Jul

22

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We are so happy for our good friend David Skelley, owner of San Diego’s Boomerang for Modern. Located in North Little Italy’s design district, Boomerang has been San Diego’s premier shop for mid-century furnishings and accessories for 25 years! Impeccably curated, the shop features three floors of iconic modern works from designers like Eames, Saarinen, Bertoia, Nelson…the list goes on. We have spent a lot of time at Boomerang over the past 10 years. We have purchased many timeless items that are not only beautifully designed, they are also built to last from quality materials. These are pieces our daughter will have someday!

If you love mid-century design, Boomerang is a must-see. We are fortunate to have David and his shop in our fine city. Yet another example of an independent business dedicated to top-notch quality and excellent service. Three cheers for Boomerang on an incredible 25 years! That is inspiring.

If you’re interested in the history of this beloved shop, David has actually created a 25th Anniversary book about the history of Boomerang. How cool is that? It will be available July 26th. Now for that 60s Daybed Sofa I’ve been checking out…

We hope you all are doing well, and thanks so much for checking in!

- James

Jul

18

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We had a blast at the Summer Walkabout last night. It was a packed evening! Our iced tea selections were a huge hit, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the music of Trio Gadjo and Choro Sotaque. A very cool feature of this Walkabout was the Urban Safari walking tour that took people on a trip around the neighborhood to enjoy the numerous vendors, musicians, art shows, food, beverages, and good times. The weather was absolutely perfect, which led throngs of people into the streets to enjoy the evening. We met lots of wonderful new people, and we are already looking forward to the Fall Walkabout.

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported all of the amazing local businesses in South Park. This neighborhood has gotten a lot of attention lately, and it is no surprise. South Park is clearly becoming a hotbed of independent businesses dedicated to quality, service, and community. We are proud to be a part of this!

Thanks for checking in.

- James

Jul

16

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Yes, it’s that time of year! We are really looking forward to the South Park Walkabout. It’s happening tomorrow, Saturday, July 17th from 6 to 10 pm.  This one is shaping up to be an excellent event with two bands, a vintage goods pop-up shop led by our good friend Gabe Salcedo (GS Cicleria and The Vintage Scout), lots of free iced tea, snacks, and great people. Next door, at MCM Gallery, be sure to check out the opening of a new exhibition featuring the works of local artist Lindy Ivey.

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We’ll be sure to have plenty of our much-loved iced hibiscus tea on tap, along with a couple of others. We hope to see you there!

New teaware in stock, and we have re-upped on some spring teas that sold out rather quickly. Also, 5:00 Friday is happening tonight! I’ll be at the helm pouring some cooling white and green teas for the evening. Stop by for a taste!

We are enjoying some beautiful weather here at the shop. We hope you’re having a great Friday. As always, thanks so much for checking in.

- James

Jun

29

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Our very good friend and neighbor, Joe Grant (Grant’s Marketplace) has spearheaded a wonderful new concept aimed at bringing together independent, quality-focused businesses throughout San Diego. The S.L.O.B website is just starting to launch with new businesses being added as we speak. There is a very strong community focus with several excellent local merchants creating the site’s foundation. By working together to promote independent businesses, the site reminds us that it really is the local merchants, shops, restaurants, etc. that make communities thrive. There is nothing like the personal relationships we establish, the services we provide, and the amount of fun we all have working together. Here is a little sample from last week’s local broadcast introducing Joe and a couple of us local South Park businesses. Both Alchemy and South Bark Dog Wash (also featured) can be found in our list of links at right >>

We have some wonderful new teas and teaware in stock. We’ll be posting more about these in the coming days. We hope you all are well. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop on in for a taste!

Thanks so much for checking in.

- James

Jun

22

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Polaroid photo: Ian Cuevas (more here)

Chances are, if you have been in the shop during the past five months or so, you probably recognize this lovely person. Christina began working with us back in January and has been such a welcomed addition to the Halcyon Tea family. She was first introduced to tea by a college friend and become an avid tea lover when she stumbled upon our shop during a South Park Walkabout. She likes to start her mornings with our Sencha Shan Izumi and has fallen in love with our loose Pu-erhs as her afternoon drink of choice. Cloudy, Sunday morning brunches are paired with stovetop-cooked Indian Chai, and movie nights are often accompanied by a cup of Restful Calm. If you haven’t met her, come by our next 5:00 Friday and introduce yourself. Thanks so much for joining us, Christina.

Lots of new, great things in the shop! 2010 Jungpana 1st-flush Darjeeling is now in stock along with new Japanese canisters, Tokoname Kyusu, Chawan (matcha bowls), new BeeHouse items, miscellaneous accessories, and more new teas we’ll talk about in a forthcoming post. Stop on by!

Thanks so much for checking in. We appreciate your interest. More to come.

- James

Jun

18

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Wow, hard to believe it’s already that time of year again. This is worth coming out for. House tours and seminars, vendors, food, music…it’s a block party! We’ll be open early, starting at 10 am with tea samples at the ready. Stop on by for a cup and a chat before you check out all the great things the Old House Fair has to offer. If you want to learn more about the event, check it out here.

Lots of new teaware, new teas, and it’s Friday. You know what that means, right? Yes, we are looking forward to 5:00 Friday! If you’re local, stop on in for a taste as we continue our weekly tradition of tea and community. We hope to see you.

Enjoy your Friday evening, and thanks so much for checking in. More good stuff coming soon!

- James

May

29

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Name: Bob Lajes

What do you do? I take pictures.

Why Tea?
The feeling, the taste, the objects, the ritual…

How did you get into it?
I’ve enjoyed tea for a while, but it was my wife Kim’s enthusiasm that really got me interested. When we met, she had several Yixing teapots. It became a habit…and a shared passion.

How did you discover Halcyon Tea?
Mike at Type G introduced me.

Which teas have you been into lately?
Kim and I really enjoy oolongs together, and lately I’ve been enjoying a bit of Big Red Robe

Do you have a favorite tea scenario?
Tea is perfect any time. Ideally though, getting lost with my wife and our little travel Yixing anywhere in Taiwan.

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Thanks, Bob. And just to give you all a heads up, Bob has created a very cool project he’s calling Tea Habit. He wants to document the tea-drinking rituals of others via photography. In his words: I’d like potential participants to know that it will be informal, casual, and documentary style. It will take place in their own environments, whether it be work, home, a backyard, a park, etc. It will be more a documentary of the details, the actions, the accouterments more than a portrait of a person, although I do believe that whether or not a person’s face is included, I am still creating a portrait of a person. I understand people may be intimidated by the notion of a stranger coming into their private places and taking pictures of them, so my goal is to make a participant comfortable by not including formal/traditional portraits of them if they do not wish.

I’m in! We are very excited to see this project develop. Interested in participating? Bob has left a sign-up list at our shop, or you can contact him via his website.

Beautiful day here in San Diego. A Dragonwell type of day for me. We hope you all are well and we appreciate you checking in. Thanks for reading!

- James

 

Apr

15

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Lou Donaldson’s Midnight Creeper LP is a favorite.

Yep, this Saturday is National Record Store Day! While many people love the convenience of iTunes and Amazon, there is nothing like actually venturing into your favorite local independent record shop and browsing to your heart’s content. I usually go in with no idea of what I’m looking for, and I always leave with a few gems. A couple of my favorite local stores are M-Theory and Thirsty Moon. Both are beautifully curated, so you don’t have to look very hard to find something great. Each shop also has in-store performances—something you just can’t get online.

I guess I’m just one of those people who will always need tangible proof of his music collection. When I’m at home, I need to pull the album or CD off the shelf and physically start it up. Nothing against digital libraries at all, it’s just that I’ll never be able to give up my records. If you are also so inclined, make sure to get out there and support your local neighborhood shop.

Oh, and the album featured above? Check out the title track here. You won’t be disappointed.

Thanks for checking in!

- James

Feb

28

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I love this shot of a recent 5:00 Friday session. After enough oolong I guess people can start to climb on things, which is how our buddy Chad got this shot. I dig it. It is always so much fun sharing tea with our Friday evening folks. If you need a new way to start your Friday nights, tea with us is a great transition between work and your evening play. See friends you know, start a conversation with someone you just met…tea is, among many things, a wonderful unifying element. Thanks to all of you that come in to share tea with us. We really enjoy having you.

Hope your weekend was a great one. Thanks for checking in!

- James

Jan

3

Here’s to 2010!

January 3, 2010 | 1 Comment

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