"mugs" news and stories

Writing about the personality-warming effects of heat, got me thinking about Buddha bowls. Have you seen these? They're large cups eagerly awaiting any warm tastiness that you want to pour in -- coffee, tea, cocoa, soup, cereal. This is one of those funky, pricey ($19 a pop!) products that actually has a functional use because the bowls are shaped to perfectly fit in the palm of your hand.

The curves and handle are curved in such a way that it feels like the cup has molded to your hand, making it wonderfully comfortable for holding and getting the most out of the heat that's emitted -- the Goldilocks bed of mugs. It's the sort of vessel you grab when you want to curl up and slowly sip on your hot drink without putting the cup back down.

And it sure beats some of the other options out there. Have you ever tried drinking super-hot coffee out of one of those regular-sized mugs that has a tiny circle for a handle? They're so hard to drink from -- flashy style should never get in the way of your coffee or warm beverage indulgence.

Tracy Porter is a tabletop hero.

Plugged by Horchow as "Not your grandmother's dinnerware," Tracy Porter's stunning pieces come in interesting shapes and eclectic patterns, drawing on nature, gothic architecture, retro prints, and her own whimsy.

The collection at right, the new Tracy Porter "Auguste Coq" Dinnerware collection, lends your table an intelligent sense of fantasy. In the gallery below, see the exotic kaleidescope "Katsina" collection, the French paisley and peacock "Artesian" teapot set, and more.

Tracy Porter has an extensive line of lifestyle products, including purses, lighting, jewelry and more. Check it out here on her website, which is dedicated to the idea of "enchanted living." I can totally get behind that.



Purchase everything here at Horchow.

Source

I almost never drink hot drinks. I'm not a coffee or a tea person. However, sometimes I find myself drinking cold drinks out of mugs just to keep the mugs from sitting idle in the cabinet. Besides, they are often so much more whimsical than drinking glasses and they're fun to use.

The two-carat cup is a mug with a ring attached to it featuring a real Swarovski crystal. When you hold the mug, you are wearing the ring! The ring comes in gold or silver so you can be sure it will match your outfit.

The two-carat cup comes in a jewelry box. If you give it as a gift, it actually looks like you are just giving a ring. Only after digging into the box will the recipient discover that the ring is attached to a mug. This could be a perfect gift for a spouse who forgets to wear their wedding band!

The two-carat cup is available for $17 from Fredflare.com.

[via Steamy Kitchen]

If you pay any attention at all to celebrities or fashion or celebrity fashion, then you might know something about Anya Hindmarch's "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" bag that created quite a mad rush when they hit US stores. Many designers took advantage of the cheeky eco message, some simply creating more re-usable shopping bags, and others taking and tweaking the "I'm not a ___" message, like Decor Craft Inc., which has created the "I Am Not a Paper Cup" cup. Naturally, coffee mugs are reusable, but DCi's "I Am Not a Paper Cup" reminds coffee drinkers that even when taking coffee to go, you can help the eco cause by not using the disposable paper cups that will end up in landfill somewhere. The cups are porcelain with a silicone lid

It's just a matter of time before MyCuppaTea takes its rightful place on my kitchen counter. Finally, a coffee cup that understands that no one in his or her under-caffeinated mind thinks of adding one or two exacting teaspoons of milk to one's coffee. In my pre-java, pre-verbal state, all I do is pour enough milk to create a cozy, very con leche brew. It's all blind pourpourpour -- stir, then slowly sip to wakefulness. Gizmodo found this mug from that subscribes to the PANTONE school of coffee coloration. Now you can gauge your coffee-milk ratio by a burnt sienna for Just Tea to a bisque for Milky. While taking my coffee black would probably add a certain edgy elegance, I land somewhere just this side of Classic British. Just enough milk to blanket a bold French Roast without taming it.

I'd love to see the PANTONE principle adopted in other culinary realms from meat -- "I'd like my steak done Flamingo" -- to baked goods -- "Those cookies should be Mojave Sand not Colorado Timber!" -- to vegetables -- "Shouldn't broccoli florets come out a little more Lily Pad and a lot less Algae?".