All about the Winter/Advent Countdown Box!

September 23, 2022 by Nazanin Yousefnejad in Life

It’s that time of year! The box that started it all is back! If you don’t know the story, in 2019, I was searching for an advent calendar that had non blended or non flavored teas and wasn’t finding any good options. I decided to create my own! I offered 15 boxes of a 12 day countdown and did not know what was about to be sparked. After getting good feedback, I realized that I had something good going and thought, why can’t there by countdowns at other time of the year? Since that first box, I’ve created boxes for valentine’s day, halloween and the seasons! Most recently, I’ve landed on the seasons because this allows me enough time between boxes to research, curate, source and prepare the boxes.

These boxes are certainly a labor of love as I complete all the above steps on my own, including wrapping each day for each box and writing a note that is sealed with a wax seal!

I enjoy creating all these boxes and I think they’re unique because of the way that I wrap them but also because I don’t think anyone else is doing this style of box at other times of the year.

The winter/advent box is special to me though and here’s why. Christmas has always been special to me, not for religious reasons though. While I’ve experienced many religions and attended service for them, I wouldn’t consider myself religious and this is not the tie that I have to Christmas.

As many families, we celebrated the more commercial aspects of Christmas. Being a child of immigrants though, Christmas was one of the times where I didn’t feel like a total outcast among my classmates. It was something we could share culturally. This was really important to me growing up when I was often confused as to why there weren’t other children like me in my classes or school

The other important aspect for me showed up as I got older. As my family fractured when I was younger and then I ended up with a “blended” family (I think that’s the term), the holidays, not just Christmas were a bit hectic. Usually it centered around who would spend which holiday with which parent/family and at what location. This was always stressful but when it came to christmas, I dove headfirst into the festivities as a way to cope and bring out joy at a time when I needed it. I love making gifts, buying gifts, decorating, baking, cooking and watching christmas movies. Over the years, our family has created several traditions around christmas that I hold very dear. Now, as an older adult, this time of year signifies joy. It doesn’t matter what else is going on, I can always count on the time leading up to christmas as a time to spend time nurturing myself and healing. I do this through this traditions that bring me joy. I don’t think I’ve ever expressed this in this way so I wanted to share.

With all that being said, I understand that not everyone celebrates either because it is not a symbol of joy or that their cultures or religions have different celebrations. Over the years, I’ve tried to make my box more inclusive so that everyone can enjoy it because at the end of the day, the thing that is most important to me, especially at this item of year is to spread joy.

I’m excited to share that the packaging this year will be a mostly penguin themed (I LOVE PENGUINS!) and a few other things in the box will be the winter window design that you’ve seen on the previews of my puzzles.

The penguin design started as an ornament design, which will hit the shop a little later. You will see a few variations on it depending on where it’s printed. The original design can be seen on the wrapping above. The penguin is surrounded by snow and holding a gaiwan and cup adorned with a fish!

Below you can see a preview of the box that the countdown will come in. I had to change the design to make sure it is printed well. A while back I switched from the white boxes to the kraft ones for a few reasons. The kraft boxes are a little more budget friendly and I’m not as concerned about not wrapping them which saves me a lot of time when I am packaging 50+ boxes by myself. The drawback is that colors are a bit tougher on kraft, the greens and oranges of my fall box were perfect but this was harder. Additionally, the printing company doesn’t use white ink so anything in your design that is white would be blank. To counter this, I too away the ice at the bottom of the design and turned the balls of snow into blue snowflakes!

I also did a variation of the box design below for the packaging tape that will decorate the box of the teaware in the box and the outside of the box to close it.

BOX DETAILS

Just like in previous years, this box has been a bit of a roller coaster. I’m not sure why but all the other seasonal boxes run pretty smooth. I always have issues with the winter countdown! I had an issue with a vendor that fell out of contact which forced me to find replacements and kind of mess up my budget. But then they got back to me with the tea on the way so I also had to spend for those. What this means is that I’ve shared a few previews of the countdown box in the newsletter but I’ve had to change a few things. Below are the details for the box that I don’t expect to change since I have the tea issue sorted out now.

Price: $75 (Retail: $170)
RELEASE DATE: October 11th at 11am est. This will be sort of like a pre-order because it will likely take me a few weeks to send out all the boxes.
13 days of items to open: I will be doing a QR code again so that I can write more about each tea and item. There, I will lay out an unboxing plan of when to start if you want to countdown to christmas or if you want to countdown to the first day of winter!
2 stationery items
1 brewing vessel
1 tea accessory
Around 150 grams of tea or 5.3 ounces. Samples range from 10grams to 28grams
- Typed of tea: 4 oolongs, 2 black, 1 green, 1 white, 1 pu’er. One tea is flavored but does not have other ingredients in it that would cause allergy. If you are concerned, please feel free to reach out before purchasing and I can give you more details about it.

SHIPPING

I have gone back and forth about this and have finally decided on what to do for shipping this year. This box will be heavier because of more items and also the teaware. Shipping in the us will be a flat $3 regardless of where you are located. Please note that for this box, shipping rates I will pay will be from $8.46 to $12.66 depending on location. I will also be trying something new for Canada as well where I will be charging a flat $15 shipping rate where the true shipping rate would be somewhere around $21. I hope that this will make the box more accessible!

Something new for this round is that this box must be purchased ALONE. No other items can be added to your order. If you want another item, you will need to place a separate order. This is because I am already going to be losing on shipping and there will be no room to add other items. Even if you want one pin, I need you place a separate order. If you put other items in the order, I will need to send it separate and I will send an invoice for additional shipping. Shipping really kills a business of my size and I try to make it fair without highly inflating my prices to give the illusion of free shipping. Please know that If I’m to survive as a business I will need to enforce things like this when I’ve been lax about it in the past.
I appreciate your support and understanding!

Need help with Afternoon Tea? LuAnn's Got your back!

September 23, 2022 by Nazanin Yousefnejad in Life

One of the first friends I made when I entered the tea world was LuAnn of The Cup of Life. It’s been amazing to have been able to collaborate and see what she’s done over the years!

The most recent project is a new EBOOK! LuAnn has written a guide to afternoon tea with information about hosting and preparing for afternoon tea!

I asked a few more questions about the guide, check out the interview below!

Here is the link for the guide: https://theteacupoflife.gumroad.com/l/theafternoonteaguide

I’m also sharing a discount code for 15% off: afternoonteatime15

Can you give an intro to the Afternoon Tea guide and what people can expect from it?

I’ve been labelling The Afternoon Tea Guide as your new bestea because it takes readers by the hand and guides them through each step when preparing and hosting afternoon tea at home.

In The Afternoon Tea Guide you will learn about traditional afternoon tea — the history and the different types, how to prepare a full afternoon tea service from scratch and host with zero frustration, the proper etiquette when attending afternoon tea and much more.

This digital guidebook is over 60 pages of afternoon tea information featuring 13 recipes for a full afternoon tea service (4 tea sandwiches, 2 scones, 3 scone accompaniments, 4 sweets) and 12 interactive printables such as an invitation template, place card, menus, planning checklist, grocery list, guest list and more.

How long have you been celebrating/engaging in Afternoon tea?

I’ve been a lover of Afternoon Tea almost as long as I have loved tea itself. My first introduction to afternoon tea was when I was younger and enjoying tea time in play tea sets with snacks as well. Of course, I didn’t really know that was a form of afternoon tea then!

It wasn’t until I was older that I actually attended my first afternoon tea service and fell in love with the entire idea of dressing up, gathering with loved ones over a pot of tea, bites and delights with great conversations. That moment was something I wanted to experience regularly.

What inspired you to write this guide?

My inspiration for this guide has always been to make hosting afternoon tea fun and stress-free all while educating others on proper afternoon tea etiquette, table setting and much more.

I have been a big fan of afternoon tea for many years and, especially these last few years, I have been experimenting with preparing and enjoying afternoon tea at home. Once you decide you would like to experience afternoon tea at home you’re hit with a huge list of things to do! There are so many small details that keep popping up as you go along during the planning stage.

I’ve been there many times, forgetting tasks, preparing scones too far in advance or even just not knowing where to begin when I needed to set a menu. The menu, aside from the tea, is a very important step that should be a priority. I always found myself stumbling at this step, so lost on what to serve for food.

Not only do you need to make sure everything looks and tastes good, you want to make sure you are not constructing a menu that repeats too many flavours. You also don’t want the menu to be filled with heavy items only. After several menu attempts over the years I have found a favourite that is not only delicious, but it looks super fancy, without all the fuss!

The Afternoon Tea Guide was created to help others take their afternoon tea at home to the next level. Plus, keep them organized during the planning stage with the checklists and other printables included!

What was your favorite part about writing the guide?

Getting to enjoy afternoon tea several times haha.

Writing any book is incredibly hard with long hours, but add recipes and oh my gosh!!! I think they made me push back the release date a few times because recipes need to be tested and tested again and again until they are perfect.

Also, because all of the recipes were for afternoon tea, which all the food is served together, I had to make just about everything together more than once.

Recipes needed to be tested individually to make sure they actually work, but then I also needed to test if all of the food actually pairs nicely together and if the entire process was do-able. However, that was a good test and made me feel more confident that the afternoon tea menu I was creating was beginner friendly.

Needless to say, I had afternoon tea at home quite a few times this year and I’m not mad about it haha.

I had a lot of fun designing the guide as well, including the invitation, place cards and menu templates!

Do you have a favorite recipe or part of the guide?

I have quite a few favourite recipes so I’ll narrow it down by course!

Savoury: Radish & Chive Tea Sandwich, crisp radishes are layered on chive butter. This tea sandwich is served open-faced. I love the presentation!

Scone: Classic English Scone, this has been my go-to recipe for a few years. It’s one of the recipes I’ve shared on my blog previously and a favourite of many. Best served with cream and jam…which brings me to my next favourite…

Scone Accompaniment: Faux Clotted Cream, I went back and forth on adding this recipe to The Afternoon Tea Guide. It’s not real clotted cream by any means, but if anyone has tried to find authentic clotted cream in North America they know it can be tricky!

It’s fairly simple to make a more traditional clotted cream at home, however it takes over 12 hours and I found that just wasn’t feasible when making everything else for afternoon tea, too.

The quick and easy faux clotted cream recipe in The Afternoon Tea Guide is a cheater recipe that is a great substitute. It’s thick and slightly tangy. Even if you don’t think it tastes like real clotted cream, it tastes so good!

Sweet: Jasmine Panna Cotta, infused with a jasmine green tea, this is an easy sweet that is sure to impress! It’s silky, creamy and floral. It’s a nice change from heavier cakes and tarts that are often served at afternoon tea.

Do you have any advice for someone who finds Afternoon Tea a bit intimidating?

Get The Afternoon Tea Guide! hehehe.

In all seriousness, try not to worry so much about getting afternoon tea “right”. Whether you are preparing and hosting afternoon tea or just attending, the most important thing is that you enjoy the experience.

I’ve definitely been there though. I always find that preparation helps me feel more confident and less intimidated. I kept this in mind while creating the digital guidebook. That’s why I outlined an entire planning checklist starting from 2 months until the day of. Preparing as much as you possibly can before the day of the afternoon tea party will make you feel better. That way all that’s left to do is get dressed and enjoy the time with your family and friends!

I also like to brush up on my afternoon tea etiquette before attending!

What tea are you reaching for most these days?

Hojicha! I drink it year round, but since fall is near it is something I have been reaching for even more. I make a lot of hojicha lattes, my salted caramel hojicha latte recipe (https://theteacupoflife.com/2021/01/salted-caramel-hojicha-latte.html) is my fave at the moment, so I’ve been drinking hojicha powder more than loose leaf right now!

Also, if you have any other projects upcoming and want to share please do!

For the last few years I have been creating a tea lovers wall calendar. The 2023 Tea Lovers Calendar will be releasing sometime in October this year! You can follow my tea blog to know when it launches: www.theteacupoflife.com

The Stationery Shop & My Whirlwind of Emotions

September 08, 2022 by Nazanin Yousefnejad in Life

I haven’t read any books in full in a very long time. It sounds silly to say but It’s because I thought It would be a waste of time or that I simply wouldn’t have time. This is mostly because of what happens when I connect with a book. When I find a book that I love or that sparks some emotion in me, it’s hard to put it down. It’s like I have this electrical connection that gives me a shock every once in a while until I pick it up again. I thought, what if I find a book I love and it stops me from getting my very long to do list done? Before, I thought that was a scary thought. After reading the Stationery Shop, I see the errors of my ways. I needed a break and a book to read!

My lovely friend Taniya suggested this book to me long ago and I had ordered it but it sat collecting dust on my shelf. Every night when I went to sleep, the beautiful gold foiled cover stared back at me asking why I had waited so long. The name Marjan Kamali, a fellow Iranian was begging me to open and read her words.

I usually wake up around 615-630 and it takes me a few minutes to fully wake up and start working. At the start of this week I told myself: you will spend the first 15 minutes of your day reading. It was the only way, the only way to start and the only way to make it stick to read all the books that have staring back at me begging me to open their spines.

I began on Monday and after 15 minutes, I extended it a little more putting off my work and workout. I was completely enthralled by the words. I thought to myself, dammit, It’s happening. But I paced myself and read the whole book in one week, a little bit each and every day. Although if I had nothing else to do I could have consumed this book in one day.

My parents are both from Iran, I’ve been regaled by stories my whole life but due to many complicated reasons, many of them political I have never been able to go. So I grew up in the US being too foreign for Americans and being too American for Iranians. Even still, the words of Marjan hit me deep. She invoked these emotions in me that swirled in my body with every word I read. Exhilarating but also calm and comfortable on my couch. The mannerisms, the food, the clash of Persian culture with that of Americans. I can relate to both sides, the things I do that are very American and the things I do that are more Iranian that I was raised to do. When badri uses toh instead of shomah, the tarof, the customs of Iran that I know from my upbringing. The way she describes cooking khoresh for Walter brought tears to my eyes. I so rarely read things like this that I know, that I was taught, that I can relate to. It felt like my mother had sat down to tell me a story of her young love in Iran. In fact my mother has told me such stories before but I won’t divulge her secrets.

Small things reminded me of stories from my parents, the moaning of the man selling beets. Laboo maboo, my dad told me they would yell. The scenes from the streets of Tehran. While my parents never told me about a stationery shop, I could envision it so well as if I had been in Tehran. It was easy for me to form the characters in my head, never had it been so easy for me when I’ve read other books.

I didn’t just enjoy this book because of the way it made me feel, but the story. The love, just as the way Rumi or Khayyam described it. The same way Roya and Bahman read the poetry together, they lived it. They lived Rumi’s words, how beautiful. They also lived his other words, his heartbreak. I couldn’t imagine how this story would have gone but what a story. I try to explain it to others but I don’t think I can express the effect it had on me. Not only has my fire for reading been ignited once more but my fire for love, for poetry, for the romance of small gestures and everyday things.

Thank you to Taniya for kindly suggesting it to me and Marjan for writing these beautiful words.

The 2022 Countdown To Fall Box

August 16, 2022 by Nazanin Yousefnejad in Life

The Countdown to Fall Box launches on Tuesday August, 30th! I wanted to write a little bit about the box and a few small changes I made to the box this go around!

Here are the general details about the box:

This time around, I made a few changes that I wanted to share about. Some of the changes just happened to work with the items in the box and some are things I want to try.

Labels: Normally, I stamp out a shape and write each individual number on the labels. I do enjoy doing this but I often have trouble finding paper that looks good with the wrapping. I use a Rollo printer for my shipping labels and have started printing more packaging labels with it as well. While it doesn’t print in color, it’s a thermal printer so I never have to replace the ink and the labels are relatively inexpensive! This round, I changed the box design black and white and printed them on rectangular labels with the numbers on each label. I think they look good!

The Box: The box this time around has a few changes as well. I opt for the kraft box because I noticed when I used the white box, it got way more visibly dirty. When I switched to kraft, I also started just using line art with one color because it’s difficult to have vibrant colors on kraft. I decided to just see what the colors would look like and since the colors are earthier colors, I think it looks great and has some lovely fall vibes!

The other change for the box this time around is the size! Since I won’t have any teaware again this time (look out for the advent box!) I was able to use a smaller box. This means that the box with all the items weighs less and shipping should be a little less too :)

The Fortune Teller: This is the big one that I’m a bit scared about. I love making the fortune tellers but also sometimes feel that this paper could be saved and I often have trouble writing all that I want to in the small spaces. Something I’ve wanted to try for a long time is to provide a QR code that you can scan and go read more about each day and also have a welcome message and other information. While I too enjoy having paper I can feel, I think I will be able to give you more information about each item and my thoughts behind them. Additionally, I can put links to the places I purchased the tea where it applies so you can go directly there!

I’m very excited about this box and have been started preparing it! Let me know what you think of the changes and if you’re excited to get one!

I'm starting a sticker club!

June 22, 2022 by Nazanin Yousefnejad in Life

I have exciting news! I’m starting a sticker club! For the longest time I wanted to help bolster shop updates with more regular income and I thought it would be fun to start a sticker club on patreon. I chose stickers because I don’t really sell them in my shop normally. I sometimes put stickers in orders but other than that I don’t sell them individually or havent for a long time. However, they are a highly requested item.

So I started designing stickers well in advance and started working on my Patreon page. Then, I hit a snag. I started reading experiences from people who used patreon, both that I know and don’t know. These experiences involved a lot of concerns that made me second guess using the platform. I won’t go into all the details, just that it didn’t end up being the right fit.

Instead, I will be starting a subscription product on my own shop. This way I have more control, access to support and I don’t have to be sharing on two different platforms! Now for the good stuff.

I designed this logo for the patreon page before I decided not to do it and I think I’ll keep it or edit it slightly to have a nice graphic for the sticker club!

How Will It Work?

I will have a listing in my shop for the sticker club that you can subscribe to. I will keep the sticker club open always and basically, if start a new subscription by the end of a month you will still get sent that month’s sticker club!

When are you launching it?
I am aiming for mid july but may have to push it back to August!

What comes in the subscription?
Every month you will receive a 3.1 IN X 3.1 IN sticker sheet with 6-8 washi paper sticker on it and also an individual vinyl sticker (~2 in) of one of the designs on the sticker sheet. I will also decorate each envelop

What if I want more of the sticker sheet?
One of the perks of the sticker club will be a secret shop that you will get access to while you are subscribed. After I have sent out all the sticker club orders I will add whatever I have left to the secret shop so you’ll be able to grab more if you’d like. I will only make these available to everyone if there are any left after a long period of time.

How will shipping work?
I know that non tracked shipping isn’t ideal but I also don’t want this club to be expensive. I am still working finalizing but my plan is to have shipping included in the price and send in an envelope with a stamp to keep the costs low. The envelope will have a harder card in it to keep the stickers from getting damaged.

Will you offer the club internationally?
Yes! So, I want to try to open some slots for international customers to see how it goes. It will be a little more than for those in the US because the international stamp is more expensive. My only concern and I will need to make sure there is a disclaimer clear as day that shipping time will be long since these orders will be shipping via first class mail in an envelope!

What if I want to stop my subscription?
I will be using an app and you will be able to manage your subscription through them which includes cancelling it. You would just need to be aware of what date you start your subscription and to cancel it before that date on whatever month you choose to cancel.

Will you show the designs beforehand?
I plan on making them a surprise and maybe giving a sneak peak before I send!

How much will it cost?
I still have to calculate the total cost of items and shipping supplies but currently, I am thinking of making the US cost $8 and International $12 both of these costs include shipping.

Creator Spotlight: The Oolong Drunk

June 11, 2022 by Nazanin Yousefnejad in Life

I’m really excited to be doing a new kind of spotlight! While in the past I’ve done spotlights on small businesses and retailers, I want to now share a creator spotlight in honor of Pride month on Cody AKA The Oolong Drunk AKA our favorite tea show host!

Learn more about Cody below and please check these links to his website and some of the pieces he’s written!

The Oolong Drunk

Small Business Spotlight: Chai Affairs

May 17, 2022 by Nazanin Yousefnejad in Life

Being a first generation Iranian American was an interesting experience. While there were other Iranians in Maryland where I grew up, there were not a lot. It was quite normal for me to be the only Iranian kid in any given school I attended. When I was younger I didn’t understand why other kids didn’t eat the same foods, or speak farsi or celebrate Nowruz. At times It felt very isolating. Whenever I met another person who shared my same culture and experience it was so exciting. This still holds true and so I was overjoyed to connect with Mona and be able to relate to her!

Mona, like me grew up drinking tea and while I’ve chosen to share this passion through Tea Thoughts, she has started Chai Affairs! I was really excited to purchase some ingredients from her because she had things that reminded me so much of my childhood like limoo amani! This is also something I cook with and had never really tried brewing but loved make a tea with it! I also love that she is sharing this and some not as well known ingredients to non-Iranians!

Learn more about Mona and Chai Affairs!
Make sure to check out the Chai Affairs shop as well!

Can you introduce yourself and Chai Affairs?
With pleasure! My name is Mona, and I'm the creator and face behind Chai Affairs.

At Chai Affairs, I sell a variety of herbal ingredients that are quite popular in Iranian households but still unique for non-Iranians. The concept of my brand is to allow customers to experience these unique ingredients with all their senses, experiment in creating their personalized Tea blends, and share it with their loved one's. It's really an experience in a Box! Customers can choose to purchase our pre-designed Tea sets and also individual ingredients.

When was your first experience with tea?
Tea has been at the center of everyday life and every memory for me since childhood. It's been in my blood since infancy! In Persian culture, Tea is the first thing we offer to anyone visiting our home. When you wake up, your morning breakfast starts with Tea. If you're a guest, you're offered Tea before anything else. If you're in a stressful state, Tea is the first offering to relieve your stress…It's safe to say that if you enter a Persian household, no matter the circumstance, you will not leave without drinking a cup of Tea!

What is your daily tea ritual like?
I generally drink between 3-4 cups of Tea per day (but let's be honest, it can definitely go beyond that on some days!)

I always start my morning sipping on a hot cup of Black Tea, a habit that's stuck with me since childhood. I'm usually sitting on the floor in my work room, soaking up the morning sunlight. My morning Tea ritual is only a couple minutes long, but that time to myself allows me to be present, reflect, and set my intentions for the day. It makes all the difference in how I start my day.

I then prepare another cup of Tea before noon, usually a new Green Tea that I'm eager to try. This is often during a short work break, so it's more of a quick preparation and sipping away while working again.
I always end my work day with a cup of Tea, and my choice of Tea depends on how my day passed. I find that last cup so soothing and an appropriate transition into my personal time.

What was the inspiration to start Chai Affairs?
Chai Affairs was born from my love for Tea, a desire to build connections with people and cultures across the globe over Tea, and a yearning to explore a creative medium where I can connect to my Persian roots.

I'm definitely not a Tea expert and every day is a journey in learning something new about Tea. At Chai Affairs I want people to feel free in familiarizing themselves with different ingredients that they can add to any daily Tea they have at home to make it a bit more special for themselves and their preferences.

The conversations I've had over a cup of Tea are some of my most cherished memories. I wanted to bring back this experience, especially in a time where we are more virtually connected, but also socially disconnected from one another. My vision is to have people engage in conversation while using my products, curating for themselves, and building deep connections over Tea.

The name 'Chai Affairs' was also born from this desire to instill deeper connections between people through conversations, just like they used to exchange ideas in 17th century Salon de thé conversations.

How do you weave aspects of your culture into your products?
I would say the whole vision and concept of how the ingredients are to be used is inspired by my Iranian culture and how Tea is prepared. Traditionally, Iranians will drink Black Tea as a staple, but to make their tea even more special, they will add complimentary ingredients (such as the one's found in Chai Affairs) to enhance the flavor of their brew. Through Chai Affairs, I try to bring this whole experience to customers through the customized kits.

Other intricate details such as the stationary and product packaging is also inspired by my love for geometric art and architecture, which is a common traditional art in Iran.

What do you have currently in the shop that you're most excited about?
My favorite product is definitely the pre-customized Tea kits since they include a nice variety of our more unique ingredients and it allows customers to get the full Chai Affairs experience in a box.

Do you have any upcoming products or projects that you want to share?
Chai Affairs is still very young, and I'm very ambitious! I have a lot of plans in the pipeline which I hope can come to fruition soon!

Other than optimizing the current products and website to improve customer experience, I'm hoping to release my new Tea Blend this summer. Creating Tea Blends was never the goal, but I've received a lot of positive feedback on the blend I've been creating for myself and I would love to share it with the world!

I'm also working on a few collaborative projects towards the second half of 2022, so more on that to be shared later in the year!

Retailer Spotlight: The Tea Girl

May 17, 2022 by Nazanin Yousefnejad in Life

I’m excited to share another retailer with you! You can now find a selection of Tea Thoughts goodies at The Tea Girl! Read below to learn more about Sarah and her shop!

Can you introduce yourself and The Tea Girl?

Hello Tea Friends, my name is Sarah, but my friends know me as Sarah Teagirl! I have had this moniker for at least 15 years, much longer than the brand itself. Through The Tea Girl I create and flavour my own tea blends to sell online on my website, theteagirl.com, plus through local cafes and restaurants. Fun Fact, my license plate on my car was personalized as TEAGIRL long before my store was branded this way.

When was your first experience with tea?

When I was young, my family would visit my Grandma every summer. She always had an old Corningware tea pot, in which she would put at least three tea bags of Twinning’s Earl Grey. She would drink her tea black in a Corelle Livingware tea cup, along with a Rusty Nail cocktail from the night before. While I’ve had many more extravagant tea experiences since, this memory has followed me throughout my tea life.

What is your daily tea ritual like?

The only tea I cannot live without daily is my bowl of matcha! I enjoy all sorts of teas, but the matcha gets me going in the morning. Taking the time to start my day with a properly whisked chawan of matcha really sets the tone. I will often try the teas I am packing for the day as well. It is a great way to randomly try something off the shelf and have some fun. If I’m sending out samples on the day, I’ll always try them as well to make sure the instructions are accurate. All the tea rituals here!

What was the inspiration to start The Tea Girl?

After college I had an aspiration to own a tea shop where guests would have a space to enjoy tea and companionship in a unique space. I was eventually able to take over an existing business and turn it into my own, branded as The Tea Girl. Running a brick and mortar shop gave me the opportunity to talk to people, discover what they liked, and I realized that no one in my city was creating their own flavoured teas. I moved online in 2019 to pursue the flavouring and blending aspect of the business and offer locally created tea blends to cafes, restaurants and the world wide web!

What is your curation process like when selecting teas for the shop?

Since I like to use flavours, I consider what blends well. Senchas, Yunnans, generally pick up the flavours best. I also think about what I’d like to put on a tea, and if it’s a unique blend. What’s seasonal is also something I like to ponder - what are people looking for in the winter? In the summer? I have a hypothetical “Tea Vault” that I put different flavours into, so they’re available year round, but when it comes to the shop I like to keep things current.

What do you have currently in the shop that you're most excited about?

Besides Tea Thoughts enamel tea pins? I have recently created an herbal blend with dragon fruit flavours. It steeps a deep purple, hence the name “Purple Rain” - because naming my teas is also half the fun! I’ve also collaborated with another Tea Girl in the city to sell my side-hustle project, Broken Dreams Jewellery - a handmade collection of pendants made from broken teacups and saucers to give them new wearable life!

Do you have any upcoming products or projects that you want to share?

I have a few flavour profiles in the works that I want to release for summer, including a Guava & Passion fruit & Pineapple blend. I also have a green chai idea bouncing around in my head. Creating some “how to” videos for social media is also on my to-do list, as I think tea education is as important as the enjoyment!

The Tea Recipe Book

May 17, 2022 by Nazanin Yousefnejad in Life

Have you ever needed help when exploring teas? Maybe a dictionary of terms so that you can better understand the tea you’re drinking? Maybe you want a spotlight on a specific tea? All these things and more can be found in one place! Nicole of Tea For Me Please has an incredible site that is the perfect place for knowledge and fun for tea lovers anywhere on their tea journey. When I first started branching out into other teas than what I’m used to, I found it so helpful to be able to find an article about a specific tea or to look up a term in her Tea Nerd Dictionary!

I was really excited when Nicole came out with a tea recipe book for a few reasons. I’ve been following Nicole since the early days of Tea Thoughts so I was so excited for her to become a published author, what an accomplishment! But also, as someone who is creating things for tea lovers where there is a gap in offerings, this book is perfect! Sure, I’ve seen a couple of books with some tea recipes and one with matcha recipes but this book encompasses every tea. I also know that Nicole is a truly a tea lover and that these recipes are coming from someone with a deep knowledge! Not only does Nicole have a variety of recipes but she goes over brewing and teaware basics to help you along the way.

My personal favorite section of the book is the cocktails! I love to make mock/cocktails with tea especially if I get a tea that has a knockout flavor that I know would be great. I’m excited to get some of the ingredients and make more tea drinks!

Below you can find more information about Nicole!
You can also purchase the book HERE.

Can you please introduce yourself and Tea For Me Please?

My name is Nicole and I'm a tea writer and educator. Through my blog, Tea for Me Please, I've been sharing my love of tea online for over a decade. My favorite thing about what I do is helping people learn about tea in a fun and approachable way.

What started you on your tea journey and what was the inspiration to start your blog?

I grew up drinking milky sweet cups of Red Rose before bed every night. During my college years, I started exploring other teas and stumbled upon a website that was looking for volunteer tea reviewers. They sent me a ton of samples to drink and write about every month. It was an awesome early education in all things tea. I started my blog as a place to back up the writing that I was doing for them, but it eventually took on a life of its own.

What does your current tea ritual look like?

I'm not able to drink much tea during the workday, but I usually brew up a nice big mug in the evening when I get home. My days off always start with whisking up a bowl of matcha. After that, it is time for content creation so the tea I'm brewing is usually dictated by what blog posts or other projects I might be working on. I also try to fit in time for a gongfu session where I drink tea just for the sake of enjoyment.

Any teas you are reaching for more this week/month?

Early spring always has me reaching for more green tea. It's so exciting to see the new harvests come in from all over the world. I've also been trying my best to sip down my stash. It gets out of control sometimes, so I've been making a lot of cold brew iced tea to use up those that are a bit past their prime.

What was the inspiration for creating a recipe book?

Writing a tea book has been a dream of mine for a long time. I just didn't know exactly what I wanted to write about. It just so happened that my publisher approached me because they were looking for someone to write a tea recipe book. I wanted to make sure the book was very beginner-friendly while still sneaking in a bit of tea nerdery here and there.

Do you have a favorite section of recipes in the book?

My favorite section is actually the one I struggled with the most. Bubble tea! I just wasn't happy with the pre-made boba out there and all of the recipes I found made huge batches where a lot would go to waste. That led me to develop a way to make tapioca pearls at a smaller scale in the microwave. It took a lot of experimentation, but I'm proud of the way it all turned out.

Do you have a favorite recipe in the book that you create often?

The Matcha Lemon Sugar Cookies are definitely my favorite recipe. They have the perfect soft and chewy consistency. The flavors also go together really well. I made them for my family during the holidays and they were a big hit, even for those who don't normally like green tea.

Do you have any advice for someone who is just starting out cooking/baking/creating with tea?

Have fun and don't be afraid to experiment! A lot of the recipes in the book came about just by simply playing around in the kitchen. If you don't like the results, adjust your parameters and try again. Tea is an incredibly versatile ingredient so there are endless ways to use it.

Is there anything else you want to share about the book or about Tea For Me Please?

It's amazing to be able to say I am a published author. The support I've received from the tea community has been incredible. Now that the work of writing is finished, I'm hoping to launch some online tea courses later this year. Members of my Patreon community will be the first to know about it when they are ready.

Onyx Coffee Lab's Line of Teas

May 13, 2022 by Nazanin Yousefnejad in Life, Drink

INTRO

I first learned about Onyx coffee when I was on the hunt for a coffee advent calendar. Throughout the years, I’ve tried different coffees to try to get a taste for it but it’s not really my thing so I stick to tea. My partner however loves coffee. While he does drink tea with me and enjoys it, he prefers to start his day with coffee.

On the hunt for a coffee advent calendar in 2020, I cam across Onyx on Instagram. I liked the way they described their coffees and the information they gave about the beans. This is something I look at when I’m purchasing teas as well. There is also a story behind each coffee as well as impeccable branding. I was sold and purchased a sampler that my partner could use like an advent calendar, he raved about the coffee!

Fast forward to 2022, I started seeing Onyx post about tea! I got so excited because I felt as though this was a company doing everything right with coffee so they would probably be doing the same with tea. Something that I always find interesting is how when I meet people who only drink coffee, they think tea is “complicated” but in reality, a coffee enthusiast is looking for similar things when searching for good coffee that a tea drinker is!

INTERVIEW

After reaching out, I was put in touch with Ivana who is the Director Of E-Commerce and worked on the tea curation. We ended up doing a product swap which was really fun and I thought I would share more about her!

1. Can you introduce yourself and Onyx Coffee Lab?

Hello! I'm Ivana Chan, and I'm currently the Director of E-Commerce at Onyx Coffee Lab. I started as a barista at Onyx just wanting to learn all about coffee, coffee service and the overall supply chain, but I previously worked in corporate marketing and advertising for many years. Since 2020, I've had the opportunity to work on the e-commerce side of the business and some other projects including the curation and start of our tea program!

Onyx is a team of specialty coffee roasters seeking truth, quality and accountability in coffee. This translates to journeying around the world to find the finest and most unique coffee offerings, setting a high bar for quality from roasting to the final cup, and being responsible and committed in trade relationships with producing partners. Additionally, Onyx has always been very active in the coffee competition world, which keeps our team at the top of their performance across service, education and hospitality. Recently, Onyx has begun sourcing cacao and specialty tea, and it has led to new Terroir chocolate offerings and Onyx Tea offerings.

2. What does your daily tea & coffee ritual look like?

My day always starts with a coffee pour over using a Kalita Wave dripper. It's become a daily ritual that helps me frame my morning with positivity and gratitude. The manual elements of measuring, grinding, timing and pouring brings me peace of mind. In the afternoon, however, I turn to tea. I love that steeping tea can be less methodical. Tea time is a soothing reprieve from the work day to enjoy a fragrant, comforting cup.

3. There are so many wonderful teas and herbals out there, how did you decide on the selection that Onyx currently offers?

We wanted to offer a range of teas in the spirit of the "Traditional to Modern" scale (we use to describe coffee roasting levels/styles) with the hope that anyone can enjoy one of the Onyx tea offerings. Thinking through that and my own tea experiences as a Chinese-American person, I thought the Rose and Chrysanthemum herbal/tisane offerings could be a fun caffeine-free "modern" experience, while the Earl Grey tea might be considered more "traditional." The Sedogawa Sencha is a very umami-forward green tea experience, while the Ma Wei Moonlight white tea is simple, sweet and approachable. To me, the Long Kou Champagne is a beautiful expression of oolong tea at a 65% oxidation process with a great bouquet. I see it as somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.

4. Do you have a favorite among the tea offerings?

Gosh, I find myself craving each tea on different days and at different times frequently, but I always recommend the Ma Wei Moonlight as a "must try" to my friends and family. It's super sweet and delightful, and it is an exceptional tea to share with someone through multiple steeps.

5. Something that really stood out to me was the packaging colors, not only are they beautiful but I feel that they really capture the vibe for the teas. Is this the goal?

Thank you! Jon Allen, our co-founder, and Jeremy Teff, our lead-designer are responsible for the overall brand & packaging design. The colors are definitely inspired by each tea, and the multi-color combinations are really fun and reflective of each offering inside.

6. Are there plans to expand the tea offerings in the near future?

Yes, we are planning to release some limited tea lot offerings and expand our current "staple" tea catalog, as well.

7. Anything about the current or future collection of tea that you want to share?

We're really excited to be offering specialty tea and highlighting tea producers in general. We hope you and others will enjoy the new tea offerings in the future!

THE TEAS

As a coffee lab that does a great job sourcing coffee, I can tell this has transferred over to their teas as well! I’m not super picky when it comes to teas but I can tell that they have some great choices and the quality is clear, I really enjoyed this collection and am excited to see what other teas they release!

The Chrysanthemum and rose are such lovely choices for the collection. I grew up enjoying rose in many things from food to tea and then later on my tea journey I discovered Chrysanthemum too. I have been enjoying these two flowers before bed! I like them alone but I also love to mix them together to brew them.

The moonlight white is my favorite tea of the collection! I discovered this tea a couple years back when I was starting to drink more white teas and fell in love! The Onyx moonlight white has a lovely aroma of honey that translates into a sweet liquor for the tea. It’s a light treat that is lovely hot but I bet would also make a great cold brew. I would love to try kouridashi with this tea, I think it would be interesting to see how the large leaves do with the ice.

Another treat in this collection is the Long Kou Champagne oolong. This is an oolong that you might have also seen be referred to as white tip or Bai Hao. You all probably know that I am an oolong lover so this tea was delicious. I felt as though it was a bit more floral that some of the other versions I have in my tea collection which was a welcome surprise because I love floral teas!

A classic Earl Grey! Or is it?! This tea is a staple for most tea drinkers and most tea drinkers have probably enjoyed many versions of this tea. What was so interesting about this tea was that the base of the tea is a dianhong! I thought that was a very interesting choice and it worked wonderfully for the flavor. This earl grey is also very aromatic. There are strong notes of grapefruit which I thought was a lovely aroma to take in while drinking. I did enjoy this plain but I also made a cocktail with it!

The Sencha is the one tea in the collection I haven’t tried yet but I have taken in the aroma a lot! I have less to compare it to since I don’t drink a ton of green tea but It is reminiscent of savory vegetables. I think as it gets hotter I will ice brew this to enjoy :)