Yep, mugs.
My coffee cup collection is very dear to my heart. I didn't set out to "collect" mugs. It just sort of happened. They each are special for different reasons and make me feel a certain way when I use them.
I drink at least one cup of coffee every day. There's something about wrapping your hands around a warm cup and swallowing down a hot drink that makes me go "ahhh!" Actually, I think I enjoy the
idea of coffee even more than coffee itself, if I'm honest. The feeling of having a moment to myself to relax is embodied by a cup of java.
So here is a photo of some of my favorite mugs. I have more favorites but they wouldn't fit in the shot.
On the top row is my
COTT mug. I love this mug because not only do I really like Clash of the Titles, I love the group of women I work with. We each have a mug like this with our name and title and I think of them, and of how blessed I am to be part of this group, every time I use mine. I always wonder if one of them might be drinking from hers at the same moment. (Are you?)
The next one is my
cocker puppy mug. We have two cocker spaniels--Chloe and Reese--and I grew up with a cocker (Sammy), so this cup just makes me smile. Isn't it cute?
That
photo mug was made in December of 2009 and I adore it! Every member of my family smiles at me from that cup whenever I drink from it, and I always smile back. Everyone is changing so quickly and I enjoy holding onto "the way we were" in the form of a coffee cup. I look at it much more often than an album.
The
penguin mug was a gift from my daughter Amy, and she was so excited to give it to me. It's adorable, but more importantly, she is adorable and I love her to pieces.
Next up:
Paris! I haven't been to Paris personally but my husband brought this back for me. I always pretend I am sitting in a cafe, looking out at the Tower, when sipping from this mug. It inspires me.
The
Colosseum. Ahhh, Rome. Now Rome I DID get to visit. Trip of a lifetime! This one also inspires me, a great mug to use while writing. The emotions invoked when standing in the colosseum, reflecting on the Christians who gave their lives there, are readily recalled when I hold this cup in my hands. Everything about that amazing trip is now attached to this mug--the Trevi fountain, the Cat Park (ask me sometime), the guy playing the fiddle on the sidewalk, the cafe we frequented during our visit.
And last on today's list is the coffee cup I painted a year and a half ago featuring
Trevor's footprints. He was 3 months old and it was our wedding anniversary. Mike painted an AMAZING plate of Michaelangelo's The Creation Of Adam. I may not have his lofty skills but I love love love my mug. Inside, the bottom says "Good Morning". So I get a friendly greeting (lol), a memory of painting with my husband, and a memory of Trevor's little baby toes.
These all make me smile and when I write, they help me start from a good place. Of course, sometimes my coffee goes cold when my fingers get to flying, but it's the thought that counts. Speaking of "thoughts", look for my post Friday about
5 things writers can learn from coffee!
What about you? Do you like coffee mugs or some other smiley collection?
Don't forget! Elaine is giving away a copy of A Road to Deer Run to one of you and the drawing is still open! Ways to enter:
1) Leave a comment here or here
2) Refer friends (must mention you)
3) Tweet or facebook a link to this giveaway
4) Follow my blog
Please tell me in the comments what entries you qualify for. And don't forget to leave your email address.
My coffee cup collection is very dear to my heart. I didn't set out to "collect" mugs. It just sort of happened. They each are special for different reasons and make me feel a certain way when I use them.
Hi Elaine! I'm so excited to be interviewing you for my blog. Since being your hostess on COTT, I've known you'd be someone I wanted to keep in touch with. Thanks for taking the time for this! 
The core of The Road to Deer Run is a love story set during the American Revolution. It involves the unexpected discovery of a wounded and dying British soldier on the farm owned by a family of Patriots. The oldest daughter from the farm, Mary Thomsen, discovers him barely hanging onto life. Despite her hatred for the British—the enemy responsible for her brother’s death in the War—Mary’s heart of compassion is stirred and she decides that her Christian responsibility is to provide him comfort in his illness. This of course causes havoc in the household as the family becomes a party to providing comfort to the enemy. Despite the tension between their political beliefs, barriers are slowly broken down between the soldier (Daniel) and Mary as affection begins to bloom. Decisions need to be made as tensions grow and forces that oppose their relationship loom on the horizon, threatening to disrupt everyone’s happiness. 
This week Elaine Marie Cooper takes the crown over at Clash of the Titles. The category was Most Romantic Moment and the excerpt was from her novel The Road to Deer Run. She beat out her competitor Lorna Seilstad with a 54% to 46% vote. 
