Today

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Cinnamon Bun, Mug, Silence, Solitude, Tea

Today I had the house all to myself for a precious moment. Or, at least, almost to myself: Daughter was outside taking a nap. It’s fun having the house full of life at all times, but sometimes solitude and silence is luxury to long for.

I’ve sat for a while now listening to the humming of a dishwasher and the ticking of a clock, while catching up on some of my favourite blogs and drinking a big cup of tea. This morning’s tea was Lipton’s Earl Grey in my in-laws’ blue seal cup. And the cinnamon bun was baked rather quickly last night after spending the entire day in the zoo. Rain came upon us during the last hours and called for warm, freshly baked buns as we came home.

My in-laws’ have almost a cupboard full of different cups and mugs gathered from across both time and space. Each one of them reflecting memories related to its purchase. I don’t know their stories so I make up my own. This seal, for instance, has been further north than I’ve ever been. Seen some spectacular mountains and scenic coastal views.

Enjoy your day 🙂

Lazy friday morning

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Friday, Good life, Tea, Weekend, Work

Honestly it’s not all that lazy, or the morning is slightly lazy, but then I have to be super effective for the rest of the day. I’m working from home today. Which means after dropping Son off in kindergarten I went home, made myself a cup of tea and sat down in the kitchen with a pile of work. I have candles burning, a cup of custom-made (!) black tea and a bit of fruit on the side.

I visited a local tea shop earlier this week looking for a fruity black tea. These dark days require something stronger than green tea to keep me going from morning till night. Unfortunately the only teas that met my requirements were pre-bagged – tea-bags are just not as much fun as loose-weight tea. Part of my daily routine is to find a bag of tea, bring it up to my nose, inhale deeply and truly enjoy the scent, before I turn on the kettle and prepare the cup of tea. You can’t do that with a tea-bag… The shopkeeper soon realised that a carton of peach flavoured black tea would not make me happy, no matter how good the quality of the tea was. Lucky for me he still knew what to do to keep me coming back to the shop: he found my favourite plain black tea among the number of huge jars sitting on a table in the middle of the shop. He then lead me to the other side of the table where I sniffed out my favourite fruit tea. Then he mixed the two, sending me home with my own blend. I think I have to go back and find the perfect blend for every mood and every need! The tea I came home with is a black tea with passionfruit (there must be citrus in it as well). A perfect round smooth taste from the perfect black tea, and a shock of vibrant fruit flavours from the large pieces of dried fruit. Perfect!

As you can see I’m having the perfect start to the weekend (all I need now is an increase of songs in my spotify playlist – I need writing-friendly, good-spirited music that’s perfect for efficient days in front of my Mac. Do you have any songs you could recommend?). I hope you’re having a wonderful Friday and that your weekend will be a blast 🙂

Evening bliss

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Good life, Reading, Tea

Some evenings there is just nothing better than this. A first shot at green gunpowder. I’m so convinced I’ll like it that I’ve aimed for no less than a pint. The book on the other hand I feel like I have to finish in spite. I can’t start reading a new one before this is done, but there’s a reason this has been on my nightstand for months already!
Have a wonderful evening wherever you are and thanks for dropping by 🙂

Good morning

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Løv, Palais des Thés, Tea, Thé de Songes, White tea

Indeed it is! I’m sitting here now with a big cup of white Thé de Songes from Le Palais des Thés. You see, yesterday I came across a new shop in a wee shopping centre close to home. A tea shop! Might be my new favourite shop with teas from Le Palais des Thés and Løv, as well as a nice selection of chocolates, spices and coffee. I’m in løv!

Do you have a favourite tea? I love tea and I’m always looking for new favourites, please share your favourites with me

 

Good morning

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Breakfast, Saturday, Tea

I have an entire day that I will spend with my closest family and some of my dearest friends. Yesterday was a perfect day spent at the office, though with many of my colleagues leaving it had a bit of a bittersweet tinge to it. Today will be all about family!

I am starting the day with a proper breakfast which I enjoy in the presence of Son and Husband. Some fresh fruit, and freshly brewed tea which I bought at a tea-shop in Sweden this summer. Thus, a taste of summer with a hint of internationalisation (even if it’s only the neighbouring country ).

I wish you all a wonderful Saturday. May the day turn out to be everything you hoped it would be. I will surely enjoy it 🙂

Summer’s over

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Autumn, Candle, Cold, Cosiness, Summer, Tea

I’ve surrendered. Surrendered to autumn, dark skies, short days, everyday life, work, kindergarten – and most importantly large cups of tea, woolen blankets, candles, books and snuggling inside while the rain is hammering on the window. I now sit with a lit candle, a big cup of green tea with honey, and a few small late-summer flowers my parents picked while out walking with Son.

The temperature has given up, or I have lost hope in a sudden return of tropical heat and long summer nights. I am now officially ready for autumn. I caught myself looking at my winter shoes here the other day, thinking long and hard about whether I would pull it off wearing them to work, or if I would then diminish the hope of those of my colleagues who still hope for more summer days. My raincoat is ready and I sometimes long for my scarf and winter jacket.

I realise that it is only a few days since I walked the forests, a warm summer day, where I missed my bikini and longed for a proper swim in the river. I guess that was what I needed to let go of summer and be satisfied with the experiences I’ve had for the summer of 2011. I haven’t had a swim outside though, which I must have before completely letting go. It’s not very tempting, but it must be done…

I love this season

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Autumn, Favourites, Honey, Tea

The house is quiet, I’m tired. I have a few candles burning and a huge cup of tea with my favourite blend sweetened with just a wee bit of honey. Tea cups can, in my opinion, not be big enough. My favourite at home is this green cup that holds 6dl (that’s a bit more than a pint). As you can imagine, I don’t like my tea too hot…

My favourite blend these days is green Marani tea, from the TeeGschwendner in Germany. The tea is a Japanese and Chinese blend with rose, cornflower and sunflower blossoms as well as pineapple. With a tea spoon of honey it’s perfect! I found it while in Berlin last Novembre, bought a small bag, which I regretted when it was empty after about a month. Husband was in Berlin again in May and bought home a large bag which I hope will last until the end of the winter season. Shipping charges from the online store are ridiculous and not even worth considering, so I hope friends and family will take advantage of the direct flights to Berlin and bring me home some tea every now and then.

I usually drink my tea with a bit of honey, and have just found out the hard way that honey isn’t just honey. I usually buy a local variety, but didn’t find it last time I was in the shops, so I bought a similar looking one at approximately the same price. The taste is very different, and when used in tea the taste of the honey is rather prominent. Well, we live and learn.