taking a cue from Weezer* February 7, 2008

I used to have a problem… I was a secret tea lover, and what made it worse- I can’t stand coffee. When I was is school I felt guilty about not liking coffee and did everything to try and like it. I doctored it up with every sweetener and creamer I could get my hands on, but it remained simply a functional drink. I drank it when I needed a quick wake-up, but I never enjoyed it they way I loved tea. I always had teabags laying next to the coffee, and that was what I’d instinctively reach for, using the coffee maker simply to heat the water.

I have no idea why I felt so guilty about my love of tea, and it most certainly wasn’t something I’d stay awake torturing myself over, but there was something about not being crazy over coffee that made me feel as though I was a poser in the “art student” clique. Over the past couple of months I’ve come to embrace my tea loving self, and by embrace I mean a full-on bear hug. For one I’ve become obsessed with tea sets. So much so that I’ve been scoping out china cabinets so I’ll have a place to display all the pretty little sets I will (one day) collect. To add to the matter, my friends and family have totally indulged me in my obsession.

Exhibit A:

this is the tea set my mother bought me for christmas. It’s color is closer to a celadon green, and it has a full 4 cup, 4 saucer set. For some reason I insisted that a tea set *must* come with saucers, and she humored me enough to go to several stores to find a set (this really is a testament of love, seeing as how my mother can’t stand shopping under the best of conditions). I haven’t gotten a chance to really use it, but an Alice in Wonderland party is in the works, once the weather will permit croquet and the like.

Exhibit B:

This is the adorable tea-for-one set my best friend got me. It is not only a tea pot

But also the cup that fits together perfectly. The pot also has a strainer so it’s perfect for loose leaf tea. Which brings me to the last item:

Teavana is the best tea company I’ve come across so far. I stumbled across them at the mall one day, and they had a “free sample” display, and who was I to refuse them? In the past I’ve been discouraged from flavored teas that tasted as though dried cherries (or whatever) had been added as an afterthought, but this stuff tastes like everything belongs in this perfect medley of deliciousness. My favorite so far is the Masala Chai, and it all is reasonably priced. I’d definitely recommend this for anyone who’s looking to upgrade their tea stash.

Up next: an FO or two, and the fruits of a productive snow day

*anyone confused by the title should listen to Weezer’s “‘The Good Life” on Pinkerton.