One Month In

Happy 2022!

December marks the first month of me working Tea Thoughts full time and I wanted to write some reflections about it! If you were unaware, at the end of November I left my full time job for a number of reasons. Instead of diving right back into the job search I decided to give Tea Thoughts full time a chance to see if I could make it work. Coming off of a pretty successful October update it seemed feasible if I could keep it up!

There were a few things that I was hoping for in running Tea Thoughts full time - time, growth and happiness.

Time

Working any job is time consuming. You end work or come home from the office and feel as though there are little hours in the day left. I was using my free time to work on tea thoughts in addition to answering emails during the day and posting on social media. Any holiday with time off or a weekend was exciting because I had the entire day to work on the shop. Going full time I knew that I would still be busy but I planned on giving myself more of a break and not work into the nights and weekends. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen in December. I was really anxious to make my first full month count and also had a few holiday markets planned that would take up nights and weekends.

I am a creature of habit and like to create a routine to stick to. My days usually start at 6 or 630 with meditation and/or a workout depending on whether it’s a rest day or not then I get into the good stuff. Sometimes I may take an hour or so during the day to see a family member or run and errand but then I am back at it until it’s time for afternoon tea break and cooking dinner. As I’ve expanded the shop and it’s products I do have several manufacturers that I communicate with in China and due to the time difference I am usually up later at night to be able to capture some time with them. On the weekends is when I thought I would take more of a break and I have. I still do work that needs to be done like photos, content, designs etc but am more willing to use the day to hang out with my loved ones. This is hampered still with covid so I am probably glued to my computer more than I normally would be. Moving forward, I hope to set stricter boundaries and allow myself more rest once I get in the rhythm of things.

Growth

January is a notoriously slow month for sales which makes sense because everyone is exhausted from the holidays. I can’t exactly measure my growth just yet because I need more time to pass. I will report again after this month or maybe next! The main goal of growth though would be that because I have more time to work on my shop, I can get more done. I can share about my products more. I can get my products in more shops and produce more products in general and slowly grow to a more sustainable size!

Happiness

I won’t go into specific reasons but I was unhappy at my job and it was having real consequences. It was affecting me mentally and physically so I needed to make this decision for myself. I was hoping that while running a business is stressful in it’s own ways that how I felt would improve. I am happy to report that after a full month, I can’t remember the last time I was this happy. I will admit that the holidays might have contributed to this. The happiness feels more like a freedom. Stresses still exist but they are different and I have more control over them. I feel fortunate to be in this position. I can run an errand when needed, take time when needed etc. The issues I’m dealing with are my own and not from others. Most important, I feel as though I‘ve worked myself to the bone the last several years trying my best to build up Tea Thoughts and I’m finally getting a real chance at it. I don’t know what the future holds but I’m grateful already for the short time I’ve had. It was a mental reset that I needed. I feel like my work wasn’t wasted. I have so many projects brewing and everyday I wake up with a grateful heart and determined mind!

I hope to continue to be able to share more on social media and on the blog about the shop and behind the scenes.

Thanks for coming along on this journey with me!

Countdown Box & Gift Box Previews for 2022

Another year is wrapping up nd I’m so grateful to have been able to put out more countdown boxes! This year was so incredible and I’m very happy with how each box turned out. As many of you are opening the last day of your advent/countdown to winter boxes and smaller countdowns, I wanted to share my thoughts for how next year will go!

In previous years I have done a valentine’s day countdown, spring, summer, fall, Halloween and the advent/winter countdown. While I LOVE doing the valentine’s day countdown I have decided to do something different for 2022.

The timing for these boxes is a little complicated especially since I love to be able to provide them to my tea friends in Canada! My ship out day needs to be 2 weeks or more before the first day of the countdown, and with Valentine’s day being somewhat at the start of the month, this timeline has been really stressful the last couple of times. Instead, I am going to do a box for valentine’s day but I will be more like a gift box!

2022 Schedule of Giftboxes

Valentine’s Day - Date Night Box for yourself or for you and a date! I haven’t decided if the box contents will be a surprise or not but it will include tea and teaware to be able to have a Valentine’s day session! The reasoning behind the valentine’s day box has always been my love of the holiday. If I’m being honest with myself, I don’t love the holiday because I’ve had romantic, sweep you off your feet moments throughout the years. It’s because I like the spirit of the holiday, showing people you love them. I often like to make cards and give them to my family and friends who are local and mail them out to those far away. I think love is worth celebrating in al it’s forms - love for family and friends, love for a romantic partner and love for yourself!

Release Date: A couple of weeks, in early to mid January! These will ship end of January to hopefully make it on time to father away places !

Norouz Box- Spring is an important time for me and Persians around the world as we celebrate New Year. I don’t always share about Norouz because I’m never sure how interested people will be but I will be attempting a small gift box for Norouz that will include tea, something to drink the tea in and probably a Norouz themed gift! This will release either at the same time as the spring box or a little later.

2022 Schedule of Countdowns

Countdown To Spring- Another reason I’m not doing a valentine’s day countdown is that it cuts it too close to the spring countdown which has never actually counted down to the first day of spring, except for this year! While you can open countdown boxes however you’d like the guidance will be to countdown to the first day of spring! This box is almost set and I’m excited to have a piece of teaware, yummy teas and hopefully a handmade item! Spring holds a special place in my heart because it’s New Year so I am excited for us to actually count down with a box! Spring is also a time for renewal so I hope to…RENEW… your love of tea with some interesting teas !

The Advent sold out so quickly so I will be adding a few more boxes to this batch :) I haven’t decided on a theme for the box decoration but will share previews as always when I have it down to one design.

Release Date: This box will hit the shop in Mid February and be shipped out in late February

Countdown to Summer: I will be doing another Countdown to Summer box and soon will start planning these teas. I think Summer is a great time for tea - hot or cold and I have some ideas on what to bring you in the box!

Release Date: The box will hit the shop in Mid May and ship out at the end of May

Countdown to Fall: Another Countdown to fall! In 2021, the Fall box replaced the Countdown to Halloween. While that box was SUPER fun to curate it was similar to the Valentine’s day box where it cut very close to the advent it it was stressful to get everything on time and done. I also want there to be enough of a break between boxes! Fall is such a wonderful time of year so I think this box will be another fun one!

Release Date: The box will hit the shop in Mid August and ship out the end of August!

Countdown to Winter/advent: In 2022, this advent will be my 4th Annual! I get so excited about this, planning started in Spring. I wan to do things a little different this year. While I’ve always wanted to do a larger countdown, I struggle with trying to keep it somewhat affordable so that it can be accessible to most! The boxes are extremely labor intensive from curation to packing to shipping, I don’t really factor in my labor when I should so I’m afraid a larger countdown for the advent would be too expensive. I may however try to add a day or two if I can to make it a little more magical!

Your Feedback:

I can’t guarantee that I will be able to deliver on everything you suggest because not every suggestion works for me but I am always listening and want to hear what you think! There are a few topics that I am especially interested in hearing your opinions on! Check them out below and feel free to leave a comment or email me - hello@teathoughts.com . Please note that the valentines, spring and norouz box are pretty much set.

In 2021, I started putting pieces of teaware in the box, do you want that to continue?

What kinds of non tea items would like you to see more of?

Would you like to see the advent box have more days in it?

What is your favorite aspect of the countdown boxes?

Christmas Traditions - Tea Infused Eggnog

It’s no surprise that Christmas time is one of my favorite times of the year! I know that it can be stressful for a lot of people for many different reasons and because of this, the “holly jolly” attitude can be off putting. Like for so many, this season is tough in it’s own way. I shared before that for whatever reason, in recent years and even when I was a child, so many of my loved ones who passed away did so in the November to December time frame. My way of coping and honoring their memories is to be jolly during this season. It helps me through and I think it’s what they would have wanted!

The actual day of Christmas has always been the most stressful due to trying to please everyone with how much time is spent with what part of the family. Some of my favorite parts about Christmas are all the fun things I get to do leading up to the day!

In no particular order, here are some of my favorites that are probably on your list too!

• Picking out a Christmas tree and decorating it

• Watching all my favorite Christmas movies

• Wrapping Gifts

• Christmas Baking

• Going to see Christmas light displays

• Opening my homemade tea advent calendar

• Christmas Morning Sausage bread + baileys & Jameson!

Some of these traditions intersect with tea besides the tea advent calendar!

I’ve always known eggnog as a Christmas tradition but it was never something that we had in our house. I didn’t grow up drinking it and the few times I’ve had a sip, I always thought it was too sweet! This year though, I thought I would try tea infused eggnog!

After searching through lots of eggnog recipes, I decided to cut the stress and get some store bought eggnog. Every week, I get a produce box called The Imperfect Box. Last week they offered an almond milk eggnog so I grabbed it!

I decided to do an experiment and infuse tea into this eggnog but I wanted to use whatever tea that my tea advent calendar would give me.

Watch my Instagram Reel

The recipe is simple:

• Heat your eggnog. I wanted until it started to boil. While it was getting to a boil, I noticed a little separation, this might have been because it’s almond milk but I’m not sure. So I stirred it until it was together again

• I then took the eggnog off the stove and poured it into a glass teapot. You could also keep the eggnog in the saucepan.

• I dumped in the tea I was using, stirred it around and then let it infuse for 10 minutes.

• I strained the tea and tasted it!

• It was definitely still very sweet but I noticed that the tea made it more robust in taste and aroma and definitely cut the sweetness!

A few notes about this experiment.

I used the tea that was in my advent calendar for days 19 and 20. These both happened to be raw pu’er teas. I don’t think that these were necessarily the best teas to infuse into eggnog but I went with the flow! Here are some other options that I would have gone with first if I wasn’t doing an experiment.

• My Morning Tea: I drink a ceylon tea every morning and I think this would be so delicious in the eggnog. I never drink this tea with milk but I do often sweeten it with honey so the sweetness of the eggnog might be a good replacement!

• Masala Chai: I could totally see this being an excellent substitute for milk when making stovetop chai! Instead of starting off with water and adding in the tea then milk, I would just bring the eggnog to a boil then add in the tea. Definitely let the flavors infuse for several minutes and then strain! This is also a tea that I would usually sweeten a little so the eggnog provides the whole package here

• Black Tea Blends: I have a feeling most black tea blends would taste good with eggnog as well. I don’t think everything would be suitable but Imagine a blend that has some spices in it or maybe even your favorite fruit!

• Oolong: The eggnog has such a powerful flavor, I don’t think any oolong would work. Specifically, I think a roasted oolong would be best. I originally wanted to use some da hong pao I had but looked in my stash and saw that I was out :D I think a nice yancha would also be so good. The roasted flavor would definitely compliment and also lessen the sweetness!

Alternate method for infusion: The above recipe calls for enjoying the eggnog hot/warm. If you like to enjoy it cold you can either allow it to cool or try cold brewing! I cold brewed tea into milk before and you can use a similar method to cold brewing tea. When choosing your tea, I like to rinse it with warm water to open them up a little before placing it in my liquid. I would probably place the eggnog with the unbrewed tea leaves into it at night before bed and then take it out about 12 hours later to strain and enjoy!

Small Business/Creator Spotlight: Tea With Jann

Today, I am sharing a dear friend that I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with over the last few years, Jann! You all probably have at least seen Jann’s wonderful Youtube videos or gorgeous tea cup collection! Jann is such a lovely person and you can watch her videos and just feel the happy vibes!

Jann also recently started a shop where she sells her lovely designs and a wonderful Brew Kindness box. I was able to grab one in here last release!

Check out all the goodies I got: Brew Kindness Box

You can also check Jann’s shop and I highly suggest heading over to her Youtube Channel for Vlogmas! Jann is currently posting 2 videos a day opening and tasting teas from all her tea advents!

Check out the questions below that Jann kindly answered to get to know her a little more!

1) Can you give us a little introduction about you/ Tea with Jann?

Sure! My name is Jann and I love creating a welcoming community while making videos about tea and sharing bits of my life on YouTube.  I live in a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada with my wife, Jeanette and our kitty, Gary. 

I have memory issues from a stroke, so often times it’s like tasting new teas all the time (silver lining) ;) 

2) When did you start drinking tea? 

I had consistently started drinking tea when I started working at an office when I was 17. I wanted the ability to take a break, while my coworkers would reach for coffee or cigarettes (wasn’t into either of those), so I searched out tea. Barely dunking a teabag into the hot water, but having that moment to leave my desk, watch the kettle boil, and wrap my hands around the warm mug was such a comfort. 

3) What inspired you to start Tea with Jann and the Brew Kindness Box?

I started Tea with Jann as a place to share my love of antiques, tea, and technology. I chose YouTube and video as a method for my need to be creativity and as a way to challenge myself, while looking for a place of community that anyone could feel welcome and comfortable. 

I have a collection of my own teacups, turquoise Aynsleys, and I love them. I also love searching out other teacups and wares. I love chatting with the previous owners, or imagining the cups life prior to me finding it. I wanted to bring those cups into the life of someone that would love them again. That would use them again. That would give them purpose again. 

4) What does your personal tea ritual look like?

Hmm, that can change everyday, so perhaps it’s not so much of a ritual. Sometimes it’s a quick morning cup with breakfast, others it’s a cold brew with lunch, or an evening cup to sooth my thoughts. 

Perhaps the only ritual is the first sip.  

5) Do you have a current favorite tea?

I have three tea containers that are on our kitchen counter for the daily drinking favourites. One is dedicated to my wife’s tea, the other two for me.  While one of mine is always the same, the other one switches to my current obsession. For the past year it’s been The Silk Tea Co’s romantic floral blend called Desert Rose. It’s so soothing and calming for my evening cup. 

6) Do you have a process for curating the Brew Kindness Boxes? 

Since they are still a very new part of Tea with Jann, I do not. I’ve been thinking a lot of what I want to accomplish and how I want people to feel, and what that means to me. 

7) Is there anything upcoming for the holiday season or beyond for Tea with Jann that you're excited about and want to share? 

For the holidays I’m focussed on my Vlogmas series on my YouTube channel. Each year I have filled a box, adding a new tea or tea related product every day from December 1st to the 24th as an annual giveaway prize to my viewers. This year I’m excited to be working with tea business to fill a giant Brew Kindness Giveaway box for vlogmas!  I think I need a larger box, haha! 

As for the new year, I have a few ideas, but I think I need a hot cup of tea and some solo time to allow my ideas to steep. 

Tea Thoughts and BFCM

You may have noticed that I haven’t shared any sales coming up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I’ve been running Tea Thoughts since 2016 and I have done these sales before. I did them because I felt I HAD to. I thought that if I didn’t participate, my customers would write me off and I would lose out. I felt like every year, I would read blog posts about from businesses and how amazing these shopping holidays were and that it would be silly not to participate. What I noticed however is that I ended up selling my product at a price that wasn’t good for my business. This was especially difficult when I was even smaller than I am now and had less products.

You’ve probably read that people inflate their prices so that they can afford these deep discounts. I can’t speak for other businesses but I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s like free shipping, I would make a bet most places that offer free shipping likely inflate the product prices to afford it because free shipping, even at a higher minimum is a killer!

Last year I decided that I would only participate in Small Business Saturday and I would provide deals that wouldn’t hurt me. The truth is, while my prices are likely higher than purchasing from a big brand it’s because I am ordering/making small amounts because I’m still growing versus their orders of thousands and thousands of pieces making the price per piece lower. I already try to provide prices that are fair and in line with other brands selling similar items whenever possible. I also have several volume discounts standard in my shop for things like stationery already. I try to also offer bundle deals now and again!

Deep discounts on an item or two for a flash sale is usually fine or if I really need to get rid of stock but discounting everything like 40% -60% or more would really hurt Tea Thoughts. So…I’m not going to do it!

I do love the spirit of Small Business Saturday though and I’ve decided to offer a couple deals as well as using my platform to raise up some of the small shops and retailers I’ve featured on my blog in the past!

As always, I appreciate your support! That includes orders, kind notes, encouragement, sharing my products and following along on my social channels!

If you need a gift for yourself or someone on your list and want a little treat, check out what will be happening on Small Business Saturday! None of these items will require a code but they are only valid for Saturday November 27th!

Small Business Spotlight: The Tea Practitioner

The Tea Practitioner is a Canadian Based Tea Company serving up a variety of teas! I have always wanted to try their teas and I finally made a purchase recently. You can see the teas that I bought below plus some zhang ping shui xian and and I was also gifted one extra tea, a ceylon silver needle. My absolute favorite of these teas (even though they were all yummy) was the yellow rose cliff tea. A lovely roasted tea that is perfect for the cooler weather. I reach for any tea that I think tastes good in the winter but there is something so nice about a more substantial tea that is more like a meal and that roast does the trick for me!

Please check out their interview below and also their shop!

1) Can you give us a little introduction about you/The Tea Practitioner?

The Tea Practitioner is made up of two like-minded food and beverage focused individuals - Sierra Joseph-Quon and Brendan Roth. With Sierra’s certification as a Tea Sommelier through the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada and chef background, as well as Brendan’s vast knowledge of Food, Beverage and customer service, together, the pair wants to share their enthusiasm for one of the greatest beverages in the world.

2) When did you start drinking tea?

Sierra: I started fairly young, about 10 years old. Tea is such a huge part of Chinese culture, and my dad would always share pots of Jasmine green with me growing up.

Brendan: I've been drinking tea the English way, black tea with milk for as long as I can remember, but discovered the vast world of single origin teas a few years ago.

3) What inspired you to start The Tea Practitioner?

I've always wanted to start something that puts my passion for tea to the forefront, all the while curating a menu, and testing and sharing recipes utilizing my professional food and pastry skills. This was the perfect platform to merge the two together.

4) What does your personal tea ritual look like?

On most days I'll start by drinking matcha. Either hot, over ice, or with some sparkling water. It's just a great routine to practice, as well as a huge mood booster to start my day off on the right foot. In the afternoon or evening, I'll have a cup of oolong or white tea, prepared gong fu. At night, I drink herbal tea. Lately lemon ginger or hibiscus.

5) Do you have a current favorite tea from the shop or outside of the shop?

Yellow Rose Cliff Oolong has been my personal favourite. Such great mineral quality, and so floral and sweet. We also really love drinking the Hira Hoji Bancha. It's such a nice fall tea, and the tea leaf material is very reminiscent of the autumnal season; fallen leaves crunching under your feet!

6) Do you have a process for choosing the teas you offer?

Our primary objective is sourcing directly from producers around the world, highlighting their regional specialties. We try to curate a diverse selection of teas for Torontonians, Canadians, and North Americans alike. A lot of this is a reflection of our personal tastes as well.

7) Is there anything upcoming for the holiday season or beyond for The Tea Practitioner that you're excited about and want to share?

We've got a collection of gift boxes that we've just curated, as well as a new blend called Spiced Hibiscus Punch. It's a blend inspired by the Caribbean, traditionally drunk during the festive holiday season. It's great with some brown sugar and rum over ice, or on its own. It's a great holiday punch bowl beverage.

Retailer Spotlight: Friday Afternoon Tea

So excited to do a retailer spotlight on the wonderful Friday Afternoon Tea! Friday has run an amazing tea shop for over a decade serving up tea blends, pure teas and more. I’ve enjoyed several teas from Friday recently, I am currently sipping on moon magic! Want to know more about Friday Afternoon Tea? Check out the interview questions below!

Who knows, maybe you’ll encounter Friday Afternoon Tea in a future countdown box :D

Please also check out the Friday Afternoon Tea shop!

Some of my favorites: Zhang Ping Shui Xian, Darkest Chai, Moon Magic, Father Zambezi’s Mission Oolong

1) Can you give us a little introduction about you/Friday Afternoon Tea?

I'm Friday (yes, that's my real name), the founder, CEO, and Head Tea Witch of Friday Afternoon Tea. My tea company is best known for our synesthesia-derived fandom tea blends, unusual small farm pure teas and big ol' Care Bear heart. It's my life mission to serve as liaison between ethically-run small farms and a customer's Exact Right Tea for any given moment, mood, weather, book, etc. If a guest does not feel like they're being personally greeted with a loving hug from an old friend after every cup, I do not consider my job complete. So that's us, basically.

2) When did you start drinking tea?

My grandmother was an herbalist, so growing up I had an intimate relationship with medicinal plants. "Tea" typically consisted of chamomile, lavender, olive leaf, spearmint, blackberry leaf, and so on. We drank tea together to set intentions, aid sleep, or ward off colds. True tea didn't really enter the picture for me until I was about twelve. I had a bagged strawberry black tea while visiting Vancouver, BC with my mom and fully lost my mind. I was like, "Whaaaaa? Black tea can taste like that?!" and from that moment I got really weird about tea. Flash forward to my first restaurant job out of cooking school at 17 years old: an English tea room's kitchen. I got my hands on a Golden Monkey for the first time and that was that. I became obsessed and haven't stopped studying tea since!

3) What inspired you to start Friday Afternoon Tea?

When I say I got obsessed with tea, I mean I got obsessed. When I develop an interest, I go deep. Hermione Granger levels of dweebdom. So on my mission to learn everything about tea and taste every single tea, I quickly discovered that I will never be able to accomplish either of those goals. Which means a lifetime of learning and tasting and connecting and building friendships over a world of tea tables. What a life! I had to start my own company both because I wanted the freedom to pursue, evolve, and express myself creatively in my work, and because I didn't want to choose between a vibrant career and being very present for my child's early years. It was a single mom dream to do work I love and not miss out on any of their Firsts.

4) What does your personal tea ritual look like?

When I slow down for tea, rather than just having it on the go all day every day while I'm working, I have a little corner in my home office with twinkle lights and a soft blanket on the floor. There's a shelf at hand with all my gaiwans, tea pets, and a basket of my favorite teas for gongfu service. I have two trays and really enjoy picking out specific pieces to suit my mood. I also like to pair a tarot deck (there are about thirty on a shelf under the gongfu trays) and quietly read cards while I drink my tea.

5) Do you have a current favorite tea?

You know that's an impossible question! I refuse to pick one, but I WILL give you one pure tea and one blended. For pure tea, I'm obsessed with a gorgeous unsmoked Lapsang Souchong from the Lin farm in Fujian China. It's figgy and smooth and the leaf is so shiny! For blended tea, I'm all about our Friday's Evening. South Indian decaf black tea with rose, tulsi, and cardamom. It tastes like daydreams.

6) Where do you draw inspiration from for your blends?

I'm drawn to lush language, bright colors, and deep feelings. My brain is wired such that I literally taste words, feelings, ideas, etc., and I choose to create blends that translate things I find beautiful into tea blends for others to experience as well! Music, movies, books, weather, memories...you name it.

7) Is there anything upcoming this holiday season and beyond for Friday Afternoon Tea that you're excited about?

I'm always excited about everything, so this is gonna be a big yes. We're very excited about our brand new Zodiac-inspired collection, which I think is going to be our most popular gift this season. We're also bringing our CommuniTea Book Club back for a second year, and early next year we are planning to crowdfund an expansion into a secondary storefront with a dedicated production facility! We've really outgrown our little tea house and are excited to have space to do all the cool projects we want to take on (hello, tea advent calendars for 2022), not to mention be able to shorten our turnaround times and take on more wholesale clients. All very exciting stuff!

Tea Thoughts Gift Guide

Do you have a tea lover in your life and want to surprise them with something special? I have a ton of products in the shop that fit the interests of a wide variety of tea lovers! Sometimes when there’s so many things to choose from, finding the perfect gift can be difficult!

I’ve created a guide that will help you cut your search in half and find a great gift!

If you want to view the gift guide as a PDF with embedded links, you can find it below:

Gift Guide with Embedded Links

I’ve also shared them below, using categories that might fit your loved one perfectly!

You can find everything and more in the shop! Please note that several items will be in stock starting 11/19.

The Shop

We all have that friend who hoards stationery, for me….it’s me ! Diversify their stationery with these tea themed items! The wax seal kit adds a classic touch to letters and gifts. The kit includes a was seal stamp, handle and 2 wax sticks, there are also 2 other designs in the shop. Washi tape is so fun to use to wrap gifts, hang small prints and to use in planners! This special stamp kit collaboration between Justine Gilbuena and I features two flowers that we felt represented home - The Philippines and Iran. The kit includes 3 stamp colors, a makahiya stamp and a honeysuckle stamp.

Wax Seals

Washi Tape

Stamps

All Stationery

I have a special connection to gaiwans. When I was first given a tea I didn’t know how to brew, the first guides I found suggested getting a gaiwan and I’ve been hooked every since. The simple design of a lidded bowl enhances the tea tasting for me as there are so many aromas that come through due to the wide opening. The gaiwan is also featured in a lot of my products because I wanted to have gaiwan merch and couldn’t find it so I started making my own! Gaiwan studs and socks allow you to flaunt your love of this brewing vessel and also look pretty stylish :D I also have some actual gaiwans in the shop as well like the persimmon design shown. I also have several different designs on this same style gaiwan.

Gaiwan Studs

Moon Gaiwan Socks

Persimmon Gaiwan + Cup

Especially when it gets colder, we all know that one person who loves to be cozy or to have cozy things. These fuzzy socks are a new addition to the shop and something I’ve wanted to do for the longest time! They are soft and have a fin embroidered piece on the side, I highly suggest pairing these with some leggings or your favorite onesie! The sloth magnet is a great gift for someone who likes cozy and chill vibes! He likes to hang around and really space out that gong fu cha session!

All Socks

Sloth Magnet

Pins are great for collectors and people who love to add some flair tot their outfits! I’m featuring the camellia sinensis, pangolin teapot and sakura pins because I am running low on all of them! Make sure to grab some pins soon as I wont have new or restocks until next year! In addition to enamel, I also have a few wood pins.

All Pins

Matcha and green tea are thins I’ve seen be a huge hit for the American tea market recently. They are sold as health hacks but honestly, they are just delicious! While I don’t drink as much green teas as I’d like I do rally enjoy a bowl of hot matcha or a pot of genmaicha or gyokuro! For the matcha lover I have stud earrings of matcha bowls and a wood pin that makes you part of the chasen club! For all other green teas, I have this lovely kyusu!

Matcha Studs

Chasen Club Wood Pin

Kyusu

Some people collect pins and some people collect teaware! This year, I’ve added lots of teaware to the shop that I either sourced like the gaiwan shown or designed like the bamboo mat and highball glass! This landscape gaiwan is one of the other options of the persimmon gaiwan shown earlier. These have a good shape if you have smaller hands like me as the opening isn’t super wide. The bamboo tea mat is perfect for tea times where you don’t need a tray and need a lot of space for your setup. Highball glasses feature a tea leaf design and are great for iced tea or tea cocktails and mocktails!

All Teaware

Small Business Spotlight: Volition Tea

I’m spotlighting another Chicago business! Introducing Volition Tea! I recently purchased the raw jade, white jade and white peony. The two jade teas are in pillow format which are so lovely. I’ve always had a soft spot for compressed tea. There is something about the ease of it being pre-measured. I can just plop it into my brewing vessel and sip, sip, sip for hours! I love them both but as I write this I am re-tasting the raw Jade.

The dry pillow leaf aroma fills my nostrils with the memories of lavashak - a persian fruit leather type snack. While Lavashak comes in many flavors this aroma reminded me of the lavashak that was made with stone fruit like apricots or plums. Once the water hits the leaves the aroma stays fruity but also almost instantly adds a layer of cocoa which is such an interesting an lovely marriage of scents. The lid of my easy gaiwan changed fruits to a more pear type aroma. Light and refreshing. I usually brew my first steep a little light to taste it but even so the fruity notes with a hint of cocoa really come through well. As I drink these flavors deepen. Truly a spectacular tea!

Volition Tea Co also has several more teas and teaware to brew with as well!

You can check out all their offerings on their site!

Learn more about Annie and Volition Tea!

1) Can you give us a little introduction about you/Volition Tea Co? ​

This is Annie, a proud first-generation Chinese American and founder of Volition Tea Co. I am a huge fan of the food & beverage industry, particularly here in Chicago. I used to have a customized Google Map of all the incredible restaurants and speakeasies in Chicago for my friends and families to try. Volition Tea is a tea company focusing on sharing single-origin, sustainably grown loose leaf teas from China, and celebrating tea farmers who grew and made them. We also let our farmers dedicate pricing so they can ensure their fiscal wellbeing.

2) When did you start drinking tea? ​

I grew up in Xinjiang, the northwest corner of China. The earliest memory of tea drinking I have is with my family sitting in a yurt sipping black brick tea with yak butter. The brick tea is often boiled in a large teapot over bonfire, then yak butter is added in so it tastes like salted milk tea. I can't find yak butter here in Chicago, but my mom and I would still make this tea with butter sometimes and it immediately takes me back home.

3) What inspired you to start Volition Tea Co?

In my prior life I was a tax manager at one of the big four accounting firms. Though I was working on very challenging issues, I found myself craving for deeper connections with others. As hate crimes against my community continue on the rise, I developed a burning desire to do my part to reconnect the world. I chose tea because although it's a household staple, farmers who created teas were hidden behind the curtains from tea brands' marketing. Very much like the fate of Chinese food, much of the western society believes that tea should be and need to be cheap. That expectation forces tea farmers into a vicious circle of heavy fertilizer and pesticide usage to guarantee high yield, in exchange for ever narrowing profit margin that's not fiscally sustainable. Volition Tea is here to break the chain, celebrating our farmers and their perseverance for regenerative farming. Through storytelling, We've been able to form so many deep connections with farmers and tea drinkers around the world. It's been truly a dream come true.

4) What does your personal tea ritual look like? ​

My mornings are always hectic, getting my son and myself ready, and then sending him to school. I usually come home around 9am, that's when I get to start my morning tea ritual. If I've got places to go, I usually steep tea western style. If I am fortunate enough to have some time to myself, then I pick a tea and do it gongfu style, sharing it with my mom and my partner. All of VT teas can offer multiple steeping, so I would drink that tea throughout the day.

5) Do you have a current favorite tea that you offer? ​

My current favorite tea has been the Lu'an Melon Peel. I'm convinced it's my ultimate living-in-the-present challenge. Its flavors are so nuanced and subtle. Drinking this tea forces me to quiet down and focus. If I can be really present, then it always surprises me with a discovery of a new flavor/aroma note. Living in this fast-moving world, I am especially appreciative of this tea that gets me to slow down.

6) How did you curate the selection of teas that you currently offer on the site? ​

The original plan is to procure 2 different teas for each of the six types of tea to give tea drinkers a full range of single-origin tea experience. I worked with my exporter to meet and vet farmers who are in the sustainable farming community, which is fairly small to begin with. We cupped approximately 50 different teas and finally decided on these 7, because the teas are incredibly delicious, they have passed the pesticide residue test, and the relationship we have built with their respective tea farmer is genuine and candid.

7) What are your hopes for the future of Volition Tea Co?

​I have a bold vision that Volition Tea will form a community where tea drinkers around the world demand for high-quality, farmer-focused teas and are ready to support this cause, so that the tea farmers have the market confidence and fiscal security to continue striving for sustainable farming.

Nifty November Update

I’m back to talk about my November Shop Update, Nifty November!

Why nifty? Well, honestly, I like alliteration and I think a lot of the items are kind of nifty!

Mini Countdown Box

As you might know, the advent/winter countdown box sold out in ONE HOUR! This is insane. It certainly helped my fears about it selling that I always have but I know this was upsetting for a lot of people who wanted to box. In the aftermath, I had enough materials to make 5 extra somewhat smaller boxes and send them to those who claimed them first.

For this next update I am going to offer a limited run of mini countdown boxes. It will be 6 days that you can countdown to whatever day you want or open all at once. There will be one piece of teaware, a complete brewing vessel and 5 teas. The teas will be one of each: pu’er, black, oolong, white and green. All will be lovely for this time of year and all are purchased from some lovely vendors!

I do have enough penguin wrapping paper to wrap these up so you will get some penguin wrapping paper if you missed out on the advent!

These will be released on 11/19. There will only be 20 available and will cost $36.

Gold Plated Ear Cuff

I’ve had so much fun designing jewelry that I decided to try something new! I only have one piercing and it’s on my upper right ear. Often, I will wear an ear cuff on my left ear. Originally, I had my simple leaf design engraved on sterling silver ear cuffs but they ended up not showing up enough.

Since these are gold plated copper, I figured they would show up a lot better and they did! Since I still have all the silver ear cuffs, I will be including a free one of those with every order of an ear cuff while supplies lasts!

Cloud Gaiwan Stud Earrings

This year I came out with 2 new stud earring designs and I’m so excited to be able to bring you a gaiwan themed one. I was inspired to include clouds. I feel like clouds get a bad reputation, they’re often seen as something gloomy. They can be gloomy but they can also be so beautiful and I made these gaiwans light blue so that it looks like the clouds are floating in the sky. I hope you love these!

These are made with nickel free silver with stainless steel posts and measure 1 cm.

Cloth Pouch

A small addition to the shop will be these cloth pouches that you can get for $5 each. The are a softer cloth with a pocket, my logo and a string to tie it up. I think they would be great for storing jewelry !

New Packaging

As I design more jewelry, I wanted to create packaging that is a little bit nicer, keep the goods more secure and if you are gifting, make it a prettier gift! Earrings and ear cuffs will now be shipped in these white drawer boxes that are hot stamped with my logo in gold color!

Digital Journal

I’ve been playing around with designing a physical journal but have run into a lot of hurdles and am pushing it back to next year. In the meantime, I wanted to create something for those who are interested. While I am a lover of paper things, this will be a digital journal that you can download in PDF and either write into it if you have adobe or print pages out.

There will be:

-Tea Tasting pages (a few designs) based more on visual aspects like drawing the tea

-Self reflective journal prompts

-Lists to write what is in your stash and what is on your wish list!

Spider Tea Cup

THESE WILL BE BACK IN STOCK, YIPEEEE!