Mugshot Monday: Good Old Days

TeaLula storefront with customer and family pictures over the years (Park Ridge)

We headed to our favorite tea shop for Mugshot Monday. Yesterday morning was a little more festive than usual – TeaLula celebrated its five year anniversary! (What a great milestone for a new business!) Check out the big number five – a picture of Oliver is at the tail end. He fell asleep on that table, in that very window.

Enjoying a new brew

Chinese Bai Mudan white tea

Mingling around with our tea friends, having a spot of tea, scones and fruit made for a lovely morning.

TeaLula with my tea buddy

It’s hard to remember now, lugging Oliver’s infant car seat into the shop. (So sweet how the staff remembers.) Then he learned to sit up at the bar and sip his rooibos… totally content. Now we bring the iPad so I can have a little more time to chat with our friends.

It wasn’t just a teashop for me. It was my refuge once a week, a time to talk with “grown-ups”. (We tease now because we’re not sure how “grown up” our conversations were!) I was settling into my new role as a stay at home mom, and with postpartum depression experience from the first time around, I was hell bent on not going down that path again. TeaLula was my way of doing something for me, even if it was just for an hour or so.

When I first went to the store, I could not get over how quaint and cute everything was. Talk about wanting to buy everything…

Sheila capturing the morning

So, congratulations and thank you, Sheila, for not just creating the loveliest, cutest shop ever, but creating an atmosphere of friendship and hospitality. It’s a haven for anyone. The best part wasn’t learning about all the delicious teas from around the world, it was meeting you and everyone at TeaLula who I can call friends. Here’s to more good old days.

**Update: Links to more TeaLula posts including Oliver falling asleep.

Tags: favorite things, Friends and Family, monday, monday mugshot, mug, mugshot, tea, TeaLula

Mugshot Monday: Deep Thoughts Mug

No coffee or tea shot today, but here’s another way I use my mugs. Hope to make some time to draw and color after the kids are at school. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner after all.

(Don’t get me wrong… I gotta start the day with a little kick. I’m drinking some lovely coffee from Intelligentsia today.)

I’ve had this coffee mug since the 1990s. My best friend from high school (later my college roommate, then matron-of-honor) gave it to me. Who remembers “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey” on Saturday Night Live? This one reads, “Better not take a dog on the Space Shuttle, because if he sticks his head out when you’re coming home his face might burn up.” Still makes me laugh! Yes, I’m geeky that way.

So perfect because my friend studied Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering in college.

H, I’m thinking of you today.

Have a great Monday everyone!

Tags: coffee, favorite things, Friends and Family, monday, monday mugshot, mug

Wordless Wednesday: My Happy Place (today)

Julie Tiu | 2012 | www.julietiu.com

Home Improvement stores.

Fall displays, tools, fresh cut lumber. I could spend hours there. Simply, it makes me happy.

Tags: favorite things, garden, home

30 Days of Creativity: Day 29 – A Favorite Feature

Day 29: Photograph your favorite feature.

It took me a while to figure out my favorite feature, and not because there’s so much of myself I like. Complete opposite – I’ve always had a hard time with my body image. Like since I was a kid. (There was a kid in elementary school who called my “Ghandi lips”. That set me back as a second grader.) Let’s not get into body image and all that… it’s all self-acceptance and I admit, I work on that constantly.

After some thought, it came down to my eyes. Pretty sure I have my mom’s eyes.

1999: Wedding Day with my parents

I have big, dark brown eyes. So big, that if I make my eyes wide (like I’m surprised or mad), my family says it looks like my eyeballs will fall out of their sockets. It’s scary and funny – my kids cover their eyes, squirm, giggle, laugh and scream and sometimes, run away. My husband thinks it’s weird… hahaha.

As a kid, I thought my eyes were black because I couldn’t see my pupils. (If you’re Asian, you may have experienced this.) Then there’s the day when I discovered that my eyes (irises) weren’t black and I stood in front of the mirror looking and searching. (A lot of Asian kids do that too.) It’s mesmerizing seeing the brown coloration and maybe flecks of another color, if you’re lucky. I don’t know what I was hoping for – maybe gold?

Take some moments to think about your favorite features, and if you’re so inclined, stop by and comment. Love to hear from you.

Tags: 30 days, eye, eyes, favorite things

Food and Gift Packaging

I was super excited to get these goodies from the offices of Martha Stewart Living via Craft Critique. If you’re getting ready for the holidays and looking for ways to wrap or package your baked goods, please take a look at my review on Craft Critique! Leave a comment at their site and you just might win your own set of treat bags and boxes!

Tags: favorite things, gifts, martha stewart

Birthday Favor Ideas

Birthday parties have always been a fun and memorable event growing up. When we were really young, opening presents and goody/loot bags were the best things ever… I remember getting dot candy on paper strips, the fortune fish you’d hold in your hand that curls up, stickers, tattoos and the plastic trinkets and jewelry that my parents hated so. What a treasure it was to us but was so easily forgotten.

After last year’s Webkinz party at home, we went the other way and hosted a few friends outside and went simple on a take-home gift: One of Abby’s favorite things to eat, dark chocolate. She prefers Scharffen Berger (she’s such a foodie already), but also loves Trader Joe’s dark chocolate. So, we bought a few bars and to dress it up, I took some scrapbook paper and die-cut shapes that coordinated with her favor colors and wrapped the bars. Very simple and cute, just like my kid.

Other thoughtful ideas:

• Giant, decorated sugar cookie that ties into the party theme (i.e. Butterfly cookies from a local bakery for an outdoor or spring themed party or these cookies)
• Small cellophane bag of a favorite candy (M&M’s), tied with curling ribbon
• Thank you cards with a picture of the guest of honor along with friends.
• Picture CD’s of the party
• Small bud vases with seasonal flowers

Tags: birthday, favorite things, gifts, kids, party, party favor, party ideas