Steven Smith Teamaker

I wish it wasn’t going to be 109 today. Uggh. I hate the summer.
In rebellion, a very wintery tea- mainly this cup of pine tree mellowness. Rebellion I say!

This is the first of my truly insane Thursdays. This day of the week, with my current jobs, has always been my busiest, but now a coworker has retired, and I’m taking over her extra shift, which means that I’m just going to be run positively ragged.
The good news is that I have a small break, in which to work out, eat lunch, and drink tea.
But first thing in the morning I need a quick, brisk cup, and that’s what this was. Yaaay.

Its very, very bad when you wake up at 5:45 am and its 73 degrees. Bleh.
I like a very strong brew when I need to be up so early, but I also need quick, so a bagged tea it is.
I put this through a lighter steep than I usually do, and it flattened the flavors out a bit. The interesting note of pine vanishes, but the base is still quite tasty, so its not all bad news.

This was the tea I drank when I hauled my sorry carcass out of bed this morning, and was absent mindedly wandering from room to room, getting ready for my work day. SO unfair, to be up that early on a Saturday!
Its a reflection on me, not the tea, that I could not tell you what this tasted like this morning. The tea was, I’m sure, perfectly fine, but I was just too tired to process it. Eeesh.

This was the earliest tea of the morning. I need a bagged tea first thing on a Thursday morning, as I wake up so early and have to move so quickly that I don’t bother with brewing a small pot.
I’ve got to say, this is interesting. The pine in it makes it very wintery, as well as the ghost of mint, which floats through the cup.
This is a nice strong black as well, perfect for a pick me up, but its not a favorite.

Earliest cup of the day.
I like this, though it feels slightly out of place on a warm morning. This is a pine black, but fear not! Its just a fresh hint, not tasting like a forest floor.
It also is a good strong black tea, so its excellent for when my eyes need to be propped open.

This has got such an interesting hint of pine floating around at the tail end of the sip. It bumps up the otherwise unflavored tea, which enhances it, rather than distracts.
Also, its a quick cup to brew up and to drink- important this early in the morning.

Tea of the morning.
I was very interested. A rich blend of black teas, and a hint of pine? What would that be like?
I’m pleased to let you know it was not at all like a pine tree. I was afraid it might taste like a Christmas tree lot, but the pine note is lovely, subtle, and well blended with the black teas.
Good. I’m quite glad.

Merry Christmas, Steepster friends! I hope the day is full of only the best tea, and only the best company.

A moment of silence for my last sachet of Silent Night. Farewell, beautiful tea. Until we meet again!
Sipdown.

Cue the weeping, the wailing and gnashing of teeth, the rending of garments, and the wails of agonized woe.
This is now gone! Gone, I tell you! And I shall not see its beautiful leaves again until December! Woe is I!
Which is my melodramatic way of saying sipdown.
Sniff.

Backlogged from last night-
I drank this to offset the absolutely massive peanut butter chocolate heart I ate last night. I doubt it helped burn any calories, but it certainly was delicious.
My favorite mint, simple yet sophisticated.
This is going to be gone sooner than I’d like….

Ah, and just like that this tea is all gone.
I’m not sad, though I love this blend. It will be back, or I will find new things to try.
I’m not hording tea this year (or, at least, that’s the goal), so it was nice to have my last sachet of this on this blustery, stormy day.
Sipdown!

A cup of this in the afternoon as a treat.
This is such a modern mint blend, conjuring images of spare, elegant lofts rather than cozy-warm cottages. I really like it, it shakes things up on the ol’ mint tea front.

I have brought this, one of my favorite peppermint teas, with me to work. Its a self preservation thing, because I’ve been feeling highly wobbly and sad lately, so when I’m really starting to feel it, but still have things to do, I can brew myself this.
That was a long sentence.
I love this, and when its gone, as it will be all too-soon, I’ll have to wait till next winter to get some more. (Damn you, limited edition teas!). But I’m making a point this year of not hording things, not saving things for best, or agonizing over the right time to drink/wear/read/use something. I want to use what I have. Also I’ve got so much that I want to work on narrowing down my collection of teas, and keeping it manageable. I don’t want to feel overwhelmed by my cupboard. I want to find it inspiring, and have plenty of space to try new things in it as well, without feeling like I’m neglecting other teas.
Whew.
Long winded way of saying that this is hitting the spot exactly right, lately.

Drat! I have now caught the cold that I’ve been frantically dodging for the last few weeks. Bleh.
So lots of minty hot water with honey is called for, and I’m pulling out the big guns with this lovely mint blend.
Help me, oh tea!

Boy, I made this last a long time. But last night was the time to sip it down, so sip it down I did!
It will (hopefully) be back soon, anyway.

My stomach has been bothering me today, so I’ve brought bagged teas with ginger and mint with me to work today. Turns out I’ve got a lot that matches that description.
I even tossed my second-to-last sachet of this blend into my workbag, and have just finished sipping on it.
This is one of my favorite mint blends. Its very modern, not at all sweet and cuddly, but instead almost abstract. Can you say that about a mint tea? Well, that’s what it brings to mind.
Hopefully it will help my touchy stomach today as well.

Backlogged from last night.
Cardamom French Toast tea is back at Davids, and from the buzz, it might be permanent? Oh please, please say this is so, as I just adored it last year.
Which also means that I grabbed a ton of it, plus a few other favorites, and they will arrive soon. Which means that my cupboard is officially ridiculous. Plus I may be wanting some teas from a Quarter to Tea on top of all of that, and, well, I have sipping down to do….
This is not a sipdown, but we’re getting mighty close. And I’m still enjoying every sip.

I am fighting the dreaded summer sore throat. Bleh. I don’t wanna be sick! Especially when its the absolute hottest days of summer out there.
So I’m using a precious bag of this, one of my favorite mint teas, to help sooth the throat and go on about my routine.
Lets hope it helps!

It was not a good day. The job is overwhelming, I’m falling behind, and my head hurts.
No fooling around, just one of my favorite cups of peppermint tea, and a blanket to cuddle in.

The tea to wrap up my evening.
Its just so modern, so minimalist. Its just so impressive!

Its been a really bad day. Its been a day of truly horrible mistakes at my new job. I’m feeling worn down.
So I’ve got a cozy sweater and a big mug of tea and I will try again tomorrow.

Time to cut the caffine for the day. And, as this cough still lingers, I wanted something nice and soothing.
Ahh, Silent Night. What a lovely mint blend.