Did you say tea?

I dream of a life when I can work form home full time, creating jewellery all day long 

whilst drinking lots and lots of tea.

Whether you catch me on my English mood and I say 'a cup of tea' or 'some tea' 

or on my French mood and I say 'a tea'... tea, me likes!

When we moved in our current place, we decided to have a 'breakfast cupboard' i.e. where all the breakfast things would go (jams, cereal, tea and coffee..) however over time, this changed somehow and now we have one whole shelf for teas and infusions and another for everything else. 

I buy different flavours depending on where I go, picking up a few favourites over and over again 

or trying out new things too... to suit my fancy. 

Tea varieties are to me what shoes are others - if you have less than 10, I feel naked and choice-less!


At the last count (that would be Sunday), I had a choice of 23 varieties - I am not sure whether that is a lot or not, and would definitely be interested in knowing how many you have....

Below is what I currently have - but like I say it does change.

I have noticed that so many of you are also tea-addict, so I hope it will inspire you, and feel free to share your favourite ones too!

Café Henri

They have a nice selection yummy perfumes. 

I really love their 'poppy-flavoured tea, but also the rose one, so girly!

Mariage Freres
I only discovered this brand last year when I visited Paris for a few days, but I fell under the spell of their delicious teas. It doesn't come too cheap but it is worth every penny.

My favourite here: Vert Provence and Thé des Impressionistes (Christmas present yum yum!)

Make us a brew
This is the tea collection by the DJ Mr Scruff from Manchester. Unpretentious and with original flavour combination, it is a staple in our cupboard. Plus, you get lovely little comic-style stories.

 

Le palais des thés
A household name in France, you can find there a nice range of traditional and quirkier flavours.
Here: Violette, Montagne Bleue et Thé du Hammam

Twinings
Despite the fact that you can find those in everyday supermarkets, I find the Twinings teas rather yummy. Be is their large range of infusions or their more English-heritage flavours (Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Assam, etc), they are a reliable brand for those with smaller budgets.
And if you haven't yet, try their Blossom range, it is particularly good!

My cup of tea
New kid on the block (for me anyway) is this charming and elegant brand. Presented in individual bags rather than loose, this is tea for busy people, and who have an eye for design.
Here: Peppermint Tea, White Jasmine Tea and Minty Green Tea

Miscellaneous
A couple of Whittard tins, some traditional English teas for the guests and some deliciousness coming all the way from Dubai (where I discovered Oolong tea).
If you are looking for fruity infusions, try the Clipper range - it is fair-trade and it is really tasty.

Last but not least...

This is some rather original tea coming straight from China, which I discovered through my day-job.
It is quite extraordinary; basically each little ball is a little flower which, once you put in hot water, opens up like a blossoming flower, just as shown here You can then drink the flavoured water. 
Yummy yummy! 
If you ever can, make sure to try it!