With that being said, we’ve stumbled upon the cutest set of lovely teatime photos by two of our favorite modern artists and couldn’t resist sharing these with our loyal readers.

The first teatime photo is by Canadian artist MEOMI and shows a cute creature having afternoon tea with fellow creatures of the mushroom forest.

In the photo below by Andrew Wilson, you will see a bright-eyed young lady enjoying teatime with a purple genie-looking creature we couldn’t quite make out.

Both beautiful contemporary art pieces show how a nice cup of tea transcends all.

More info about the artists at www.cuteanddangereous.com

It is a well known fact that Japanese women are the healthiest people in the world. These women have topped the world’s longevity ranks for 23 years. The reason for this is multifaceted and includes a healthy diet, increasing medical technology and a tight-social network. There are probably another dozen or so reasons and theories on why Japanese women continue to top the health charts, and we here at cupspot found the simplest most obvious answers…on my favorite teacup.

My little Japanese teacup elaborates very simply, yet thoroughly, all the things we can do to make a difference in our health right now and in the long run.

Listed in complex looking vertical lines of hiragana and kanji, my teacup gently reminds me every day the 10 simplest ways of staying healthy in both mind and body.

Some need more explanation than others but here we go:

Less meat, more vegetables: Don’t skimp on your veggies! Everyone knows that vegetables are loaded with natural vitamins and minerals. They are an excellent source of dietary fiber which provides us with extra energy. This even helps to control your weight. Meat is a great source of protein but consuming too much is often linked to cancer and heart disease.

Less salt more vinegar: We all know too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure which then may lead to heart disease, kidney disease or a stroke. So decrease the intake and replace it with vinegar. Vinegar helps eliminate fatigue and it reduces blood cholesterol levels and heart-disease risk. While fighting obesity and aiding in weight loss, it also allows the body to absorb one-third more calcium from green vegetables than it would without the aid of vinegar.

Less Sugar, More Fruit: Everyone is talking about antioxidants and what better way to consume them than by eating delicious fruit and drinking 100% pure fruit smoothies. Find antioxidants in raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries as well as pomegranate and the trendy acai berry. Enjoy the sweet taste without all the unnecessary calories from sodas and imposter sugar beverages containing “real fruit”.

Eat less, Chew More: Did you know it takes a while for the brain to realize that you are full? Sometimes you’ll over eat because you just don’t feel satiated. So start chewing more! This will slow down your eating habits and will give time for your stomach to send your messages of “I’m full now” to your brain. Chewing more will also aide in digestion and helps you limit your portion sizes.

Dress Lightly, Bathe Often: This one needs a bit more explaining. In Japanese culture, it is encouraged to tough it out even when it gets really cold. It is taught not to be so eager to put on those mittens or scarves, and to endure any type of weather with light attire. This way, you will not be so over encumbered, your body will be better enabled to adapt to changes, and you will not get sick at the first signs of winter. By bathing often, you warm up your entire body and become revived. The Japanese often shower first and then take long relaxing baths in extremely hot water to trigger increased blood flow and to wash away the day’s baggage.

Drive Less, Walk More: Pretty obvious, no? A brisk 45 minute walk can burn roughly 300 calories. But walking has other benefits as well. It’s relaxing and helps clear the mind. In this fast-paced, high stress day and age of “I want everything yesterday!” a nice long walk in the park alone or with a loved one can help to slow things down and get the feeling of control back in your life. You’ll also help out the environment by not blowing disgusting exhaust emissions into the air.

Less Anger, More Laughter: Everyone’s heard that “It takes 37 muscles to frown and only 22 to smile.” The truth behind this popular aphorism is unknown, but smiling and laughing are in fact, crucial to a healthy life. When we laugh, our body releases an array of hormones and chemicals that have extremely positive effects on our body. Try taking a laughing session at your yoga class for immediate benefits including stress reduction, drop in blood pressure and a boosted immune system.

Worry Less, Sleep More: This is a very important aspect of health that many people often ignore. The modern world is full of anxiety due to the responsibilities they are tied to. Mortgage, jobs, school, children and even maintaining a social life can be burdensome, and it is becoming all too normal to be constantly stressed out. This takes a huge toll on our bodies. In order to be truly healthy, you must leave your worries at the door. Realize that some things are out of your control, take a deep breath and go to bed. Everyone knows the importance of a good night’s rest, and in order to get some real shut-eye, you must be able to let go of the stress.

Speak Less, Act More: Practice what you preach. If you’re going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk. Those are just a few of the sayings we are all too familiar with. Seriously, if you have something THAT profound to say, show it through your actions, not through your empty words.

Take Less, Give More: The statement, “You must give in order to receive” is somewhat twisted. It entails that you are only giving to receive something in return. By applying the “take less, give more” principal, it guides you to concentrate on giving without expecting something back. This is extremely important to your health as it reduces greed and desire while teaching you to be grateful for what you already have.

These top ten health commandments found on my Japanese teacup truly takes into count all the necessary and most obvious ways to be healthy physically, mentally and even spiritually reminding us that it’s the little things we do on a daily basis that really count.

Please share and enjoy!

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I love versatile items.  It’s like a 2 for 1 deal and I secretly feel like a smart, triumphant, shopper.  And when the item is extra cute, I become ecstatic.  Take for example these gorgeous glass cups.  Because they are specially handcrafted by master glassblowers from the Czech Republic and made with the finest German borosilicate glass, each cup can naturally control the temperature of the contents inside.  The bowl design also creates a liquid lens and projects a beautiful display of light onto the tabletop.  Use them as a cute white or red wine glass, matcha teacup or a fancy ice cream dish.  You can even fill them with cake mix to bake adorable cupcakes!  Perfect for the summer months ahead.

200ml / 7 US fl.oz.

www.molodesign.com

Chris Koens designed these super cute cups called Bird in the Bush. These adorable cups come in a set of four. When stacked, while saving space, the cups become a very aesthetically pleasing mini sculpture you can proudly display.

www.dutchbydesign.com

I love hanging my wine glasses, but what do I do with the stemless glasses I equally love? Jonathan Baskett from Australia who envisioned the stackable wine and champagne glass trio came to the rescue . Sold in sets of three, each glass fits into the other. Not only do they look super cute, but they take up less space on the shelves. Enjoy a glass of white, red or bubbly in stemless elegance.

Find them here: aplusrstore.com

Turntablelab.com comments, “It feels great in your hand. The finishing detail is that they’ve included a raised strip, replicating the area where the paper is glued together (never realized how functional for grip this is).”

Read the full Cup Story at www.wearehappytoserveyou.com.

Save space and clear your cluttered cabinets with these awesome cup holders and organizers.

This under-shelf mug holder supports six mugs and requires no tools for installation. Simply slip under shelf and you’re good to go! - $10.99

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If you don’t mind a bit of assembly, you can use this Sliding Cup Organizer. It holds 4-6 cups and can be slid out for easy access. $5.99 (sturdy hard plastic)

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Too many cups? Then get the 12 Cup Holder. The wire rack slides in smoothly and cups lift off easily. $21.00 (steel)

Bodum Bistro Double Wall Glasses keep cold beverages COLD and hot beverages HOT, while remaining cool to the touch. That’s the least you can expect from these mouth-blown borosilicate coffee glass. Winners of the 2007 iF Product Design Award, the Bistro Double Wall Glasses are available in several sizes and can be filled you’re your favorite coffee, tea, juice and even desserts. Dishwasher and microwave safe.

Purchase @ Amazon

The infamous teacup ride at Disneyland…How many times have you gone on this nostalgic spinning frenzy only to sit out on the curb with head in hands, wishing you had Dramamine to alleviate the nausea? Well we’d like to sing a song of praise and give these vomit inducing teacups some spotlight.

Known as Mad Tea Party in Disneyland, Alice’s Tea Party in Tokyo Disneyland and Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups in Paris and Hong Kong, these adorable teacup rides are endlessly spinning at all five Disneyland-style theme parks around the world.

The theme comes from the “Unbirthday Party” scene in Alice In Wonderland and dates back to July 17, 1955. Each teacup ride vehicle has a wheel in the center that lets you control how fast your cup spins. The faster you turn the wheel, the faster you spin.

Robert Niles of ThemeParkInsider.com suggests, “If you’re stuck in a car with spin freaks, keep your eyes’ focus within the cup while spinning, looking up to a fixed point in the distance outside of the cup while it slows down at the end.” Thanks, Robert!

Lastly, if you’re a reckless spinner, be sure to push aside anyone that gets in the way of you and the orange color teacup with the diamond as it supposedly spins the fastest with a dizzying max revolution of 175!

Makes me want to go back. Thank goodness for my discounted Disneyland annual passes!