The Tea Recipe Book
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
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 :)
Client Spotlight: Yoga Tea Poetry
I’m changing up the normal spotlight with something new! I had the pleasure of completing a design project for my friend Taniya over at Yoga Tea Poetry! I am honored that she chose me to bring her idea to life through my design and I’m excited to share the result with you and more about Taniya!
This process was amazing, not just because I got to work with someone I already know well but because It was an incredible experience being able to create something that Taniya enjoyed and is now going to have available in her shop! Designing for someone else can be difficult because communicating a vision isn’t always simple. One of the best parts of this project is that when she communicated her ideas, something clicked for me instantly which isn’t always the case. I’m grateful to have been able to give my designing skills a test and provide a way for Taniya to share more of her beautiful words with the world!
Read more about the project below and please check out Taniya’s website!
Direct Link to the Pin
Direct Link to the Sticky Notes
I am hoping to create more designs for tea themed businesses, so if you’re interested please check out my page to learn more!
Can you please introduce yourself and YogaTeaPoetry?
Hi! I am Taniya, I live in the suburbs of Toronto, Canada. I was born and raised in India, and moved to Canada by myself when I was 17. I love travelling, and tea! I manage my anxiety and try to stay connected to my inner being by learning different yoga and mindfulness techniques. I started YogaTeaPoetry during the pandemic as a way to connect with others who love Yoga, Tea, and/ or poetry, and it has organically grown and connected me with so many lovely beings! I now use it as a way to share some of my work with others, and also offer a few products inspired by poetry.
What was your first experience with poetry and what inspired you to start writing your own?
My very first experience with poetry was definitely nursery rhymes, if those count, but I do remember writing stories and maybe even poems when I was 6-8 years old. I participated in a poetry writing competition at my school in grade 5, and won an award. I think that validation made me realize that the words spilling out of me maybe had some power that I was yet to realize. I haven't always had the privilege to be able to express myself openly growing up in a very patriarchal society, so poetry has become the way I express myself. I find it extremely healing to read and write poetry.
Where do you feel tea and poetry intersect in your life?
I feel that tea allows me to slow down in this rather busy world, which then helps me appreciate the little joys of life, and the beauty in everyday things. And that's where poetry comes from :)
Where do you find the most inspiration for your writing?
A lot of my writing is inspired by human interactions, things that are never said but felt, and also a lot from nature :)
Set the scene for us, how do you enjoy writing the most? Is there a specific place or environment that fosters your words best?
I love writing when the rest of the world around me is either sleeping or barely awake to start their day. Some of my favorite poems have been written at 3am in the morning when instead of sleeping, I scramble to find my phone and open the notes app to write the words down before they disappear. My dream writing spot would be a cabin somewhere on a mountain, with a candle or incense lit, light music playing, and some tea by my side :)
Why did you decide to bring these words to life through the unfurling leaf design?
I am so glad you asked! I have been thinking a lot about how a lot of us spend so much of our lives not fully realizing who we truly are. Once we find our voice and our people, there is no stopping us! The words in this design came from a poem I wrote called "Sorry, Not Sorry" and it summarizes a lot of the things I have apologized for over the years when I didn't really have to, when I wasn't really sorry. I tend to drink a lot more Oolong tea than anything else, so while watching the leaves unfurl, and take up the space they rightfully deserve, the inspiration for this idea was born. Now, I cannot draw, but I am grateful to know another tea-lover who did such a FANTASTIC job in taking my very minimal description, and brought the idea to life!
Is there anything you want to share about this poem that the excerpt of words on the design is from?
It is a very personal piece, and I do want to publish it some day. I will share a short excerpt which I hope will resonate with many others too!
"... to tell you the truth
I am not sorry
for the space I take
for standing up for myself
for not wanting to follow traditions blindly
...
I am not sorry
that I exist"
What are your hopes for your writing?
My hope is to continue writing and connecting with others who might be going through similar experiences in life, so we all feel a little less lonely, and a lot more connected :)
Small Business Spotlight: My Tea Places
One of the best parts about social media is the constant uncovering of people and businesses that you feel connected to you! I’m excited to share about another tea shop that I found through instagram, My Tea Places! I purchased some tea from this lovely shop and now want to share more about them with you! Please check out the interview below and to check out their shop, head over here.
Can you introduce yourself and My Tea Places?
I am Luz Boys, the founder of My Tea Places. I live in Northern California with my husband Garrett and our Chief Feline Officer, Geneva. We are passionate about traveling, exploring, and enjoying great teas. Our mission at My Tea Places is to offer premium teas from different tea-producing places around the world, highlighting the unique story of each tea and place.
When was your first experience with tea?
My love for tea first started during my childhood, while drinking herbal tisanes such as lemon leaves, chamomile, and cinnamon with my family. In college, my passion for tea blossomed. I often stayed up late writing research papers accompanied by a fresh cup of tea. Around the same time, I also found an interest in Chinese culture, which only fueled my curiosity for tea and the culture that surrounds it.
What is your daily tea ritual like?
My tea ritual varies from day to day depending on how much time I can devote to it. First, I like to choose a tea set for preparing the tea. I have quite the collection and some are only reserved for certain types of teas, like oolongs. If I have enough time, then I will usually select a gongfu-style tea set. If my time is more limited, then I prefer an easy gaiwan with a sharing teapot. I like to maximize the enjoyment of tea, so I do like having multiple infusions and sharing some with my husband. My cat likes to tag along as well. If the day is nice, I’ll usually sit outside to take it all in. My tea routine keeps me balanced, so I try to prioritize it every day.
What was the inspiration to start My Tea Places?
The inspiration to start My Tea Places was a culmination of many moments, experiences, and passions. Some of the most meaningful moments and conversations in my life have happened around a cup of tea. When I reflect on these moments, I’m warmed by the memories of the people that I shared them with. Because of this, tea holds a special place close to my heart. This led me to start collecting and learning more about tea, growing my passion for it! Some of my other interests have been in learning about people, places, languages, and cultures across the globe. It is one of the reasons why I completed my master’s degree in International Relations. I speak several languages and have traveled to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Ultimately, My Tea Places represents the overflow of my combined passions. I always thought I’d start a Tea Company at some point later in my life, but in 2018 I felt compelled to start realizing that dream, following a Mandarin course I was taking at the time. This led me to the Pacific Northwest Tea Festival in Seattle, then completing the Tea Specialist certification from the World Tea Academy, and participating in a tea business incubator program at the World Tea Expo in 2019. And with much perseverance, I was able to launch My Tea Places in August of 2020. I’ve met so many great people along the way. The tea community is amazing!
What is your curation process like when selecting teas for the shop?
When I first started My Tea Places, I told my husband, “If I don’t sell the tea, then I’ll drink it all myself”. We laugh about this regularly, because it is true, I would drink them all, but it also speaks to my ultimate qualifier of what teas make it into our store or not. The tea has to consistently win me over before I’m convinced to offer it. When evaluating a tea, I have a detailed cupping process where I examine everything from the quality of the tea leaves to the aroma and flavor. I take notes because I will do this process many times and refer back to other tastings. I also do extensive research on the place the tea is sourced from and make sure I’m building a friendship with a reputable supplier that is invested in both sustainable cultivation practices and the well-being of the tea community in the region. I look to my supplier to provide me with detailed information related to the cultivar, crop, and process as well as some of the relevant cultural history or practices. This helps me be able to tell the story of the tea to my clients, particularly during our fun and informative Virtual Tea Experiences.
What do you have currently in the shop that you're most excited about?
I am excited about every tea in our shop. I really could drink them every day. Most recently, we launched our Himalayan Tea Collection with teas from Nepal and India this month. They are amazing! We also have a Tea For Ukraine campaign going on to help World Central Kitchen provide meals to people and pets affected by the war in Ukraine and in neighboring countries. Our Chief Feline Officer, Geneva will match the percentage we will be donating from each tea we sell. We are also encouraging people to donate directly to World Central Kitchen and help in any way they can. This is a crucial time in the world and we want to use our platform to help.
Do you have any upcoming products or projects that you want to share?
I’m looking forward to a few new creative projects that are coming in the future. While they are still in the works, I have to keep them a secret, but if anyone would like to be the first to know, I recommend they subscribe to our mailing list at myteaplaces.com. We typically release certain limited edition teas only to subscribers, since they sell out quickly and we may have a limited amount.
Tea Thoughts Turns 6!
Where did it all start?
It’s hard to believe but I started Tea Thoughts almost 6 years ago! It was May 2016 and I took the leap to finally start an etsy shop. It’s something that I had wanted to do all throughout college but was scared and intimidated by what came with starting a shop. By this point, I had been writing a little on my blog for a few months and decided to have both the blog and the shop.
My shop was called Tea Thoughts Shop, but at the start it didn’t really involve too many tea related items. I was doing a whole range of things that helped satisfy my creative itch. I created custom paintings, calligraphy pieces and even did some wedding items like place cards. I also started making cards by hand, mostly using tombow pens. These cards had tea puns on them and eventually I decided to do more tea themed items to match my blog.
You can see some of the designs I created, I’ve always loved a good pun! I love looking at these photos to show myself how far I’ve come in my designing and lettering skills but am still super proud of what I created back then too.
Running a business of any type is a lesson in research. I was looking up so many different things and teaching myself whatever I thought would help me be more successful. I would watch every free webinar about social media and blogging. Eventually, I taught myself how to use illustrator and started doing more digital designs. Going down this path helped me create designs that I could print on items at a larger scale. One of my first projects was pins! I always enjoyed collecting pins and since they had seemed to come back in popularity, I gave it a try.
Below are a few more shots of my earlier products and first attempts at digital designs!
As time passed I continued exploring new ways to create things for tea lovers and have grown my product offering significantly. Over these last few years, I’ve accomplished many of my goals but because I am still not quite where I want to be I haven’t really celebrated my Shop Birthday all these years. I think a few times, I might have done a sale but seeing how other shops recognize their Shop Birthdays as a big deal made me realize something. It IS a big deal. I SHOULD celebrate another year where I’m still running Tea Thoughts. You know when you’re younger and teachers ask you what you want to be when you grow up? I didn’t know it then but this is that path. I want to be running Tea Thoughts and I AM! So I want to take more time to recognize this!
Lessons Learned
I’ve learned many lessons throughout running Tea Thoughts and I’m honestly still learning all the time but here are some really important things I want to share especially to those who may want to start their own business.
You’ll be surprised what you can google : Pretty much everything I’ve learned from illustrator to setting up an LLC was found through google searches. If you have other resources, great! But if not, there are so many resources free and available.
Stay True to yourself : In the world of social media and trends, this is really difficult but I think there is always a way to keep parts of yourself when following a trend. The most important thing to remember is that there are no other yous and that is your greatest asset in all aspects of life! It’s also personally easier to relate to someone who I find to be genuine.
Be Kind : Everyone you interact with is going through their own struggles and you may not know it so I find it best to approach everything gently and with kindness when possible. Put good into the world. Help others when you are able. One thing I realized is that there aren’t many people out there who are willing to take a chance on you which is why I try to support other businesses whenever I can because it’s what I would have loved when I started out and even now!
Under Promise, Over Deliver : In terms of my business, this is probably one of the best pieces of advice I can give. When you say you’re going to send one product but maybe you’re able to include something for free or customize it in some way, do it. It’s a small effort that will go a long way and it always feels good to have a customer who is happy with their order!
How am I celebrating?
To celebrate, I will be releasing one product on May 5th. This is a special product that I think truly encompasses my progress and my roots in terms of tea. In Persian households, you’ll likely see tea being brewed from morning until evening. You will find the brewing vessel to be a modern version of the samovar in most cases, two tea pots on top of each other. The bottom teapot is a larger metal kettle and the top teapot is a smaller ceramic teapot. Sometimes both teapots are metal but growing up, the top was usually ceramic. These teapots all have a similar shape, short and round with the sides jutting out a bit. They often are lighter glazed or white and more often than not will have some floral designs. You can also read more about my tea roots here.
What will be in the shop birthday release?
In honor of this teapot, I created my own floral version and had totebags printed with them! Besides the design being fitting to my tea roots, this totebag is something I would have only dreamed of having in my shop when I first started! Products like these often have a larger minimum order and cost per piece and it just wasn’t a reality for me when I started. This totebag signifies to me the progress I’ve made and it’s also really cool! The totebag has two types of straps, an outide and inside pocket and a zipper! Due to the complicated nature of the design, these are digitally printed. Digital printing is more eco friendly but the toss up is that if you wash the bag often, the design will fade over time.
Birthday Special!
-As part of the special release, if you purchase a totebag, you will also get a free matching pin with the same teapot design.
-I will also be including a tea gift in the first 15 orders of the totebag! So far I have tea from white2tea, teawala, bitterleaf teas and the qi for these prizes! My Tea Places has also kindly offered to sponsor some tea !
How can you celebrate with me?
If you read this post, let me know what you thought ! Leave a comment or just say hi!
Share with any fellow tea lovers, this post or any information about the Shop Birthday
If you’d like to support the shop directly, you can purchase a tote bag on May 5th
Year of The Tiger Gaiwan Design
We’re already months into 2022 and well past Chinese New year but I am finally getting a few products with a special design on them and I wanted to share with you! As many of you know, this year is the year of the Tiger! When I go about designing different products, I usually am sparked by something in my life. This could be a plant I see, a color palette I like, how I am feeling etc. I rarely create designs based on holidays or other seasonal trends, this is mostly because since I am still growing, I need a larger window of time to sell my products. This is one reason why I haven’t made any designs based off of the chinese zodiac before for example.
When I found out that 2022 was going to be the year of the tiger however, I knew that I might need to make an exception. You see, four of my lovely family members are tigers! How fun to have so many tigers in the family :) My mom, older sister, brother in law and younger brother are all tigers. After some nudging from my mom I decided to make a year of the tiger design. But what I decided to do was to make this design in their honor.
I thought this would be the perfect design to include on my gaiwan series to honor the Chinese roots of the zodiac signs. In the process of designing the tiger, I thought of my family. I went for a contrast that I see in all of them. In their own ways, they are fierce and passionate which is displayed through the tiger’s sprawled body position and open/growling mouth. But just as much as they are all bold, they are gentle and beautiful like the camellia sinensis leaves and flowers that surround the tiger.
I will have a couple if items with this design but the first one will be this enamel pin which will be in my shop on 4/14 ! You can see the design below and find it here when it hits the shop!
April Shop Update Preview!
How is it almost April already?! In many ways I felt like the start of 2022 was steadily moving on and I was grateful for the time but now it feels like it’s moving at lightspeed! I’m in a difficult spot shop update wise because April won’t have as much of a pulled together theme as some of the other months.
I have so many projects in the works that will be releasing later this summer/fall that April will be a shop update of a few items that have surprised me and came in early! But just so you have a look ahead, here are some of the things that are in the works to be released for the rest of the year:
4 new pairs of socks
2 zipper pouches
Tiger Gaiwan Pin
Tea tins
Wood Coasters
Countdown to Summer & Coutndown to Fall & Countdown to Winter /Advent
2 new wax stamps
There are several other items I want to design but they haven’t been started yet (ex. 2 more rings), all items listed have been started or already on their way to me!
Ok, now back to April. While these items don’t have an overarching theme to connect them, I am so excited about them anyway! So far, this shop update will include enamel mugs, tea leaf ring and a metal moon gaiwan bookmark!
ENAMEL MUGS
These enamel mugs or “camper” mugs as you may have seen them be called are an item I wanted to bring to the shop for a while. Way back when, I had glass mugs and then I brought the highball glasses last year. I wanted to bring a mug that was able to take a colorful print and that isn’t as breakable as glass! I also wanted to bring something everyone can enjoy regardless of where you are on your tea journey.
These mugs will have two designs but 3 versions.
Designs 1- Tea leaves with tiny, yellow osmanthus flowers. The body of the mug is white with yellow on the rim and handle
Design2- The terrarium design. Version one is on a mug with a white body and silver rim. Version 2 is on a white mug with blue on the rim and handle.
TEA LEAF RING
This is a ring that features an open body, green stone and leaf all designed by me! My thinking was to have something simple and elegant with a small pop of color with the green. The difficulty with rings is that everyone wears different sizes and as I am still a very small shop it would be difficult to purchase tons of different sizes at this time. I opted for a ring that is resizable. Just as it is, the ring is a size 6 but it can be pinched closed slightly to be a size 5 or opened slightly to be a size 7. It seemed like 6 was one of the most common ring sizes which is why I chose it and the resizable nature allowed it to encompass 2 other sizes as well.
The ring is made of stainless steel. I chose this because after doing a little research it seemed that stainless steel can be very durable as well as cost effective. I wanted this ring to be accessible for everyone as well as having it look it’s best for as long as possible!
MOON GAIWAN BOOKMARK
I was reading a book one day and thought about how many of you I have interacted with that are avid readers and I decided to give a bookmark a try. I have had paper bookmarks in the shop but wanted to try out something else. These bookmarks aren’t unwieldy at the small size of 2 in X 2 in and are made of copper so they have a really nice color. They all come with a white tassel and they are modeled after the moon gaiwan!
Small Business Spotlight: Tea Curious Water
I’m excited to share this next spotlight with you ! Rie, from Tea Curious is another wonderful tea person that I’ve connected with over instagram that has greatly impacted my tea journey. Nowadays, I think most of the discussion happens on discord but I remember watching many live videos on instagram of Rie asking the important tea questions that I didn’t always ask. These live videos always made me curious to experiment and enjoy tea the way I thought it tasted best. Rie and Steven have taken their Tea Curiosity to water and after years of experimenting are elevating our water experience! Water is so important to all aspects of life and tea is one of those things. Their innovative tea recipes can change your tea time and inspire your own curiosity. As I’ve always expressed, experimentation when drinking tea is so fun and also important !
Learn more about Rie & Steven and what they’re doing with Tea Curious Water!
Can you introduce yourself and Tea Curious Water?
Hey, we're Rie and Steven! We're professional tea nerds at Tea Curious, and we help people study tea through our online community and tea courses, workshops, and tours. And now we get to develop tools like Tea Curious Water, which has been a blast.
I actually met Steven while hosting a workshop here in Las Vegas, so we know first hand how much joy and connection can come from tea. And we work really hard to share that.
Anyway, Tea Curious Water is a tool for tea brewers who want more control and confidence when they make tea. It's basically a mineral concentrate -- you put a few drops in your kettle with purified water, and voila! You've made your own ideal brewing water.
This is important since certain waters can degrade the flavor compounds in tea. Just ask anyone who's ever had to brew tea with hard water, or see the difference for yourself:
You can imagine the difference in flavor, haha. There are two recipes:
Original, which brings out more of the bright and zesty notes found naturally in tea (it's also amazing with old tree tea), and
Autumn, which makes things nice and smooth, with a round sweetness, awesome for darker teas.
What first got you interested in experimenting with your tea water?
Oh yeah, when I was first getting into tea... You know how you sometimes order a whole bunch of tea samples because the tasting notes sound awesome? And then when you finally get to brew the teas at home, you can't really pick out the flavors they were talking about in the tea?
That happened to me when I mass-ordered a bunch of teas to try, haha, and when that happens, you don't know if there's a problem with you, or the tea, or the vendor. It was really frustrating, thinking I was doing something wrong even if I'd put in so much effort to brew the tea right.
Eventually I heard through the grapevine that water was important for tea, so I picked up a few bottled waters and did some side-by-sides with my teas. And my mind has been blown ever since, haha.
What did the process look like for honing your tea formula?
You know, at first we were really trying to find the Holy Grail, the perfect water for tea that we could share with everyone. But then we learned that just like everything else in tea, there is no one right answer -- it depends on your individual taste, and on the individual tea.
So we started by studying our favorite bottled waters, brands you hear about all the time in tea: Fiji, Poland Spring, Volvic, and so on. Then we'd formulate our own water with the same minerals found in those waters, making sure our DIY water performed just as well as the brands, with the same natural taste.
Then we'd test our water with as many teas as possible to see how it reacted with each tea type, from HK stored sheng to Jun Chiyabari autumn flush to gyokuro. Finally, from there we made tiny adjustments -- 0.01 grams more of a mineral here to take away sourness, or 0.02 grams there to reduce bitterness -- and we'd coerce family and friends into tasting the differences with us, haha.
Altogether it's been 12 years of experimenting with water on and off, and about a year that Steven and I spent almost entirely on water. Lots of late night experiments, lots of research papers, and lottttts of dishes. ;)
What inspired you to create Tea Curious Water?
We want people to be able to experience their teas with as much flavor as possible. Maybe even the flavors that the teamakers intended. Because if a teamaker in Kyoto uses soft water to evaluate their tea, there's a lot getting lost in translation if we taste their tea brewed in the extremely hard water we have here in Vegas. And that's a shame if, at the last moment, after all the tea farmers, tea pickers, teamakers, and tea vendors have put in everything to make a tea great... the ball gets dropped because the water isn't quite right. That's why you'll find a lot of tea shops and serious tea practitioners rely on bottled water to keep their teas consistent. We made Tea Curious Water so we could stop relying on wasteful bottled water while still getting excellent results from our teas. No flavor left behind!
Are there any water issues that you want to share about or organizations that you find are doing good work to help with water issues?
Absolutely, since as you work with water in tea, you'll inevitably grow your relationship with water in a bigger way too. We should care about the water we use for tea, and we should care about these pressing water issues by listening to people on the front lines and taking action as directed by them.
For example, there's Emma Robbins from Navajo Water Project and The Chapter House, who talks about Indigenous water rights and the treaties broken by the US government, so that today 1 in 3 Navajo homes is without running water.
And the People of Red Mountain Paiute & Shoshone who are protesting a lithium mine in Northern Nevada that would use 7 billion liters of water a year in one of the driest regions in the nation. We also appreciate organizations like Waves4Water, and try to make sure to read not just the materials put out by the international admins, but what the people on the ground are saying, the local leaders like Jenica Dizon who work in their local communities and for whom the work is solidarity rather than charity.
Water affects every community in different ways though, so I hope people can engage with the water issues that are closest to them and in the way that suits them best. For us, we make monthly contributions through Tea Curious Water to various organizations (inspired by Tea Thoughts!) and that just works for us -- integrating what we love with what we should take responsibility for.
What do you see in the future for Tea Curious Water?
I'd love to see the day where friends from different places could bust out the same tea -- let's say the latest oolong from Mountain Stream Teas -- and then brew that same with the same water, so they could have a really similar tasting experience.
We've been testing this already in small groups and it's been magical to see the tasting notes converge between people thousands of miles away. You get the sense that we're really tasting the same tea, and we can learn together almost like we're in person. It's a really intimate feeling. At the end of the day that's what Tea Curious Water is for -- simply set the stage, then let tea be.
Blog Spotlight: Tea Fairy Brigade
Bringing you a special blog spotlight regarding a really special project called Tea Fairy Brigade!
Without giving too much away, you should read on if you love tea, sending snail mail and spreading cheer! I asked the founder of Tea Fairy Brigade, Victoria a few questions to get to know it a little better and how to get involved. Check out what she said below!
Can you please introduce yourself and Tea Fairy Brigade?
Hi there! I’m Victoria. I started the Tea Fairy Brigade in August 2020 as a way to connect with people during the height of the first coronavirus shutdown. At first, the group was mainly about a monthly tea swap, but as I began connecting with the people involved in the swap and thinking about ways to make a positive impact, I started the “tea fairies” to send tea and cards to anyone having a rough time. A year and half in, our 350+ volunteers have sent tea and cards to over 275 nominees (4+ each) in the US, UK and Europe.
What inspired you to start Tea Fairy Brigade?
Like many people during the early days of the pandemic, I felt very isolated. I love tea and was involved in several Facebook tea groups, so that seemed like a good way to connect with other like-minded folks. As the group grew from the initial swap in August 2020, I wanted to create a community that was focused on bringing joy and kindness to others through tea.
What does your daily tea ritual look like?
I’m rarely without a cup of tea! I have a ‘tea corner’ with a shelf of my favorite mugs and a tea cart with all my teas organized by type. At the start of my day, I select the mug I’m feeling for the day and start brewing, usually beginning with a black tea. As the day goes on, I typically switch to herbal tisanes so I’m not bouncing off the walls at midnight!
What has been your favorite aspect of Tea Fairy Brigade since you've started it?
As a participant, my favorite thing is probably meeting new people – I’ve made so many new friends and penpals through the group, I really appreciate the friendly atmosphere. As the coordinator, it’s been seeing such an incredible outpouring of support for nominees from complete strangers. I’m consistently seeing volunteers go above and beyond and that’s really inspiring.
How can we get involved and what is your largest need at this point?
Great question! You can find more info and sign up to be a zero-pressure volunteer on our website, www.teafairybrigade.com. Signing up just means you’ll get our weekly emails. You can participate as much or as little as you want. You can also find the link to nominate yourself or someone else to receive happy mail on our website.
Is there anything else you want to share about Tea Fairy Brigade?
We actually have the fabulous problem of having more volunteers than nominees, so please feel free to nominate yourself or someone in your life who’s having a rough time, and to share our link widely and invite others to sign up. Our volunteers send throughout the US, Canada, Europe and beyond.
Small Business Spotlight: Fin Pin Shop
It’s March and Nowruz is almost here! I’m getting a bit of a late start but I wanted to share a few fellow Persian makers/creators with you this month. First up, is my dear friend Yasmin and her two women team you might have seen me share about on Instagram: Fin Pin Shop!
I met Yas through instagram and we instantly bonded as many do who share the small business joys and woes. We then further connected through our Persian heritage and love of animals. Yasmin is someone I can always count on to talk about our shops and she always finds the best cute animal videos to share with me! I admire her dedication and advocacy to the ocean and all the critters inside it. I’m so honored to feature her on my blog!
Check out more about Fin Pin Shop below!
Can you introduce yourself and Fin Pin Shop?
Absolutely! Fin Pin Shop is run by two women, Jaclyn & Yasmin, who advocate for marine life through ocean-inspired products. We are biologists who love ocean puns and promote an eco-friendly lifestyle. Our products donate to research and ocean conservation while tapping into important messaging, like respecting our oceans!
Diving deeper into who we are individually, Jaclyn is an avid ocean advocate with a Bachelor’s degree from Ohio University in Marine Biology and a Master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University in Environmental Education. She has worked as an aquarist, marine science educator, water quality technician, classroom teacher, expeditions manager, SCUBA instructor, and even a mermaid! She is a volunteer supervisor with her local sea turtle patrol and lives in Florida with her husband, son, and rescue animals.
When it comes to myself (Yasmin), I believe art plays a powerful role in fostering environmental awareness and I create our designs with that goal. I obtained my Master's degree in Environmental Science from Drexel University, and recently my Master of Business Administration, focusing on Data Analytics, from Florida International University. There's three things you learn about me pretty quickly: I love manta rays, cats, and turning everything into puns.
Jaclyn is on the left and Yasmin is on the right!
What first sparked your interest in animals and the ocean?
Oh gosh, well Jaclyn was pretty much a water baby from the start, always drawn to the ocean, even though she grew up in Ohio. Funnily enough we were both born in Ohio! We were destined to meet, for shore. The ocean has shaped a lot of Jaclyn's life, she spent years volunteering for aquariums and zoos, educating and caring for ocean animals.
While I have always loved animals, I felt my need to save ocean life brought on by a specific encounter in my early 20's. One day on a vacation in Hawai'i I found myself swimming next to a reef manta ray, the first one I had ever met! Unfortunately this sweet ray had a large, rusted, commercial fishing hook attached to her cephalic fin (these are head fins they use to scoop food into their mouth). Her fin was more than half gone and the hook looked so heavy. That was the moment that truly set me on this path.
What is your favorite cephalopod :D
Oh I love flamboyant cuttlefish! They are just so fun and fascinating with their color changes and I love when they lift their little arms inquisitively in aquariums!
How do you feel your Persian and Turkish backgrounds influence your art?
I think the perfect example of this influence is in our "lucky eye" designs! This is when I completely unleashed my culture into our designs. We have both a sticker sheet and an enamel pin with the lucky eye, called nazar bonçuk in Turkish. This blue eye symbol is regarded as a protection against envy and jealousy, to bring good luck and repel the bad. In Turkish culture, it’s worn as beads, jewelry, displayed as wall ornaments, and even found in mosaics outside of shops. I believe this is also prevalent in Persian culture as I've seen these blue lucky eyes on display in both my Turkish and Persian family member's houses growing up. I have had a lucky eye on my wrist or worn it as a necklace since I was a baby so this was something I was extremely excited to bring to Fin Pin!
https://finpinshop.com/products/lucky-eyes-sticker-sheet-sharks-rays-octopus-fish
Where is your favorite place to find inspiration?
I am so inspired by what I sea in aquariums and out in the ocean! With Instagram being such a big part of my business, I also find inspiration from others around the world on that platform. I consistently stumble across the most FINcredible footage of ocean species which make me want to pick up my Apple pencil (wish I was sponsored, lol) and start drawing!
What do you have currently in the shop that you're most excited about?
We just released a huge set of 7 sea turtle pins which donate 20% back to sea turtle conservation and research with Inwater Research Group! Each purchase of these pins support research and education programs critical to the continued survival of sea turtles today and for future generations!
Do you have any upcoming products or projects that you want to share?
Oh gosh we are working hard on a new character, Munch, who is a Mola mola. This cute little fin (friend - I know we go hard on the puns! lol) has a little chunk missing, which honestly feels relatable to us in 2022. We went through so much the past couple years but still, we persevered. We are currently developing scrunchies and other fun products with this little fin we created, and we are so excited!
Here's our first Munch product! Soon to be on our website :)
