Sipping Shelves For End of the Day Comfort

Recently, after a long day at work, I came home in need of a simple luxury – a treat, if you will – because my mind was still racing, but I was exhausted. And before I knew it, the remedy for such a moment was sure at hand – a hot cup of tea.

As I opened my cupboard, I realized that one of the greatest simple luxuries was having a wide array of tea choices to select from.  Just the simple scent lofting from the shelves made me smile, and I could immediately sense my stress floating away.

“Tea: A drink that relieves thirst and dissipates sorrow.”

I couldn’t agree more with this quote, and whether you are a coffee or a tea fan, to a have a shelf of quality selections that you have picked up along your travels is an opportunity to not only enjoy a moment of relaxation, but to revel in sweet nostalgia as well.

More importantly, it is the action of taking the time to slow down and savor what you are sipping that is in many ways something to strive to keep in your busy schedule.  As the days pass by quickly and seemingly in a flash, the choice of sitting down, pausing and savoring the end to each day is a ritual that I richly enjoy.

Whether you ritual is something you partake in during the wee morning hours or the middle of the day, give yourself the permission to take time out for yourself.  Your body and your mind will thank you.
Some of my favorite ways to enjoy my cup of tea in the evening:

Snuggled up in my favorite armchair with blanket at hand

A Leisurely Magazine Within Reach to Peruse Through

With Fresh Flowers Somewhere Nearby

And My Dogs By My Side

Out of curiosity, how do you enjoy ending your days? I’d love to hear.

Images: (1) Source (2) Source (3) We Heart It (4) We Heart It (5) We Heart It

Why Not . . . Revel in Simple Pleasures?

Sometimes an abundance of “stuff” is simply too much.  Life isn’t about how much one can acquire at the point of farewell to our lovely planet; it is about moments, memories, and finding more of these moments of pleasure and happiness than the alternative.

One of my favorite magazines, The English Home, inspired me with regards to today’s post.  After sharing a handful of English simple pleasures, I began to think, what events, moments, or things would I consider simple, yet at the same time bringing an overwhelming amount of pleasure?  Here are a few that immediately came to mind.

Fresh Flowers

The farmer’s markets in the area are about to begin, and I can’t wait.  One of my favorite finds during the first few weeks are the bundles of peonies that can be picked up for quite a bargain.  What amazes me each time fresh flowers are brought home is that change in the mood of the decor and the inhabitants.  Something oh so simple, yet full of pleasure.

Breakfast In Bed

To wake up without an alarm clock and then to be quickly told not to get out of bed because breakfast will be served shortly – heaven!

Four-legged Friends

Yesterday, I was talking with a colleague about the joy our pets bring into our lives.  They really are daily reminders as to how easily life can be enjoyed if only we would stop fussing and fretting.  Who else can we depend on without fail to come home to and be greeted with so much enthusiasm you would have thought the queen was coming to visit?  And happiness, just take your pup on a walk, and they’ve found nirvana.  Too many times we make it more difficult than it needs to be when it comes to searching for happiness. Most certainly something to think about.

Blankets, Books & Goodies

Cuddling up with books, magazines or a worth-while news article, accompanied with a cozy blanket and something sweet to nibble on  - my definition of a lazy and pleasurable day.

Time Alone

I came across a quote recently that stated “One can be alone, without being lonely” and while I find this to be absolutely true, it’s funny how so many people fight having time to themselves.  They say they crave it, yet when given the opportunity, usually don’t know how to be comfortable with it. Feeling comfortable being with one’s self is an acquired skill, but the key to being comfortable with it, is being comfortable with who you are and finding peace in that.  Bravo to you if you’ve found your peace.

Afternoon Tea

An opportunity to meet with a friend,  leisurely conversation, hot tea and treats as well  - the Duchess of Bedford — one of Queen Victoria's Ladies in Waiting – definitely came up with a grand idea to overcome the “sinking feeling” one often feels in the late afternoon.

Click here to read part two in this series for a list of even more simple pleasures you may wish to indulge in.

Oh, how I can’t wait to bask in one of these pleasures soon. So what are your simple pleasures?    I can’t wait to hear!

Images: (1)  Oscar Falk (2) Source (3) Source (4) Wet Behind The Ears (5) Source (6) Oscar Falk (7) Source

Cups of Tea (4/4 – 4/10)

Sunday, Sunday. Welcome Sunday!  It is my sincere hope that your week has been filled with wonderful surprises, both big and small.  Often times we rush around so hurriedly that it is easy to forget the things in our lives to be grateful for.   A few things I must say that I am grateful for are my continued access to a warm cup of tea, new magazines to flip through and the time to enjoy the sun as it streams through the windows. What might you put on your list of things to be grateful for this week?

As you ponder this thought, have a look at this week’s Cups of Tea.  Here’s what I have in store for you:  an opportunity to bring more calm into your life, simple bits of inspiration to improve your fabulous life even more, a scrumptious something special to nibble on, a bit of nostalgia and a suggestion as to why it is okay not to have all the answers all the time.

A quick heads up - next week’s Cups of Tea will reveal my next giveaway, so be sure to stop back by.

 

1. A Vacation of Calm

Often times our lives become so encumbered by technology that we forget the beauty that nature has to extend to us if only we open our eyes.  Located in Tennessee is the  BlackBerry Farm which offers seemingly endless opportunities for guests to take a breath and get away from the hustle and bustle.  Erin of Elements of Style shared this past week a bevy of images both of the interior and exterior views one would have the pleasure of basking in upon arriving.  This might be a place you’ll want to bookmark for an upcoming vacation when you just want to get away from it all.  Have a look.

 

2. Be Inspired to Grow  

In search of some inspiration this week, I came across a post on Life Hack that prompted me to take out my own pen and notepad to scribble down the many suggestions one might attempt to improve their lives.  Celestine, of The Personal Excellence Blog, wrote a fascinating guest blog suggesting simple ways in which we can slowly, but surely, create the life we have envisioned for ourselves.  I have a feeling you’ll find at least one or two ideas you’ll want to jot down as well.  Have a look.  

 

3. A Slice . . . Maybe Two?

Once again, Deb of Smitten Kitchen has shared with her readers a recipe I couldn’t just click past.  I immediately saved this delectable and eye-catching New York Cheesecake recipe for what will hopefully be successful dinner parties in the near future.

 

4. A Bit of Nostalgia  

A blog I have been following for a couple of months now and intensely enjoy because of all the memories it conjures up of my own trip to Paris is the HiP Paris Blog.  A handful of writers have teamed up to create a beautiful collection of visits to favorite restaurants, events, sites and simply share experiences had in the famous City of Lights.  The post I selected to share this week was written by Tory Hoen titled “Bravo L’Américaine” in which she describes some of her first experiences having arrived in Paris.  Oh, the memories it brings back. 

 

5. Have Patience

This week Elements of Style is showcased twice, but I just couldn’t help myself.  For many of us, certain quotations grab us due to the events that are going on in our lives at that particular time, and while I am always striving to be more patient in all areas of my life, I felt I would drive it home a bit this week by sharing this passage with you.  I find it to be very true and something to keep in mind when I feel that things just aren’t happening according to my “life plan”.  If you would like even more inspiration click here.

Images: (1) - We Heart It  (3) We Heart It

Lovely Decadence

Friday has arrived and with it hopefully something sweet for you to enjoy – a date, time to unwind and relax, a quick weekend getaway, spending time with family, or dressing up for a special gathering.  Rest assured, if you don’t know where your “sweet” is coming from this weekend, I have just that certain something for you.

After all, it is Foodie Friday, and while chocolate chip cookies seem to be the most favored of all cookies, I thought I’d share something different with you that takes it up a notch.  How does a decadent cookie with not two, not three, but four different chocolates sound to your ever weakening sweet tooth?

Last year, while flipping through The Oregonian, I came across this recipe in Tuesday’s FOODday section. It originates from Sara Perry’s cookbook Deep Dark Chocolate: Decadent Recipes for the Serious Chocolate Lover, and it immediately became one of my favorite cookies.  These particular cookies are so rich that I honestly can only have one, but one is enough because you will savor each lush bite of chocolate upon chocolate as it overwhelms your palate.


Chocolate Cookies With All the Chips

Ingredients

• ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ¾ cup white chocolate chips
• ¾ cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ t. baking soda
• ¼ t. salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 t. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or leave it ungreased.
2. In a small bowl, mix semisweet, white and milk chocolate chips, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
3. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy. Add brown and granulated sugars an beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until well blended, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla until blended.
4. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until just blended, again scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat or fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
5. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake until set and the tops have lost their sheen, about 12 minutes. (Because the dough is dark, the first batch will be the key to when the cookies are done.)
6. Let the cookies firm and cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

You must be warned.  This is a special cookie.  Meant to be savored, relished and, if you’re feeling generous, shared with someone special. 

But you must have on hand either cold milk . . .

. . . or something warm.

To my readers, thank you for coming by.  Your comments this week have been very much enjoyed and seeing simple reactions to each posts says just as much. I hope each of you is able to find something sweet in your every day life.  Because if these treasures can be found, the extraordinary events will be all the more special. 

Images:  (1) We Heart It (2) We Heart It

Happy Accidents

 

 

"All things are ready

if our

minds be so."

-William Shakespeare

How many times have you stumbled upon something that now you can’t imagine yourself living without?  Maybe one of the many things you discovered included your newfound passion or hobby, a fabulous shade of nail polish, a vacation spot you will never go a summer without visiting, or a confidante that if gone, would leave a void in your life. 

Whatever it might be that was found, some people emphatically offer a reason - serendipity – a fortunate accident. But was it really an accident? 

This weekend my mother had elective surgery and was in the hospital for one night.  While I knew she was going to be perfectly fine, in fact, even more so upon recovery, I couldn’t help but imagine my life without her.  While I’ve always known my life would not seem right if she were gone, I began to look a little closer at all of the serendipitous realizations she has brought into my life. A few are listed below.

Tea is my drink of choice.  Having always wanted to visit Victoria, British Columbia, and specifically Butchart Gardens, my mother convinced me a couple of years ago to take a vacation and discover why people oh and awh when discussing this lovely destination. (Learn more about our trip by clicking here.) Had I not taken this voyage with her, my predilection for tea may never have begun.  I have such beautiful memories of our trip, and in its own way, having  my daily “cup of tea”  keeps this memory alive – it’s doesn’t hurt that it’s on the healthy side either.

My house is my dream home.  Had it not been for my mother wanting to “just see” the home I currently live in while I was house hunting a handful of years ago, I would have most likely never discovered it and immediately fallen head over heels in love with it.  (Learn a bit more about my first impression, by clicking here.)

My spaniel boys.  I’m speaking of the four-legged spaniels, of course.  Being that she is my mother, she knows me, and she always has her ear tuned for something I might like.  Well, both of my dogs came by way of my mother learning about them needing a good home.   For the unconditional love and continual daily happiness they bring, I am forever grateful.

But the question still lingers, were these really happy accidents?  Or would I have come to these realizations and made these discoveries on my own eventually?

I believe it is neither, and I refer to the quote above.  A happy accident is comparable to luck.  One must be in a position to recognize an opportunity when it comes along, and while it may seem like luck at the time, it is actually being in the proper place, so that when it lands in your lap you know what to do with it. 

“Self-sown flowers provide a lot of serendipity, which is one of the reasons people garden. When they come up, it's a delight.”
-Renee Shepherd

Serendipity occurs when you are looking for something in particular.  This doesn’t mean that you find what you are looking for, but you find what you didn’t know you needed, what you didn’t know would fit into your life so perfectly,  or what you didn’t know you could use to make your life more enjoyable or easier.

"Serendipity is the faculty of finding things we did not know we were looking for."  -Glauco Ortolano

Had I not been house hunting, my mother’s suggestion would have never been made to see the house in the first place.  Had I never went on the trip to Victoria and been curious and excited about dining at High Tea at The Empress Hotel, I would have never had the pleasure of such an amazing experience.  And, lastly, had I not wanted dogs in my life, the mention wouldn’t have been made.

It truly is all about providing opportunities for yourself, opening yourself up, allowing yourself to experience that certain you-know-not-just-what yet.

"Serendipity. Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you've found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for."  -Lawrence Block

I challenge you this week to reflect a bit on all of the “can’t live withouts” in your life and try to recall how they came into your life.  Did some of them seem at the time to be a fortunate accident?  Or were you allowing yourself to receive these wonderful occurrences with an open mind and heart?  And my second challenge to you is to continue to search, to learn, to keep an open mind.  After all, you never know what you might find if you always continually keep looking through the open doors and windows around you.

Have a beautiful week full of many happy “accidents”.

Image: NY Magazine 

Tea Time!

Recently one of my close friends mentioned she was putting together a tea party for her young daughter’s upcoming birthday and asked if I had any ideas.  I immediately was taken back to when I would go through my box of “dress-up” clothes as a young girl and pretend I was quite the proper high society lady.  I can still remember the pink satin dress, trimmed in flashy silver tinsel-like ribbon.  While it was a hand-me-down-dress from a second hand shop, it meant the world to me.  Goodness gracious, it was a dress after all, and a long, fun-to-touch dress at that.  I felt so beautiful, especially with the long white satin gloves – oh those were my favorite.  There were other dresses that my friends and cousins would wear, but I always snatched this one up first, along with the gloves. 

Now I don’t recall if we ever actually had tea, but we felt we were dressed appropriately for a high tea gathering most certainly.

So what exactly are the essentials when putting together a tea party?  Well, below are a few of my ideas for either adults or children. Have fun perusing and getting lost in lovely nostalgic moments. 

First of all, as I mentioned above, set the tone by dressing for the part as Annie Leibovitz has posed the characters of Alice and Wonderland in Vogue.  Oversized dresses for young girls, mother’s heels and costume jewelry galore, and for grown-ups, why not dress to the nines?

A beautiful photo in Country Living does a fantastic job of demonstrating that fabulous decor doesn’t have to be matchy-matchy. Grab a tablecloth from a thrift shop, along with tea cups that catch your eye.  This way if they break, you haven’t spent an arm and a leg. Oh, and don’t forget to use cloth or linen napkins, all the more seemingly elegant and proper.

As for the food, finger food, finger food, finger food.  Cucumber sandwiches anyone?  The Ultimate Weddings blog posted ideas for a wedding reception that revolved around the theme of a tea party.  Click on their link above and read the article for even more perfect ideas to style, arrange and plan for a tea party on any budget.

And who can forget dessert?  If it were up to me, dessert would be the first course. Cupcakes are a great finger food that allows for creativity, preferences of taste and style that matches the theme.

Even if you don’t live in New York City and can’t stop at the famous Magnolia Bakery, you can create some memories in the kitchen with your helpers as they get to decorate their very own “piece” of dessert.

And to top off an already enjoyable time, purchase some flowers or pick them from the garden to adorn the table.

Hopefully this list covers most of the basics of what will most certainly will be a grand time had by all.  

What are your must-haves at tea gatherings that you’ve attended, either as a child or as an adult?  I would love to hear!

And to to Emily and Sophie, may your high tea be a splendid event! 

Images: (4) ioffer (5)tearex(6) Martha Moments (8) Style Hive (10) duet – weddings (11) image shack

Tea Find!

An unexpected gift was given to me today by a rather delightful acquaintance. Isn't it just the way that the best gifts are the one's you don't expect and turn out to be something you truly will use?

(TAZO: Zen -green tea -The Vert - full-leaf tea)

Every morning, my tea of choice is TAZO's Zen green tea with lemongrass; well, I was reminded of my all too frequent routine when the gift I received was TAZO's new Zen - green tea, but the difference was they are now sachets with full-leaves (picture of the new packaging above). I had no idea, but it was nice to be reminded that there are thoughtful people among us who simply want to make someone else's day a little brighter. I cannot express fully how much this meant to me. Thank you friend.

So as my pleasant Monday was winding down I decided to try out my new tea with in my favorite tea cup and saucer. A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to travel with my mother to Victoria, Canada. The Butchart Gardens were a must-see on her list, and rightfully so, because she was born with a green thumb. She had always spoken of this locale, and for far too many times I wasn't aware of the magnitude of this place until we finally arrived. Awe inspiring, truly. I was constantly wracking my mind for ways in which I could incorporate just a small handful of their beautiful ideas into my own yard. The time, effort, energy, planning and care that it must take to create the vision you see in each of the gardens was something I'll never forget, but the most unforgettable thing was the delight it gave my mother. I am just so thankful I was able to experience that moment with her.

While visiting Butchart Gardens was one of primary destinations, we also made sure we visited The Empress Hotel and made reservations in advance for High Tea.

(The Empress Hotel in Victoria Canada during daylight.)

(Nighttime)

(High Tea is now being served!)

Upon having the opportunity to have tea, we purchased a cup and saucer (picture below) from the Library's collection. I often use this set when I want to savor particular moments, events or simply to stop time. Regardless of whether they are big or small moments, I've found that taking the time to make the effort to use such beautiful things helps set a more appreciative mood. So this evening, I'm having a cup of my new tea in my favorite tea cup. Here's to kind hearts. May we all continue to gather more of these people into our lives.

(The Fairmont Empress Hotel -Library collection tea cup and saucer)

A Savory Sunday Morning

The weekend is coming to a close and with it the end of my holiday vacation. While I am filled with a bit of melancholy, I am also thankful to have had the time to ramp up for the new year, become focused on what I want to accomplish this year, and be reminded of everything I have to be thankful for. I feel re-energerized and ready to take on whatever 2010 has to offer and maybe offer a bit of extra pizazz myself by adding a little of my own elbow grease.

So I decided to start this last day of leisure with a warm cup of tea, Charles Osgood and CBS Sunday Morning, and my dogs curled up by either of my sides. Hopefully you too can find time to drink in the restful moments before we all jump head first in to what I know will be a exquisite year.