Happy Halloween and Teavana in Chicago

Happy Halloween! I hope you are enjoying the mystery and fantasy of this day! It is one of my absolute favorite holidays. I carved this pumpkin last night, using a power drill. That's a heart with a peace sign inside - not a witch's broom. :-) The DH (Dear Hubby) and I were playing around with exposure times and camera movement.

I hope my nose stops running (the plague of allergies) to let me dress up and hand out candy this evening. I plan to dress up as a witch, but I think the costume is turning into a punk witch sort of deal. Pictures tomorrow...

I want to continue with the Chicago tea trip report and talk about Teavana, in Water Tower Place, right along the Magnificent Mile and close to the Drake hotel. In fact, we visited Teavana twice - once on the way to the Drake and then on the return, to make purchases. Teavana describes itself as a "tea salon." It's a retail outlet for good tea. Teavana employees offer samples as one enters, and this time they were featuring rooibos (African red bush tea, an herbal). The rooibos chai was very nice.

Teavana is a visual feast. The store is dressed in vivid colors and gorgeous tea wares. I love to go in and just absorb the atmosphere.

Orange is my favorite color, so the tea set above really caught my attention!

If you visit Teavana, you may also want to check out the store next door - Crane & Co. stationery. Oh, my - another round of temptations. Stationery is a major weakness for me! I came home with a (small) box of cards. I think I was pretty restrained, given the amount of temptation present at both stores!

Next up, I'll write about the movie Bella, Chicago Pizza and Trader Joe's. (I'm still on the first day!)

Tea at the Drake

The Scene

Opulence is a word that comes to mind when I think about afternoon tea at the Drake hotel. As my Chicago tea travelers and I approached the Drake, it gave us the sense of an old, grand hotel and we weren't disappointed.

The Drake has served tea to the Empress of Japan, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Hillary Clinton and other dignitaries.

The lobby and Palm Court (where tea is served) is decorated with dark wood, gold leafing and giant urns of fresh flowers.

A harpist plays year-round. She serenaded us with old favorites, such as Moon River and Someone to Watch Over Me. I felt like the scene could have been stolen from a Humphrey Bogart film. While the setting was elegant, it also had a rich, dark, masculine feel to it. Several tables were filled with both men and women (tho the men were most often drinking martinis rather than tea).

Afternoon Tea

We enjoyed a glass of very nice champagne with our Afternoon Tea. In addition, we were each served our own pot of tea. A (left) chose a blackberry tea while K (center) and I (right) chose a pear-caramel. All of the teas were good. The tea was brewed British-style, with the leaves in the pot. We poured the tea through a pretty silver strainer which rests on the teacup.

Here is the menu (click to enlarge) and a close-up below of some of the treats.

Finger sandwiches

Scones with jam and cream

Desserts

A funny little side-story...the ladies restroom is beautiful and worth a visit! I entered, looking for the faucets to wash my hands, and was a bit perplexed because I couldn't find the faucet anywhere. In fact, each private stall has its own sink, mirror, etc. One could almost take a nap in there!

To my family and friends (and anyone else) in Chicago - I really do recommend visiting the Drake for tea! We had a wonderful time and it's a lovely, calming setting. If you plan a shower or other type of "event" there, I recommend asking for an extra side table. Our table was pretty small and would not have accommodated gifts or other extraneous items.

A special, heartfelt thanks to A and K! I dragged them all over Chicago to tea places and they went along with great enthusiasm.

More Chicago tea trip writing to come....check back!

So Much To Say!

I've just returned from the Chicago tea trip. Let me tell you, my tea traveling companions tea-partied me under the table! We had a great time and saw so much, including:

• 2 full afternoon teas
• 4 tea bar/cafe/retail-type stores
• 2 cupcakeries
• One great movie (Bella)
• One Chicago pizza
• Several walks downtown and along the magnificent mile
• A trip to Northwestern University
• A visit to the Baha'i temple
• 2 trips to Trader Joe's
• A hunting expedition for "Webkins" that ended in a happy surprise
• A trip to Ikea
• And lots of fun!

I'll be writing about all of this over the next few days. Stay tuned!

Chicago Bound and a Wild Plant!

I'm heading out tomorrow for a girls' weekend to Chicago. I'm so excited! We're going to hit several tea spots, including tea at the famous "grand" Drake hotel. Expect lots of stories and pictures when I return next week.

In the mean time, check out this wild carion plant! We've had it over 2 years and this is the first time it has bloomed. The DH (dear hubby) was a proud papa! By the way, the exotic-looking blossoms smell like rotting meat! (But you have to get your nose up close.) Perfect for Halloween.

Deja Vu

Just a year ago, I wrote about the pleasures of fall and the pain of watching smart, interesting, hard-working colleagues leave the company where I work, due to layoffs. It's the same thing this year. We've had lovely fall weather (including the soft rain, today) and I am mourning the loss of good people from this company. It's frustrating to be in the same position we were a year ago - repeating what I had hoped would be over for a long time. I teeter on the edge of a venting and blaming diatribe, but I will keep myself from going there. Unfortunately for the DH, he gets to hear most of that.

Fall Colors

This week and next will be the height of the fall colors in my little part of the Midwest. And Wow - what a year! I didn't think it would be very pretty because the trees had been very stressed this year with the drought. Mother Nature had other plans. Check out these gorgeous colors! (All photos were taken within a 10-minute walk of my house.)

The Shimmery Thread

Photo by Anna Pieka Valentine









The shimmery thread appears before my eyes like it has conjured itself from thin air. The silky strand stretches from the corner of my laptop, at a 35-degree diagonal, upward and to the right. My eye can only follow the thread a short distance. Then it seems to dissolve into nothing.

I climb on my chair and follow the silvery line higher, but I cannot trace it to the ceiling. The line is taught; there is no slack. I must trust that the connection to the ceiling is intact, tho I cannot see it. There is no sign of the spinner. She is invisible, too.

I try not to move my laptop all day. I want the thread to remain intact. I want it to remind me of the many paradoxes in my life.

That I am strong and delicate at the same time.

That I cannot always see where I'm going or where I've come from, but there is a direction.

That magical, whimsical things can attach themselves to the mundane in my life.

That I may have to adjust my perspective to see them, and even then, I may not see the complete picture.

That the spinner shows herself in all of nature. That I-We have been given both the gift and responsibility to enjoy her and to protect her.

The Single Thread

The single filament appears before my eyes like it has conjured itsef from thin air. The silky thread stretches from the corner of my laptop, at a 35-degree diagonal, upward and to the right. My eye can only follow the thread a short distance. Then it seems to dissolve into nothing.



I climb on my chair and follow the silvery cobweb higher, but I cannot trace it to the ceiling. The line is taught; there is no slack. I must trust that the connection to the ceiling is intact, tho I cannot see it. There is no sign of the spinner. She is invisible, too.



I try not to move my laptop all day. I want the thread to remain intact. I want it to remind me of the many paradoxes in my life.



That I am strong and delicate at the same time.



That I cannot always see where I'm going or where I've come from, but there is a direction.



That magical, whimsical things can attach themselves to the mundane in my life.



That I may have to adjust my perspective to see them, and even then, I may not see the complete picture.



That the spinner shows herself in all of nature. That I-We have been given both the gift and responsibility to enjoy her and to protect her.

Our First Tea Party

My niece (2 weeks old) and I had our first tea party this weekend. :-)
I look forward to many more!

Men and Tea Rooms

Men are in short supply around the typical American tea room, and this is something that I hope changes! My experience in London was that I regularly saw men in the tea rooms. In fact, I had a very nice "cuppa" with Peter, our bus driver, at one of the stops we visited. He and I had a great conversation about soft boiled eggs.

Why don't men visit American tea rooms? Well, some men do. For example, I've convinced the DH (dear hubby) to join me occasionally. But it's a rare thing. I think there are a few reasons.

1. We haven't raised our children with the idea of tea-time being fun and desirable (or even existent). Tea time doesn't have to mean fussy clothes and clean faces. It can mean playing outside and having a picnic tea, or many other such variations.
   
   
2. Tea rooms in the US, by and large, fall into two categories: "Victorian style" with lots of floral things and lace or "hotel style" in the parlor of a nice hotel. In London, my experience was that I found none of the Victorian style. The non-hotel tea rooms were well-appointed, comfortable and lovely, but they were not super-frilly and lacy. They were places both men and women felt comfortable patronizing.
   
   Personally, I enjoy the frilly/lacy "Victorian" tea rooms, but I also think there is a whole market out there for men who may prefer something a little less girly.
   
   I think "hotel style" teas have a head start at getting men to the tea table. Generally, hotel teas occur in an opulent setting, but the setting is more gender-neutral.
   


3. Our American culture has spread the story of tea time as a fairy tale. Tea time can be a magical, fairy-tale experience, but it can also be very sexy, romantic, intimate, fun, playful, silly, goofy, [insert your own adjective].
   
   

I am hopeful that the trend of tea bars and other such retail outlets will expand our potential target market for the afternoon tea.

I am planning a tea trip to Chicago at the end of the month. I'm making plans to have tea at the Drake Hotel. Here is part of an e-mail I received from the Drake - I love it!

"Gentlemen take note: the tea room welcomes you . . . we have a loyal male following who enjoy our hearty dishes, quiet surroundings and soothing music!"

What are your thoughts on this business about men and tea rooms? What suggestions do you have? I'm looking forward to reading your ideas!

And The Winner Is....

Frivolitea has won my tea contest. Congratulations! I had 14 participants, and I'm grateful to each one of you for responding. I entered your names into a hat (actually a bowl) and pulled Frovolitea's name. Here's her answer to my prompt, "Tell me why you like tea (or don't)."

Frivolitea said...
"Tea warms me in cool weather and tea (iced) cools me and quenches my thirst in warm weather. Also, when I need just a little something to consume, it is a lovely calorie-free treat (since I always take it black.)"

Frivolitea will have her choice of two samples from my autumn teas collection. I hope she enjoys!

I tried out the Pumpkin Spice tea this week. It's a very nice fall tea. It smells and tastes of pumpkin pie spices and I get a bit of the pumpkin/ maple/honey smell when the tea has been steeped. It's very good with a dash of honey. I didn't try it with milk, tho I imagine it would blend well with the other flavors.

Here's the dry leaf. It's a lovely mix of tea leaves, flower petals, chunks of spices and dried fruit.

Scrapblog

Thanks to my good friend Wm, I've found a new blogging site - http://scrapblog.com
It's a really interesting mix of scrapbooking and blogging. Tho I will stick with my Blogger account, I may occasionally create a photo collage on scrapblog and link to it here.

Here's my trial run. I found this orange scooter template and knew I had to use it! (The DH and I have an orange scooter!) These photos are from 3 years ago, when we were living in NM.

Also, today is the last day to enter yourself in my tea contest. Add a comment to this blog post and I'll enter your name into the drawing for 2 free tea samples.

Cheers!

To My AZ Friends...

See this review (by Tea Guy Speaks) of a Tempe, AZ tea bar called Tea Infusion Tea Bar and Cafe.

Tea in London 2008

If you were jealous of my Tea in London trip earlier this year, then heads up! Denise has posted her Tea in London 2008 itinerary. It's to be another phenomenal trip! Wish I were going again!

Check it out
http://teainlondon.com/

So Funny and Cute, Too!

Check out this very funny video blog about making a cup of tea! (And Charlie is a cutie, too.)
The video has definite laugh-out-loud potential!

Thanks to Ateava for sharing this.

Also - be sure to read the comments in the 10/3 post about the tea contest. So many poets among us! I am just so honored to read their words. I hope more of you enter the contest!

Tea Contest and Poll Results

The poll results are in! Thank you for voting! Here are the results of how you pick your daily tea. Looks like we're a moody bunch. Ha! It's overcast and rainy looking today. I love days like this (especially when they come every so often, not every day.). Today I'm in the mood for autumn and will be sampling one of my new teas - Pumpkin Spice. I'll write about it soon.

In addition, I'm announcing a tea contest! Leave a comment on this blog about why you like tea (or perhaps why you don't) and I'll enter you in a drawing for 2 free tea samples. My fall teas are in and I'm eager to share! You'll have your pick from:

• Pumpkin Spice
• Lady Londonberry (an afternoon tea with hints of lemon and strawberry
• Black Pearl (a vanilla and jasmine blend)
• Strawberries -N- Cream
• Ice Wine
• Chocolate Mint
• Snowy Mountain Jian (a very gentle Green tea)

Leave a comment, then check back one week from today, on October 10th, and I'll announce the winner. (I may need the winner to e-mail me with contact information.)

Happy World Vegetarian Day!

Image is the masthead for this website: http://www.worldvegetarianday.org/

October 1 (today) is World Vegetarian Day, and I think it's a day worth celebrating! And you don't have to be a vegetarian to celebrate it. In fact, if we all just ate a little less meat, and when we do eat meat if we purchased it from LOCAL farms and farms that produce it humanely, then we'd go a really long ways toward giving our overtaxed planet a little breathing room.

Can you spend the rest of today not eating meat? How about tomorrow? Can you cut down your consumption of meat, in general? I'm not a 100% vegetarian. I'm probably a 95% vegetarian. At home, the DH and I eat a vegetable-fruit-grain-and beans-based diet (we include dairy and eggs). This diet helps me to feel GREAT! I actually feel better when I don't eat meat. I also acknowledge this is not the case for everyone, but for me it works.

The phrase I'm growing comfortable with is a "flexitarian." That means I am flexible in my food choices. At my house, being a vegetarian is not only easy, it's also fun, nutritious, colorful and very tasty. However, when I visit someone else I eat what they serve me with gratefulness. I fretted over this for some time when I began the path of being a vegetarian about a year ago. I decided fretting was undoing some of the goodness of what I have gained, and that's just silly.

I don't believe everyone needs to eat a 100% vegetarian diet, and so I don't have an issue with eating a little meat now and then when it's served to me in the spirit of hospitality and love. What I do believe is that we all, as a species (and especially those of us in developed nations), need to live more lightly on the earth. One primary way we can do that is to eat MORE veggies and fruits, beans, grains and nuts, and to eat LESS meat and highly-processed foods. Your health is worth it. Our planet - our only home - is worth it! I try to think of it like this - it's not a matter of what I can't eat, but rather an investment in myself and in the health of our world. It's not a scarcity mentality, but one of abundance.

I took a class last fall, based on the book by Jane Goodall, Harvest for Hope. I highly recommend the book, tho not all of it is a pleasant read. This book is what pushed me to finally give the mostly-vegetarian lifestyle a chance, and I am so healthy and happy because I did!

Here is what Jane says, "I believe that the single most important thing we can do, if we care about the future of the planet, is either to become vegetarians or to eat as little meat as possible, and that only from free-range organically raised animals."

By the way, this is not an anti-farming post. In fact, I come from farming families. Farmers are near and dear to me. My hope is that the move toward (return to) sustainable and organic farming practices will help the farmer of today. When farmers grow meat in a sustainable manner, they are paid more for it. As the demand for good meat grows, the unhealthy factory farms will diminish. We'll be back to the style of farming that is what draws farmers to it in the first place - the kind where they have a powerful, natural connection with the earth and with the animals.