tea party in the mail

Well goodness, yesterday improved. After our mailwoman delivered good things to read, more deliveries arrived!

First, I have a very proud moment to share - my first tea byline:



As you can see, that's my signature adagio blend ~ morning prayer tea. 'Tis a blend of snowbud white, chamomile, and peppermint. Can you smell it?



It tastes amazing, too, and I promise I'm not just saying that to pimp my own tea. I am actually new to white tea, and now, I'm a big fan. Such a smooth, subtle tea taste.

But that's not all. I also received four adagio tea samples, thanks to the $11.00 gift certificate they sent to my e-mail inbox. Here's the deal:

"All purchases automatically earn you points in our 'frequent cups' reward program. Every dollar spent (not counting taxes and shipping) equals one point. Collect 100 points, and receive a free $10 gift certificate. It's like getting a 10% cash back with every purchase."

Nice, huh? I used my g.c. to try samples of coconut black, ginseng green (at Alissa's high recommendation), and white blueberry teas. Adagio even threw in a free sample: Bolero tea, a signature blend by Inguna Trepsa. Bolero = "the sultry flavors of vanilla and almond with the strong flair of Ceylon Sonata."

I had a cup of Bolero this morning, then a cup of morning prayer tea. Both are excellent, each in their own way. morning prayer tea is also very good for my stomach which is not behaving itself this week. Chamomile + peppermint soothe digestive troubles, you know.

And that's not even the end of yesterday's fun deliveries. A cheerfully-decorated box arrived bearing the return address of my friend Lauren - we worked together at an indie music company here in Houston, several years ago. I said aloud, "What the ... ? We haven't seen each other in so long!" I opened the package to find a sweet card, and these:



A white, woodsy tea set! Though I felt b-a-d yesterday, you should have seen the massive smile on my face as I pulled out a beautiful creamer, sugar bowl, and two mugs - all so very "me." I am rather woodsy. And, as much as I love my mismatched mug collection, such a pretty set makes me happy - a proper way to serve tea (or coffee) when I have company. I even have a white teapot that will match perfectly.

Lauren, thank you so much! You made a wretched day quite lovely. Don't forget that we have a guest bedroom. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting your husband or cute daughter. Ahem. Why don't y'all pay old, humid Houston a visit? We can enjoy this tea set together; do some shopping around Montrose. In the meantime, would you like to try Bolero tea? I happen to have an extra sample tin. I can ship it along with a thank you note, quick-like.