Jessie tweets & chats her days away working in the social media and public relations departments of Tea. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Jessie moved to New York after college to work in the fashion industry. Still new to San Francisco, she's constantly discovering new sushi spots and hidden boutiques. She's still dreaming of her last trip to the Caribbean and hopes one day soon she can play on the beaches of Thailand.
Mandala means “circle” in Sanskrit and is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the Universe. It has been said that creating mandalas helps stabilize, integrate and re-order inner life.
We designed this mandala in hopes that you and your little citizens will decorate it over and over again. In India, mandalas are made of many different types of objects. We’ve gathered household items to create a few different types mandalas ourselves!
What will you come up with? Share it with us using #MakeAMandala on Instagram.
Kantha is a type of Bengali embroidered quilt. The kantha quilts of Bengal are created from fragments of old family garments layered on top of each other. Each kantha tells a story through technique, design and patterns. Women’s voices are heard through the mends, patches and stitches in this living tradition. continue reading →
We fell in love with sweet cardamom syrup-soaked donuts while traveling in India, better known as gulab jamun. These sweet treats are well worth the time it takes to make them!
My love of collecting teapots started long before I founded Tea Collection. I believe it was China or Hong Kong where I first picked up my first international teapot. I also remember buying beautiful bowls in Japan that actually turned out to be teacups! My love for collecting these items started then. I have always loved the drink and cherished the moment and feeling of the warming experience. Teapots evoke just the right sense of elegance and wisdom that I admire about the whole pastime. And I love the exotic memories each one gives me when I look at it or use it. continue reading →
I can imagine if you asked grown ups their favorite childhood holiday memory, most would say baking and decorating cookies. Every year my mother would make a big batch of gingerbread and sugar cookie dough for my brother, my cousin and I to roll out and decorate.
There would be bottle after bottle of red, white and green crystals, sanding sugars and little silver balls that looked just like holiday ornaments. The only time we were quiet was when we were all decorating our cookies with precision and care. My mom would then pop them into the oven to bake until just golden, while we sipped on hot cocoa before returning to the table to cover the cookies with icing and frosting in an array of colors. continue reading →
“Indigo, or indigotin, is a dyestuff originally extracted from the varieties of the indigo and woad plants. Indigo was known throughout the ancient world for its ability to color fabrics a deep blue. Egyptian artifacts suggest that indigo was employed as early as 1600 b.c.”
To celebrate the launch of our Citizen Blue collection which is rooted in rich indigo hues, we’ve partnered with Tatcha, a skincare company that happens to have their very own Indigo collection, to bring you (three of you!) the chance to win a prize package worth $200! Learn more about Tatcha’s founder and CEO, Victoria Tsai, below…
“I created Tatcha as a way to share the treasures I discovered on my journeys, a philosophy shared by the Tea Collection founders. My daughter, Alea, recently embarked on her first travels and is on her way to becoming a little citizen of the world. Wherever she roams, she loves wearing her kimono-inspired Tea Collection outfits. I’m honored to share our story – and the story of Tatcha – with you today.”
We understand you created Tatcha as “a way to share the treasures and knowledge discovered on [your] journeys East.” What was one of the earliest lessons learned that pushed you to start this business in 2009? continue reading →
My family is a blend of Scottish, Irish, German and Native American. Our Christmas Eve tradition? A Nordic feast featuring Swedish meatballs and lefse at my Aunt and Uncle’s house. While most meatballs are known to sit on top of spaghetti, these meatballs are piled high onto a hearty serving of mashed potatoes. Lefse is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread made of potatoes and flour… best served with copious amounts of butter! For the past 20 years, the table has been set with Spode Christmas china, poinsettias, candles and these two staple dishes.
At Tea, we believe in and wholeheartedly support the mission of The Global Fund for Children, and we’re excited to announce Global Giving Thursdays. For now on, every third Thursday of the month when you give to The Global Fund for Children on our site, we will match your donation. All proceeds go directly to our longtime charity partner. With each Global Giving Thursday, we’re spotlighting a different grantee. This month: Street Library in Duayaden, Ghana.
Children living in the Eastern Region of Ghana typically have limited access to education, and no access to reading materials outside of school. Most of these children have delayed reading skills for their age, which prevents them from succeeding in school.
Reaching multiple villages with its mobile library program, Street Library Ghana brings books to children who don’t have access to reading materials. SLG also offers mentorship and leadership training, tutors children who are unable to read, and organizes events like debates, quizzes, and writing competitions. SLG engages entire communities around the importance of reading. The library operates with the involvement of trained “community program officers” who are selected by village elders to run the program in each community.
Here at Tea, we are honored to partner with the Global Fund for Children and learn about how our donations have an affect on the grantees. The Street Library Ghana is a wonderful program that promotes literacy and engages communities to place a higher value on children’s education through reading.
With the holiday season in full swing, we know many of you might be looking forward to spending a day at home. No need to get out of your pajamas. Take a day to relax and reconnect with your family! Here are some fun indoor activities you can enjoy that don’t involve a TV!
Musical Instruments That Won’t Give You A Headache
Homemade instruments don’t have to involve pots and pans and a lot of noise! Make these easy and soothing shakers and let you kids put on a show! Have them help you make put them together and teach them how to shake to a song!
What You Need:
- Tin cans, cleaned and the labels taken off
-Balloons with the end cut off
-Rubber Bands
-Rice or beans
Instructions: Find some empty tin cans in your recycling and clean them out thoroughly. Fill them 1/3 of the way with rice or beans. Cut a balloon so that you can fit it tightly over the tin can. Place it on the can and secure it tightly with a rubber band. Put on a song or sing a well known tune and let them take the stage!
