Unique Tea-Themed Collage Greeting Cards

 Here is a small sampling of my new tea-themed collage cards!

I have made a large batch of original tea-themed collage greeting cards.  Here above are just a few.  Each card is unique.  They are soon to be available in the small gift area at The Gallery at Flat Rock in Flat Rock, North Carolina and at Dobra Tea on Lexington in Asheville, North Carolina!  I am so pleased to get my work out there!

Love Your Skin With TEA.L

 “We love tea.” That is how TEA.L, a producer of all natural body care products, begins its discussion of its company philosophy.  When I learned about TEA.L back in 2019, I was immediately intrigued by their embrace of tea for self-care.  And I thought:  all-natural body care products that are made with real tea?  Yes!  Count me in!

 

I wanted to try all 3 TEA.L products, so I ordered the TEA.L Ceremony Set which includes the green tea & guayusa face lotion, the green tea & rooibos body lotion, and the green tea & yerba mate eye cream. I used these three products until gone and was hooked. The delicate scent of these all-natural products (no artificial fragrance) suited my very sensitive nose and appealed to me - especially in the lotion and cream that I use on my face.  The scent of the body lotion is delicate and appealing as well. After using these products for a while, my skin felt soft and well hydrated. So that’s my testimonial regarding the products. 

 

My initial exploration of the TEA.L website convinced me that not only did I want to try the TEA.L products, but that I wanted to learn more about the men behind them.  So I have interviewed TEA.L founders, Zhao Lu and Ronald Taylor.

 

I love your philosophy that everyone deserves to practice self-care.  Tell us a bit about your self-care routines - both those that involve tea and those that don't.

 

Covid has completely changed our self care routines in a very positive way, as we are able to dedicate more time to self care with less social distractions. Tea plays a central role in our renewed routines, as now we actually have time to follow a routine daily and steep loose leaf almost every single time. I (Zhao) usually have 4 cups of dragonwell a day and I changed it up once in a while with Guayusa (if I need more caffeine) or some sort of Chinese black tea. Ron, on the other hand, prefers Gyokuro or Yerba Mate in daytime. We do enjoy Rooibos together after dinner to aid digestion or mellow down before bed.

 

Outside of tea, we lift weights 5x a week in our home gym, which really helps relieve stress and build up stamina. Another area we are focused on is sleep hygiene, i.e. being mindful of winding down an hour or so before bedtime, no phones, no TV, and incorporate aromatherapy into the unwind process. We actually drew inspiration from aromatherapy to develop the scent for TEA.L products: we want to make them smell like something we are happy to fall asleep to.

 

In the "About TEA.L" page of your website you encourage people to live authentic lives that reflect who they are beneath any label they might carry. This is a beautiful idea and I would love to hear more about how authenticity comes through in your own lives, in your company, and in your products.

 

Living authentic lives came from a place really close to our hearts. Both me and Ronald learned the importance of self-care, both physically and mentally, while growing up gay in small towns. And I personally immigrated to the US 10 years ago from China with limited language skills and zero acquaintance. As we stumble and tumble to establish an authentic self in our adulthood, we have to fight the stigma and prejudice associated with the labels put on us. I think a lot of people nowadays can relate to that experience to a certain extent, and that experience continues for all of us. Through TEA.L, we want to empower everyone with labels on their backs by giving them an authentic way to heal after they work so hard to establish their true self. Tea, for the longest time, instead of being known by their names, origins and unique profiles, carries a color category and lives in a pre-packaged teabag or some sort of chemical extract for beauty purposes. So I can’t think of a better vehicle to carry that message.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to “talk” with me Zhao and Ronald!  

And now for a special offer from TEA.L: You will receive 30% off of your full TEA.L order between now and September 30, 2020 with the exclusive code TEADIARY30. You can only use the code once, so fill up your cart the first time around.  Visit TEA.L at https://tealotion.com/ to get your discount by entering TEADIARY30 at checkout!

Exploring the Asheville Goods "High Tea" Gift Box

I wrote an earlier blog post about the Asheville Goods “High Tea” Gift Box to give you an idea of what makes up this carefully curated collection.  Now, I will open up the packages and tins, have a taste of these teas and goods, and share the experience with you.

The teas in this gift box collection are selected to carry you through the day. If you follow my way of doing things, you will begin your morning with the brisk black Rwandan tea from TimaTea.  You will drink Dobra Tea’s green tea as a gentle afternoon pick me up, and then wind up your day with the soothing tisane from Asheville Tea Company.

First let’s talk about how to brew these loose teas.  Using the cute infuser which is enclosed in this gift box (pictured above) you will want to follow the brewing instructions on each tea package as your starting point for knowing how much of the loose tea to use and how long to infuse it in order  to brew a cup of tea.   

I drink a great deal of tea, so I generally brew my tea by the pot rather than the cup.  For a pot of tea, you will want to calculate out how much dry loose tea to use depending upon the size (cup capacity) of your tea pot. I use a tea pot with a built in infuser basket.  If you do not have this type of tea pot, you could use paper infuser bags such as those pictured above.  They work great.

Now, I want assure you that you are always free to experiment with both the amount of loose tea and the brewing time used to find the combination which suits your taste.  The suggestions on the packages are just a starting point.  So experiment and really taste your tea.  Each of these teas is a high quality tea that you will no doubt enjoy.  So if the first cup is not to your liking, experiment!

If you enjoy a sweetener in your tea, try the delicious wildflower honey from Mikell’s Farm which is included in the gift box. And if you enjoy a sweet something to eat with your tea, you will certainly love the lavender shortbread cookies made by Asheville’s Ivory Road Café& Kitchen.  The cookies freeze beautifully, so if you do not plan to eat them within a few weeks of purchase, pop them in the freezer to maintain their delicious, lavender-enhanced buttery flavor.

MORNING:

I drink a pot of black tea every morning with my breakfast.  This morning I brewed the black tea from Tima Tea of 3 Mountains which worked for me as a great morning wake up! This medium-bodied brew is slightly astringent and carries a distinct flavor profile which Tima Tea describes as being the flavor of the Rwandan terroir.  I like a fairly strong brew in the morning, so I steeped this tea for 5 minutes rather than that recommended 3.5 minutes.  Even with my  slightly longer than recommended brew time the tea did not taste bitter to me.  I look forward to enjoying this tea again with my morning meal.

AFTERNOON:

The Green tea from Dobra Tea hails from the Yunnan province in China.  I find green teas to be a little less forgiving when it comes to modifying brew time because they can become quite bitter if over brewed. So I would definitely start with the 1 minute brew time recommended for this tea.

I brewed today’s afternoon green tea, called “Dian Lu Eshan” as directed.  I used the small pot and cup combination that had been given to me by a Chinese friend of my daughter. This small pot is perfect for brewing teas which call for multiple infusions with short brew times.  If you do not have your own small teapot, do not worry. The infuser included with this gift box will be perfect for brewing this tea one cup at a time.

Once brewed, this tea is light and fresh in body and flavor.  And because you can brew multiple infusions from the same leaves, which is to say that you can pour hot water over the same wet leaves time and time again, this tea will go a long way.

EVENING:

At the end of a long and busy day, the relaxing properties of the Lavender Chamomile tisane from Asheville TeaCompany are just what is called for.  This naturally caffeine-free blend, with its light body and slightly sweet flavor, is the perfect addition to your evening routine.

You can brew this herbal blend for as long as you like.  It does not get bitter with an extended brewing time. (This is a useful note for the forgetful ones among us.) I brew this blend for 5 minutes before drinking, but that is not mandatory.

So today I enjoyed the full range of items offered in the Asheville Goods “High Tea” gift box.  I recommend this collection as a gift for yourself or for any tea lover in your life.

Asheville Goods "High Tea" Gift Box

Asheville is a unique place - and Celia Naranjo of Asheville Goods has been around long enough to have an insiders’ knowledge of what makes the city special. Asheville’s artisanal food producers, organic farmers, hand crafters, and independent small businesses give the city its special character.  Celia includes products from each of these categories of makers in the creative gift boxes that she offers both online and in person at Asheville Goods.  From the Pritchard Park coffee and chocolate box to The Laurel body and bath box, her Asheville Goods gift boxes represent the city at its best.

So what about tea? You are asking. Asheville Goods now offers a tea-themed gift box called “High Tea” which includes products from each of Asheville’s tea-related independent businesses.  In this gift box you will find a tisane from the Asheville Tea Company, blended by owner, Jessie Dean, from locally grown botanicals. Next is a green tea from Dobra Tea’s Andrew Snavely who travels and sources his teas from throughout Asia.  Sara Stender’s Tima Tea loose leaf black tea from Rwanda rounds out this gift box’s tea offering.  As accessories to the three tea selections you will find a fun tea infuser with lavender shortbread cookies made by Jill Wasilewski of Ivory Road Café & Kitchen. And to sweeten the mix even further you have Mikell’s Farm wildflower wild honey from hives that abut the Pisgah National Forest.

Each of these makers is a significant figure in the Asheville tea “scene.” So, in order to get an insider’s view and taste of tea in Asheville, you need to try the “High Tea” gift box from Asheville Goods. It is the perfect gift for yourself or the tea lover in your life.

Those of you in the Asheville area, will have the opportunity to meet some of these characters from the Asheville tea “scene” at a Saturday, October 27 pop up shop. Join me, Celia, Jessie Dean, and whoever else shows up from 2-7 p.m. at the Asheville Goods and Asheville Tea Company brick and mortar shop at 7 Brevard Road. This is located just off of Haywood Road in West Asheville.

Tea 101 MasterClass by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas: Day 3

Day 3 of the Tea 101 MasterClass consisted largely of very helpful lectures about starting and running a tea business.  The day ended with a meditation given by Shelley Richardson and a graduation ceremony.

meditation by Shelley Richardson

(photo courtesy of Bruce Richardson)

class photo

(photo courtesy of Bruce Richardson)

Receiving my certificate of graduation

(photo courtesy of Bruce Richardson)

gift from Shelley Richardson

Harney & Sons Lotions

I was so excited to find a container of Harney & Sons tea scented lotion in my stocking. I had no idea Harney & Sons carried lotions. As you see in the photo, the lotion I have is called "Earthy."   It is scented with Harney & Sons Lapsang Souchong tea so it has a slight smoky fragrance.  At first I was not sure if I would like this smoky note in a lotion, but I have enjoyed wearing it this past week.  The smoky scent is subtle so when I wear it I feel more like "woods" than "campfire."

Very Last Minute Gift Ideas: Your Local Groceries

If you need a quick, last minute gift for someone who enjoys tea, run out to your local grocery.  Many grocery stores carry Tea Time Magazine.  I have loved tea for years and only just now subscribed to this magazine.  So there is a chance that this would not be a duplicate gift.

If you have a Whole Foods Market in your area, you might pop in for a look at their tea aisle.  The Whole Foods in my town carries a wonderful selection of teas - some bagged and others loose.  If you do not have a Whole Foods store nearby, visit the company website and print out their informative  "Guide to Tea."  You can roll it up the printed pages and secure the bundle with washi tape or a red ribbon. This would make a fun and unexpected gift for a tea drinker.

And speaking of printing out tea-related information from the web, curate your own list of favorite tea blogs and/or online tea companies.  Type up the list with the URLs.  Print the list on nice paper.  And again, roll up and decorate the bundle. Anyone who is interested in tea would enjoy such information and would appreciate the effort that you put into creating the reference page.

All of these ideas can be done or created at the last minute!  So go out and spread tea love!

Last Minute Christmas Gift for the Tea Lover: Wal Mart

One quick, and perhaps nearby, place to find a tea-related gift is Wal Mart.  The Wal Mart closest to my home carries this adorable, large capacity teapot.  It is from Wal Mart's Pioneer Woman line of products.  This 2.7 quart capacity teapot is the perfect gift for your tea lover who drinks large quantities of tea OR for someone who entertains with tea.  I fit neatly into both of those categories, so this teapot is a welcome addition to my cupboard.

Last Minute Christmas Gifts for the Tea Lover: Trader Joe's

At this point in the holiday season it seems wise to shop local.  Here in Asheville we have a big "shop local" movement.  And I do, indeed, shop at locally-owned stores and markets. However in this blog post, when I say "shop local" I mean "go in person to a brick and mortar store."

For the purpose of shopping for some last minute gifts, I popped over to our nearby Trader Joe's to see what they carry at this time of year.  I was delighted to find a number of appealing tea-related gifts.  In fact, when I came away from the store, I felt as if I had hit the last minute tea gift jackpot.  Here below are the Trader Joe's tea items that I found most appealing.

This sounds like a delicious caffeine-free winter mint blend.

I often look for tea infused chocolate to no avail.  So I was delighted to find this tea or coffee infused collection of chocolates.

This is a nicely packaged set of teas for a very reasonable price.

Tea infused mints make the perfect small gift for a tea lover.

This tea sounds like the perfect flavored black tea winter blend.