It's been a week of meetings, conferences and catching up with old friends. Worlds are colliding, as one of my favorite conferences in my jobby-job world is overlapping my favorite conference of the tea world. Yesterday I was moderating a panel on how property management companies can actually gain traction on Pinterest and Instagram, and today I'm moderating a panel on how Tea Retailers can Amplify their Business Through Tea Bloggers.
There have been a lot of phone calls, emails, PowerPoint revisions, Google hangouts and late nights of figuring out where I need to be and when, in addition to figuring out carpools and childcare for the kids while I'm running between Huntington Beach and Long Beach.
I was anticipating this month of mayhem, so it was with great joy and anticipation that I opened a package that I've been saving. An aroma set and beautiful Oolongs from the new tea company, Tea Ave.
Just setting up the beautiful pieces was a calming process. As the kettle heated up, I selected the Rose Oolong to be my morning companion.
One minute of steeping and the light yellow brew was poured into the tall aroma cup. Then the tasting cup was set over the top, and with a (not terribly) graceful movement, the set was inverted and the tea was released into the tasting bowl.
As I learned from Nicole Martin, of Tea For Me Please, I rolled the aroma cup between my hands as I inhaled the delicate scent. The hint of rose against the faintly earthy and floral oolong, helped erase a little of the stress that has been building between my shoulder blades.
The first sip. I was surprised at the immediate sweetness in the tea that mellowed as it hit the back of my palate. The lightness of the tea made me think "Spring," and I finished off my first cup probably more quickly that would be considered polite.
This Oolong is able to be steeped multiple times, so it was a relaxing moment to steep, smell, sip, and then do it again. Exactly what I needed before I jump into the wonderful world that is the World Tea Expo. (Think "Comic Con" for the tea enthusiast). I can't wait to see my fellow bloggers, catch up with some of my favorite tea providers, and discover new teas and tea people along the way.
Thank you, Tea Ave, for hitting my reset button this morning. The beauty, the savor, the sweetness and the moment were just the thing today.
There have been a lot of phone calls, emails, PowerPoint revisions, Google hangouts and late nights of figuring out where I need to be and when, in addition to figuring out carpools and childcare for the kids while I'm running between Huntington Beach and Long Beach.
I was anticipating this month of mayhem, so it was with great joy and anticipation that I opened a package that I've been saving. An aroma set and beautiful Oolongs from the new tea company, Tea Ave.
Just setting up the beautiful pieces was a calming process. As the kettle heated up, I selected the Rose Oolong to be my morning companion.
One minute of steeping and the light yellow brew was poured into the tall aroma cup. Then the tasting cup was set over the top, and with a (not terribly) graceful movement, the set was inverted and the tea was released into the tasting bowl.
As I learned from Nicole Martin, of Tea For Me Please, I rolled the aroma cup between my hands as I inhaled the delicate scent. The hint of rose against the faintly earthy and floral oolong, helped erase a little of the stress that has been building between my shoulder blades.
The first sip. I was surprised at the immediate sweetness in the tea that mellowed as it hit the back of my palate. The lightness of the tea made me think "Spring," and I finished off my first cup probably more quickly that would be considered polite.
This Oolong is able to be steeped multiple times, so it was a relaxing moment to steep, smell, sip, and then do it again. Exactly what I needed before I jump into the wonderful world that is the World Tea Expo. (Think "Comic Con" for the tea enthusiast). I can't wait to see my fellow bloggers, catch up with some of my favorite tea providers, and discover new teas and tea people along the way.
Thank you, Tea Ave, for hitting my reset button this morning. The beauty, the savor, the sweetness and the moment were just the thing today.
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