Laini's Ladies

I'm a big fan of Laini's Ladies. These gals remind me to find whimsy and joy in my everyday tasks. The beauty above was a gift (thank you!) and the one below (smaller version) is something I picked up for myself a couple of years ago. Artist Laini Taylor (see her blog) is pretty amazing, too!

I'm sharing these as inspiration for your own creative dreams! What might you do if you had wings?

Green!

Fresh green daffodils poking through the ground, green buds on the trees, St. Patrick's Day... GREEN is on my brain! I had a friend over for lunch recently and we had a loosely-themed St. Patrick's Day tea.

I used my Old Country Roses china because it has such gorgeous emerald green in the rose leaves and stems.

We started with edamame for its gorgeous green. It's one of my absolute favorite foods, and so healthy, too. If I had to choose between scones or edamame, it'd be a really hard choice. At that's sayin' a lot!

We also enjoyed a vegetarian version of Cock-a-Leekie soup, minus the cock, of course - so it was potato and leek soup.

For the scones course, we had Irish Soda Bread Scones. The recipe is in the recently-released book Celtic Tea with Friends, by Elizabeth Knight. (I adore this book, by the way.) I changed the recipe a wee bit to use whole wheat and honey, instead of white flour and sugar.

We had a very simple dessert, Dolfin chocolate with Konacha green tea. Wow - very good! I've had other Dolfin chocolates with tea, and this is my favorite so far.

Tea Quilt

This tea quilt is one of my favorite things!

The quilt was a gift from my dear friend, AZ Tea Lover, when I moved away from NM. It has kept me warm through several Midwestern winters! I bundle up with it in my "tea cozy corner" and enjoy a few moments to myself. And a Happy Birthday to AZ Tea Lover!

She's CrafTEA!

I'm excited to introduce a new concept today: She's CrafTEA!TM

The picture above is from an invitation I'm making for a birthday party/craft day at the end of the month. I'll be doing more with this concept (and making some artwork related to tea), but I've been in love with birds lately and wanted to include that in my theme.

My party will be like an open house. I'll be doing crafty stuff from 11 - 5 and have invited friends to join me whenever they can. I'll be serving afternoon tea, buffet style, at 3.

Won't you join me? If you're interested in holding your own She's CrafTEA!TM party in the future, I give you permission to use the name. In return, please write about it on your blog and link to mine. I'll provide a link in return. And your party doesn't have to be like mine - it can be whatever you envision. In addition, if you're working on crafty projects this month, I'd love to provide a link to them, as well.

Happy March!

Orange Skirt

March is National Craft Month in addition to Women's History Month. I'll be sharing some crafty things over the next few weeks. Here's one - another skirt! Same pattern as this one. The fabric is vintage (thanks, AZ Tea Lover!) I love this skirt!

The Teashop Girls and Whole Wheat Scones

Sometimes I find gems in surprising places! I'm always on the lookout for a good whole wheat scone recipe. These recipes aren't that easy to find. I recently found one that I love, in a novel for young adults! The novel is called The Teashop Girls and is written by Laura Schaefer. See the official website here.


The story is about Annie, an 8th-grader. Annie convinces her parents to allow her to work part time in the teashop that she adores, run by her grandmother. (Grandma Louisa is my favorite character - she's a hip gal!) Annie and her gal pals (the Teashop Girls) struggle through growing pains, crushes, and manage to rescue the teashop from demise. It's a sweet and touching story. Given my recent discussions about positive-message books for girls, I give this one a thumbs-up. It gives a fairly accurate depiction (as I remember it) of the struggles of middle-school, while allowing the girls to work things out and be the heroines.



Now back to those scones....

They are fabulous! One of the best whole wheat scone recipes I've found. And I love the name: Louisa's Very Best Spiced Blueberry Scones.

Since this is a relatively new book, I'm not going to post the recipe (staying true to my recipe attribution policy). However, you can find the recipe for yourself if you check this book out from the library or pick it up at your local bookstore. (It would make the perfect gift for a middle-schooler in your life.) I replaced the sugar with honey and used skim milk instead of half-and-half. And they were so yummy!

If you've read this book, please leave your thoughts on it here!

3/17 update - check out the Tea Pages' review with this author! Go here.

Quilts!

I had the opportunity to attend a fabulous quilt show in my hometown this weekend. And then, with a bit of serendipity, I found a showing of antique quilts in my community, too. Wow - both shows were awesome! The quilts below are from the quilt show. (Photos a little dark, sorry - it was the cell phone cam.) Unfortunately, I don't have photos of the antique quilts.

My favorite one (above)!

Twilight Review - Grab a BIG Mug of Tea!

OK, Twilight fans, this one's for you, and I want your opinion! Grab a BIG mug of tea and settle in for some deep contemplation, and leave me your thoughts!

I've finished books one and two of the Twilight saga. Book three should be here from the library any day now! I read them voraciously. I enjoyed them. I think author Stephenie Meyer and I must both have been in love with Johnny Depp, in Edward Scissorhands because when I picture the Twilight Edward, I see the Scissorhands Edward in my head!

The books have been a super-huge hit with the tween set (and their moms)! The books have also been subject to a lot of criticism, both from a literary perspective (holes in the plot) and from a feminist perspective. I clearly see the plot potholes, yet they don't impede my enjoyment. The feminist issue is of more concern to me. Over the weekend, I was talking about the books with a group of girlfriends, and one friend asked me about the feminist concerns. I've spent the last few days thinking about it, and here's my reflection.

• It's a paradox. I really like the books. Yet I do have concerns, too.
  
  
• Bella is far too wimpy for my preference. She's presented as clumsy and insecure. True, lots of girls her age identify with that. And yet, I would have liked to see her represented as a stronger lead. (BTW, I found the movie Bella to be more to my liking than the book Bella.)
  


• The love story transcends logic. That's part of what draws me to the book. I like fantasy, and tie that up with vampires, and I'm a gonner. I just love vampire books! So for me, this story caught and kept my attention. However, others have criticized the love story for being too out there. Obsession, not love. I don't have an issue with this part of it. It is, after all, a fantasy.
  


• Bella gets pushed around by the boys. This was distasteful to me, even while caught up in the reading frenzy. Edward can be very bossy, and so can Jacob. She immediately takes on the role of the house-daughter for her Dad. Here's a criticism from Sue Corbett, a children's author."Bella is constantly in need of getting rescued. She moves in with her father and immediately starts cooking for him and doing his laundry. She's on track to go to an Ivy League college, but doesn't because of Edward. It's the exact inverse of what I'm trying to teach my daughter." I wonder if that's why they have Bella and Dad eat out in the movie. Stephenie Meyer counters by encouraging readers to get through the whole series. "The thing about Bella is her story isn't finished yet."
  

I'm going to finish out the series, and I'm certain I'll enjoy the last 2 books. If I had a daughter, I don't think I'd keep her from reading the books. But I would have some girl-power conversations about Bella's choices. That's my 2-cents. Will you share yours?

Books with Positive Messages for Girls

I think these books would be a great start to giving positive messages to our young girls (and boys!). I'm showing the Amazon link (unless otherwise noted), but I bet many of these are at my local library, too. Note: I haven't read any of these - just the reviews. If YOU have recommendations for other books (etc.) with positive-girl messages, please leave the name in a comment!

Call Me Madame President - By Sue Pyatt. "This is the story of Amanda, a delightful, imaginative eight-year-old who hasn't any trouble envisioning herself as President of the United States and longs to show her older brother a thing or two. The story is told against the backdrop of Washington, D.C. with all the splendor and charm of the famous places. It is obviously a timely and uplifting book for girls from three to eight years and their families. Perhaps it is particularly uplifting to little girls with troublesome older brothers."

The Girls' Book Of... - (Link to author's site.) Series by Catherine Dee. Topics include Girls' Book of: Wisdom, Friends, Love, Success, Life.

100 Women Who Shaped History - By Gail Meyer Rolka "This selection of 100 profiles reveals how much women have done to shape history. Beginning with Queen Makare Hatshepsut (c. 1503-1468 B.C.) and concluding with Rigoberta Menchu, still actively involved in human rights issues, the concisely written profiles span history and place each woman's accomplishments within the context of the society in which she lived. As a bonus for readers who enjoy trivia and challenges, Rolka includes a trivia quiz and a list of related projects. A time line, locator maps, cross-references, and an index are planned. With those promised additions, the book, while not inclusive, will be a must for women's history collections." Patricia Braun, Booklist

33 Things Every Girl Should Know about Women's History: From Suffragettes to Skirt Lengths to the E.R.A - Edited by Tonya Bolden. "Begins with Abigail Adams's 1776 letter to her husband, 'Remember the Ladies,' proceeds through Charlotte Perkins Gilman's groundbreaking 'The Yellow Wallpaper' (excerpted) and includes thoughtful reflections on other leading women, such as Patricia McKissack's fictional essay narrated by Charlotte Woodward (the only woman in attendance at the Seneca Falls convention still alive to exercise her right to vote). Period photographs, quotes, timelines, bios and varied typography give the volume an attractive, accessible feel." Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Girls Rock! Fifty Years of Women Making Music - "When Leah Hinchcliff played her guitar in a fourth grade talent show, a male classmate said, "You can’t play guitar because you’re a girl." I'm not sure what age this books is for - so read the online descriptions.

What good "girl-positive" books do you know of?

A Tea-Partying Feminist

*Rant warning*

I have a card (like a calling card) I like to give out that describes me with various phrases, including: feminist, swing dancer, computer geek, and tea consultant. I'm a tea-partying feminist. I enjoy sewing and baking and love to wear skirts. And I'm very concerned about women's rights and equalities. I think these various parts of me blend well. Feminist isn't the "F-word" and it certainly doesn't mean I hate men. I hate discrimination. And tea parties fit well into the feminism world. Tea parties are, after all, an historical tool women have used to organize for causes. (I'll be writing more about that later this week.)

I'm declaring this to be Feminist Week on my blog. The topics will cover various aspects of feminism - through my filters. And I'll make at least a couple of connections to tea, as well.

If you don't like the label "feminist," it's OK - but keep reading. I know that you're concerned about the equality of our sisters. For example, just yesterday the NY Times published this comparison of earnings between men and women. The data comes from the population survey for 2007 and includes at least 50,000 responses for each sex. Move your mouse over the dots to see the differences. I'm practically screaming from my chair. I know all about the "opt-out" to have babies issue and why it impacts the numbers. And I think that's bunk. If men had the babies, do you think they'd earn less? In addition, a whole bunch of women don't have the luxury to stay home with their kids, or have healthier balance to their lives by working, or just enjoy the work stimulation! Second, an increasing number of us are choosing not to have kids (me included). I'm sure this opt-out business does impact the numbers, but I'm even more sure that there is institutional bias in the mix.

I am fortunate to have been raised in a time when the way for women has been pretty easy. I grew up under Title IX sports. Even though I didn't play sports in high school, I had girlfriends who did. I grew up always thinking I would go to college. I've always thought I was just as smart (often smarter) than the boys. In some respects, I've had it pretty easy thanks to the hard, hard work by women (and some men) who've gone before me. The question is this - Is that enough? What about the women who come next? What about my niece? There is much more to do. Because even though I've had it pretty easy, I have experienced discrimination and other messages that say "you can't" because I'm female.

For example, when I was a young girl, about 10, I thought I wanted to be a vet. Not a small-animal vet (dogs/cats), but a large-animal farm vet (horses/cows). I mentioned this to our family vet one day and he told me I should consider dogs and cats because I was too petite to work on large animals. I didn't want to work on dogs and cats, so I gave up the idea. My little 10-year-old self accepted that lie. The truth is, there are lots of women vets who work on large animals, regardless of the size of the woman. It's more about technique and tools than heft. The family vet was well-intentioned, I'm sure. But it's no excuse. I don't want anyone to tell my niece that she can't be whatever she wants because she's... too small, too big, too smart, not smart enough, too pretty, not pretty enough, a girl. This is just one story. There are others.

I think that's enough for today.

Tea at the Office

Hard at it at work today. Got a lot to do, but I like finishing the week with a sense of getting stuff done! I can be such an over-achiever. It's a blessing - and then it's not. ;-)

I am very, very blessed to have my office in my home these days, but it wasn't that long ago that I worked in cubicle land.

I still managed to have nice tea there. My work mates and I were fortunate to have a break room on each floor, equipped with super-hot water spouts. I had a small teapot at my desk, a small strainer and a mug with a lid. (A lidded mug was a safety requirement. No loose hot liquids.) I would make myself a pot of tea in the afternoon, to keep myself going. I generally chose green teas b/c the temps from the hot water spout were about right for a green.

I still smile when I think of the looks I got and conversations I had about my tea time. Many were curious about my tea routine. Some just chuckled. Others asked for a taste.

If you fit tea into your work routine, how do you manage it?

Happy weekend! Raising a cup to you!

Images from corbis.com

China Beauty Rings

The dry leaf of this Chinese green tea is just so pretty. I love the shape and texture of this hand-shaped tea. The tea comes from the Sichuan Province - Mount Meng Region. The tea is picked in March and April, so it is a fitting tribute to Spring.

I love the color of the steeped tea. It's a soft peachy-gold, looking just fabulous with this cup and saucer. The flavor is toasty.

While steeping the leaf unfurls yet maintains some of its curled shape. It's such a textural treat to watch as it steeps! It moves around as it opens.

The Crocus

THE CROCUS

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Beneath the sunny autumn sky,

With gold leaves dropping round,

We sought, my little friend and I,

The consecrated ground,

Where, calm beneath the holy cross,

O'ershadowed by sweet skies,

Sleeps tranquilly that youthful form,

Those blue unclouded eyes.

Around the soft, green swelling mound

We scooped the earth away,

And buried deep the crocus-bulbs

Against a coming day.

"These roots are dry, and brown, and sere;

Why plant them here?" he said,

"To leave them, all the winter long,

So desolate and dead."

"Dear child, within each sere dead form

There sleeps a living flower,

And angel-like it shall arise

In Spring's returning hour."

Ah, deeper down cold, dark, and chill

We buried our heart's flower,

But angel-like shall he arise

In Spring's immortal hour.

In blue and yellow from its grave

Springs up the crocus fair,

And god shall raise those bright blue eyes,

Those sunny waves of hair.

Not for a fading summer's morn,

Not for a fleeting hour,

But for an endless age of bliss,

Shall rise our heart's dear flower

Turkish Tea

I love exploring tea customs from across the world. There is both depth and expanse to tea. It is a study in world cultures, for certain!

I am fortunate to live in a University community, which means I have access to fabulous ethnic restaurants. The DH and I are both adventurous eaters, and we love exploring new places. Having said that, one place we go to repeatedly (and there aren't many repeats for us) is a Turkish restaurant. Of course, one of the highlights for me is the Turkish Tea.

Turkish Tea is made and served in stacked teapots. Hot water is made in the larger pot, and a concentrated tea in the smaller pot on top. The tea is served by pouring some of the concentrate into a glass cup and then diluting with water. It's a very visual feast!

Until...

So Spring is here, and it isn't. The DH and I celebrate the first day of Spring on Feb. 1st. That's the time when gardeners in my area begin to notice subtle changes. The light changes, the ground warms a wee bit, trees stir, bird song is louder, etc. AND it's a long time from Feb 1st to the warmer days of traditional Spring. So between Feb. 1 and March 21, I have devised strategies to get myself through. I've been taking full advantage of all of them of late:

• Walking in the sunlight
• Flower-spotting adventures; I'm happy to report we saw our first crocus blooming this week!
• Eating blueberries I've frozen from summer picking
• Cutting branches (quince this time) and forcing them to bloom inside; mine now have fat green flower buds. I expect them to bust out with flowers soon.
• Looking at seed catalogs
• Planning a camping trip with the girls and a week-long bike tour with the hubby
• Forcing bulbs in pots and enjoying their beauty and aroma. (See hyacinth photos. The first hyacinth flower peeked out at me on Wednesday. Potted daffodil bulbs will bloom in a few weeks.)

How do you manage spring fever?

This is actually my favorite image of the set; I like the blurred lines

And more to come!

Grandma's Pin

This pin (which is actually a cameo - it's hard to tell) is from a clip-on earring set that belonged to my grandmother. I loved this set, but probably wouldn't wear them as earrings. (They are heavy! How did women do that?) But I LOVE this as a pin! And I love having something of Grandma's with me!

Do you have jewelry from a family member that you love? Or something that you've re-purposed? I'd love to hear about it!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Book by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The setting is London and Guernsey (an island in the English Channel) in 1946, just after WWII. The story unfolds via letters, a format that I love. Juliet Ashton, a main character, is a writer (from London) with an adventurous spirit and a deep, deep love of books. (She called off an engagement over books! My kind of gal!) She forms a relationship with a book club in Guernsey and decides to tell their story about the Nazi occupation.

I found the book to be very witty and funny, and at the same time very serious. The subject matter is a tough one - the nightmare of Hitler's actions. The authors don't let the reader off the hook. While much of the book is light-hearted, it's anchored in the very real need to survive atrocities. And some people didn't. In addition, the authors don't make it easy to form clear lines of good and bad, even among the German soldiers. Oh, and there's a love story, too!

I am always grateful about a book that opens my eyes to history and challenges my perspectives. This one did just that.

The book left me with a deeper sense of the importance of thinking for one's self. Read this book. And thanks to MEP for the recommendation!

Menu for a Thank You Tea

I've already shared the recipe for Blood Orange Hearts, but I wanted to pass along the rest of the menu from my recent "Thank You" tea. I kept the menu simple because I needed to be able to pull this together quickly. It was an after-work tea. We also chose herbal "teas" since it was evening.

Savories:

• Squash soup (Soup made by the DH with squash and pumpkin, both from the local CSA)
• Blood Orange Hearts
• Sprouts with rosemary butter on honey-wheat bread. (The DH grew the sprouts, too. He's a one-man sprout industry in the winter.) Aren't those sprouts just the cutest?!!?
• Pesto Puff Pinwheels (Pesto also made by the DH, from basil we grew. The pesto freezes soooo well!)
• This course and the scones were served with Hurricane Herbal from Tea G. Unfortunately, this blend is discontinued.

Scones:

• Treacle scones with butter, the real deal
• Dates stuffed with pecans (and toasted - so simple and YUMMY!)

Desserts:

• Blood orange sections
• Brie and strawberry jam in puff pastry cups
• Chocolate-covered almonds rolled in matcha. These were tasty, but next time I will use dark chocolate. I used semi-sweet. I think dark chocolate will pair even better with the matcha.
• Served with honeybush tisane

A Thank You Tea

I've just had the joy to share a supper tea party with a friend. She had recently taken some pictures for me and I wanted to thank her. It was her first official tea party (with real tea party foods), and so it was fun, fun for me to plan!

Our menu was special in two ways: 1 - I made up several of the recipes and 2 - I used many things that were either locally grown or grown by the DH! More on that in a future post. For today, and in honor of Valentine's Day, I want to share with you my recipe for the sandwich I've named Blood Orange Hearts. Blood oranges are offered only for a limited time each year (which is now), so give this a try soon! This sandwich has just become my new favorite!

Ingredients:

• Honey whole-heat bread (I made this from scratch a week earlier and froze it, tho purchased bread will work fine)
• 4 oz cream cheese (I used "light" cream cheese; it was also the softened kind, which I find easier to work with)
• 1.5 Tablespoon honey (I used local, wildflower honey; you can adjust the amount of honey to your taste - I go lightly on the sweeteners)
• Zest of a blood orange, some in tiny shreds and a few longer pieces for garnish
• Dash of ground ginger powder

Mix the cream cheese, honey and ginger powder. Stir in the blood orange zest (use as much or little of the zest as you prefer). It's good to make this a few hours ahead, so the flavors can meld. When you're ready to make the sandwiches, thinly slice the bread. Cut into heart shapes and reserve the cutoff pieces for another use. (I gobbled them immediately.) Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the bread and add a heart dimple in the corner. If not serving immediately, cover with a lightly damp cloth and store in an air-tight container.

Awake in the Present

It's windy, grey and stormy here today, surrounded by bits of sunshine and blue sky. A dramatic day in which I get lost in the skies and see my life unfold in a moment. Here's a poem that seems to fit today, and all days.

~by Thich Nhat Hanh
You must be completely awake in the present to enjoy the tea.

Only in the awareness of the present,can your hands feel the pleasant warmth of the cup.
Only in the present, can you savor the aroma,taste the sweetness,appreciate the delicacy.

If you are ruminating about the past,or worrying about the future,you will completely miss the experience of enjoying the cup of tea.

You will look down at the cup,and the tea will be gone.

Life is like that.

If you are not fully present,you will look around and it will be gone.

You will have missed the feel,the aroma,the delicacy and beauty of life.

It will seem to be speeding past you.

The past is finished. Learn from it and let it go.

The future is not even here yet.Plan for it,but do not waste your time worrying about it.

Worrying is worthless.

When you stop ruminating about what has already happened,when you stop worrying about what might never happen,then you will be in the present moment.

Then you will begin to experience joy in life.

*Photo from corbis.com

Sweets for the Sweetheart

I recently learned to make this cute little cupcake bag and gave it to my sweetheart niece for Valentine's Day! My other sweetheart, the DH, didn't think it would work too well for him, though he did contemplate wearing it as a hat.

The bag is fast to assemble and is padded. Perfect for a busy toddler. It's cushy and bright and just so cute. Almost as cute as the little one below. Sweetcakes taught me to make it, of course!

A Bite of Summer

The weather has been jumping around in extremes this week! Last Sunday, we saw a sunny day and warm 50s temps, and then in the middle of the week, we were back into extreme lows. The kids had a late-start at school because of the low temperatures. Then yesterday was nearly 60 degrees! All of this bouncing around is a bit of a roller coaster ride. The hardest part, for me, is getting a taste of spring - and knowing it's not truly here yet!

To comfort myself, I busted out some homemade strawberry freezer jam and ate it on crackers. Oh, my. It's just so good!

Web Roundup

I've found some great things on the web lately, and I thought I'd share.

Recessionistas. A friend sent me this link, b/c she thinks it fits us! We LOVE going to consignment stores and resale shops. I very seldom pay full-price for any clothing. And, if I can find a gem that's second-hand, well even better for the planet! Buffalo Exchange rocks!

Restyling clothes. On the same note as above, I love how the author of the Angry Chicken blog restyles clothes. Just brilliant! I've yet to try this, but I'm on the lookout for a potential.

Fat Quarter Month. Sew, Mama, Sew! is running a month of Fat Quarter projects and related info. A fat quarter is a different way of cutting the fabric and can be useful in many situations. A fat quarter is 18 x 22 inches, instead of 9 x 44. Read this for more info.

Philigry. I don't know how to knit, but Philigry inspires me nonetheless!

Spooners. Do you know what they are? I didn't, but I think they're fun!

Don't drink this before a drug test. In bizarre news....just read it yourself.

Now it's your turn. I'm in the mood to go exploring. It's COLD outside and I'm feeling a bit cooped up (tho I did go for a great walk yesterday in 18 degrees). Help me beat the winter blahs by leaving me a fun link to check out, tea-related or otherwise.

Cookbook Holder

I've been on the lookout for a cookbook holder for some time, so I was very happy to find the one above! I ordered it from a Jr. High student selling things to make money for a school trip, so I can't list a source for you.

In addition to the cute tea theme, I also like that this is collapsible. It fits neatly into the cabinet.

Here it is with my hefty Moosewood cookbook, the one that never stays open!

Tea for Bad Days

I'm having a bad day. It started out fine enough - I got up, exercised, had a good breakfast. Then things fell apart over a breakfast conversation. The DH didn't let me out of facing something I wanted to avoid. Bless him. I'm trying not to growl at him. It's not easy.

Off to work, where things are changing like shifting sands. The minute I think something is stable, everything adjusts. I'm in a bad mood and I fear it's getting worse. I'm eating lunch (at my desk) again. I'm having to work very, very hard to stay engaged and positive. Blah blah. I'm not ungrateful, tho. In this economic nightmare, I regularly say thanks for the job and I do not take it for granted.

Grumble. Grumble. Grumble.

I finally pull myself away from the corporate drain long enough to make a mug of tea. No cup and saucer for me today. I'd be a hazard to it - I might slam it down too hard and chip or break it. If my mood could design a mug, it would create one like above. A sturdy mug is necessary to handle this mood. I'm drinking Genmaicha tea. I want to find the perfect angry poem to match my mood, but none appears.

Maybe I have PMS. Maybe not. But aren't we all entitled to a mug of bad day tea every now and then? I hope to get to a place of peace, like the picture below, soon. Until then, I'll slam down my chunky mug.

*Images from corbis.com

Red Mittens

Sweetcakes just gave this adorable work of functional art to me. I love it!

First, check out the wonderful packaging. Orange is my favorite color, and red is definitely in my top 5.

Can you feel the anticipation building?
Red mittens! These are made from felted wool sweaters. Just sooo cool. And, very warm!

The insides are snugly and soft, since they're lined with fleece.

Thank you very much!