And the Winning Mug is. . .

I was looking through my photos this morning, and I noticed how often morning coffee shows up in my pictures. I suppose the cheeriness of sunny mornings with coffee compels me to take out my camera. (Even when I don't blog, I do this, so it's not just for the blog!)

I take my mugs seriously. Each day when I open the cupboard, there's just one mug that feels right for that day, and, even if I try, I can't make myself use any other mug. Sometimes I'll use the same mug for many days, or even weeks, in a row, and other times, I switch continually (like recently). But there are a handful mugs that I use most often. Currently, ranking my most-oft-used mugs in order from #7 to #1, here is my exciting mug countdown:

#7 Mrs. Incredible.

My sister's family gave this mug to me for Christmas several years ago because, they told me, "You are Mrs. Incredible." Inclined to want to believe them, even though they were kidding, I use this mug on days when I am either feeling mighty or need to. Love the large, stretched shape of this thing.

#6 Vintage Yellow.

Mikasa "Provencal" mug on a vintage Franciscan saucer. I like the two together. I found both of these at thrift stores. I have the whole set of Franciscan dishes, but I can't remember the name them. I like the simple lines of this mug. And I love cheery yellow.

#5 Very 1950's.

I found these cute cups in a thrift store, too. It's clear by looking that the cup and saucer (which is not really a saucer) don't go together, but I put them together anyway. They're from the same family--Syracuse--so they belong together.

#4 Hand-painted Polish Pottery.

Can you see it there on the table? I have lots of photos of this mug, but not so many from this house. In my high desert home, I used this round mug almost every day, but not so much any more. I bought it (along with a few other Polish pottery items) one sunny spring day when Melissa and I were poking around at the Eastern Market in Washington DC. If I hadn't had to carry the dishes home in my luggage, I would have purchased a lot more because the price--back then, at least--was most definitely right.

 

#3 My "Aimee Mug."

I call this my "Aimee mug" because she bought it for me years ago when we lived in the high desert. I'd had a long, hard day and had ended up in the emergency room for something minor, and when Aimee came home that evening, she had a little wrapped gift for me and a sweet note telling me she was sorry my day had gone the way it had. The gift was this mug, so I smile and think of Aimee every time I use it.

 #2 The Brown Mug.

It looks like a diner mug. I have two of them (I used to have six that were purchased at a thrift store). I particularly like this mug and always have. I like the color, the weight, the flared-out top, and the feel of it. I also liked that my friend, Laurie, chose it over all of the mugs in my cupboard last week when she and Dave stopped by for a visit.

 

#1 Yellow Fire-King. (Ta-da!)

I had a hard time deciding whether the brown mug or this one should go first, but since this pageant is a current reflection of the mugs I use most, I had to go with the Fire-King. The brown one is quickly catching up to this mug and should surpass it by the time autumn officially sets in. This is Aaron's favorite mug in my cupboard. And Josiah's, too.

So, there you have it, and I'm sure you were gripped and sitting at the edge of your chair!