Aug

26

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Our dear friend, Beatrice Hohenegger has made it happen! She was the driving force behind this new exhibition at the Fowler Museum, UCLA. I just can’t get up there soon enough. It opened on August 16th and runs through November 29th, so if you’re in the area, do make a point to check it out. We plan to make our way up in the next few weeks, but have also considered doing a small group trip for customers who may be interested. If so, we’ll announce it here and via email so those who are interested can sign up as space will be limited. See below for more event information.

Steeped in History: The Art of Tea
Hot or iced, bagged or loose, black or green—whatever form it takes, enjoying a cup of tea is an act performed at least three billion times a day. Tea has played many profound roles on the world scene—as an ancient health remedy, an element of cultural practice, a source of spiritual insight, and even a catalyst for international conflicts—so naturally the ubiquitous beverage has been a prevalent theme in the visual arts. Steeped in History brings together magnificent art from three continents and many centuries, including rare Chinese ceramics and paintings, 18th- and 19th-century Japanese ceramics and prints, extraordinary English and Colonial American paintings, historic photographs and documents, tea-serving paraphernalia and furniture from many countries, and much more—to tell the fascinating story of tea.

And, if you want even more in-depth information, check this out.

Stunning weather here in South Park today. We hope all is well with all of you. Thanks for checking in!

- James

Aug

20

 I recently came across an online article at the New York Times that dealt with an individual’s search for a new tea kettle. Alice Rawsthorn was lamenting the fact that among so many options, she was unable to find a new kettle that was well-made and simply styled with timeless design. “Simple, well-made and unobtrusive doesn’t seem like the toughest of design briefs….” As she was coming across examples like this and this, you can see how it could be frustrating.

Well, she clearly didn’t come across any kettles like this gem pictured below. I’ve talked about the kettle designed by Sori Yanagi in a previous post, but this article made me realize how much I really love the kettles we carry. For traditional kettles, we only stock the Yanagi (stainless steel, Japan) and the Simplex (copper, England) because they are indeed “simple, well-made and unobtrusive.” Elegant and timeless in their simplicity, these kettles will last many years. For electric kettles, we choose to carry Zojirushi for all the same reasons.

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Hope all is well with all of you. Thanks very much for checking in.

- James

Aug

18

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A little snippet of an illustration from an old Harper’s Bazaar.

Late summer is happening here in San Diego. Though September can get warm, it has been fairly cool lately. I am getting hints of Fall, my absolute favorite time of year.

I hope all is well with you. Thanks for checking in!

- James

Aug

13

Wares

August 13, 2009 | 2 Comments

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Form, function, culture, tradition—all in one vessel, utensil, or accessory. Appreciating teaware is almost as much fun as geeking out on the tea itself.

Beautiful, breezy day with sun here in South Park. Time for some oolong.

Hope your day is going well. Thanks for checking in.

- James

Aug

11

Tuesday Afternoon

August 11, 2009 | 2 Comments

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Fine music for a Tuesday from one of my favorites, Hank Mobley. He may not have been considered as heavy as Coltrane or Sonny Rollins, but I love many of his offerings from the Blue Note years. This track, Recado Bossa Nova came up today while I was enjoying a cup at the shop. Thought I’d share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy it.

Hope your week is shaping up to be a great one. Thanks for checking in.

- James

Aug

8

Happy Saturday! This week we are doing 10% off our latest tea arrivals. Below are a few quick snaps of the featured teas.

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1. Golden Monkey Organic: mildly sweet, rich notes of sweet potato squash

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2. Sungma Supreme Muscatel: clear muscatel flavor, mid body, sweet finish

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3. Cream of Assam Satrupa Estate: sweet honey notes, mild spice notes

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4. Assam Breakfast: hearty single-estate breakfast tea, spice notes

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We are looking into a few more new selections over the next few weeks; we’ll keep you posted.

I hope you’re all enjoying your weekend. It’s a beautiful one here!

Thanks very much for checking in.

- James

Aug

4

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Today is my first day back from eight days of family, swimming, surfing and tea. Sorry to have the blog languish a bit with my absence, but I tried my best to be completely unplugged for the week. What a nice time it was. You really begin to get the true idea of what recreation means when you have enough time to do it properly. Well, another week would have been nice, but I am refreshed and really excited to be back in the shop. We have a few new teas in stock, so I’ll be sure to post about them in the next day. I am also looking to order a couple more new teas, so be sure to check back. And, if there’s something you would really like to see in the shop, give us a call or stop by.

It’s great to be back in the mix. More to come!

Thanks so much for checking in.

- James