Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Peace on Earth!

Hi. I want to thank you all for your suuport through out the years. I'm going to suspend this blog for for a few reasons. Some of you know know about the personal turmoil going on in my life and I need to work some things out with regard to this. I also have started my new tea business and really need to focus on it with regard to my time both on and off the computer. Last, I've been inundated with spam comments, which take up even more time during comment moderation. I love you all and would love to see you from time to time on my tea blog. God Bless and Peace to you all!

Sincerely,
Dianne

Tuesday Tea...

First, I want to welcome all my Tuesday Tea friends to check out The Bohemian Tea House. It's my new blog to chronicle my path to my loose tea business. I hope all of you will join and and follow my progresss. I hope all of you are having a stressless holiday season! A lot to ask... I know... but very important!

Now, you all know that one of the things I love is to put together mismatched tea sets and sell them, bead teaballs and foster and adopt out orphan tea cups. Since I'm focusing on opening a loose tea business I thought it would be wonderful if I could do more crafts that relate to tea.

So... what to do with no longer used and cracked teapots???  Make bird houses out of them!

It wasn't my idea, but what a great idea it is! 

I'm going to put some poinsettias around the opening in this one. I'll post another photo when I do.

Here's another... I used wire wrapped with grapevine fibers for this one!

They even have draingage so if rain gets in, it will drain down through the spout! 






Now I'm going to enjoy some of my newly blended Caramel Creme Rooibos and before bed I'm going to brew a cup of my as yet untitled bedtime tea... Don't forget to visit Kimmie to see what my Tuesday Tea friends are drinking!

A Quick Hello!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Good food... good company... good times! I went to two different dinners... Great food at both... but I have to say... the absolute best thing I ate was my hubby's raspberry cheescake bars...   There're soooooooooo good... and there are still a few left. I've been keeping busy working on my new business venture. I will be heading to the Florida Estates Winery next weekend to hopefully sell some of my art and crafts, but I've not been making anything, as I've been concentrating mostly on getting this business going... There's so much to do!

Cool and Groovy Garden Party

This past weekend was my friend Lois' Cool and Groovy Garden Party. Every year just before the holidays, she invites her creative friends to set up in her garden to sell their goods. She sends out invitations and puts up flyers to bring the customers in. We have fun and entertainment and sangria and sell our stuff to wonderful people. 

She has hundreds of items she's made set up all over her house, porch and yard...

in her dining room... and bedroom...
Sorry, but all my pics of the living room didn't turn out :(





in the wooded lot next door... through this gate...

Sorry... can't remember this beauty's name, but here's her stuff!

We set up in the yard... Here's my stuff...

Brenda and Becky's stuff...

We had a wood carver the first day, but I forgot my camera. Entertaining neighbors come and put on a show. Of course they invited Lois up to play the tamborine with them...

It's always so much fun! This year I also set up a tea station for market research. You can read about that here.

This may be my last post for a while on this blog, as I'm really trying to concentrate on getting my tea business up and running. You can follow me at The Bohemian Tea House. I'm even considering just listing all of my crafts in my Etsy shop and only doing tea at events. I'll let you know when I get things posted there.

I'm sure I'll be participating in Tuesday Tea, either from here, or the tea house.



Embarking on a New Journey...

As many of you know I've recently become unemployed after more than 10 years at a regional environmental government agency, more than 5 at a state environmental agency and many years in the private sector prior to that. In this economy, jobs are hard to find, especially for those over 50. My husband has been ill and has been out of work for more than 2 years, making me our sole provider.

So... what to do? I thought about being the full time artist that I've longed to be, but my production of pieces has been sporadic... not enough to support myself, much less myself and my family.  I want to do something I'm passionate about, but don't have much capital for a business start up. I also wanted there to be an environmental element and a social justice element. There also had to be a spiritual connection. So I asked the questions: What am I passionate about? What can satisfy the environmental and human elements? What about the spiritual connection?  The answer... Tea!

For the past few weeks, I've been working on planning the opening of The Bohemian Tea House. I plan to blend, package and sell fair trade, organic teas and herbal tisanes under my own label. Primary sales will be online and at local farmers markers. My goal (besides blending and selling wonderful organically grown teas that help to support workers on the plantations) is to eventually have a mobile tea room selling and serving my own artisan blended teas (and perhaps some baked goods) at venues and events throughout the US, or at least the southeastern US.

I will need your help dear friends... I'll be asking you to answer some questions in future posts as I start my market research. Of course I'll be posting some about the process here, but will be documenting my journey on a new blog: The Bohemian Tea House. I've just now set it up, but if you get a chance later, please visit. And if I'm not posting as frequently on Pieces of D, it's because I'm working hard on acheiving my new goals. Wish me luck and stay tuned!

Tuesday Tea...

Today I'm having Celestial Teas Chai with Indian spices. It's so soothing... Last night I finished and boxed up for shipping my (late) tea box for a swap I'm participating in. Luckily my swap partner is a bit late too. Anyway... here's the box...

I covered a Tazo tea box wth a cocktail napkin in fall colors, lined it with gold tissue paper,

put these great paper flowers on it and trimmed it with some green looped fringe.

Hope she likes it... I packed it with little goodies too! Happy Tea everyone! Please visit Kimmie to see what the other Tuesday Tea participants are up to!

Fake nose not needed...

Just call me Rudolf!

This is what my nose looks like! I was supposed to set up at the Florida Estates Winery today to sell crafts and vintage teawares. My sinuses are so messed up my nose feels like it's on fire! I went through an entire box of tissues yesterday!

I've now been using my stash of soft vintage hankies... use one up, rinse it out in hot water, hang it to dry, use another until that one is dry, then re-use it... and the cycle goes on. So I sit in my warm house in jammies and socks, drinking hot chai tea, blowing my nose...  Hope you all are having a great weekend... Actually, with the exception of having to blow my nose every few minutes... mine isn't that bad!

Tuesday Tea

Short Tea Tuesday post... have been looking for a job, while drinking my usual morning black tea. I went to a job interview yesterday and after the interview, the manager said when they pick the top 3 candidates they will invite them back, one-at-a-time, to meet staff and have coffee. Coffee??? But I don't drink coffee... Oh well.. I learned long ago to carry tea and Stevia with me... So, if I'm picked as a top candidate, I'll go... tea in hand and ask where the microwave is! Be sure to visit Kimmie to see what the other tea drinkers are up to today!

Great Holiday Shopping Idea!

Don't put shopping for the holidays on the back-burner this year! Blurb has an offer to share with you that now through 11/30 you can save 15% off your Blurb order with promo code AFFILIATE15OFF. Here are some really great gift ideas:

Make a truly special gift with the Instagram Photo Book with the photos you've taken with your cellphone.
Gather up those sacred family recipes and create a cookbook perfect for family and friends!
Create a custom notebook for all the kids to take back to school. You can use your family photos or pictures from summer vacation!

Blurb has all the tools and customization for you to make unique gifts for everyone on your list. Please use the text link in this article or the banner on my blog to get to the site so I can get credit for the sale. Thanks so much!

Happy Shopping!

A Review of California Tea House's Lemon Meringue Pie Tea

Oh my goodness! I'm late for tea! I'm just getting my days all mixed up... I spent the day with my friend Lois, planning her annual "Cool and Groovy Garden Party." I thought it was Sunday and she thought it was Monday! It's Tuesday... Tea Tuesday!

Since I'm late, I'm going to repost the review of the latest California Tea House tea I've tried... Lemon Meringue Pie Tea!

The aroma of this tea, when I first opened the pouch, was heavenly! I love vanilla and you can tell it's in there with the lemon grass and lemon preserves.

While waiting for the kettle to boil I admired the lovely color, set off by the lemon grass pieces.

Once steeped, the flavors came to life with the rich red color... I love vanilla and the vanilla beans came through, as did the lemon preserves, to produce a lovely lemon creme flavor.

Rooibos tea has many health benefits.. It's full of antioxidants and is naturally caffeine free. It tastes great iced too! This tea is so good and when Stevia is added, it satisfies my cravings for something sweet. It would make a wonderful dessert tea!

So, the next time I get a hankering for lemon creme cookie sandwiches... I'll just brew a pot of Lemon Meringue Pie Tea instead!

Check out all their teas by clicking on the banner on my blog! Also, make sure to go see Kimmie to visit our other Tuesday Tea friends!

Trick-or-Treat!

I have lots of candy in my witches cauldron...

but the kids have to pass this to get to the door.

Do you think they will???

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Friday Haiku...

Summer gifts remain
to vividly punctuate
intense autumn skies.
DDD2011

For more Friday Haiku visit Haiku my Heart.

Tuesday Tea...

This morning I slept late... which was good... For the last 2 days, my allergies have been so bad... sneezing constantly is exhausting... So this morning I'm sitting here job hunting, blog hopping and researching projects...

I'm drinking my Monkey Paw black tea with Stevia and milk...

from my favorite mug... It's very whimsical and pretty...

Who says a tea bag caddy has to be a tea bag caddy...

This lovely little votive holder fits my tea ball perfectly!

Of course the tea ball is beaded to match the mug and caddy!

Happy Tea Tuesday everyone! Don't forget to visit Kimmie and look at her comments to see what the rest of us are up to!

Friday Haiku...



Summer's lush carpet

is slowly blanketed by

autumn's cool return.

DDD2011

For more Friday Haiku visit Rebecca at Haiku my Heart.

Tuesday Tea... and Dreams...

Do you have a dream? More than one? Maybe an alternate dream in case your main dream doesn't work out? I have a couple... maybe a few... One of my dreams is to have a tea business... blend my own teas and serve them in a cute bohemian tea room... A shack of a store front where I can sell and serve my teas and my art and crafts. I guess I've been collecting for this my whole life... what with my love of teapots and orphaned cups... and thrifting...

I think I'm off to a decent start with a couple of tea sets I've put together... Above is what I call my "Worldly Set." It looks like a combination of different cultures and eras, don't you think?

This is my "70s Bohemian Set." Apart from the Depression Glass "Cubist" pattern sugar and creamer, it's very retro... a vintage Avocado green teapot with raised fruit and some 1970s Avocado green mugs.

You all know I have a whole collection of tea pots and am always looking for more. I think when I finally get to open my bohemian tea shack... I'll be prepared!

Now I'm going to take my chai tea and visit some of your wonderful blogs... Be sure to visit Kimmie to see what everyone else is up to!

Thrift Store Adventures

So... of course while in Dawsonville, GA for my Aunt Marlene's wedding I HAD to visit her favorite thrift store! The Market Place Thrift Store just off GA400 is an awesome place! The ladies there are so nice and so very creative!

I love how they've painted and antiqued several of the pieces of furniture... like this purple desk and reupholstered stool...

and this wonderful green desk and the lamp with the cute, shabby, chenille shade...

The vignettes are so cute...
look at this old chair with the
ceramic acorn and orange shoes!

Artwork is everywhere... like this hunting dog painting...

rose and
duck
prints...

Isn't this red chest
and old door vignette
amazing?

And this old settee... I could see this in my house...

Of course I had to look for old teawares... I'm not sure what you call this, but it's a brass teapot, suspended in a sort of cradle over a burner to keep the tea warm... I was afraid to take it off the self to take the picture!

Old kitchen items...
an old mixer...

and canning jars
in a caddy...

Porcelain figurines... these have fabric dresses that have been coated with porcelain(?)! Aren't they beautiful?

Of course there were clothes and jewelry,
but I tend to focus on home decor items...
like this great purple dresser...

more bird prints and knick knacks...

Love this mosaic watering can!

Isn't this crewel work gorgeous?
My mom taught me to do crewel and floss embroidery...

What an amazing place
and the prices were great!

Being on a severe budget, I only left with some old cigar boxes to alter and a box of cute watch bands to make some cuffs from... but... as long as my Auntie M lives there... I'll be back! You can count on that!









The Market Place Girls are working on a website. In the meantime you can reach them at
marketplacegirls@gmail.com
645 Auraria Road
Dawsonville, GA
678-696-1435