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Special tea for special moments

Ada's Tea Cup — Special Teas for Special Moments, teas curated by Cecelia Curtis

Tea with friends is the perfect blend.

Grandma Ada fell in love with a set of tea cups she couldn’t afford all at once, so she saved and bought them one at a time. Decades later one of those cups arrived in the mail for her granddaughter Cecelia, and Ada’s Tea Cup began there.

Shop the teasRead Ada’s story
A white teapot hand-lettered “Tea.” beside a cup of milky tea on a weathered wooden table
Curated by one person
Cecelia Curtis picks and names every tea on this shelf. Her signature is printed on each label.
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Card and PayPal details go straight to Shopify’s secure checkout. This storefront never sees them.
Ask before you order
Questions about a blend, a gift, or delivery reach Cecelia directly. Get in touch.

Every tea, on one shelf.

$12.00 – $18.00 a tin. Nothing here is a mystery box.

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The story ofAda’s Tea Cup

Hi there! I’m Cecelia, and Ada was my grandmother.

Many years ago, Grandma Ada fell in love with a set of tea cups. She couldn’t afford them all at once, though, so she saved and bought one at a time until she had the full set.

For years, those treasured tea cups lived in my grandparents’ home, rattling like crazy when the grandchildren walked through the dining room.

I never knew what happened to those tea cups. Then, two years ago, one arrived in the mail. It turns out the cups had been gifted to my oldest cousin when my grandfather died over 20 years ago. Two years ago, my cousin gifted one of those cups to me.

There was such beauty in that cup — so many memories and so much love in that cup. From that love, Ada’s Tea Cup was born.

Cecelia Curtis, founder
A cherry-blossom packet of Sakura Kaori sencha beside a glass of bright green tea and a wooden dish of loose leaves

You can’t rush a good cup of tea — nor should you want to.

The tea in this photograph is Sakura Kaori, a Shizuoka sencha with cherry blossom notes. See the tea.

Cecelia Curtis, founder of Ada's Tea Cup
Cecelia Curtis, founder

Meet our founder

I’m Cecelia Curtis, tea lover and founder of Ada’s Tea Cup — a brand inspired by peaceful moments, meaningful connections, and the beauty of slowing down. I’m also the host of The Heart of Friendship podcast, a retired military spouse, and a proud boy mom of three.

My love for tea began nearly 15 years ago when I lived in Japan. Since then, it’s grown into a deep appreciation for teas from around the world.

When people ask me which tea I love most, my answer is always the same — the one in my cup. Why? Because tea has a way of inviting us to pause. You can’t rush a good cup of tea — nor should you want to. Each steep offers a moment to breathe, reflect, and savor life’s simple joys.

Whether shared with friends or enjoyed alone, tea has the power to turn everyday moments into beautiful memories.

I hope you enjoy Ada’s Tea Cup as much as I do — and that each blend helps you create your own beautiful, joy-filled moments.

How to steep it

A starting point, not a rule. Where a tea asks for something different, it says so on its own page.

  1. 1

    Heat the water

    White and green teas taste best around 175°F, before the water reaches a boil. Black, herbal, and spiced blends want a full rolling boil.

  2. 2

    Measure the leaf

    One heaped teaspoon of loose leaf per cup. Add a little more if you take it with milk.

  3. 3

    Steep, then stop

    Two to three minutes for white and green, three to five for black. Longer is not stronger — it is bitter.

  4. 4

    Taste as you go

    Pull the leaves when it tastes right to you. Steep the same leaves a second time; most of these teas give you two good cups.

Or start with a shelf.