~The Ivy Leaf~

We've moved!!!!

2009-05-15T09:30:00.001-07:00

Remember on the last post that I said the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlour had a new owner? Well, I have spoken with her, and she would like me to continue blogging for the new tea shop, The Baron's Tea House. So......... I have moved to a new blog. Click here to visit! Stop by and add us to your followers page so you can keep up with the weekly trivia questions and a chance to win a free sample tea each week!

See you there!
Lori

Updated information

2009-05-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm still alive and well! I wanted to update you all on some changes that have happened this year. First of all, thank you for those of you who visit and take my trivia quizzes. You always make my day when you visit.

What has changed is the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlor is no longer owned by Elaine, nor is it called The Ivy Leaf any longer. It is still a tea shop though and is named The Baron House Tea Parlor. I have not had the pleasure of meeting the new owner yet, but I am looking forward to it very soon. With end of the year homeschooling well under way, I've hardly had the time for my own business, Ellenay Designs. But, this is what I've decided for now. I'm going to start blogging here as a tea enthusiast. I will report great teas to try, delicious recipes, places I visit that are noteworthy etc. I will still do my trivias and give aways for those of you still interested in participating. As a matter of fact, here's your next trivia question:

What taste is used to characterize the finest Darjeelings?

The winner will receive a sample size of my favorite loose tea. To enter, just comment below with your answer. If there are more than one correct answers, the winner is chosen through a random number system. The winner closest to that number wins.

To all the Moms out there, I wish for you a wonderfully blessed Mother's Day. These roses are especially for you!

Warm Hugs,

Lori

p.s. to take a look at my jewelry, please visit : ellenaydesigns.com or my blog: ellenaydesigns.blogspot.com. thanks!

Happy New Year!!!

2008-12-30T16:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2009 from the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlor! As I sit here sipping my Coconut Dream tea-(delish!!) I was reminiscing about my year with regards to tea. This was my first year blogging for the Ivy Leaf. I started in May, and it has been such a fun, rewarding pleasure for me. I absolutely adore tea and all the aspects of it. I have learned soo much and I hope to learn a lot more. Secondly, I love the ladies at the Ivy Leaf-Elaine and Robin. They are the best! My Teasday excursions there are the highlights of my week. We have such sweet fellowship together in the kitchen sipping tea and tasting Robin's baked goods. We have had times of sadness, like when I was so worried about my sister who was sick. Elaine and Robin held my hands and we prayed for her together. She is now on the road to recovery and I know times like those helped her. There are happy times too where we laugh and just enjoy the day. The Ivy Leaf is the special place I take my girlfriends, mom and sisters for any occasion, or just to show them a wonderful time and have "girl-time". It holds a special place in my heart because it's the place both my sisters and I went to have one last tea before they moved away. The Ivy Leaf is a unique place that once you discover it's charm, it never leaves you. You look for reasons to visit again.

Another highlight in my year was getting to go the the Jane Austen Regency Tearoom in Bath, England. My husband ordered us a pot of the Jane Austen blend. He thought it only fitting. It was perfect and I loved every minute there.

It was a special year and I look forward to posting all about tea and the Ivy Leaf. The Teasday trivia has been a lot of fun. So, here's the very last Teasday trivia question of 2008!

What vitamin in tea actually is known to make people less sensitive to noise and clamor?

The Chinese say: "He who drinks tea forgets the noise and unrest of daily life."

It's always with a little sadness but a sense of renewed purpose that I watch one year slip into a new one. I think about the things I didn't accomplish that I wanted to and I always without fail write out my resolutions for the new year. Maybe the time for the things we wanted to do, but didn't, will come exactly when they were supposed to.

I wish for you all a happy, joyful and most of all, blessed New Year!

Warm hugs~

Lori

III John 2

Happy Thanksgiving from the Ivy Leaf

2008-11-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

Cagle Creations~ new at the Ivy Leaf

Tea strainer~19.99

I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful Thanksgiving week. I am so looking forward to a few days with family and just being thankful for all our blessings. We, as a country, are so blessed. We have so many things that we complain about, but if we stop and think a moment, we will realize it could be so much worse. For every complaint, we could think of five praises. So, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

New at the Ivy Leaf is my absolute favorite candles! She has 41 scents and they are all wonderful. They are all soy, dye-free and last for hours upon hours. They are all hand-poured by Deanna of Cagle Creations. She has many Christmas and holiday scents. One that I love is, Wassail. It smells exactly like the Wassail my sister used to make every year.

Last week, we did not have a winner, so I am keeping this trivia question up until somebody takes a stab at it.

I want to thank each and every one of you that takes the time to stop by the blog and answer the trivia question each week. I know it's a busy time for everyone with the holidays right now, so stop by when you have a minute to relax and take a little breather from the hurried season. We'll be here waiting for you with a cup of tea and soothing music.

I'm leaving you with some beautiful Christmas scenery and gift ideas from the Ivy Leaf to enjoy....

With warm thanks,

Lori

I feel it in the air-Christmas is coming...

2008-11-11T20:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas is already here at the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlor! It is so beautiful. I love this time of year. It absolutely brings out the child in all of us, doesn't it? What could be better than a plate of cookies by the fire, looking at a beautifully decorated home sipping your favorite spice tea. Just thinking about it makes me excited and looking forward to doing just that. I am so excited to decorate this year that I may break with our family tradition of putting the tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving and do it earlier. Every year I try to think up something sentimental to do for gifts. I have a lot of books so I could browse those for ideas. Anybody do something special like that they'd like to share? My sister blew us all away one year by having quilt tops our grandmother never finished made into quilts for all of us. She did them herself and included a photo of our grandmother on a beautiful tag included with it. I love things like that.

Our Teasday question last week was about a Zhong. The answer is: It is used to denote a covered cup, this word has now come to mean a mug, with or without saucer, with a lid.

For next week's trivia question: Besides caffeine, there are two other principal chemical ingredients in tea. What are they?

The winner of last week's trivia by random drawing is Hanri from Laundry basket case! Thanks so much for playing!

I can't wait to try all the Christmas teas and spice teas for the holidays. I will give you my top picks in the next couple of weeks.

Have a wonderful week!

Hugs~

Lori

Teasday Morning

2008-11-05T06:18:00.000-08:00

I was so wrapped up with the election last night that I forgot Teasday! I apologize.

I wanted to let you know that my jewelry will be at the St.Simon's Episcopal Church craft show in Ft.Walton Beach, Fl. this Friday and Sat. from 9-5 on Fri. and 9-3 on Sat. We will have on display a beautiful article about the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlour as well as my custom tea themed jewelry that you will be able to purchase at the Ivy Leaf also. If you do come to the show, and you mention this blog or the Ivy Leaf, you will get 10% off your entire purchase! You can also pre-order custom tea themed jewelry. If you missed the last post, my tea themed bracelet was featured in this month's Romantic Homes magazine! (It's on page 27.)

I was at the Ivy Leaf yesterday and was so amazed at all the beautiful Christmas decorations! It's gorgeous!! You have to stop by and take a look if you get the chance. I will be blogging about it next week since I forgot my camera yesterday. I will show it all to you then. Especially for those of you who are too far to visit in person, I know you will be inspired. It put me in the Christmas spirit already!

We have a little announcement about our etsy shop. We do not technically fit the requirements of etsy because it is for handmade items. Unfortunately, we will have to remove it. We will however, be finding out how we can best offer our delicious teas and tea themed products to you from this blog. I know several of you have wanted to purchase teas from here, and we can still do that. Just know that within a week or so, we will have to remove most items the way they are now from the etsy shop.

Our Teasday trivia was answered so well by Becky!! Thank you! You are our Teasday winner! You are a lucky girl to have a Vixing teapot! Please email me your address and I will get your free sample tea to you. On that note, some of you that have won in the past have not gotten your addresses to me. If you know you were a winner and never received your tea, please email me at: ivyleaf@cox.net. I will get it right out to you! Thanks!

For next week's trivia question: What is a Zhong?

I wish for you all a wonderfully blessed week.

Lori

Exciting Teasday News!

2008-10-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

Blue willow song bracelet

I bought a new teacup today at the Green Apple antique store in Crestview. I love it! I thought I'd share it with you as my show-n-tell item for today.

Flavor I had today-so delicious!

This is a very exciting week for me because I am officially in my first magazine! As many of you know, I am actually a jewelry designer who is obsessed with tea. My jewelry blog is listed on the left, Ellenay Designs. I made some tea themed jewelry for an online shop friend awhile ago and it was chosen for the December Romantic Homes magazine hitting stands this week! I'm thrilled! For those of you who subscribe, it's on page 27. It's called "Blue willow song." They showed only the reverse side and not the blue willow teapots and cups on the other side. Either way, it's there! You can go to my blog here to see the picture that will be in the article.

If you live locally (Crestview, Florida) you can purchase these pieces in the tearoom at The Ivy Leaf very soon! Ask Elaine or Robin if you would like to pre-order them now.

On to Teasday! We have a winner.. it is Karen! Thanks so much for playing. We've missed you. So sorry you haven't been feeling well. A brown betty is the traditional brown teapot from clay native to England which has particularly good warming capabilities, usually glazed on the outside and unglazed inside, although modern ones are glazed on the inside as well. Look for the A mark on the bottom of the pot.

For next week's trivia question: What is a Yixing Teapot and why is it special?

Have a wonderful week!
Lori

Teasday Traditions~

2008-10-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

Vintage Victoria
Jane Austen inspired jewelry

Mote Spoon~ Taken from the Dutch word mot, meaning "dust." It is a pierced spoon with a pointed end on its handle used to stick into the spout of a teapot to scoop out wayward leaves.

Thanks to Jillian for trying to answer! That was funny! You are the winner, Jillian.

For the teasday trivia question for next week: What is a Brown Betty?

When I was about 16 years old, I became obsessed with Victoria magazine and the entire Victorian idea. I took pages out of the magazine and stuck them to my ceiling in a checkerboard pattern. My Mom and I would lay on my waterbed and talk while looking at all the gorgeous pictures. It was so relaxing to look at, I just couldn't look at them in the magazine only once. It seemed like a waste to me. My Mom and I still talk about those times and how nice and relaxing it was. We always had classical music playing and if it was winter, we had the thermostat on the waterbed turned up so it was nice and cozy. I love those memories with my Mom. A good tradition to start is having daily tea together. Even though we do not live in England, there's no reason we can't enjoy that tradition. Now that the weather is cooling off, it's even more convenient. You just seem to crave something hot and delicious in the afternoon. I promise it will be a memory your family and friends will cherish and will be glad they have in the future. While vacationing a year ago in the mountains of North Ga., my Mom and I found vintage Victoria magazines in a 5 and 10 shop. They were from the very years we had enjoyed them soo much. I bought every single one. Flipping through the pages brought back soo many memories. It was a very special find for me and I will cherish them forever.

If you have a special memory or tradition, with the holidays coming, please tell us about it. We'd love to share your story. With so much bad news in the world, it's nice to hear about the beautiful things in life that happen around us everyday.

Until next time,

Lori

Quiet Thoughts....

2008-10-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

For he shall give his angels charge of thee to keep thee in all thy ways....
I am the vine, ye are the branches....

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof...
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Friday Tea Sale!

2008-10-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

Today we are doing something a little different with our flea market sale. Instead of offering a particular item, we are giving a discount off of our tea club. Click on the etsy store to the left to look at all the different tea clubs we have if you are not familiar with them. With the holidays around the corner, you couldn't find a better gift than a membership to the tea club. You or your gift recipient would receive a different best selling tin of tea for each month of your membership. This is fabulous for the tea lover since they are able to have top quality, loose teas delivered to their door each month. They will remember your thoughtfulness as each package arrives.

Today's flea market item is $5.00 off the 12 month membership. Buy it for yourself or for a friend! You can even have it begin whenever you like. It would make a great Christmas present. Here is the description and what all is included:

Here at the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlor, we would love for you to sample some of our delicious loose teas. The best way for you to do that is to buy a 3,6 or 12 month subscription. We will send you one of our newest teas or classic favorites randomly each month. The brewing directions are on the bottom of each tin to make the perfect cup of tea. Each sample tin will make between 5-7 cups of tea based on your preferred strength.This tea club is perfect for the tea lover who wants to try new teas or as a unique gift idea. We can ship your tea of the month membership to a gift recipient at no extra charge.This is a 12 month subscription. This membership comes with your choice of a full-sized 2oz. tin of loose tea, or a gift certificate for morning tea in our tea room located in Crestview, Florida. Both are valued at $8.99. Gift certificates are good for one year from date of purchase.

Please email me if you'd like to purchase a $5.00 off 12 month membership-today only.

Have a great weekend!

Lori

Stop in for a cup of tea

2008-10-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

Since we had no comments for our Teasday drawing, I'm extending it to next week. If you have no idea what a mote spoon is, you can just guess or look it up. Any comment will enter you though.

I hope you're all enjoying this wonderful cooler weather of fall. It is so nice to see the leaves changing and feel that nip in the air (mornings only around here.) I plan on baking an apple pie this week and serving it with french creme brulee' tea. Delicious! I make Paula Deen's lattice apple pie and it's my favorite. I actually love it with cheddar cheese melted on top for breakfast. Does anyone else do that? I've only done it like that for a few years. Somewhere we were, it was served like that and I fell in love with it. You should try it if you never have. It's the perfect breakfast!

Pretty soon we will be offering Teago for sale in the shop. We have never played it, but it seems to be a hit at tea parties from what we have heard. We also are planning Teago parties once a month at the tearoom. What a great girls' night out that will make! If you live in the area, make your plans to go to at least one and see what you think.

Enjoy fall ya'll! Get busy looking up what a mote spoon is and I'll see you Friday at the Flea market with some goodies on sale.

Hugs~

Lori

English Teasday

2008-10-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Me at the Regency Tearoom (Jane Austen Centre)

My new English Teacup

One of the dresses worn on "Miss Austen Regrets" BBC.
Her silhouette in the window.
View from the Jane Austen Regency Tearoom.

Our hotel's dining room.
Jane wrote on these tiny papers, her "pieces of ivory" she called them.
Outside the centre
Looking out the window from a flower shop on Pulteney Bridge.
Teacups from Jane Austen's day.

Our trip to England was so wonderful, I almost feel like it was a dream. For those of you who do not know, my husband works for Delta and we enjoy taking advantage of our flight benefits on occasion. These trips are sometimes planned in just a few days based on our schedules. That was the case with this trip. We got to go to Bath by train and visit everything Jane Austen (my dream!). We went to the Jane Austen Centre and took the tour which was very interesting and then went upstairs to the Regency Tearoom for tea. We had the Jane Austen blend and chocolate cake. We also went on a bus tour that takes you all over Bath and points out her home, her favorite park, and her favorite places to go in Bath. We both really enjoyed it and highly recommend Bath if you ever get the chance. We stayed at the Kennard Hotel which is a Georgian townhouse on the same block Jane lived on in a very similar type house. We toured Sydney Gardens which was her favorite place across the street from her house. Jane had a lot of hard times in Bath and never really liked living there. She much preferred the country. She lived in Bath for 5 years.

I enjoyed my first cup of real English tea at the Sally Lunn restaurant which is the oldest house in Bath dating all the way back to the 1400's! The tea was delicious. It was the house blend. I did buy a teacup in England that has a quote from Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of being Earnest" on the inside. I will always have a nice memory of England when I use that cup.

For Teasday, since we had to move it back a little, the winner is....Michelle! Thanks for your comment. The answer was: Celadon Porcelain. .

This Teasday will be on schedule for Tuesday. The trivia question is: What is a Mote Spoon?

I hope you enjoy my pictures of Jane Austen's England.

Cheers!
Lori

Teasday Update

2008-10-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Due to the fact that I'm out of town, I'm having my sister leave a message for all of you. The Teasday drawing will be held on Thursday of this week. You'll have two extra days to enter for the drawing! More details about my trip later, but for now, have a wonderful week!

Friday Sale Item of the Week!

2008-10-02T23:19:00.000-07:00

Here we go, it's Friday Flea Market again! This silverplate Tea strainer is as beautiful as it gets! It's heavy and heirloom quality coming to you ready for gift-giving in a beautiful box. It normally retails for $24.99, but is on sale today only for 19.99. Shipping is 3.00. If you would like a paypal invoice, please email me at: ivyleaf@cox.net. We can ship to a gift recipient at no extra charge.

Enjoy your weekend!

Teasday Goodness

2008-09-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

Orange Spice Tea

You know, I just love this time of year. I get in the mood to bake apple pies, rake leaves and go antiquing. There's just something about autumn that I especially love. Maybe it's the crisp air, the smell of spices, pulling out fall sweaters, pumpkins and fall gourds, knowing the holidays are coming etc. that does it for me. I really don't know, but every year I look forward to these wonderful days of autumn. I'm so thankful we have seasons. Wouldn't it be boring to have the same weather year round? How terrible that would be. I guess that's why the verse says, "to everything there is a season" We do need change in our lives, don't we? I think it helps us appreciate what we don't have when we are without it.

I hope you're all enjoying the first taste of fall. I told you last week about my wonderful orange spice tea. So delicious!! I finally got my camera dilemma repaired so I can show you my new teacup and this wonderful tea.

Last week's trivia was, "what is a teapoy"? The answer is: A teapoy describes either the end table on which a teapot is placed during tea service, or a wooden tea caddy permanently affixed to a three-legged table.

Thanks so much for playing everyone! The winner is......Christine! Enjoy your tea!

Next week's trivia question is: What is the primary material used in Korean teapots?

My wish for you is a wonderful week full of all the people and places you love the most.

Enjoy the autumn breeze~

Lori

Teasday Show-n-tell

2008-09-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall, everyone! Due to some technical problems, I was not able to post yesterday for Teasday. Now, today I'm still having some trouble and not able to download my pictures. Sorry everyone! I had the most beautiful picture of my new tea, Orange Spice. It's autumn in a cup! A wonderfully spicy cinnamon flavor with a citrus blend. I love it when fall is in the air and you can sip a hot, spicy cup of tea. It's wonderful. This tea is not only beautiful and delicious, the scent is so aromatic it takes you straight to the perfect fall day. I wish my computer was cooperating because I would show you my beautiful new teacup from my sweet Aunt Nancy. She brought it back from Russia while she was living in Finland. She is back home now in the states and brought it over Friday night. As soon as I get things working, I'll add it for you to see. Thanks Aunt Nancy! Love you! My teacup was going to be my show-and-tell item for this Teasday. I think I've found a new passion in collecting teapots and teacups. I just love it when I get a new one. Especially when I also have a new tea to drink! Oh, and unlike my usual preference of adding milk, I like this one without it better.

For our winner of last week's trivia, the winner was Colleen!! Thanks for playing! The answer was that you can put your bag under your chair if it's large, in your lap if it's small, but NEVER on the table for any reason. Great job everyone! I especially liked the answer about the hook under the table! That sounded neat.

Our next week's trivia question is: What is a teapoy? Hmmmmm, sounds interesting, doesn't it? You can google if you don't know, but it would be fun to take a guess.

I hope you all have a wonderful fall week. Enjoy the cooler weather, take a nice walk in the park and then go make yourself some Orange Spice tea.

Warm hugs~

Lori

Friday Flea Market Sale

2008-09-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

I am working to get good pics of the new aprons, so they will be here soon, I promise!! For now, here's what's on sale today for our Flea Market Friday~

Yellow/blue toille tea cozy reg.$34.99

Sale today only $29.99

These beautiful yet functional tea cozies are our best sellers at the Ivy Leaf. They are double batted, machine washable with grosgrain ribbon ties to fit any standard teapot. Please email me at: ivyleaf@cox.net if you would like an invoice. Shipping is $2.00.

Teasday greetings

2008-09-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

In Animal Kingdom
"China" in Epcot
"England" in Epcot

Hi everyone! We just arrived back home late last night and are still unpacking. Wow, I can't believe it's been a week since last Teasday already. It's been a very busy week. We had a lot of fun at Disney and then we flew to North Ga. to stay in the mountains for a few days. It's good to be home though.

Thank you to all of you for the nice emails and well wishes on our trip. You all are so sweet.

Since last week really wasn't a trivia question, but instead a favorite tea question, there is no wrong answer. The winner is..... Pat Fidler!! Yeah! I will be sure to get you that Creme' Brulee to try as your sample. I know you will love it.

For our next week's trivia question: When out to tea with friends, what is the proper place for your personal items?

I still have about 350 pictures to go through, but here are a few. I hope you all have a great week and I'll see you at the Friday Flea Market!

Hugs~

Lori

Happy teasday from Disney!

2008-09-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

On Safari

Hello! Yes, I'm in Disney and it's been a long day today! We went to Animal Kingdom and took a safari where we saw many interesting animals. The kids loved it soo much. It has a distinctive African/Indian feel all over the place here. There is Indian music, food, and everything is decorated as if you really are in India or Africa. I love it. One of my favorite movies is from Bollywood, Veer-Zaara. I know that sounds weird and I actually surprised myself that I loved this movie so much. Anyway, it's been great and I'll have more pics later.

Tomorrow we're off to Epcot.

The answer to last week's trivia question: It is a black tea originally from the Wuyi region of the Chinese province of Fujian. It has a distinct smoky flavor because it's smoke-dried over pinewood fires. Your answer could have just been smoky flavored though! Just thought I'd give you the whole answer.

The winner is: Karen!!! Thanks for playing! I'll have your tea sent out as soon as I get back next week.

For next week's trivia question, I just want you to tell us your favorite tea flavor. That's it! The winner will be chosen by random number.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

"Minnie" smiles,

Lori
p.s. I won't be having the flea market sale this Friday. Look for it next week. Thanks!

It's been oolong time....

2008-09-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

Ok. It's a lame pun, but I couldn't resist adding it! The correct answer to last week's trivia question was Oolong tea. Good job, Michele! You won this week's trivia question and will be getting a free sample of loose tea. Thanks for playing! This coming weekend, we will be leaving for vacation. Next Tuesday, I'll be riding the crazy teacups at Disney with my daughter and family. I'll take lots of pictures to show you when I get back. I'll also have my laptop with me, so I will still do the trivia question. Here it is:
What is Lapsang Souchong?
Feel free to google it if you'd like. The whole point of the tea trivia is to expand our tea knowledge.

Look how gorgeous this tea is!

I am so excited about the new apron designs. They just arrived and are gorgeous!! I know you will love them. Look for them very soon! hint: (you might even get one on sale this Friday.) They are custom made just for The Ivy Leaf and feature a pocket in front, ruffles on the bottom and ties at the neck and waist. They are made of high quality, durable cotton.

Off I go to get things in order for leaving. I hope to have several tea adventures to share with you when I get back. Don't expect anything serious though, as I expect we may have tea with a large rabbit in a big white hat with an oversized pocket watch. You just never know...

Don't be late for tea!

Warm wishes~

Lori

Friday flea market sale!

2008-08-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

For our Flea Market Friday sale we have our gorgeous, heavy, extremly ornate silverplated creamer and sugar with tray on sale. It is absolutely stunning in person and would make a beautiful addition to any tea table. It comes boxed for safe keeping. This service is of heirloom quality. Reg.34.99. Today only it is $29.99. Shipping is 6.00.

Please email at: ivyleaf@cox.net if you would like an invoice via paypal or if you have any questions.

Thank you and happy shopping!

Lori

Teasday happenings

2008-08-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, today I'm going to show you several newly arriving items at the Ivy Leaf that I really think you will flip over! I completely fell in love with the new black toille china-oh my!!! It is a must-see, must-have! Also, we have the perfect solution for those of you who may want to jump right in to a daily (or weekly) ritual of tea. It's called, "The perfect start up tea kit" and, "Have tea will travel kit". Both make excellent gifts for baby/bridal showers, birthday, Christmas, house warming, etc. Also it's a great way to get started building your own tea repertoire. Let us know what you think and if you have any suggestions. We'd love to hear your input!
Last week's trivia was about the signature tea of the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlor. It was London Lady! The winner by random drawing was~Tracie!! Her blog is gorgeous and she herself is beautiful inside and out. Stop by and visit her beautiful blog: My Petite Maison. I'm sending you Japanese Sweet Cherry Blossom. It's a wonderful green tea-enjoy!
Here is this week's trivia question: what tea is stronger than green tea, more delicate than black?
Now I will leave you with some beautiful sunflower photos to enjoy and the newly arrived tea items.

Wishing you joy,
Lori

" Have tea, will travel kit" ~comes with your choice one tin of tea, your choice (where available) of teapot, 4 Ashby's sample teas, the perfect cup of tea teaspoon (free), all in a travel basket. $31.99

new black toille china -gorgeous!! Teacups~ $19.99 ea.

Matching 8" plates~ $8.99 ea.

Matching Teapot~ $34.99

Robin makes fresh lemon curd-delicious!

"Perfect start up tea kit" comes with your choice (where available) teapot color, your choice one tin of loose tea, heart tea ball infuser, free matching drip catcher, and the perfect cup of tea teaspoon. $39.99

Little tea lady
Don't forget to stop by Friday for our weekly Flea Market sale!

~xo~

Teasday Morning~new aprons coming soon!

2008-08-20T04:53:00.000-07:00

Made from 100% cotton.
It ties at the neck and waist.

Our newest arrival at the Ivy Leaf is custom made, beautiful aprons! We will be having three more designs very soon as well as matching children's sizes. These would make perfect gifts. It's not too soon to be thinking about Christmas! These will be gone quickly and we will have limited quantities of each design. If you would like to pre-order, just drop us an email.

On to the Teasday trivia question from last week. The answer is: a fully matured tea leaf! Only the young, tender leaves make a high quality tea. Once the leaf matures, it would actually ruin the flavor by making it bitter. Thanks so much for playing! The winner from last week is: Jillian! I'll get your sample tea right out to you. You are getting chocolate raspberry truffle!

This week's trivia question is: What is the signature tea of the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlor? (I have mentioned it before in previous posts) If you don't know, you can just guess or leave a comment to be entered. For those of you who are regulars at the Ivy Leaf-you may want to try it if you never have!

I have to share a cute little "make you smile" moment I have with my daughter. She is 4 years old and drinks tea with me everyday in her own special china. Her very favorite tea is French Creme' Brulee. So, everytime the tea kettle whistles, she comes running in the kitchen asking me, "Is it scramble A?" She drinks many flavors, but this one is at the top of her list!

Have you ever tried Mango Mist?? If you haven't, you absolutely must before summer is over. It's sooo good hot or cold and has a very refreshing, light flavor. I made it for my husband the other day, who really loved it. It's one of our favorites in the summer.

If you are cutting back on your sugar intake, but you love to sweeten your tea, here's a great and healthy alternative. It's called, Stevia glyceride drops. It's available at health food stores. I got mine at Body-b-Healthy, here in Crestview. It costs about 10.00 and you only need about 1-4 drops depending on your taste. It's made from a plant and is completely natural and chemical free. It has no artificial flavors or colors. I bought the french vanilla flavor and think it tastes delicious!

For those of you who are keeping up in our book club on my jewelry blog, we are on chapters 9 and 10 (P&P).

wishing you a lovely tea,

Lori

Joyful Teasday~

2008-08-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

One of the Tea rooms

This Teasday, I wanted to show you that every inch of the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlor is a wonderfully beautiful place. It has a special quality to it that you need to see to really appreciate. I think it is Crestview's hidden diamond and my job is to expose it. When people walk through those doors, they are warmed by the atmosphere of beautifully displayed antiques, china, and tea accessories with the smell of freshly baked goods in the air. Relaxing music is always playing. The house itself with it's original wooden floors and unique character just add to the special place that it is as a tea parlor. Even the hallway with it's lit grapevine drapped with grapes and ivy welcome you and add to the overall experience. Even if you can't make it to the Ivy Leaf in person due to distance, you can still enjoy the wonderful teas by mail. Visit our etsy shop for a list of available teas. Please email a request if you do not see the tea you would like.

Our Teasday trivia winner from last week is Gabrielle!! Congrats! I'll be sending you Strawberry Sensation. I'm sure you will love it. It's wonderful hot or cold. The correct answer was (B) on your seat.

The trivia for next week is:

What type of tea leaf ruins the tea?

O.k. I have a wonderful Turkey and Avocado Tea sandwich recipe for you to try. Here it is~

1/2 cup light mayo

1/4 cup roasted red peppers

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

24 pieces thin wheat bread, crusts removed

2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 (4-oz) container alfalfa sprouts

12 Slices Provolone

1/2 pound deli sliced turkey

3 avocados, peeled and thinly sliced

1. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine mayo, roasted red peppers, garlic powder, and salt; blend for 1 minute.

2. Spread mixture on 12 slices of bread. Evenly layer tomato, sprouts, provolone, turkey, and avocado on prepared bread. Top each with another bread slice; cut sandwiches diagonally.

Enjoy your week everyone!

Hugs~

Lori

While there's tea, there's hope~Sir Arthur Pinero

2008-08-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Glorious Lavender
Apple Green Teapot
Adorable Robin
Accessories in the shop

Happy Teasday! For those of you who may be new here, each week on Tuesday (Teasday) we have a trivia question as well as interesting tea facts for you. We have a weekly tea give-away randomly chosen from our commenters. All you need to do to enter each week is click the comment section under the post and chose anonymous. Then, after you comment or answer the trivia question, just leave your first name and last initial. You will be contacted via email and be listed on the blog if you are the winner for the week. Speaking of that, our winner this week is my new friend, Hanri, from Oxfordshire, England. Thank you for telling us about your relaxing tea time with your sweet dog. I'm sending you French Creme' Brulee. Enjoy!

In the book, "Everything I know I learned over tea" by Emilie Barnes, there is a great chapter about how resilient teacups are. Ceramic is, of course, breakable, but it is also very resilient. Much of what we know about ancient civilizations we have learned from bits of pottery they left behind. China dishes recovered from shipwrecks are often good as new, long after the ship itself has dissolved in the saltwater! What can this teach us? No matter how fragile we may look on the outside, our strength comes from within. "My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth". Even when times are hard, you can have the strength you need to press on. If you break a favorite teacup, what do you do? You pick up the shattered pieces, buy a new one and make tea again. I would like to encourage you to share a cup of tea with a friend this week. You might be helping a friend by being just what she needs at the moment. If nothing else, time over tea is always special between friends. My neighbor and friend, Nancy dropped in on me today with the most delicious plate of cookies. I happened to have a pot of tea just made and invited her to have a cup with me. Was my house perfectly cleaned? No, but I enjoyed my time with my friend and that's what's more important.

Here's next week's trivia question:

Where do you leave your napkin when you excuse yourself to the restroom at a tea party or dinner?

a. beside your plate

b. on your chair

c. ask the waiter/waitress to take it

Don't forget that we are on week 3 of Pride and Prejudice in the book club. We are reading chapters 5 and 6 before Friday.

I've added some beautiful pictures of the shop for you to enjoy. Don't you love the apple green teapot? I'll be adding in some more wonderful items to our esty shop this week, so stop by and take a peek.

Wishing you joy,

Lori

Beautiful Teasday!!

2008-07-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

Hello my tea loving friends! Yes, it's here again-Teasday! You are all wondering about last week's trivia question and here's the answer: If you overboil your water, what happens is you rapidly boil out the oxygen in the water. The oxygen is a necessary component for enabling the tea to taste as it should when steeping. If you overboil your water, your tea will taste flat. Interesting huh? So only let it boil a few seconds and your done! The winner of last week's trivia, by random number, is......Karen! Thanks for playing! Your tea will be sent out soon.

Have any of you seen the book, Vintage Vavoom? There are some really beautiful vintage finds in there as well as very interesting ways to use your antiques. I really love this book. I read a chapter in it the other day that was talking about tea and I thought it was just so true for us tea lovers. The story was about how everyone should have that "one spot", you know the one you look forward to getting in when you've had a long day. Maybe it's a big comfy chair with the perfect pillow. You know you can go there and sink down in it's luxurious softness and prop your feet up while waiting for your tea kettle to whistle. I imagine it as a cloudy, rainy day and you've got your tea, your comfy spot, and a favorite magazine like Teatime fresh from the mailbox to look at. Yes, these are small comforts, but these are moments I really look forward to. I think because they are so rare that they become so valuable. In a world of ringing phones, crying babies, bills to pay and dinner to cook, it's nice to know in the back of your mind-your comfy spot is waiting for you. Everyone needs a place like that. Drop us a note and tell us about your favorite place to enjoy your tea. So here's next week's trivia question. The winner will be chosen by random number:

When is your preferred Tea time each day?

I look foward to hearing from you. I wish you all a wonderfully relaxing tea time in your perfect spot!

Hugs,

Lori

A lovely read

2008-07-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

I was pleased to get an email from the The Linen Cupboard in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom this week. She was letting me know that she had featured the Ivy Leaf's beautiful tea strainer on her blog. Naturally, I was thrilled and visited her blog. I was so impressed with her home keeping ideas and helpful information that I added her as I place I will visit often. She writes very well and has a wonderful post right now about how to brew the perfect pot of tea. I recommend you pay her a visit. I think it is one you will enjoy.

By the way, our first week of the book club is here. We are now starting chapters 3-5 P&P.

See you Teasday! Don't forget to answer the trivia question. The trivia question is always in color if you do not have time to read the whole post, but you want to enter. You should be able to find it quickly.

Cheers!

Lori

Teasday Musings...

2008-07-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

My thoughts for this Teasday are to inspire you to make memories with your china. I read that Erma Bombeck said one time that she wouldn't own anything if it wasn't going to be used. I had a habit of hording items that I was scared of breaking or chipping etc., but after I read that years ago it honestly changed my life. What's the point of having beautiful china if nobody ever has a memory of it other than seeing it behind glass in a china cabinet? I would rather have a chipped china plate with the memory of family dinners than a perfect one that was never loved. My everyday china is some I got at an estate sale that is over 85 years old. It has crazing and maybe a chip or two, but I love the history behind them. You can tell they had been loved before. I also have one pink willow plate. Every night at dinner my daughter wants to make sure she is getting the pink one. I know when she is older, she will remember her special plate. She was with me when I bought it. My mom and I have a special routine of making a pot of tea every Sunday afternoon. We use her expensive china out of her china cabinet. Ever since we started doing that, I look at that china so differently now. I used to just admire it as simply china. Now, I see special times laughing and talking with my mom. Yes, you may break something, but keep in mind it's only things. You can't replace people or the memories you share together. You can always replace china.

I hope I've inspired you to open that china cabinet and start making memories that will be sure to be handed down. The memories you make will be far more important than the value of the china.

Here's this week's Teasday trivia question:

What happens when you overboil your water in the tea kettle?

Last week's answer was "fine" or "course." High quality teas are always harvested with fine plucking. The winner is Peggy! Thank you for commenting. You will be getting a sample of one of our delicious teas!

Have a beautiful week everyone. Take the time to make a special memory and then share it with us. We'd love to hear about it.

Wishing you joy~

Lori

Come join the book club!

2008-07-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

I decided to start a Jane Austen book club on my jewelry blog and I thought I'd welcome all of you to join me. I love Jane Austen and all of her books, but I never feel like I read as much as I'd like. I'm starting with Pride and Prejudice and will read slowly at 2 chapters a week. I will blog about it there next Friday. If you'd like to join, just comment on the blog. Enjoy your tea and a book by Jane Austen. See you there!

Here's to a beautiful Teas-day.

2008-07-16T00:47:00.000-07:00

I love Teasday. It's the day I get to really indulge my love of tea by stopping by the tea shop, browsing around and finding beautiful things to showcase for you. Whether you live nearby or far away, I think you will enjoy seeing all the lovely gift items and tea accessories the Ivy Leaf offers its customers. By way of our etsy shop, you can purchase your tea items directly from this blog. I have chosen some exquisite pieces to add to the etsy store this week. The first is a gorgeous silverplate tea strainer with the most amazing detail. It comes in a beautiful velvet giftbox. The second is a silverplated sugar and creamer set with a silverplated tray. It is unbelievably rich in detail and is the utmost in tea finery.

On to teasday trivia. Last week's trivia question was answered correctly. It was the Camellia Sinensis. By random number, the winner is Christine! Way to go girl! Thank you for being a regular player. We appreciate each and every one of our visitors. You will be getting a sample of Heaven's Perfect Peach!

We have been talking about cultivation and types of tea, so in that same note, next week's trivia question is:

There are two terms for plucking tea leaves. What are the two names for plucking two leaves and a leaf bud and three or more leaves and a leaf bud?

Did you know that the Ivy Leaf's signature blend is London Lady? It has a good flowery and malt flavor with hints of strawberry and lemon.

Enjoy your favorite tea today and really savor the moment. Turn on some soothing music and just spend a little time for yourself today. It's so nice to recharge and refresh your spirit.

With a warm heart,

Lori

The secret life of tea

2008-07-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

I saw a program on Discovery that was all about tea the other day (A Lyon in the kitchen) Did anyone else happen to see it? It was so interesting. He was cooking with tea by infusing the flavors into the rice. It sounded delicious. Before I go on any farther, let me answer last week's trivia question. The answer was, a tea "ceremony." Thanks for participating with our "Teasday trivia!" I'll reveal the winner at the end.

Anyway, Robin also gave me some material about the history of tea and there is so much information there for me to learn. For example, did you know that all tea comes from one plant? Shocking if you didn't already know that. The process is what makes the different flavors of tea. On average, a tea plant will live and produce for 100 years. Only half of it's leaves will be used and harvested in it's lifetime. The crop taken from the tea bushes consists of young leaf shoots and the unpoened leaf bud. These are rich in caffeine and the organic compounds that are responsible for the smell and taste of the tea. Oils are also used to make flavored teas such as Blueberry Delight and French Creme Brulee. Here is next week's trivia question:

What is the name of the plant that tea comes from?

If you haven't visited the etsy shop before, click on the words "Ivy leaf tea" under the photos on the left. It will take you directly to our etsy shop online. You can become a member of our tea of the month club and have delicious teas to sample sent to your door, or shop for your favorite flavor. We will be regularly adding to the shop with tea cozies, books, my tea jewelry and more.

And now for last week's winner....It was Karen! Thank you. Please send me your address and I'll send out your tea to you. The winner was chosen by random number since we had no correct answers.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. We love having you visit.

Happy Teasday,

Lori

Thank God for America

2008-07-04T06:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day! I'm proud to be an American.

Enjoy your fourth of July and remember those who are serving and have served our country for our freedom.

God Bless the USA!!!!!

Social Graces

2008-07-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

It seems like forever ago that manners were always taught and expected. Children would be corrected by any adult within earshot of a child not saying "yes ma'am" or "thank you". Now it almost seems like a lost art. Movies, television and even society in general have changed the order of things from what it should be into something altogether different. Children say what they please to adults showing no respect and especially very little manners. I am no authority on the subject and struggle to teach my children every day. The sad part is that it is not expected of them by the public in general. Even adults do not seem to live a life of gentility like the generations before us. There was a certain air of respect for each other even among strangers. If you watch period dramas (my favorite) you will notice a stark contrast in the attitudes of the way they behaved toward each other. Men respected women and showed kindness. They were on the whole, gentleman. I do not believe women should be demeaned by men, but I think we lost more than we bargained for by gaining more independence. Men do not treat women the same a lot of times out of fear that they will be ridiculed for treated them as weak and neady. On the subway in New York, I saw a pregnant woman standing while men were seated right beside her. A woman actually stood and gave up her seat. How sad. The point is, we are losing our social graces and the only way to get it back is to start teaching it again. It is such a gift to pass on to the next generation. I highly recommend the book, "Social Graces". (You can find it in our etsy store or at the Ivy Leaf.) It really helps teach the art of manners and how important treating others as you would want to be treated.

On to teasday! Yesterday I was late in posting. I apologize. The winner is Christine. Thank you! I'll send your tea to you. Enjoy!

Here's our next trivia question:

What is it called when a tea is scheduled for longer than an hour?

Ivy leaf news~ coming soon to the esty shop is tea cozies! They are gorgeous! We have black cameo toille, blue/yellow and red/cream. Look for them soon.

Have a wonderful week everyone,

Lori

Happy Teasday!

2008-06-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

A field of tea in Sri Lanka

~Tea leaves and bud~

Here we are again on teasday and we have a winner! Congratulations Pat! You won this week's give-away by random number (not picked by myself). I was so impressed that everyone knew the answer! It was, of course, the bergamot oil (an oil from the rind of the fruit of Citrus Bergamia.) Thank you for playing! Pat, send me your address and I'll send out your sample tea to you. You are getting French Creme Brulee!

Here is next week's trivia question:

What is the name of the ruler that is attributed to the discovery of tea around 2737 B.C?

I just love learning about tea. The story of how it began is very interesting. I just wonder if it really happened that way. We will never know. Supposedly, ________ was walking in his garden sipping hot, boiled water when a leaf from a nearby tea bush fell in his cup. He tasted and smelled the infusion and decided it was a great improvement over plain hot water. Thus, tea drinking began. Until the end of the sixth century, tea continued to be drunk primarily as a remedy for illnesses.

Did you know that herbal teas are not teas at all but combinations of herbs, roots, and/or bark that is infused in hot water in a manner similar to that of tea? Interesting!

Put on the tea kettle, find your favorite book or magazine and take 15 minutes for yourself today. Your soul will be recharged and better able to tackle whatever task you have at hand.

Until next time.....
Lori

100 years of tea bags

2008-06-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

100 years of tea bags

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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Elaine let me know that it is the 100 year anniversary of the tea bag! It happened quite by accident that they even came to be. Thomas Sullivan invented the tea bags by trying to cut costs and provide sample teas to his clients. He used silk sachets. His customers missunderstood and didn't realize they were meant to cut the bags open. They put the whole sachet in the pot and it became an instant success. Not everyone was happy about this new way of brewing tea. Many English were used to brewing tea leaves the old fashioned way and weren't about to change. Many credit the tea bag with saving the industry though. They feel that in today's busy pace, brewing tea the old fashioned way just wasn't possible. My opinion is that I love the ritual of brewing tea the old way. I guess I agree with some of the die hard English that it takes away from the tea itself to prepare it incorrectly. I'm just glad that some traditions do not die and are handed down to each generation. It's nice though that you can brew your tea in either method you prefer thanks to Mr.Sullivan.

It's Teas-day again!

2008-06-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

The tea wall. I love trying new flavors.
One of the best selling books at the Ivy Leaf and now available in our etsy shop.

Where did the week go? It feels like just yesterday we were having teas-day. We do have a winner! It is Jillian A. You got it right! White tea is actually 5 times higher in antioxidants than green. Black teas are the lowest, but they are still higher than coffee. The white tea takes just seconds to brew and has little to no flavor. Thanks for playing! You are getting a sample of French Creme Brulee-enjoy!

A couple of new things to tell you about at the Ivy Leaf. The first is that we are adding six new flavors of loose teas to the etsy store. They are not new at the Ivy Leaf. These are the top sellers in the tea room. We will be adding more each week. Try some, I know you'll be so glad you did.

Secondly, we also are adding in some great tea themed books in the etsy shop. These are among some of our very favorites. If you are looking for the right gift to give someone special, consider one of these. A tin of tea and a lovely book would make a beautiful and much appreciated gift.

And now, here's next week's trivia question:

Earl Grey is a favorite tea for many including the Queen. A special oil makes it's unique flavor. What is it?

Wishing you joy,

Lori

p.s. I gave you a blueberry scone recipe last post. Why not try the blueberry delight tea? It's one of my personal favorites. Add a little cream and sugar-delicious!

Blueberry Heaven

2008-06-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love a plump, ripe, sweet blueberry? We sure do! We went berry picking on Thursday and got 2 buckets full. The weather was perfect because it was cloudy and overcast. If you live in the area (Fl. panhandle) go to Baker and turn at Acres of Strawberries. Go down a couple of miles til you see Copper Creek Farms. The berries are just getting ripe. In a week or two, it will be loaded down.

Here's a fantastic blueberry scone recipe.

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup light cream

1 egg yolk

1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 425. Combine flours, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Beat cream and egg yolk together and add dry ingredients. Stir with a fork just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber scraper. Turn out on a floured surface and knead gently about 6 times to form a ball. Pat dough into a circle about 3/4" thick. Carefully place on greased baking sheet. Mark off eight wedges with a sharp knife. Be careful not to cut all the way through. Sprinke with sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned. Break into wedges an serve with hot butter.

I hope you all have a Happy Father's Day!

If you have your Father with you, don't forget to tell him what he means to you.

p.s. new trivia question in the previous post for Teas-day!

Yeah! It's give-away Teas-day!

2008-06-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Teas-day! We have a winner! Lynne, you won! The correct answer was: Watch the hostess and do as she does. Now I have to tell you, if I were at a really good friend's house, I would just tell her. But, we were talking about proper etiquette in a formal setting. Thanks for playing everyone! Lynne, send me your address and I will send your tea right out to you. You are getting my favorite, French Creme Brulee!

Here's next weeks trivia question:

Which loose tea has the most antioxidants?

a.black

b.green

c.white

No googling! Just guess for fun!

Now, here's that vanilla scone recipe I promised last post. It is delicious and even my boys enjoyed helping make these. O.k, we didn't get them perfect looking-but they were good!

Vanilla scones-makes 12 scones

2 cups self-rising flour

1/3 cup sugar

6 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/3 cup buttermilk*

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 large egg

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1 egg white, lightly beaten

2 tbsp. vanilla flavored sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, cream, egg, vanilla, and vanilla bean seeds. Add to flour mixture, and stir until dough is just combined; dough will be sticky.

4. Divide dough into two balls. On lightly floured surface, roll half of dough into a 6 x 1/2 inch circle; cut into 6 wedges. Repeat process for remaining dough.

5. Brush scones with egg white and sprinkle with vanilla-flavored sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets; bake 9-11 minutes, or until lightly browned. yumm!

*we substituted sour cream.

Have a blessed day!

Lori

111 John 2

Tea Jewelry & Mock Clotted Cream

2008-06-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

I know we're all busy, but a hope of mine is that you can come visit us here, have a cup of tea and enjoy a few moments just for you. I crave a little "down time" and get excited like it's Christmas when I get a new magazine or book in the mail. I think about it until I have the chance to really sit down and enjoy it. I will strive to make this such a place that you will look forward to visiting.

Something new at the Ivy Leaf is my handcrafted jewelry. I am just getting my tea themed jewelry ready for the shop, so I thought I'd show you a sneak peek here. If you like it and you do not live near the Ivy Leaf, it will also be available in the etsy shop. Click on the link there for more information. They are made from non-toxic, lead-free silver and are double encased in glass. On the reverse, the paper used is from a 1904 poetry book. The charm is crystal and pearl. I will be adding several style in the next few weeks.

Here's a wonderful recipe for Mock Clotted Cream:

It makes 1 & 1/2 cups

1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup confectioner' sugar

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat until smooth. Add cream and vanilla extract; beat until light and fluffy.

I love clotted cream on my scones and have a wonderful vanilla scone recipe I will share with you next time.

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.~Henry James

Wishing you many quiet moments,

Lori

p.s. Don't forget to answer the trivia question below to be entered in our weekly drawing!

It's Give-away "Teas"day!!

2008-06-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday!!

And the winner is........Sherry/Cherie!! The correct answer was Twinings Earl Grey!
Thanks for playing! Please send me the address you would like your tea sent to. You have won a free sample of Morning Sunshine! Read the previous posts to see the description. I think you'll love it!!
O.k. ~ next on the agenda is to tell you the next trivia question for next weeks give-away. Tuesday I will announce the next winner. All you need to do to enter is comment on this blog-any post you choose. If you like, you can just answer the trivia question each week. That will also enter your name. If nobody gets the correct answer or if more than one get it right, we will choose by random number.
Here it is:

You've been invited to tea and you have no idea about proper tea etiquette. What do you do?
a. tell the hostess upfront when you arrive.
b. watch the hostess and do as she does.
c. ask the person beside you what you're supposed to do.

Today at the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlor we had a wonderful time laughing, talking, dressing up and in general just enjoying time together. We also had a birthday girl who was enjoying her birthday with friends. Having tea together is all about making memories and taking the time to enjoy.
On the next post, I will share a delicious summertime tea recipe and tea tip of the week. Don't forget to visit our etsy store for our new additions to the shop. Click on the link on the left.

Wishing you everyday beauty~
Lori

A Queenly Quiz

2008-05-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Queen of England lives her life very structured and has the same routine everyday. She has breakfast at 9 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m., and tea at 5 p.m. with dinner served at 8:15 p.m. She brews her own tea for her family with her Georgian silver teapot. Here's your trivia question:

What is the Queen's tea blend of choice?

Remember, when you comment your name is entered in our "Teas"day drawing every Tuesday! This week's drawing will be for a sample of our newest tea.

Cheerio for now!

Lori

Introducing Give-away "Teas"day!"

2008-05-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

We had soo much fun with our sample tea give-away that we decided we would have a give-away each week! Every Monday we will take all the comments for that week and randomly choose a winner. Every Tuesday ("teas"day) we will announce a winner and start all over again! This should be a lot of fun so tell your friends to stop by and comment too. The give-away starts now! It doesn't matter which post you comment on. Come and visit us over a cup of tea each week and you will find tea tips, recipes, newly arriving teas in the shop and more. We look forward to seeing you there!

We also just added our Tea of the month club to our etsy shop. Please click on our etsy store link on the left for more information. We are so excited to offer this service.

Also, I wanted to display some of Elaine's gorgeous fine china from her private collection. Here's another interesting tip from Elaine: the thinner the china, the more expensive and high quality it will be. That's a great tip for when you are antiquing.

With joy,

Lori

Dans le Jardin~

2008-05-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Memorial Day today. I hope you did too. We are soo thankful to our servicemen and women and we truly honor them today. We are proud of our country and what they have sacrificed for us. We owe them dearly! The very least we can do is show them our love and gratitude.

As we celebrated Memorial Day with family, we spent time relaxing and just being together. I took a walk through my little garden and thought I'd share some with you. Boy, I really need to spend some time there weeding etc. but some of my blooms were so pretty I thought I'd post them for you to enjoy while you have your tea with me. It can be our small tribute to take the time to simply stop for a moment, pray and thank God for our soldiers past and present. We are especially thankful to those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. They are our heroes.

With a grateful heart,

Lori

A little tea history~

2008-05-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

~A brick of tea~

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Here's something interesting that I just recently learned from Elaine. She purchased a "brick of tea". As recently as 200 years ago, tea was accepted as currency. It was made into "bricks" with a logo on top (hers is a train). I knew that it was valuable and used this way, but I didn't know it was made into bricks like this. Every time I learn something new about tea, I'm always fascinated. It's history is so vast, you could never learn all there is to know.
Also, I wanted to mention again the new flavor at the Ivy Leaf called, "Morning Sunshine." I had some today and it is absolutely heaven! I can't even describe it to you. You need to try it for yourself. It has hints of citrus, but it also has a unique flavor all it's own.
I wanted to share with you a delicious recipe I found in Tea Time magazine. I have a little herb and vegetable garden where I have baby carrots. They are so tender and delicious that I thought this would be the perfect way to use some of them. It's called,
"Cumin cream cheese crudites."

You need 12 baby carrots
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1. In a large saucepan, cover carrots with water and bring to a boil; cook for 3 minutes. Drain and place carrots on a baking sheet to dry and cool. Slice cooled carrots in half lengthwise.
2. In a medium bowl, and using an electric mixer at medium speed, blend the cream cheese, cumin, chives, lemon juice, and salt.
3.Place the cream cheese mixture in a pastry bag, and pipe down the centers of the sliced carrots. Sprinkle each carrot with toasted pine nuts, and serve.

If you're using garden fresh carrots, leave on some of the green stem for a beautiful presentation.

Wishing you joy,

Lori

~The Grand Tour ~

2008-05-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to have tea today at the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlor with my precious Mom. As promised, I am giving you a tour of the inside of the shop. Like I said on the previous post, you really do make a lasting memory when you take the time to have tea with someone special. It's just not the same as having lunch. It is an event. You feel like you really have taken the time to "smell the roses." I highly recommend it to anyone.

Beautiful gift items in the shop.

This is a new tea called Morning Sunshine. It has a smooth citrus flavor and has hints of passion fruit. It is an Earl Grey base. The scent is heavenly!

The other new tea, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. I had this one today and it was so delicious I had to buy some to take home. The name says it all with this fabulous tea. It has a smooth, velvety chocolate character with an underlying hint of raspberry. It is a black tea and works very well with cream. Definitely a new favorite!

Elaine Broom~lovely owner of The Ivy Leaf.
She has created a beautiful and serene tea parlor that is soft, inviting and luxurious. She and her staff are the epitome of graciousness and southern hospitality. You instantly feel welcomed the minute you arrive.

Our beautiful table for Light Afternoon tea.

delectable desserts with fresh flowers......

chicken salad croissants, cucumber sandwiches etc.

fresh fruit, scones with clotted cream and lemon curd...

Beautifully decorated nooks with vintage hats, gloves and boas are in each tea room.

A beautiful room in the shop located in the front of the store where you can purchase tea impedimenta as well as lovely gifts.

A vignette of antique suitcases.....

Antique sofa in the tea shop.

Robin serving tea in one of the tea rooms.

I hope you enjoyed coming along with me on my tour of the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlor. I will regularly feature new teas and gifts in the shop, my favorite picks, interesting facts about tea and more.

I would love to hear your comments and welcome your tea questions. I enjoy learning about tea and would love to post information here for others to learn as well.
Thank you for visiting!

Have a beautiful week~

Lori

Welcome to the Ivy Leaf Tea Parlour

2008-05-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

The charm of this 1940's tea shop is endless. I am starting with the outside view and will be giving you a detailed inside look on the next post. I will also show you the wide selection of teas and beautiful accessories in the shop. My favorite tea is French Creme Brulee'. I never run out of this tea. It is absolute heaven.

If you have never been to tea at the Ivy Leaf, you are missing a beautiful experience. It is a delightful, charming shop with a wonderful staff. They make you feel like you're an honored guest. Call a friend and invite her to tea. You will experience beautiful, relaxing music in a gorgeous setting with every attention to detail. They serve delicious teas, scones, croissant sandwiches and dainty desserts on china, lace and linen. Afterwards, browse the shop for all your tea impedimenta and unique thoughtful gift ideas. It will be an afternoon you will treasure each time you visit.

Until next time,

Lori

Living a beautiful life~

2008-05-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

As this is the first post of this blog, I want to offer you a warm welcome. Here you will find a small place to celebrate the joys of taking tea and all the attributes of this delightful tradition. It's more than tea; it's the simple pleasures of life and that can make us most content. To live a beautiful life means to find the beauty in life. It's all around you in this wonderful world God created for us to enjoy.

This blog is all about tea, enjoying & appreciating the simple things, and in particular, The Ivy Leaf Antique & Tea Parlor located in Crestview, Florida. We hope you'll enjoy your time here and be inspired.