these diverse little cakes.

 It amazes me how creative and some turn out. I especially enjoyed finding these pirate (for girl and boy mateys) and Alice-in-Wonderland themed cakes. Through the cupcake blog, I learned about this article, listing the eleven best cupcake bakeries in the country. Do you live near one?

Another source of inspiration I visit includes the Hostess with the Mostess blog, especially this entry Asian Affair. All one needs to add to the peach fans and pastel-dipped fortune cookies is some well-brewed loose leaf green tea served in handle-less white cups. Darling!

In fact, I feel so inspired I’m considering hosting an Asian Affair with green tea and cupcakes (maybe even green tea cupcakes!)while I participate in Risa’s First Day of Spring Tea Party. I would love to invite you all! Instead, we have to settle with a virtual gathering for that day. Would you like to join the party? Visit The Partea Planner blog for all the details.

Lastly, is it time to invest in a new tea cup for yourself or as a gift to someone else? The eBay store Teacup by Teacup lists 74 options today to choose from. I personally like this yellow Cauldon. I plan to write a china primer soon, but for now if you’re not familiar with purchasing china, know that you want to look at the bottom of a saucer before you purchase. This eBay store provided the right picture for me to see. A handwritten number with a Made in England stamp shows that is not a recent copy Made in China, as many in the gift stores currently are.