Barack Obama & Green Tea

So there I was, innocently watching the Today Show this morning with Meredith Vieira interviewing Barack Obama out on the Memorial Day campaign trail. (I should note that Obama could not have had a better time than I had at the Senoia Memorial Day parade and festivities yesterday. What a great job they did of honoring fallen soldiers and saluting those on hand to help celebrate.) Anyway ... Meredith asked Barack if there was anything he HAD to have with him on the campaign trail, and he said, "I like a certain brand of green tea." So there you go! Our first candidate who has declared his loyalty to tea, and healthy, hip green tea at that. I'm impressed! Now, to find out where the other candidates stand on this important issue ...

Tea & Roses

Love roses? Me, too! I have various linens, tea towels, tea sets (of course), Christmas ornaments, journals, jewelry and lots of fabric (thank you, Heritage Quilts!) with beautiful designs of roses on them, and I can never seem to get enough of this lovely flower.

And while my favorite color is pink, this spring I've had the pleasure of discovering I actually like all the brightly colored roses planted by previous owners of my home. Because DH and I bought our house after the prime blooming season last year, I never knew what color these blossoms would be until they started blooming this spring. Deep reds, yellows, coral and a very pretty, ruffledy hot pink ... all just beautiful. (The vintage pitcher was a b'day gift from my friend Holly, and the perfect container!)

I even like the flavor of roses. If any of you are bargain shoppers like me and come across some Elizabethan Rose Petal and Quince Jelly, grab it and enjoy it! I love the stuff on scones, but I don't see it in stores anymore, and I'm too cheap to spend $10 online for shipping for a $6-7 jar of jelly. I do, however, still have some Rose Congou (china black) tea, a perfect blend to sip while enjoying roses.

White Tea to Go - In Style!

I was very happy with Lipton's Tea to Go mixes when they first came out, and I'd often travel to neighboring counties' grocery stores in pursuit of the hard-to-find Mandarin and Mango flavor, which was addictive. Now I've got a new favorite: the White Tea to Go in Apple Cranberry. It is great! I carry these little packets in my purse or tote bag to work, and then just fill up a water bottle, shake, and voila, sugar-free, delicious, cool tea.

And if you want to drink your tea in style, here's a "tea craft" I was inspired to make after reading Somerset Life, a great new crafts magazine. Basically, you take a 16- or 20-ounce water bottle and use glue (Elmer's) to embellish the bottle with fabric and jewelry findings and pretty trims. My friend Deberah has pointed out that if you stitched up this fabric piece with Velcro fasteners instead of gluing it, you could whip it off and run the water bottle through the dishwasher.

The slightly over-the-top bottle with the tassels is the one I have for myself at the office; the other two were gifts for friends.

Enjoy!

Cold-brewed tea

A summer or two ago, I discovered the delights of cold-brewed tea. When the weather heats up, who, really, wants to slave over a hot stove? I was surprised to learn that you can place teabags, or even loose tea leaves, in a pitcher of water in the fridge overnight, and in the morning voila, you have nice, flavorful tea! I've tried this with fruity teabags (mango is particularly nice) and, more recently, with a half tin of looseleaf English Breakfast Tea that was getting a little age on it. Cold-brewed, it is just yummy, and perfect for enjoying in a nice, tall glass filled with ice and a little sweetener. If you've never made cold-brewed tea, you really might give it a try. (This one is Angel Falls Mist, a strawberry and lemon herbal blend, good if you're looking for a nice caffeine-free tea.)

Tea Time editor is new Victoria editor

I know I'm not the only woman in Newnan who was sorry to see Victoria Magazine close its doors in 2003. Actually, to many of us, the magazine "as we knew it" ended several years earlier, when Victoria's heart and soul, founding editor Nancy Lindemeyer, departed. The folks at Hearst, in an astonishing lack of understanding of its readership, decided we no longer wanted a pretty, feminine, thoughtful magazine, but instead gave us something that looked like House Beautiful hybridized with Real Simple and Martha Stewart Living. As Queen Victoria said, "We were not amused." By the time the magazine folded, many of us were so upset at its change in direction that its departure was perhaps easier on the spirit than the ongoing slaughter of our beloved magazine. So I kept my 177 issues and have happily, if wistfully, re-read them each month.

Then, in late April, came word that Hoffman Media in Birmingham, Ala. has partnered with Hearst to revive Victoria! I belong to an Internet chat group of Victoria lovers who have been all abuzz with news of the magazine's return. We are cautiously optimistic and eager to have "our" magazine back. Victoria was largely responsible for creating my fondness for tea, teatime rituals and teawares. Since Hoffman's other magazines (Southern Lady, Tea Time) do feature tea, I felt quite satisfied that the new Victoria will be bringing us more tea news as well. Yesterday, I learned that the new editor of Victoria will be Barbara Cockerham, editor of Tea Time. Good news for tea lovers and for Victoria lovers, I suspect ...

Cutty Sark fire

Tea lovers around the world must be saddened, as I was, to hear about the devastating fire aboard the Cutty Sark yesterday. The world-famous tea clipper, built in 1869, was one of those ships which famously raced to China in pursuit of the season's first tea. I visited Cutty Sark a few years ago and marveled at the beautiful woodwork on deck, and then at the wonderful collection of ship figureheads below. I certainly wish the old ship well in the ongoing restoration efforts, which are no doubt greatly hindered by this tragic fire.

Birthday Tea Goodies

My birthday was earlier this month, and among the unique goodies I received from friends were some tea soaps, something I've never seen before! Green Tea, Earl Grey, Darjeeling ... they're from Scotland, and in a box so pretty I still haven't removed the packaging yet, but I'm just so very intrigued that the love of tea has now extended to the world of beautiful soaps. Wonderful!

The Queen's Hats

I have long said that if I could have my "fantasy tea party" one day, the Queen would definitely be included. Haven't you loved the hats she's been wearing all week?

Tea & The Queen

This morning on the Today Show they interviewed the chef at the Kentucky Derby who will be preparing tea for Queen Elizabeth on Saturday. He said he'd learned more about tea than he'd ever known before, to which I say, "Thank goodness." My colleague Nichole pointed me to an Internet article about how when Prince Charles was visiting with Ronald Reagan, the staff didn't remove the tea bag from his cup, and he declined to drink the (what passed for) tea. Reagan was horrified, and rightly so!

Victoria returns!!!

Now I am not normally a three-exclamation-point kind of gal, but today I read the news that our beloved Victoria Magazine will be coming back to life at the hands of Hoffman Media, the gentlewomen who give us Southern Lady and Tea Time. It was largely through Victoria (which gave up the ghost in 2003) that I fell in love with the tea ritual and tea things, so I have every hope that the reappearance of the magazine will mean great things to us tea lovers. It is scheduled to appear in October, with the November/December issue. I look forward to seeing whether Hoffman can bring it back to life in proper fashion ...

Tea and MAGS

Today was the day of the annual MAGS conference (Magazine Association of the Southeast). My colleagues and I were finishing up lunch when I happened to be visiting a vendor near the spot where the desserts came out: miniature lemon tarts and pecan pies, cream puffs, chocolate covered strawberries. The conference also had tea bags and hot water on hand for those of us who prefer tea over coffee. I couldn't help thinking that if I'd had a couple of thee-tiered servers and a teapot or two, I could have whipped us up a nice afternoon tea party...

Tea Party Sighting - Hallmark Magazine

One reason I save and file every single article I find on teatime is this: you never know when you'll be called upon to provide an idea for an unusual new tea party. The May/June issue of Hallmark Magazine (yes, the card folks) features an Alice in Wonderland "mad tea party" that is whimsical and fun. I especially like that they include a free, downloadable image to use in decorating. Fun!

Teatime jewelry

Some of my very favorite pieces of jewelry were gifts from my sweet husband. An early birthday gift during courting days was a glass teapot necklace. The glass bead painted with pink roses is the "body" of the teapot, accented with silver findings. This past Christmas, he did a dangerous (for him) thing and introduced me to the wonderful world of Pandora jewelry. I LOVE this stuff! Remember slide bracelets? Same principle, only the beads are designed to be put on yourself, so you don't have to visit the jewelry store every time you get a new one. He got me the bracelet and a heart, then another heart design bead for Valentine's Day, and today I added the teacup bead, which joins the teapot bead. Now I just need a sugar and creamer bead (which don't exist). Some people wear their passions on their sleeve. I wear mine on my neck and wrist. (Both necklace and bracelet were purchased right here in downtown Newnan, I'm happy to report. Just doing our little part ...)

Wedding Reception Teas

I always enjoy reading the newest Tea Time magazine, and the new issue does not disappoint. Local brides should note that this issue features Wedding Reception Teas. I found this theme especially enjoyable since that's exactly what I had at my own wedding last year — a reception tea. Tea Time is also full of ads for companies that sell tea, teaware and tea jewelry, so there are always lovely tea things on view.

Tea Party Sighting: Country Living

Years ago, Country Living magazine didn't really interest me much. It was too full of the rustic and rusted, but in recent years it's become a much sunnier publication and is often filled with beautiful homes across America. The May issue has a "Come For Tea" feature on a tea party in the garden. Oh, how I want to stage one of these! I can just see some pretty floral dishes, maybe a miniature rose bush for each guest as a party favor ... But I guess I'll have to plant the garden first, eh?

Brrrrr!

Can you believe how cold it is? It's April, for heaven's sake, and I thought Spring was supposed to be here! The good news, though, is that this chill always sends me in search of hot tea, which has prompted me to take inventory and see what exactly I have in my collection. My favorite tea always seems to be the last one I bought, which in this case is Harney & Sons' Peaches and Ginger black tea. (If you want a free catalog, visit harney.com. Also, the last few times I've been to Senoia Coffee Company they were selling Harney tea as well, although I think Peaches and Ginger may be one of the blends you have to order direct.)

Upton's is here!

Steve Martin once got excited when the new phonebook came, but I am most pleased when something like the new Upton Tea Quarterly appears in my mailbox, as it did today. I've gotten great tea and service when ordering from Upton Tea in Hopkinton, Mass. (uptontea.com), and their quarterly newsletter/catalog is always so information-packed, I can hardly believe they send this out for free! I also enjoy reading the lush descriptions of the new teas they offer. Example: "Oolong Super Fancy: An exquisitely-crafted Formosa Oolong, with a balanced body, fresh fragrance, and a lively cup. Steeping for four minutes or longer produces a cup with chestnut notes and hints of grape-like sweetness." (How could you NOT want to try this after reading such a description?)

Springtime Cup & Saucer

This may be a little nutty, but one way I celebrate the seasons and holidays is by switching to a "new" design for my everyday teacup and saucer. Since today was the first day of spring, I reached for a longtime favorite, a cheery yellow design blossoming with pink and lavender roses and tulips.

An Agreeable Hour

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea." So said Henry James, and so say I! Yesterday I got to take tea at the new home of my longtime tea-lover friend Beth here in Newnan. It was the first time I've seen her new place, and it was so pretty. She has lovely, feminine things all over, and the bedrooms were truly bed-and-breakfast charming: Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic prints on the bed linens, a white wicker breakfast tray, roses everywhere. Her tea table, too, was resplendent with linens and fresh roses. Ahhh ... Henry James wrote about the "hour" dedicated to tea, but with my friends it's more like "hours." Why hurry when you're being treated to homemade pimiento cheese finger sandwiches (and classic cucumber), pink-rose-decorated petit fours, chocolate treats such as buckeyes and hand-dipped strawberries? I drank cups and cups of delicious Chocolate Hazelnut tea, and it was just a yummy afternoon, all the way around!

World Tea Expo coming to Atlanta!

Just found out I will get to attend the World Tea Expo, which is coming to Atlanta June 9-11. I've read with envy about the tea expos they've had elsewhere (usually Las Vegas), so I cannot WAIT to go to Atlanta and hang out with tea vendors and attend tea seminars and workshops for a few days. Should provide lots of inspiration and information for future tea columns. (I'm attending as media, but anyone with a tea-related business may want to check it out at www.worldteaexpo.com.)