teaspoons & petals

you're invited to {steeped in beauty: DIY holiday gift workshop}

As the first icy flakes fell from the sky on Thanksgiving, I welcomed the holidays while sipping a cup of orchid oolong and anxiously anticipated what was in store for the joyous season.

Our calendars are bursting at the brim with holiday parties and gift wish lists. So in an effort to keep you calm and your home filled with handmade gifts to share with friends and family, I teamed up with my friend and colleague, Jolene Hart (natural beauty expert), to offer the second Steeped In Beauty event....

and you're invited....

Steeped In Beauty: DIY Holiday Gift Workshop

Sunday, December 5th, 2pm-4pm Philadelphia

Indulge in an afternoon of tea and natural skin care through interactive cooking and crafting demos that highlight DIY gifts to give family and friends this holiday season. Learn how to prepare holiday treats, tea blends and homemade natural beauty products that make ideal holiday gifts. While sipping tea, you'll also learn about the impact of tea and natural beauty on health and wellness.

We'll share gift bags filled with our recipes, natural beauty samples, Rishi's white detox tea/green oolong tea, Mighty Leaf's orchid oolong and Tbar tea shop frequency cards. All guests will be entered to win one of several raffle prizes, including a personal health and beauty coaching session with Jolene, a tea party consultation with Alexis, and gift certificates to Tbar tea shop. Guests can also pre-order Beauty Is Wellness health coaching gift certificates, teaspoons & petals tea party consultation gift certificates, and haiku teaware from teaspoons & petals for holiday giving.

I hope you will join me in learning a bit more about how and why it's so very special to have tea in our lives. Looking forward to seeing some friendly faces as we sip, cook and talk tea.

Here is your ticket...

p.s. why not make a day of it with friends? have brunch in the city, come to Steeped In Beauty, and then stroll down 3rd St and peek into the fabulous boutiques. sounds like a lovely Sunday with friends during the holidays, if I do say so myself.

Many thanks to Stacey for allowing us to use her lovely photograph, and to Lisa Snellings, who hand crafts the lovely Poppet creatures shown in the photo. We recommend that you check out both of their fabulous sites.

teaspoons at the table: earl grey dessert at alinea restaurant

As an avid food reader (I highly recommend Best Food Writing books), I'm often tempting my taste buds with delicious words and almost edible stories. One name that continues to grace the printed or digital page, is Alinea. For those of you not obsessed with the foodie world, Alinea, is the name of a truly unique restaurant in Chicago that serves some of the most creative dishes that head owner and chef, Grant Achatz, crafts and often constructs (sometimes tableside).

While dreaming of my first visit to Alinea (someday), I often scour the edible stories for my ultimate meal (although I am sure it will change by the time I actually make the plan to fly, sit and eat). On the very top of my list, is the Earl Grey dessert that carefully considers the layers of flavors in this popular tea. Lemon, pine nut, caramelized white chocolate come together on the plate, although, they're not the star of this tea creation.

Before the plate meets your table, it's placed over a pillow filled with air that has been scented with an Earl Grey Aroma. The weight of the plate releases the aroma and the incredible scent will slowly surround your senses as you take each bite. A truly sensational tea experience!

Until that fateful day arrives, I'll calm my cravings with an earl grey cookie or scoop of ice cream.

 

photo from Lara Kastner

harney & sons opens up shop in soho

 

Tea shops are my home away from home. While I was visiting a client in NYC last week, I was thrilled that we could spare a few moments to take a peek at Harney & Sons' flagship shop on the very first day that it opened its doors in SoHo.

Even though rain clouds overwhelmed the sky in dark tones, the lavender walls in H&S glowed with a welcoming warmth. Floor to ceiling shelves lined with to-go tins or loose leaf canisters filled the space, creating a true wonderland of tea. The tasting bar, a beautiful wooden counter, sent me to a joyful state of mind as I imagined countless taste bud adventures (I will save that steeped journey for my next visit).

The cafe, nestled in the back, seemed like the perfect hideaway to sit and soak in the world of tea that you just experienced (I didn't get a chance to look at the menu, although I like to save surprises for future visits). What truly sent me swooning, were the vintage, oversized block letters that vertically spelled "TEA" in the center of the shop. It seemed to ground the space in its purpose, reminding you that it celebrated the steep and the sip.

Icing on the cake: I had the opportunity to meet Michael Harney (who was in town for the grand opening). What a treat! As I made my way to the grand wooden doors, a tin of Cherry Blossom green tea in hand, I was already planning my second visit and dreaming of where my tea taste buds may travel to at the tasting bar.

 

photo courtesy of psfk. be sure to check out their post for more photos of H&S.

tea talk: haleigh from bardot in blue

I have a secret obsession with Paris. I often dream of sipping tea and filling my plate with macarons at  Laduree. So you can imagine that I jumped for joy when my French love affair led me to Bardot In Blue, a magical blog that documents Haleigh Walsworth's beautiful adventures in Paris. Her incredible sense of style, that captures a modern edge with vintage whimsy, combined with her delicious taste for tea and treats keeps me coming back for more week after week. Needless to say, I was thrilled when Haleigh happily agreed to answer a few of my tea questions and share an array of her delightful photos for this week's {tea talk}. Merci Haleigh!

{p.s. until I make my trip to Paris, I've been browsing the Bardot In Blue Boutqiue on etsy that's filled with Haleigh's hand selected Parisian treasures. Maybe I'll recreate my own Parisian scene with the trinkets and sweet dresses until my plane lands.}

Where is your favorite place to sip tea in Paris?

My favorite place to sip tea in Paris is Mariage Freres in the heart of the Marais in Paris. Charming young french men in pristine white suits wait on you as you select from a whole book of tea! Light pours in from the beautiful greenhouse like ceiling, and the food to accompany your tea selection is dainty and delicious!

What is your favorite tea?

I have several favorite teas! Every time I travel I love to discover new flavors from different artisan tea producers, but I always stick to feminine floral teas. At Laduree I enjoy sipping on a nicely brewed Marie Antoinette tea, a lovely light tea with hints of rose and fruit. My mom and I alike adore the signature Marco Polo tea at Mariage Freres, however, I sometimes stray and order the Rouge Provence, a lovely caffeine free tea, or a Blue Earl Grey, a feminine version of this otherwise masculine tea. However, I have to admit I always break through rules! I put too much sugar and milk in whatever flavor I get!

If you had to pick one macaron from Laduree, what flavor would you choose?

My favorite macarons are the floral flavors at Laduree. In particular the fleur d'oranger or the rose. 

sip & style: falling for glamour

If summer sends me craving airy wisps, then the autumn chill has me falling for layers of indulgent glamour. In this week's {sip & style} I want to celebrate how very much fall has settled into our world. Well, at least in Philadelphia.

As I wrap myself in rich colors and textures, I tend to fill my apartment with little treasures bursting with warming colors, like this delicate gold paper bowl created by Susan Dwyer from Up In The Air Somewhere. In honor of the {sip}, this magical bowl can be the home to a few of your very special tea leaves. I recommend steeping a pot of smoky tea for friends (maybe a Wuyi Oolong). Place a few of the dry leaves in the bowl, and allow them to take center stage in the middle of the table. Pass the bowl around while you sip and admire the leaves glowing inside the bowl and outside your window.

Pair this gold leafed bowl {sip} with this glamorous Fall Fashion illustration {style} by the incredibly fashionable artist, Dallas Shaw. An original watercolor, primsacolor and ink piece, Dallas' creation truly captures everything wonderful about the array of decadent layers in fall. Allow the vision of the olive coat with fur trim, black ruffle dress, belt, boots, tights, mittens and scarf to inspire your fall sense of style as you sip your smoky steep.

Frame this fashion moment caught on paper, pass it around to friends at your fall tea gathering, and step into each of your imaginary closets to seek out your inner style icon. This original unframed piece is available on etsy, and you can also uncover more of Dallas' imaginative pieces on her site. Although if you're craving a style that's all your own, Dallas welcomes custom requests.

Do your tea sips inspire your style?

 

tea today: o-cha blend at cups & chairs

Roasted flavors fill the fall air as leaves take flight, weekend kitchens fill with farmer’s market finds, and the aroma of fire lingers. It only seems natural that my taste buds found their way to the O-Cha tea blend at Cups & Chairs in Philadelphia. Roasted Hojicha (Japanese green tea) is blended with ginger infused honey.

First sip: The warmth and sweetness of the ginger honey balances the grassy, roasted notes of the hojicha, awakening the palate. The ginger bursts on the palate as the roasted hojicha toasts the taste buds, and the honey seems to seamlessly unite the flavors. Take some time between each sip to allow each taste to blossom on the palate. Breathe in the spicy, warming aroma of the expertly steeped O-Cha that will surely take the chill out of any fall day.

 

tea gift guide: terrain

I'm anxiously awaiting Design*Sponge's DIY Event at Terrain next weekend. I can hardly contain my excitement and am dreaming of herb infused cocktails (one of the tasty how-to demos) and previews of Grace's new book. In an attempt to calm my crafty jitters of joy,  I took a peek at Terrain's online shop and carefully selected my favorite items for this tea gift guide.

With the holidays nipping at our heels, you could easily put together a perfect gift set for your favorite tea lover (not to mention, the perfect host & hostess gift for holiday parties). Or, just pick a few pieces and create your very own warming tea ritual for the chilly season.

{the honey flight sends me swooning & will definitely find its way into my shopping bag at Terrain next weekend. I'll consider it a parting gift!}

1. Styer's Garden Café Mug

2. Ames Farm Honey Sampler

3. Olive Wood Honey Dipper

4. Disposable Paper Tea Bags

5. Organic Lavender Flowers

6. Four Cheese Honey Flight

7. Let it Bee Honey

8. LouLou's Rose Petal Jam

9. Teapots & Jugs Dishtowel

10. Cedar Rose Facial Steam

11. Mint Mug