Welcome to The Tea House Times Interview Resource Center

From time to time we will interview businesses that have something nice to offer those who enjoy afternoon tea.  Visit our Contact page to sign up for our email list to automatically receive these interviews via email. 

Below are current and past interviews with Tea Business Professionals. 

Click the links just below OR scroll down the page for each interview. 

FAYE FITZGERLAD/TEA TIME FINERY

KATHLEEN ROGERS/SET TO A TEA

SHARON HAHN/GRANNY'S TEA COZIES

LYNN MANNO/MOMENTS IN THYME

TEA COURSE

DAVID RENAUD, TEA FOR TWO

JOE SIMRANY, TEA ASSOCIATION OF THE USA

SUSAN STUCKEY, BERIBBONED DECORATIVE ARTS

ELIZABETH KNIGHT

GRANDMA RAE

RUTH WESTON, TIME WAS ANTIQUES

GRACE MA, COASTLINE IMPORTS

MARILYN MILLER, MARMALADY'S

KIMBERLY SHAW, KIMBERLY SHAW GRAPHICS

MAXINE HOLMGREN, MAXINE'S MYSTERY TEA PARTIES

JEAN FORNEY, HAND PAINTED ROSE

DANIELLE BEAUDETTE, THE COZY TEA CART

EARLENE GREY

ANNELISE PITT, THISTLEDOWN COZIES

DAWNYA SASSE AKA LADY DAWNYA, TEA EVENTS

DIANE SIVERSON/LADY DIANE HATS

BONNIE PORRO, THYME FOR TEA

NAN TAYLOR, TEA GRACES

RACHEL JOHNSTON, SBS TEAS

SARAH E., MISS SARAH'S TEA WARE

JOANMARIE MOCCIA, VICTORIA'S JEWELRY BOX

CHERYL DUNBAR, TEA TIME BINGO

GEORGE JAGE, WORLD TEA EXPO

SUE ELLEN COOPER, EXALTED QUEEN MOTHER, THE RED HAT SOCIETY

GARY WORRELL, CHRISTOPHER BROOKES DISTINCTIVE FOODS

LISA WYNN, ARTISAN'S CUP (formerly Teas By Design)

LADY GAYLE: 

Did you listen to an interview of Lady Gayle of The Tea House Times at Tea Radio?    If you missed it, click here to listen. 

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April 2009 Interviews:

This month we are interviewing Faye Fitzgerald of Tea Time Finery and Kathleen Rogers of Set to a Tea.  Tea Time Finery specializes in beautiful aprons and recently introduced monogram design aprons and totes.  Set to a Tea is a Tea Party Hostess business and offers consultant training and a very special product line.  Both of these wonderful business owners will be available to chat with you and showcase their products in The Tea House Times’ Tea Bureau Booth 509 at World Tea Expo May 2-4, 2009.  Other member products shown in the Tea Bureau booth will be Grandma Rae, Granny’s Tea Cozies, Marmaladys, Moments in Thyme, Penguin books, Tea Dyed Tees, a teapot bank from Oregon Street Tea Company, Shabby Lane Shops directory, and a directory to other Tea Bureau member businesses, Tea Rooms, and Tea Speakers Bureau members.

INTERVIEW WITH TEA TIME FINERY

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Faye, your aprons have always caught my eye for being very unique and stylish.  The fabrics are beautiful and certainly fit the name Tea Time Finery.  Are your aprons handmade and do you offer custom fabric choices?

FAYE FITZGERALD/TEA TIME FINERY:  Yes, my aprons are all hand made in my downstairs sewing/work room.  I started out by choosing fabrics and color palettes that caught my eye while always searching for something festive enough for a tea party yet suitable for a tea room.  Along the way, I was disappointed to find that there weren’t many tea-themed fabrics available.  Recently, however, I discovered several “Afternoon Tea” fabrics and will have this new line of aprons available at the Expo.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  I see you recently introduced a granny style hat.  Tell us about this.

FAYE/TEA TIME FINERY:  The granny-style hat actually came about by a request from a tea room owner.  The hats are made from the same “Afternoon Tea” fabrics to coordinate with the aprons.  They are gathered and trimmed in lace and bring a fun yet nostalgic look to the ensemble.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Your adult bibs are great!  Especially the unique fabric choices available for women AND men!  What made you decide to offer adult size bibs?

FAYE/TEA TIME FINERY:  Well, there are so many adults who are “shut-ins” or wheelchair bound.  Often at mealtime, a dull-looking towel is placed on them.  I got to thinking about how nursing homes and other organizations have tea parties for the elderly, so why not give them some tea time finery, too.  They should feel special and look pretty.  So I am making the bibs in tea-themed fabrics, but they are available in a variety of fabrics to suit both men and women. 

But they’re not just for the elderly.  How often do all of us grab a bite to eat on the run…so they’re very handy to keep in your car or desk so you can protect your clothing!

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Tell us about some of the other products you have created such as tea cozies, etc.

FAYE/TEA TIME FINERY:  I haven’t done too much with the tea cozies.  I have requests for them, but they’re on my “back burner”, so to speak.  I have also made fabric tea pouches.  These are made from a variety of fabrics and are small enough to hold a tea bag.  They are embellished with a tea charm and gift tag.  They are great for gifts, tea party favors, or just to keep in your purse.  Also, I make lavender sachets.  These come with an attached card with suggested uses.  And I have a spa line which I’m always working on, including herbal spritzers and other items which are in the development stage. 

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Your most recent addition - to be introduced at World Tea Expo - is your new line of monogram design aprons and totes.  Tell us about this.  What are the fabric choices and colors.

FAYE/TEA TIME FINERY:  I guess you could say the embroidered aprons and tote bags are my personal contribution to help the environment.  Let’s face it – we’ve all heard the horror stories of those pesky plastic bags clogging up landfills.  Everywhere you go nowadays, grocery and department stores – even our local library – have recyclable tote bags available.  I felt the tea industry needed to go green, too.  So I started my own line of embroidered tote bags.  These are medium-sized canvas totes.  They have a teapot on them and your choice of the following words:  (1) Go Green Tea; (2) Hospitalitea; (3) Serenitea; and (4) Tranquilitea.  They are fun to take to tea or shopping!  The aprons are full bib aprons currently available in white, green, blue or tan, embroidered with the teapot and same choice of words as the tea totes.  You may request any thread color.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Can a tea room order a custom monogram of their business name or logo for the aprons or totes?

FAYE/TEA TIME FINERY:  I have done some custom totes for tea rooms as a special order.  However, not all logos work well in embroidery.  These would be considered on an individual basis, and there is a one-time digitizing fee.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Stepping back a little, tell us how you first got involved with the tea industry through your book and greeting cards and how this led to Tea Time Finery.

FAYE/TEA TIME FINERY:  Being a native of Florida and raised a “Southern Lady”, tea is in my roots and carries special childhood memories.  My mom was famous for her sweet iced tea, and both of my parents were well known for their Southern hospitality.  But it was not until my children were grown that I found the opportunity to pursue my passion for tea.  A few years ago, I started my business called “My Fayevorite Things”.  It included having tea parties in my home as well as hosting tea parties for others, making cards for my guests with a tea bag and a tea saying.  Eventually, I put those sayings into book form, published with the title, “Life is Like a Tea Bag”.  The tea cards have blossomed into 6 different lines of cards.  I have also started a line of garden cards, and each card has a vegetable or flower seed packet.

I am blessed to have a husband who shares my passion for tea.  We love to travel on tea-related excursions and explore new tea rooms.  It is within the walls of a tea room that my soul truly finds inner peace and contentment.  It is in peering into a beautiful cup or glass of tea that my mind finds both rest AND inspiration.  And so it was in our tea room adventures that the “fashionista” in me started noticing what tea room employees wore, as well as what people wear when going to tea.  That’s where I found a niche waiting to be filled.  And that is how Tea Time Finery was born.  I have started with vintage-look and embroidered aprons, granny hats, tea tote bags.  The journey has just begun!

I would like to personally invite all of you to please come visit my husband, John, and me at the World Tea Expo, Booth #509.  See our exciting new products and enter the drawing for free merchandise.  We will have some great show specials you won’t want to miss!  We love meeting fellow tea enthusiasts, and we’re always open to your thoughts and suggestions.  Hope to see you there!

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Please visit with Faye at World Tea Expo Booth 509, May 2-4, 2009 at World Tea Expo. 

Visit www.teatimefinery.com for online shopping or contact Faye for wholesale information.  Faye Fitzgerald, Tea Time Finery, P. O. Box 822
Mt. Dora, FL 32757, (352) 455-2345  email:  Faye@teatimefinery.com

INTERVIEW WITH SET TO A TEA

Set to a Tea is a Tea Party Hostess business and offers consultant training and a very special product line. 

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Kathleen, I have been watching your business grow and am impressed by the quality and quantity of products you have made available to your hostess/consultant team.  The product packaging is elegant and unique and brings the entire line together beautifully, making it easy and attractive for consultants to present and sell through home parties.  Why would someone want to become a Set to a Tea Consultant? 

KATHLEEN/SET TO A TEA:   Sharing your passion for tea is the most important reason for beginning your tea business. We offer one of the best and easiest opportunities to do this and add to your income while enjoying yourself.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  What do you offer in the start up kit for consultants?  Is it full of sales tools and helpful information? 

KATHLEEN/SET TO A TEA:   Our Start up Package is really 2 kits in one! The business kit is full of the tools (order forms, catalogs, etc) and training guides that you need to be a successful business owner. Our Retail kit provides you with the best selling products from our signature line; giving your "tea shop" a beautiful presentation.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Tell us about some of the training you offer your consultants. 

KATHLEEN/SET TO A TEA:   Training is a key component to a consultant's success. We offer weekly and monthly phone conferences as well as monthly tea trainings. We are very excited to announce our new education program with TeaCourse.com for our TEAm!

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Share with us how you plan to make use of TeaCourse.com to help educate your consultants about tea.

KATHLEEN/SET TO A TEA:   Serving your customers properly means that you continually grow as a tea consultant. Our new TeaCourse membership will allow our consultants to enjoy the wonderful world of tea as they learn more about it!

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Your product line includes all of the beautiful things one would expect to see at a fine afternoon tea gathering.  You also sell tea and other food products to complete the perfect experience. Tell us about your products.

KATHLEEN/SET TO A TEA:   Our signature product line is a fabulous blend of tea and teaware. First, we offer whole leaf gourmet teas as well as unique items to prepare the tea. We design and produce our own line of tea cosies, table cloths and napkins. Coordinating tea pots, tea cups and serving pieces make it easy for our customers to set a beautiful table. Pantry goodies help our customers serve treats as well as tea. Finally, we have selected wonderful gift items for our tea lovers.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Can anyone purchase products at your website, or is it only available for consultants ordering to fulfill party sales? Or - both?

KATHLEEN/SET TO A TEA:   SettoaTea.com offers easy online shopping for our retail customers. Our Consultants have their own online ordering system called the "Consultant's Workstation"

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Do you wholesale any of your products?

KATHLEEN/SET TO A TEA:   Our products are offered through our Consultants exclusively. Even when you order at the website, a consultant is given the contact and credit for the retail sale. We take pride in our Consultant TEAm and will always support them, never compete with them.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  What kind of person do you see fitting the Set to a Tea Consultant team?  Where should a consultant live and do business?

KATHLEEN/SET TO A TEA:   A consultant for Set to a Tea has a passion for sharing and learning about tea. She must have a desire to serve others as she grows her business. Our mission is to offer hope, joy and encouragement to others through the experience of Afternoon Tea. She must hold to this purpose also. We are excited to serve consultants throughout the United States. Each consultant has the opportunity to work from home and enrich the lives of their family as well as their new hostesses and customers.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  If I were to have a Set to a Tea party in my own home, what would the benefit be to me as the hostess? 

KATHLEEN/SET TO A TEA:   Our Hostess Program is one of the best in the business! The experience begins with a tea party and an intimate group of friends/family. For sharing her home and her guests with us she is rewarded with generous free gifts and awards.  The best benefit however is, the tea party experience with our tea and scones and your friends!

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  If I were to become one of your Set to a Tea Consultants and I set up a party with any number of hostesses in their homes, what is the benefit to me?  Why should I become a Set to a Tea Consultant?

KATHLEEN/SET TO A TEA:   Consultants will benefit from our turn key retail system. They can open their shop doors immediately and realize a profit right away. We have a tea party guide that will show you how and keep you on the right path to success! We've taken out the guess work so that you can turn your passion for tea into the business you've always wanted.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Looking to start a tea business?  Please visit with Kathleen at World Tea Expo Booth 509, May 2-4, 2009 at World Tea Expo (FYI - the expo offers New Business Boot Camp classes prior to the expo).

Contact: Kathleen Rogers, Kathleen@settoatea.com, 201-315-8726, www.settoatea.com  or visit the Set to a Tea  new store/product showcase at 1616 Union Valley Road, Bearfort Village West, Milford, NJ 07480   (Call for hours 973-728-3300)

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AN INTERVIEW WITH SHARON HAHN - GRANNY’S TEA COZIES

www.theteahousetimes.com  February, 2009

Granny’s Tea Cozies was founded by Sharon Hahn in 2005.   Granny’s Tea Cozies offers tea cozies in three sizes + custom sizes, dome shaped mug cozies, scented hot pads, tea cup/saucer carriers, 8 compartment jewelry sacks, tea bag wallets in many fabrics, tea cups and tea pots (plain, fancy, and hand painted), various flavors of teas, scone mix, tea accessories, night lights, red hat items, scone/tortilla warmer bags, and more.  Sharon says, “We Specialize In Pretty!!”

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Your tag line is very fitting - “We Specialize in Pretty”.  The tea cozies and the nightlights and Red Hat clothing, etc. are all quite pretty.  I particularly like the nightlights. Tell us about these.

SHARON HAHN/GRANNY’S TEA COZIES: Our night lights come in both tea cup and tea pot shapes.  The plug in base rotates 90 degrees, so you can install it in both horizontal and vertical receptacles.  They are great birthday, Christmas, Just Thinking about you gifts.  We also have another night light that sits on your table or shelf that is in the shape and actual size of a teapot.  The tea pot has decorated holes in the pot for the light to get out and it sits on a base where you can put a battery flickering light or a votive candle.  We include the battery flickering light, in the event there are small children in the home or an elderly person, so there is no fear of a fire.  Our night lights are very nicely priced and are some of our best selling items.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  I see your tea cozies come in three sizes and may also be custom ordered.  Tell us about the style and design of your tea cozies and how they are used. 

SHARON HAHN/GRANNY’S TEA COZIES:  We are now offering three sizes...2-3 cup is the small, 4-6 is medium size, and 6-8 cup is the large size cozy. Our tea cozies are reversible, so you get two tea cozies for the price of one.  If you should have an odd shape tea pot we will work with our customers to get a size that keeps the beverage hot for several hours. We have preferred the snuggle style in that the tea cozy stays on the teapot, even while pouring, so there is no on and off movements. We have, up to now only offered the "snuggle" style...but we have had many request for the dome shape and are now making the dome shape tea cozy upon request...these too will be offered in the 3 different sizes.  Our tea cozies are all hand made here in the USA by me.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Tell us about the scented hot pads.  Sounds like it would make a nice coaster at my desk and offer a soothing scent as well.  Are these for teapots, teacups or both?

What are the scents? 

SHARON HAHN/GRANNY’S TEA COZIES: We almost cannot keep these scented hot pads on hand.  Many of our customers are repeat customers, as they LOVE the scented hot pads.  The pads can be placed in the microwave and heated (place a cup of water in the microwave also to add moisture).  The hot pads can be used on your neck or any sore spot to relieve aches and pains.  Other customers said they have put them in a plastic bag and put them into the freezer and used as an ice pack...To think I only thought of using them for putting under my tea pots!!!  We have also had customers tells us that they have used them in their closets to freshen up the clothes, or in their car for an air freshener....amazing.

As for the scents....To begin with, I tried to keep the scents to the food line....sugar & spice, pumpkin pie, cinnamon, gingerbread, butterscotch cookie, etc.  Then when additional uses came up we branched out to Plumeria, Dozen Roses, Lilac, Honeysuckle....your imagination is the limit.  We have a great place where we get all our scents and they will stay fresh smelling for quite a while; if, when you are not using them, you place the pad in a zip-lock bag.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Please describe the teabag wallet and the teacup/saucer carriers.

SHARON HAHN/GRANNY’S TEA COZIES:  Our tea bag wallet has two sections where you can carry your teabag in one and sweetener in the other section.  It is kept closed with Velcro.  You can also use one of the sections for your business cards or your credit cards.  We can make these to match the tea cozies, or make them in any fabric of your choosing.  We can make an entire ensemble of the tea cozy, scented hot pad, tea wallet, Kleenex holder, jewelry sack, tea cup/saucer carrier, etc.  We have just found some wonderful tea theme fabric and they are so pretty!!

Our tea cup/saucer carrier/purse is fully insulated. There is a padded square piece to place between the cup and the saucer, then pull the draw string tight and it will close at the top.  With the insulation, there is no fear of breakage.  These too are made in any fabric of your choice.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  I see you are selling Victorian House Scone mix - A recipient of The Tea House Times’ Seal of Approval! - I personally enjoy the original mix so I can add my own ingredients such as chocolate chips. I also love the Chai Tea scones.  Do you or your customers have a favorite or best seller?

SHARON HAHN/GRANNY’S TEA COZIES: The Lemon Poppy seed scone mix and the Gingerbread, along with the Chai Tea scones are some of our best sellers.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Tell us about your Red Hat merchandise.  It is nice that you offer them some nice fashions - for a fun tea time outing!

SHARON HAHN/GRANNY’S TEA COZIES: Going out to Tea is what got me started making and selling the tea cozies.  Once I started with the Red Hat groups in Las Vegas, there was no turning back....it was sort of like, Hang on tight, because this is going to be a WILD RIDE.  Living part time in Las Vegas offers me the opportunity to attend many of the larger Trade Shows, so with my business license I decided to buy and sell the Red Hat items to my Red Hat Sisters at a more reasonable rate than what the retail stores offer.  I have everything from custom hats, clothing in red and purple, also beautiful 2 and 3 piece suits, custom jewelry, rhinestone jewelry, lots of bling-bling rings, gloves, boas, feathers, purse hangers, hand painted tea sets, mugs, tea 4 ones, purses, fans, door stops, magnetic stands, jewelry stands. We also carry crystal and gold ornaments, sun catchers, and wind chimes.   If someone comes to my website from the Tea House Times, I will give them a 10% discount just as I give my Red Hat sisters a 10% discount on their purchases.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Do you offer wholesale, and if so, which products and how can a retailer contact you for wholesale pricing?

SHARON HAHN/GRANNY’S TEA COZIES:  Yes, I offer wholesale prices on all my items, just contact me through my website with your business information, along with your tax ID number and a copy of your business card and an invoice from two of your vendors.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Do you have any new products you would like to tell us about?

SHARON HAHN/GRANNY’S TEA COZIES:  The new products I have are the tea bag wallet, the Kleenex holder, and I am working on a handbag "insert".  When you change your purse, you just lift out the insert and place in a new purse, this way you have the same items from one purse to the next....it is not out quite yet though...but should be with in the next couple of weeks.

We travel from coast to coast doing various events and trade shows and festivals.  We have done several Red Hat conventions, along with different Red Hat State conventions.  We have also done the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival; this is a 10 day show held every year in October.  Plus we have done several Bed & Breakfast conventions and hope to do more.  We will do Festivals and events that are 2 days or longer and are always looking for new areas to get people excited about the tea industry, so if anyone would be interested in having us as a vendor, let us know.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Thanks for taking time to share with us. 

Visit www.GrannysTeaCozies.com  for retail shopping or to register for a wholesale account.

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This month we are interviewing Lynn Manno, Moments in Thyme.

www.theteahousetimes.com January, 2009

This month we are interviewing Lynn Manno, owner of Moments in Thyme.  Moments in Thyme offers many beautiful things and some very unique tea related gifts.  The selection at www.momentsinthyme.com includes such things as: Cigar Box Purses, Victorian Tea Sacks, Victorian Sachet Purses, Victorian Embroidery, Vintage Pillow Sachets, Fashions of the Ages, Vintage Mini Tea Dresses, Keepsake Hanky Gifts, Friendship Hanky Card, Friendship Hanky Angels, Handkerchief Gifts, Victorian Kitty Kats, Grandma's House, Tea Pads & Trivets, Adult Tea Aprons, Children's Aprons, Flour Sack Aprons, Handkerchief Aprons, Victorian Tea Cozies, Tea Wallets, Teapots & Teacups, Victorian Storage Tins, Journals, Posie Pouches, Tea Mug Mats, Tub Tea Gifts, Bath Salt Gifts, Guest Soaps and more.

Moments in Thyme offers Handmade, Quality Gifts, made in the USA.  Lynn’s love of the Victorian era inspired her to create beautiful handmade items.  Lynn’s first store opened in 1989; closed in 1992 and continued with wholesale business only.   In 2002, they missed the day to day interaction with customers and again opened a store in an historic building, until the present time.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Many of us know about your delightful, keepsake gifts made with hankies, but a visit to your website reveals a large selection of  unique gifts for tea lovers and many Victorian inspired gifts that will be perfect this Valentine’s Day.  I see you sell beautiful fabrics by the yard - many of which are tea themed - please tell us about the fabrics. 

LYNN/MOMENTS IN THYME:

We are always on the lookout for unusual tea themed fabrics.  I like nothing better then hunting for that special fabric and welcome any information that anyone might have about a special fabric.  Our fabrics are 100% cotton and washable.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Do you offer custom work with the fabrics you offer?  If so, which products may be custom ordered?

LYNN/MOMENTS IN THYME:

Yes we do.  We are very flexible.  If you have an idea, run it by us and we will be happy to please you if we can.  We offer tea cozies, aprons, Sachets, Purses, etc.  Our customers are welcome to send us their fabrics 

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  What is a cigar box purse and what makes these special?

LYNN/MOMENTS IN THYME:

Our cigar box purses are fashioned from authentic cigar boxes which are decoupaged with our many Victorian images.  Each box is a different shape or size so we adapt our images to fit the box.  The process usually takes about 2 weeks from start to finish. 

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  I see you offer many different aprons including: Adult Tea Aprons, Children's Aprons, Flour Sack Aprons, and  Handkerchief Aprons  Please describe the various designs.

LYNN/MOMENTS IN THYME:

We offer Pinafore Aprons, Flour Sack Aprons, Bistro Aprons Ruffled Aprons, Handkerchief Aprons, and Mother and Daughter Aprons which can be matched up with our Mother/Daughter Cozies. 

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  The NEW Mother Daughter Tea Cozies are precious.  What inspired this idea?

LYNN/MOMENTS IN THYME:

I remember my mom buying me a little teapot the same color as hers.  I thought at the time wouldn’t it be nice to have teapot clothes to match the teapots.  My grandmother then set out to make matching teapot clothes for our Mother/Daughter Tea Parties.  What fun it was when we had our tea parties to see all the different fabrics that she used.

Most of the teapot clothes were made from scraps of fabrics or old aprons.  

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Individuals may visit www.momentsinthyme.com to make personal purchases.  Do you also offer wholesale?  

LYNN/MOMENTS IN THYME:

Yes we do. Visit our website and sign up to receive a user id and password.

Tax Identification is necessary.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Thank you for sharing your beautiful products with our readers.  Be sure to visit www.momentsinthyme.com where you are sure to find a perfect gift for yourself or your Valentine.  Or telephone Moments in Thyme at: 

845-344-1188 Daytime

845-692-4833.

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This month we are interviewing Tea Course

AN INTERVIEW WITH TEA COURSE

www.theteahousetimes.com October, 2008

Tea Course is a member only, educational and networking site for connecting tea businesses and consumers through tea.  The site will educate consumers and professionals on tea and traditions, offer opportunity for business education, and provide continuing education for years to come.  Networking is achieved through member forums and presentations, live online broadcasts, as well as in-person (face to face) events.  www.teacourse.com

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES: Tea Course is produced by The Tea House Times with support from Tea Bureau and Tea Speakers Bureau members and other experts within the tea industry.  While the current trend is for publishers to re-produce their print publication - digitally - for online access, The Tea House Times decided there is a more immediate need to focus its efforts and bring the Tea Bureau and Tea Speakers Bureau to the next level.  To achieve this, we need to support stronger connections among consumers and all aspects of tea industry businesses, such as tea room owners, tea speakers and more.  Enter Tea Course.  The behind the scenes administrator will help answer some questions you must be having about our new site.  What is Tea Course?

TEA COURSE ADMIN:  Tea Course is a membership site.  Membership sites ARE the future.  Asking an individual consumer or business owner to search through over 100 million websites to find what they need is wasteful of that person's time and effort.  Membership sites have evolved to allow easier and quicker access to quality information and networking opportunities. 

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  What are some of the functions of the Tea Course site that our readers will be interested in?  I have said before, “Tea Industry growth is thanks to positive media, education, and the health benefits of tea.” Not to mention the power of word of mouth and consumer relations.  How does this all come into play?

TEA COURSE ADMIN:  The Tea Course site offers very impressive applications empowering businesses and consumers to really connect, communicate, and educate.  Most importantly, Tea Course is educational and provides easy access to subject content, audio, videos, handouts and other tools needed for learning, personal enrichment, and business success.  Businesses may create a web page to promote their business and showcase their expertise.  Businesses may create a blog within Tea Course so that all members can see what they do and learn more about that business through comments and articles they post to their webpage or blog.  The communication application is a collection of forums on tea specific topics, traditions, a virtual book club, and so much more - offering a safe environment for cross communication among consumers and tea industry experts.  The site also allows for audio/visual presentations with business members, live broadcasts from Tea Course Administration, and more.  For lack of better description - Tea Course can also be a sort of facebook for tea - uniquely interacting with people who really care about the same interests as you and your business.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Sounds like a lot of bells and whistles - expensive ones at that.  What is the value to businesses and consumers?

TEA COURSE ADMIN:  The value to consumers and professionals is an exciting, safe environment - really a community - to connect with others sharing their passion for tea.  It also offers them easy access to educational materials and a calendar of events to quickly and easily find other - in person - tea related presentations or events to further enrich their experience.  Tea Course will educate the public on the basics of tea.  It will offer more in-depth information about tea and traditions, thus serving as one means of continuing education for industry professionals.  Some business education will also be introduced for tea room owners and tea industry professionals.  The value of the combined functioning applications of Tea Course would cost an individual person or business thousands of dollars per year.  By building a community within the Tea Course membership site - everyone saves money - everyone learns more - and the resulting value of the experience becomes priceless.   

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  What is unique about Tea Course? Why should I enroll there rather than trying to find information on my own?  What is special about it?

TEA COURSE ADMIN:  Tea Course materials are presented in a variety of ways to really enhance the learning experience.  Subject matter is presented through photography, targeted points of interest, videos for further clarity, and more descript text for learning even more.  The experience is further elevated through audio and visual presentations prepared by members, content provided via TeaCourseAdmin, and the communication forums for connecting on a personal or business level.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Why enroll or become a member?

TEA COURSE ADMIN:  Wasted time is wasted money.  Tea Course connects everyone, screens content offered by members, and offers a safer environment for communications - members may see who other members are and feel comfortable.  Tea Businesses can share their expertise, demonstrating their knowledge and commitment to the industry - and they can even participate in the Tea Course affiliate program.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  How does the affiliate program work?

TEA COURSE ADMIN:  Well, there are two access levels for membership to the Tea Course site. Limited Access members will be students of tea and traditions.  Full Access members will be professionals in the industry - tea business owners or tea speakers or educators.  Full access members have access to more at the site than limited access.  Full Access members are rewarded for sharing their expertise when they refer others to our site.  Further, it is a means of promoting their business inexpensively - or with earnings, it could be free - or with earnings, it could be profitable!  Simple instructions and a referral link code is available to the members within their account.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  What Special Offer/BONUS does Tea Course offer to businesses and educators or speakers?

TEA COURSE ADMIN:  Businesses and Speakers will be offered a BOGO (buy one, get one free) program for a limited time as we are in the building process.  This means that if a business is a paid member of Tea Bureau - tea business directory, then they may also choose to be a member of Tea Course.  If not already a member (listed business) of Tea Bureau, new members will join through Tea Course and be awarded the bonus of Tea Bureau listings and benefits including news distribution through The Tea House Times connections, etc.  For Educators, their bonus in the BOGO program is a combination of Tea Course and Tea Speakers Bureau where speakers are promoted in a variety of ways.  To take advantage of this program, a business should go to www.teacourse.com and JOIN as a full access member.  Then send email to teabureau@theteahousetimes.com along with their Tea Course nickname.  Tea Bureau listings are screened, so you will need to also include your business name, address, phone number, website, email, number of years in business and a description of your business when contacting Tea Bureau.  See Also www.teabureau.com and www.teaspeakersbureau.com

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  How did the Tea Course site come together?

TEA COURSE ADMIN:  We are fortunate to be working with a team of experts who have put together the most impressive array of software to create all the functioning applications of Tea Course.  Membership, core content information, forums, blogs, video, audio, photo galleries, conferencing, calendar events, the affiliate program and more - all work together to seamlessly provide a professional, high quality environment for everyone involved.  Of course, it is produced by The Tea House Times - to ensure quality content.  It is my responsibility to connect it all together for you.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  What about photos? Since this is the first thing we asked from our contacts to help aid in building a quality educational base.

TEA COURSE ADMIN:  The photos will aid tremendously in a visual learning experience.  The photos sent in by THT readers and businesses are already providing the basis for a quality photo gallery.  The early birds - who sent in photos a while ago - caught the worm - and their photos have been featured in the Tea Course - THIS IS TEA - video presentation on the home page of www.teacourse.com   More photos will be needed on a regular basis to further represent a variety of specialty teas (fresh, dried, brewed-to represent a journey of tea), tea ceremonies, culture, tradition, and more.  All photo contributors will receive credit with a link to their business.  Photos are also used for handouts.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Yes, the handouts! One of the main reasons for starting Tea Course in the first place!  Tea Room owners and tea speakers/educators have asked us for quality, consistent materials - to freely copy and distribute to their customers, event attendees, etc.  This is so important for businesses to share and educate their customers.  How will this work at Tea Course?

TEA COURSE ADMIN:  Tea Course has a file sharing application.  It is only accessible to Full Access Members.  The members can download handouts and other materials, photos, even full Power Point type presentations or videos (in the making) - to use at their place of business!  Any business offering photos for educational use - with permission to reproduce - will be given credit on any handout shared through this application - imagine the number of people to be seeing this!  The handouts will be consistent in presentation and format.  Content references will be provided on the handouts.  There will also be a space for filling in your own information - such as - This handout was presented to you by _________ (name of business or educator) and our contact information is ________.

Customers are thankful for the information and businesses and educators love the ease of use.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  One of the other very important reasons for beginning Tea Course is that since The Tea House Times publication does have subscribers in other countries - they usually read about the variety of educational functions and trade shows available to us in the USA, but if they cannot travel so far, they have no access to quality education for personal enrichment or for beginning a tea business.  How will Tea Course meet this need?

TEA COURSE ADMIN:  Tea Course is fully accessible online - with the exception of the in person calendar events with speakers, at tea rooms, etc.  Tea Course will help fulfill the need for education about tea and traditions and further aid in continuing education and connections to experts for years to come - anywhere in the world where there is an internet connection!

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  This is probably about as much as anyone wants to read at one time for an interview, so we will close now.  If you have any interest in tea at all, Join Tea Course.  If you have an interest in furthering your business, demonstrating your expertise, Join Tea Course as a Full Access member.  Simply go to www.teacourse.com and click Join Now.   See limited time offer below.

A video presentation is currently accessible via the home page of Tea Course to everyone - even non members.  There is also an audio introduction to why we began Tea Course under the home page description of what Tea Course is.  Enjoy these presentations, and click on headings for Group Details and Member Benefits to learn more.  Then JOIN NOW.

LIMITED TIME OFFER  -  As with any new website - it has a beginning.  At the beginning there may not be much communication in the forums until people have a chance to try all the applications and begin their tea journey. 

SO - if you join Tea Course before December 1, 2008 and immediately enter your member profile with a little info about yourself - and begin to explore the site - and make a commitment to get involved - share - and have fun - then you will be joining at reduced rate - initiation fee waived.   The Tea Course New member (initiation fee) is equal to one payment at the monthly payment level for joining. So, normally you would be paying one payment plus your initial monthly fee to join.  But, join now, and the initiation fee is waived! 

Full Access members who Join before Oct. 30, 2008 and immediately enter their profile, begin a member webpage about their business, and begin a blog, will also receive an additional 30 days giving you an extra 2 months free of Tea Course membership. Go to www.teacourse.com

P.S.  You will notice that some very basic materials are available at Tea Course now.  Content is built off line and introduced to Tea Course at a set schedule to ensure an even flow of materials on a regular basis building up to expert information.  It will be in a continual building process with your support!

Log in and together, let us get the conversations started.

Thank you for your support and Enjoy your Global Tea Journey!

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INTERVIEW WITH TEA FOR TWO

August, 2008 www.theteahousetimes.com

Tea for Two is your wholesale source for delightful tea accessories and fine silver.  Tea for Two serves gift shops, tearooms, catalog merchants, hotels and other business establishments that desire to offer their clientele fine tea service products and related accessories, for either their use or resale.

GAYLE/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Please tell us a little about your business.  When was it established? Why?

DAVID REANAUD/TEA FOR TWO:  It was originally established in 1997 in Laguna Beach California and Julia and I acquired it in 2002.  We were interested in acquiring a quality gift business that caters to a niche market of discriminating buyers who were looking for quality merchandise. Tea for Two fit our requirements perfectly; as they say, the rest is history.

GAYLE/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Tea for Two offers high quality tea accessories certain to become heirloom pieces.  Please tell us about your product line categories, i.e. teapots, accessories, etc.

DAVID RENAUD/TEA FOR TWO:  Our fine products include teapots, tea strainers, dessert stand, jam servers, creamer and sugar sets, tart servers, tableware, clocks, cozies, paper drip catchers, doilies, napkin rings, and much more.  We source the product ourselves and import directly from Hong Kong, India, Germany and the U.K.  We just returned in May from a buying trip in Hong Kong and have added many new items, including a new three tiered dessert stand that can be easily disassembled for storage when not in use.

GAYLE/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  I recently saw one of your beautiful silver teapots placed upon its own matching silver stand with warmer.  Please tell us about the design.  Is it fashioned after an antique?

DAVID RENAUD/TEA FOR TWO: In fact we have two classic style teapots on matching stands.  Our tipping teapot comes in two sizes and, as the name implies, tips to pour your tea.  The other style, our Victorian Teapot, sits upon a warming stand and is richly engraved.  Both styles are silver-plated and were designed in England during the Victorian era for use at daily high teas.

GAYLE/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Please tell us about some of the accessories you offer that might be good impulse buys over the holidays.

DAVID RENAUD/TEA FOR TWO:  My gosh, we have a number of items that make great impulse buys such as the silver-plated tart servers , sugar tongs and jam spoons.  Our silver-plated candles in miniature teapots are also great gifts.

GAYLE/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  What differentiates you from other companies that cater to the tea enthusiast market.

DAVID RENAUD/TEA FOR TWO: I have to say that it is our exceptional customer service.  Not only do we ship normally within 24 hours and have no minimum order requirement, we really do take care of our customers.  We make it easy for customers to order either online, fax or the telephone.  Should there be any problem with the order, we promptly make it right.

GAYLE/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  I see your website is for wholesale only.  Do you offer another website for retail shoppers, or may consumers contact you for a list of distributors? 

DAVID RENAUD/TEA FOR TWO: Our primary business has been wholesale buyers.  We are actively investigating the feasibility of selling retail.  When we get calls now from a retail buyer, we refer them to a tearoom or gift shop in their locale. 

GAYLE/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Thanks for your time, David.  Your catalog and full line of products are beautiful. 

Telephone: (949) 855-1380 in California
(888) 601-9990 elsewhere
Fax: (949) 855-2382 in California
(888) 604-7770 elsewhere
 

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INTERVIEW WITH JOE SIMRANY, TEA ASSOC. OF USA

July, 2008 www.theteahousetimes.com

This month we are interviewing Joe Simrany, President of the Tea Association of the USA.  The tea industry looks to the Tea Association of the USA, Inc, The Tea Council of the USA and the Specialty Tea Institute (STI) to protect the best interests of tea businesses and aid in building overall economic success in the industry.  The Association develops positive marketing and media impressions and helps to protect the vitality of the industry.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES: Joe, the Specialty Tea Institute recently held its first graduation ceremony for students who have completed the series of courses to achieve Certified Tea Professional status.  I would like to talk about that a little, but first, please provide a quick overview of the Tea Assoc. of the USA and Tea Council.

JOE SIMRANY/TEA ASSOC. OF THE USA:  The Tea Association at 108 years old is one of the first trade Associations in the country and the leading voice for the Tea Industry in the USA.  The Tea Association of the U.S.A., Inc. is comprised of companies who are dedicated to the interests and growth of the U.S. tea industry.  

The Tea Council was first formed in 1950 and later restructured in 1953 as a joint partnership between major tea packers, importers and allied industries within the United States and tea producers in India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. More recently, Malawi and Kenya have also become full members of the Tea Council.   The Tea Council functions as the public relations/education arm for the tea industry by promoting tea consumption.

As a result of a recent organizational change, all members of the Tea Association are automatically members of the Tea Council. The primary focus of the Tea Council is the furtherance of tea science and the establishment of tea as a healthy beverage.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  What is The Specialty Tea Institute? 

JOE SIMRANY/TEA ASSOC. OF THE USA:  The Specialty Tea Institute was formed on July 8, 2002. It is an amalgamation of its two parent organizations; the American Premium Tea Institute (APTI) and the Specialty Tea Registry (ST*R), each created to promote a better understanding and consumption of high quality teas.  The Specialty Tea Institute operates under the non-profit auspices of The Tea Association of the USA, Inc.   The mission of the Specialty Tea Institute is to promote awareness and consumption of Specialty and Premium teas by providing an educational forum, resources and education about quality tea for members, the trade, the media, and consumers.

STI functions as the recognized voice of the specialty and premium tea industry, and interacts with other national and international trade, consumer, governmental, non-government, and other groups to further the cause of quality teas worldwide.  STI sponsors a wide spectrum of geographically dispersed programs to promote the appreciation, consumption, knowledge and sale of specialty and premium teas.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  What courses are offered through STI?

JOE SIMRANY/TEA ASSOC. OF THE USA:  Foundations of Tea Level I, Foundations of Tea Level II, and Level III Professional Series comprising Black Teas, Oolong Teas, Sensory Evaluation, Green Teas, White & Pu'erh Teas.  Full class descriptions are available at www.teausa.com 

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Who takes these courses?  Why?

JOE SIMRANY/TEA ASSOC. OF THE USA:

The courses are taken by entrepreneurs seeking to establish specialty tea business and wanting to learn as much about the industry as possible.  Also by employees of “old line” tea companies wanting to learn more about the beverage that they are committed to producing, marketing, or selling.  Recently we have had many students from the supermarket side of the business who are seeking to maximize the profit potential of specialty tea.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Does one need to be a member of the Association to enroll in STI programs?

JOE SIMRANY/TEA ASSOC. OF THE USA:  No but because of discounts offered to members and if there is a desire to take multiple courses then it makes financial sense to become a member prior to enrolling in the program.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES:  Tell us about the recent graduation ceremony for STI.

JOE SIMRANY/TEA ASSOC. OF THE USA:  At a special celebration held in New York City at the Millennium Broadway Hotel, the Specialty Tea Institute (STI) recognized the first group of tea professionals to complete its' Level Three Tea Certification Program.  A total of 15 students graduated from the program after completing a series of foundation and advanced courses requiring a total of 80-100 hours of class and study time.  Each student was awarded the title of Certified Tea Professional (CTP) and received a “diploma”.  It was an emotional moment for the students and instructors because of the strong bonds that were formed during this learning process.  They were justifiably proud of their achievements and eager to move on to the next level of the program.

GAIL/THE TEA HOUSE TIMES: Thank you Joe!

Tea consumption is on the upswing in the United States and there is much evidence that this trend will increase momentum as a result of many factors including, the numerous scientific studies linking tea to a great many health benefits.  Let the Tea Assoc. of the USA and Specialty Tea Institute help your company take advantage of these tremendous marketing and profit opportunities.   

CONTACT

For more information, membership details, STI Certification course schedules, industry news, and more, please visit www.teausa.com

Tea Association
Tea Council
Specialty Tea Institute (STI)

Suite 801, 362 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
Tel: 212-986-9415    Fax: 212-697-8658    E-mail: info@teausa.com

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INTERVIEW WITH

SUSAN STUCKEY, BERIBBONED DECORATIVE ARTS, LLC

June, 2008 www.theteahousetimes.com

Beribboned Decorative Arts is your source for designer pillows in fine French ribbonwork. By using a wonderful, heirloom art in a new way, Beribboned is making beautiful ribbonwork available to a whole new audience in a whole new way.

LADY GAYLE:  Susan, your pillows are so beautiful.  Please tell us a little about French ribbonwork.

SUSAN STUCKEY/BERIBBONED:  French ribbonwork is the very old art of shaping ribbons into embellishments. These embellishments were often in various floral shapes and usually for clothing. In the days when clothing was all made by hand, only the royal and wealthy could afford such ribbonwork because of the time and expense required to make it.

LADY GAYLE:  How did the idea of pillows come about?

SUSAN STUCKEY/BERIBBONED:  The pillows came about because very, very few of us are able to add fine ribbonwork to our own clothing. Even fewer are able to purchase couture pieces that might incorporate that much detail. And how often would you wear such a piece, anyway? I wanted to offer a way for people to still enjoy this art, but in a more versatile application. Thus, the pillows were born. Instead of having a spectacular piece of clothing to wear once in a while, our customers can have spectacular pillows to enjoy all of the time.

LADY GAYLE:  Tell us about the designs.

SUSAN STUCKEY/BERIBBONED:  We’ve tried to create a lot of variety. Each design collection is based on a different type of flower. For example, our Victoria collection uses lush, traditional roses while Savannah, another collection, relies on much simpler petal flowers. Our color palettes range from vibrant to pastel to deep and the designs themselves vary greatly in the amount of detail. And within each collection, we provide multiple colorways and companion pillows. When you combine all of the choices we offer with each customer’s individual taste and imagination, there’s no end to the possibilities.

LADY GAYLE:  Tell us about the ribbons and how the ribbonwork is so unique.

SUSAN STUCKEY/BERIBBONED:  The ribbons really dictate the designs. Everything starts by playing with each type of ribbon to see what it will or won’t do. Soft ribbons, such as most ombres, produce very different results from substantial ribbons like satin, even when trying to form the same type of flower. There are so many terrific ribbons to choose from and so many different flower shapes and techniques to use that the options really are endless. It’s great fun to see how everything finally comes together to create a new design.

LADY GAYLE:  Are the pillows and ribbonwork all made by hand?

SUSAN STUCKEY/BERIBBONED:  Yes, all of our ribbonwork is done by hand. There’s just no other way to achieve the results we get. Once the ribbonwork is completed, most of the basic pillow construction can then be done by machine. Naturally, the work requires an extraordinary amount of time and we only begin new pillows when we receive orders for them. That’s why we ask our customers to allow a certain lead time after they place an order. Currently the lead time is 6-8 weeks, but that can vary depending on order volume. We do always try to keep our customers informed when anticipated delivery dates might change.

LADY GAYLE:  Do you offer wholesale, retail, or both?

SUSAN STUCKEY/BERIBBONED:  Prior to 2008, our designs were available only to the retail trade. Early this year, we began to transition to a direct sales business model which we believe will allow us to reach the widest possible audience. Over the coming weeks, we will be completing the transition on our website. I’m so happy to share our designs with The Tea House Times readers. I hope they’ll visit our site regularly as all of our designs become available to them directly.

LADY GAYLE:  Thank you for sharing your beautiful designs with us. 

Please visit Beribboned Decorative Arts, LLC at www.beribboned.com

Or contact Susan Stuckey, Beribboned Decorative Arts, LLC, 2465 Centreville Road
Suite #J17-178, Herndon, VA 20171    703-755-1456

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INTERVIEW WITH ELIZABETH KNIGHT

May, 2008 www.theteahousetimes.com

Elizabeth Knight is frequently called upon as a tea and hospitality authority, sharing her knowledge of tea and entertaining through speaking engagements, television and radio appearances, and as the author of such popular books as Tea With Friends, Tea In The City: New York, Welcome Home, and her latest Celtic Tea With Friends. She has researched and written numerous articles about tea and travel for several publications.

Knight's corporate experience includes the creation of retail special events, consumer seminars, and sales training programs. She has analyzed and coordinated product assortments, formulated buying and merchandising strategies, and created plannograms for manufacturers and retailers.

 Please visit www.teawithfriends.com

 INTERVIEW WITH ELIZABETH KNIGHT:

 LADY GAYLE:  Please share with us some of the topics you offer for speaking engagements.

ELIZABETH KNIGHT: 

Tea Tastings
Ditch that soggy tea bag! Today's teas are gourmet beverages as complex and interesting as wine. Learn how to select, store and brew fine tea. This program includes a sampling of various loose leaf teas.

Taking Tea
English tea time traditions include at least six different ways—and times—to take tea, the beverage and the meal. Just what is the difference between high tea and an afternoon tea? What's on the menu? What should be eaten first? Does the milk go in first or last?

The Art of Tea
The story of tea is the story of civilization, society, art and manners. This program presents the flow from East to West, past to present.

Wardrobing Your Table
Parties should be memorable for guests and host alike. Learn practical and imaginative tips for creating a special event including how to choose a theme, create a centerpiece with things you already own, and mix and match china to set a table with personal style.

Collecting and Decorating with Tea Accoutrements
What is a tea cosy, tea caddy, caddy spoon, mote spoon, strainer, lemon fork? Where do they come from? Do they have a place on today’s tea table? Don't just dust your collection; learn how to use and display it.

LADY GAYLE:  I see you also offer consultations to assist with Visual Merchandising and Tea Consultants/Educators.  Please share with us one of the main points of each – a way that you are helping others through your consultations.

ELIZABETH KNIGHT:   

Visual Merchandising:  Visual merchandising is the physical arrangement of product displayed in a way that attracts customers and stimulates sales. Start by arranging like items/colors with like.

Tea Consultants/Educators: One key difference between an entertainer and an educator is educators add to the audience’s knowledge while seeking to influence their attitudes or behavior. Educators must educate themselves before they can enlighten others.  

LADY GAYLE:  Your Merchandising seminar has been a top ten seller at World Tea Expo. Are you speaking at the expo in 2008? If so, when is your seminar scheduled? Please provide a brief description of the subject matter.

ELIZABETH KNIGHT:   I will be presenting a new version of Merchandising, Your Silent Salesperson and Secret Weapon, with photos of European and Asian tea shops, at the World Tea Expo on Saturday, May 31^st @ 8:30 AM.

LADY GAYLE:  It was my pleasure to accompany you on one of your New York City tea tours.  Please tell our readers the various tours you offer.  

ELIZABETH KNIGHT: 

 I offer walking, sipping and shopping tours highlighting tea traditions around the world. The most popular tours are THE WORLD IN A TEACUP - ENGLISH, FRENCH
& ASIAN TRADITIONS & CHINESE TEA TRADITIONS which includes a dim sum meal and how to order tea with sign language!

LADY GAYLE:  Please share an overview of your latest book, Celtic Teas With Friends.

ELIZABETH KNIGHT:   Tea parties are a quintessential English tradition. For centuries, people have entertained in this delightful way with little knowledge of customs that originated in Cornwall, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Celtic Teas With Friends offers 13 tea party plans, menus recipes, entertaining tips, decorating ideas and suggestions for things to make and do. Readers will discover a lively St. Patrick’s Day ceilidh tea, a Scottish Hen Party Tea, A Sip-n-See Baby Blessing Tea and A Welsh Hiareth Housewarming Tea among many others. Part party planner and reference too, this practical guide helps readers entertain with style and warmth in the gracious tradition of Celtic hospitality all year long.  The hardback book is full-color; illustrations throughout, 112 pages, and retails for $19.95. 

LADY GAYLE:  Are your books available by retail, wholesale, or both? Can the books be purchased via your website?

 ELIZABETH KNIGHT:  I sell my books at retail and wholesale at my appearances and on my website, www.teawithfriends.com . Or over the phone; call 866-616-1154. 

LADY GAYLE:  Will your books be available for purchase at the 2008 World Tea Expo?  If so, what is the booth number?  Are you having a book signing?

 I will be signing all 3 of my tea books at the World Tea Expo in the Elmwood Inn Fine Teas booth, # 206, on Sat., May 31^st. 

LADY GAYLE:  Thank you for your time.  Best wishes for continued success with your books, presentations, tours, and other services. 

ELIZABETH KNIGHT: Thank you, Lady Gayle, for the opportunity to chat. Looking forward to visiting you in your booth at the World Tea Expo and catching up with other members of the Mid Atlantic Tea Business Association.

Please visit www.teawithfriends.com

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INTERVIEW WITH GRANDMA RAE

March, 2008 www.theteahousetimes.com

This month we are interviewing Grandma Rae.  Rae is Grandma to everyone. Read Grandma FAQ at her website and you will find that she enjoys doing business the old fashioned way and has created many friendships through her beautiful creations.  Grandma Rae offers much more than the Friendship Tea Bags she is known for.  Everything is made with Tender Loving Care and includes many specialty tea gifts, cards and keepsakes.  Visit www.grandmarae.com

INTERVIEW WITH GRANDMA RAE

LADY GAYLE:  One of the very first products of yours I saw at a local tea room here in NJ – your Friendship Tea Bags.  These are the nicest little treat to send someone in a card or a small party favor, or a small gift for no reason at all.  Please tell us about your Friendship Tea Bags.

GRANDMA RAE: I am always amazed how much joy a tea bag, a bit of fabric and a phrase of friendship can encourage, comfort and bring a smile. I recently received a touching email from a soldier in Afghanistan. She had received one of my Friendship Tea Bags along with a teddy bear. You never know what a cup of tea means to someone.

LADY GAYLE:  Aside from the Friendship Tea Bags, you have been creating some fabulous aprons using vintage linens, tell us about those.

GRANDMA RAE: Reclaiming vintage linens is a hobby of mine. I think it’s a shame that so many beautiful pieces of handwork are stored away and forgotten. Instead of Aunt Gladys’ bureau scarf being stuck in a drawer, it can be enjoyed and used as a tea cozy. My new website VintageHandwork.com features many of my reclaiming projects. Right now I’m working on turning a lovely tablecloth into a vest.

LADY GAYLE:  I see at your website you offer:  Friendship Tea Bags, Tea Wallets, Tea Aprons, Tea Cozies, Little Teapot Bags, Tea Sacks, Larger Tea Sacks, Tea Pad Gift Sets, things for Cat Lovers, Items made with Vintage Fabrics, Hankie Gifts, Lace Cards, Encouragement Cards and more.  What are teapot bags and tea sacks?

GRANDMA RAE: You know, I really must thank Danielle from the Cozy Tea Cart for that idea. She and I were chatting last year and she asked me if I thought I could make a fabric teapot for her loose tea. I enjoy making them, especially picking out the buttons for the knobby on top. The Tea Sacks are another way to gift tea. Buy a lovely tea pot and fill a tea sack with either loose tea with a tea ball or bagged tea. I think that would be a lovely gift for a tea drinker.

LADY GAYLE:  Do you offer retail, wholesale, or both? 

GRANDMA RAE: Both. The pricing shown on my site is retail. Shop owners need to request wholesale pricing.

LADY GAYLE:  Your creations are a true labor of love and such a nice treat to buy.  Which of your products would you recommend as a keepsake to pass along to our children?  What would be a special gift for moms on Mother’s Day?

GRANDMA RAE: I think a lovely pass along keepsake or Mother’s Day gift would be to take some of those old linens out of mothballs and allow me the privilege of changing them into something that will be seen or used each day. I enjoy making new things from new cloth. However, if there are old pieces about perhaps Mom would like a tea cozy or a tea wallet she could carry with her each day, a reminder and a link. Or if there are enough linens - a baby quilt for one generation to pass to the next.  

LADY GAYLE:  Thanks for your time, Grandma. 

GRANDMA RAE:: Thank you Lady Gayle for allowing me to share a bit of myself with your readers.

Here is how to contact Grandma Rae –

Click here to Email:

Snail Mail:

Grandma Rae.com
PO Box 155
Hibernia , NJ 07842
Call Rae: 973-664-0986

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INTERVIEW WITH RUTH WESTON, TIME WAS ANTIQUES

January, 2008, www.theteahousetimes.com

This month we are interviewing Ruth Weston, Time Was Antiques.  Ruth sells a huge selection of antiques and collectibles and is a member of the Antique & Collectible Dealers Association.  Ruth goes to England every year for a month long buying trip to find special treasures for Time Was Antiques.  New items are added to their online inventory almost daily.  With an inventory of over 6,000 items, if you do not see what you are looking for online, just ask, they may have it in the shop but not yet posted online.  Visit the website:  www.timewasantiques.net

LADY GAYLE:  With so much in stock, what is your specialty?

RUTH, TIME WAS ANTIQUES:  We keep an ever growing inventory of English antiques, uniques, tea related items and collectibles with a British accent. We specialize in Shelley China and always have over 100 items of Shelley in stock.  We have over 6,000 items with only a portion being on the webstore.

LADY GAYLE:  Tell us about your tea specific selections.

RUTH, TIME WAS ANTIQUES:   We always have over 200 cups and saucers from every period and style to add a bit of joy to your tea time.

LADY GAYLE:  Other than tea related merchandise, what do you carry?

RUTH, TIME WAS ANTIQUES:  Time Was Antiques is adding wonderful English antiques and collectibles that make the perfect gifts for friends and loved ones. We always carry small silver items like knife rests, sugar tongs, watch fobs and spoon sets and specialize in exquisite items for the tea table like Shelley China including chintz patterns. We always have more than 150 items of Shelley China in stock for collectors old and new. We always have lots of English royal family commemoratives, especially Princess Diana and Prince Charles.

Time Was Antiques always has wonderful collectible teacups and saucers, teapots, pie birds, plates, Dunoon mugs, Staffordshire bone china floral paperweights or posies; We also have a wonderful selection of antique and vintage jewelry.

LADY GAYLE:  What is new to your site?

RUTH, TIME WAS ANTIQUES:   New items are added daily like Shelley China, Cottage Ware, Wedgwood and Adams jasperware, fabulous silver figural knife rests, sugar tongs, napkin rings, teacups, teacup trios, biscuit jars, transferware, Torquay Mottoware and everything for an elegant tea table.

LADY GAYLE:  Thanks for taking time to tell us about your wonderful collections.  There is so much to see all in one place!  It is much better than searching through a flea market!  Please visit Ruth’s website at www.timewasantiques.net

Time Was Antiques, P. O. Box 2151, Sequim, WA 98382-2151, USA

Visit the website:  www.timewasantiques.net

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GRACE MA, COASTLINE IMPORTS

December, 2007

www.theteahousetimes.com

INTERVIEW WITH GRACE MA, COASTLINE IMPORTS

Coastline Imports was established 10 years ago in Southern California. The Company has been supported by its parent company, one of the largest and most reputable manufacturers of tableware in China. Coastline supplies all your tabletop needs, while maintaining the highest standards at the lowest possible prices.  Coastline has a professional product development team capable of creating stunning new ideas and designs throughout the seasons.

LADY GAYLE:  What types of products do you offer? 

GRACE: Gracie Bone China. Fine Porcelain Openwork and Texture raised Cake Serving Ware. Traditional Chintz.  Porcelain tea wares.

LADY GAYLE:  Are the designs traditional, seasonal, or both?

GRACE:  Both traditional and seasonal.

LADY GAYLE:  Are your products available retail or wholesale?  How can shops find out about wholesale purchasing?

GRACE: Most of our products sell to wholesale. Our Website also offers several promotional products for consumers.

There are three ways to purchase wholesale:

1. online website 2. Phone call.  3. gift show, sales rep. showroom. The details and information can be found at our website.

LADY GAYLE:  I see your website offers a description of How Ceramics are Made and includes Ceramic, Earthenware, Stoneware, and Porcelain.  What are most of your products made from?

GRACE: Most of our products are Fine Porcelain and Bone China.  Ceramic and Earthenware are for our Kitchenware and Tabletop garden product.

LADY GAYLE:  Will you be exhibiting again in 2008 at World Tea Expo? If so, what is your booth number?

GRACE: yes. Our booth number is 637

LADY GAYLE:  Please visit www.coastlinetabletop.com to register for access to product information.  Visit Coastline at the 2008 World Tea Expo ( www.worldteaexpo.com )  More contact details for Coastline below:

Coastline Imports, 17959  East  Ajax circle, City of Industry, CA 91748, USA  Tel: (626)336-3399    Fax: (626)336-8978    Toll:(888)80-COAST (26278)  Email: sales@coastlinetabletop.com    Web: www.coastlinetabletop.com

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MARILYN MILLER, MARMALADY'S

August, 2007

www.theteahousetimes.com

INTERVIEW WITH MARILYN MILLER, MARMALADY’S

This month we are interviewing Marilyn Miller, Marmalady’s, www.marmaladys.com  Marilyn grew up in the apple orchards of Northern California and developed a love of fresh fruit and all things made with fruit.  The women in her family have always prided themselves on making the best apple pies and jams.  Now Marilyn is well known for her delicious jams and jellies.

LADY GAYLE:  How and why did you start your business?

MARILYN MILLER, MARMALADYS:  Marmalady's came from a desire to share a pot of tea with my friends and family.  A desire to create a place of calm, comfort and beauty.  A warm pot of tea and a moment with a friend brings great joy.  Combining the love of tea and fruit has always made sense. It is a connection to growth that bubbles up as a joy in me. This combination of tea and fruit has come to fruition in Marmalady's.

LADY GAYLE:  Marmalady’s is known for delicious jams and jellies.  What makes your jams and jellies special? 

MARILYN MILLER, MARMALADYS:  Marmalady’s jams and jellies are my own recipe developed with tea and no preservatives.  They come from a lifetime of making jams and jellies.

LADY GAYLE:  What flavors of jams and jellies do you offer?

MARILYN MILLER, MARMALADYS:  Chai Applebutter, Apricot Darjeeling Jam, Berry Berry Ti Kuan Yin Jam, Pear Lemon Marmalade with Organic Green Tea, Rose Tea Jelly, Earl Grey Tea Jelly, Orange Triple Sec Marmalade, and Cherry Amaretto Jam.

LADY GAYLE:  Please tell us more about the tea infused jams/jellies.  Is brewed tea used, tea leaf pieces, or both?

MARILYN MILLER, MARMALADYS:  Brewed tea.

LADY GAYLE:  What other products do you offer for sale?

MARILYN MILLER, MARMALADYS:  Both retail and wholesale Marmalady’s offers their jam, jellies, and wrap style tea cozies.  Retail only are Marmalady’s vintage reproduction apron, teapots, teaspoon, Korean tea cup, tea books, and filters.  Because my background is in product development, I am always working on new products and hope to have a couple new products in the next year. 

LADY GAYLE:  Thank you for your time and as you say on your website ~ “Thanks for sharing in this passion. Tea makes the heart sing.”

Contact Marilyn Miller ~ Marmalady’s:

Email or write to Marmalady’s, 6435 N.E. 25th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97211 – marijm@earthlink.net

Visit www.marmaladys.com

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KIMBERLY SHAW, KIMBERLY SHAW GRAPHICS

July, 2007

www.theteahousetimes.com

For centuries tea has helped us to slow down for brief moments to either enjoy those close to us, or make time for kindling new friendships. Tea is the catalyst by which we sit at a small table with a friend or serve with a snack of blueberries and cream for the family. We invite neighbors in to warm themselves at a Christmas tea, or serve tea out on the lawn at a garden luncheon. Tea is a gift we share with others when we share our time with them. Kimberly Shaw Graphics products are designed for you to share in the tea experience!  www.KimberlyShawStore.com

INTERVIEW WITH KIMBERLY SHAW

LADY GAYLE:  How and when did you start this business of creating such beautiful art upon cards?

KIMBERLY SHAW:  I began making handmade greeting cards from the desire to share the real meaning of Christmas. The idea of making cards by hand came from a local greeting card store that specialized in handmade paper and cards. For ten years I hand-painted and assembled Christmas cards, each containing a small gift, and gave them to friends, family and co-workers. Eventually, friends persuaded me to sell my cards. My mother encouraged me to sell cards at a home boutique, along with her basket of dishcloth doilies. At that boutique, a dear woman invited me to display my cards with her at a trade show. From the trade show, a sales representative offered to market our line in her territory. And so began Kimberly Shaw Graphics.® One of the greatest joys was receiving an order from the same specialty greeting card store where I first discovered handmade cards twelve years before. Kimberly Shaw Graphics® has continued to grow in this same miraculous way.

LADY GAYLE:  Tell us about your product line. It is much more than cards.

KIMBERLY SHAW:  We offer an adorable teacup line of almost 100 cards that include occasions such as holiday, birthday, thank yous, get well, blank cards, invitations and more. In keeping with our tea theme, our line also offers other fun tea-themed stationery items such as notepads, stickers, and calendars - sure to suit the taste of girls of all ages!

LADY GAYLE:  Many tea rooms carry your cards, so people may find them and purchase them at their local shop.  Can your products be purchased on line as well?

KIMBERLY SHAW:  We encourage people to find a store near them, but if one is not close by Retail Customers may visit our website at www.KimberlyShawStore.com where we carry a full selection of all our products.  Wholesale Buyers may visit our website at www.KimberlyShawGraphics.com and find products for their store or business. They can place an order over the phone by calling 800.489.6839 or 760.930.9370.

LADY GAYLE:  What types of businesses carry your products?

KIMBERLY SHAW:  Throughout our 13 years in business we have seen tremendous sales success among tearooms, gift stores, florists, restaurants and ladies specialty shops across the nation. Other businesses such as realtors, doctors and dentists use our unique cards to offer special promotions or thank yous to their clients.

LADY GAYLE:  What brand of teas do you use inside the cards and for the notepads?  These are pretty packets of tea bags. What flavors do you use or how do you choose what flavor to go with each card? 

KIMBERLY SHAW: We use Harney & Sons teas and Harrison & Crosfield teas in our cards and notepads.  From their assortment of delicious tea flavors we select colors that best coordinate with our artwork.  We also design new cards as new tea flavors and colors come available.  Both tea brands have come out with exciting new flavors and colors that we are currently designing new cards for.

LADY GAYLE:  Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers? What is most important to you in relation to your business?

KIMBERLY SHAW: I have been blessed with a wonderful staff of creative and talented people, with Georgia as my creative right hand.  I also get to work with my family.  My husband and I began this business so I could stay home with my children when they were young. Now my two daughters, Emmily and Kristin, work for us and occasionally my son, Brad, helps out.  With my daughters both being artistic, it’s great getting additional feed back on ideas, colors and trends.

The other exciting aspect of our business is hearing how our cards make people feel.  The recipient is always warmed by receiving a card or notepad with tea, but it is most surprising how the sender gets joy from sending them.  Because our products focus on giving to others it’s naturally going to bring joy to all.  I love getting comments like, “Your Thank You card I sent was the first card I’ve ever given where I received a Thank You card in return.” 

LADY GAYLE:   I just love the cards and notepads and everything you offer.  We have been selling your invitations and cards at our website very successfully for some time now.  Besides that – we will represent and showcase Kimberly Shaw Graphics cards and notepads at the upcoming New York International Gift Fair at booth # 9617 along with other New York’s Newest exhibitors.  Buyers who have never seen the cards should be sure to visit me there and subscribe to The Tea House Times too (and see what else we have to offer)!  August 12-15, 2007 www.nyigf.com

I encourage you to contact Kimberly Shaw Graphics, view their website, purchase some cards, send them to friends and family and enjoy!

Retail Customers:  www.KimberlyShawStore.com

Wholesale Buyers:  www.KimberlyShawGraphics.com

To place an order or for any inquiries about the Kimberly Shaw Graphics line, please call 800.489.6839 or 760.939.9370   Kimberly Shaw Graphics, P.O. Box 4129, Carlsbad, CA 92018

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MAXINE HOLMGREN, MAXINE'S MYSTERY TEA PARTIES

May, 2007

www.theteahousetimes.com

Maxine's mystery theme tea parties take the mystery (and stress) out of finding a novel way to entertain.  Lots of laughs along the way as you solve a mystery while enjoying tea.  www.mysteryteaparties.com

LADY GAYLE:  How many different theme parties do you offer? What are the titles?

MAXINE HOLMGREN:  There are presently seven plans available, with another one or two *brewing* in my head.  They are: Who Killed the Darling Duke of Darjeeling, Sherla Combs and the Case of the Great Jewel Robberies, The Bodacious Babes of Buzzard Bend, Who Killed the Roving Romeo of the Red Feather Ladies, The Red Feather Ladies Aboard the S.S. Titantica, The Decadent Housewives of Hysteria Lane, and Who Stole the Joy from Christmas.

LADY GAYLE:  What is included when someone purchases one of your theme party plans?

MAXINE HOLMGREN:  Each party plan booklet includes easy to follow hostess instructions, scripts with costume suggestions, invitations, name tags and place cards.  Every guest has a role to play, a unique and humorous identity, and a script to follow.  

LADY GAYLE:  Do any of the plans include recipes?

MAXINE HOLMGREN:  Almost all include recipes. Some also include some ideas for hostess favors, decorating, etc.

LADY GAYLE:  How many people can participate in a mystery?

MAXINE HOLMGREN:  The mystery theme plans are written for eight guests, but can be done with large groups as well. 

LADY GAYLE:  How does it work when you have a group of say 50 to 100 people at a tea fundraiser.  If the mystery is planned with a small group, I expect if you have 8 people, all would be involved, but with more people, what do you suggest – make it more like a performance for the group to enjoy watching?

MAXINE HOLMGREN:  Many large groups have done them very successfully.  Some have had the characters seated at various tables throughout the room, and give their parts from where they are, some have them come up to a podium, and some do the whole mystery on stage.

LADY GAYLE:  How difficult are the scripts? Do you recommend memorizing lines or reading from the script for fun?

MAXINE HOLMGREN:  I actually encourage people to NOT memorize it, unless they are really good at memorizing.  I suggest reading it over many times, so they can be so familiar with it, that they can read it, without having to read word by word.

LADY GAYLE:  Who purchases your theme party plans? 

MAXINE HOLMGREN:  Several large organizations have used them as fund raisers, and many church groups have done them.  I love it when they send me pictures and emails telling me what fun they had, and how they decorated.  There are some very creative ladies out there!  The Mystery Tea Parties are popular with friends and families, women's groups, tea rooms, and bed and breakfast inns.  People may purchase the party plans through the website: www.mysteryteaparties.com

LADY GAYLE:  Do you offer wholesale pricing for the party plans so tea rooms may purchase and sell to their customers?

MAXINE HOLMGREN:  Yes, but it is not available on the website ordering page.  They’ll have to call or mail order.

LADY GAYLE:  Well, Maxine, I have read a few of the scripts and find them to be very entertaining and a great, fun, and unique way to entertain everyone at a tea party.  Thanks for telling us more about your business. 

Impress your friends by hosting a unique and fun mystery tea party!  Visit www.mysteryteaparties.com to order.

Maxine's Mystery Tea Parties, 25890 Warwick Road, Sun City, CA 92586

1-951-301-7218    

mysterytea@mysteryteaparties.com   www.mysteryteaparties.com

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JEAN FORNEY, HAND PAINTED ROSE

April, 2007

www.theteahousetimes.com

Hand Painted Rose offers the finest in hand painted porcelain by Jean Forney. Her rose and other floral patterns are among the rarest of art forms. The designs are hand painted, conceived by the artist and make heartfelt gifts with magnificent rose and floral designs.  www.handpaintedrose.com

LADY GAYLE:  Jean, you have been painting designs on china since 1976.  Please tell us about your designs and what inspires them.

JEAN FORNEY:  I appreciate the opportunity to provide you with some of the inspirations for my work.  A background of art and design was my passion during my early years.  Later I also became interested in the history of the Victorian era. It was just natural, I guess, that the designs of that time became part of my life. You will find that the emphasis during that period was in many cases high lighted with large floral patterns and lavish accents.  

LADY GAYLE:  Besides teacups and teapots, what else do you design?

JEAN FORNEY:  It has been exciting to recreate a vast number of items that were popular and functional during the Victorian and Turn of the Century period. This includes Ladies Boudoir items, elegant vases, decorative plates, miscellaneous kitchen accessories, chocolate pots and sets and an array of gift items such as jewelry boxes, Christmas and holiday decorations and just about every thing else one might think of. 

LADY GAYLE:  All of your designs are available for purchase at Hand Painted Rose.  Many are one of a kind.  Tell us about some of the most unusual pieces.

JEAN FORNEY:  Not too long ago, I designed a large commemorative plate for a 60th wedding anniversary. A special dedication was inscribed on the reverse side of the item. One of the most exciting events was the popularity of my Romantic Tea Set as featured several years ago in a national publication. Dozens of these sets were recreated for customers throughout the country. While, you might think that they were all the same, actually, they were all just a bit different. It is really difficult to sit down and recite all of the many items that I have done over the years. 

LADY GAYLE:  How are your designs so beautifully produced on each piece of china? Is each individual piece hand painted, or is it reproduced in some way?

JEAN FORNEY:  My work usually begins with the appropriate designs being selected for the item and sketched by hand. The paint is applied lightly in stages gradually building up the colors. After each light application of colors, a firing process takes place. It usually takes 4- 6 firings at high temperatures to bring a finished state.  Most people don't realize that I paint from a pallet, mixing or blending the colors to achieve the desired effect. It therefore becomes almost impossible for me to duplicate the exact colors from one day to the next. I have never used decals on any of my work. All of my work is applied by hand.  Each of my designs is truly "one of a kind" even though some pieces may look the same.  

JEAN FORNEY:  Although my work may seem to look "old" I do not copy any old pieces, but I do try to recreate the look, the style, the feeling, and ambiance of "A Time Long Ago"

To purchase Jean Forney hand painted designs, please visit www.handpaintedrose.com

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DANIELLE BEAUDETTE, THE COZY TEA CART

February, 2007

www.theteahousetimes.com

Danielle Beaudette, proprietor of The Cozy Tea Cart, has been selling high quality teas for a number of years. She has researched the history of tea and tea wares for over a decade.  Danielle has a special interest in the history of tea and its ceremonies, and she considers herself a student in her quest for knowledge on tea. She is continually researching tea on her own in an effort to stay up to date with current demands, has taken over 30 courses at the World Tea Expo and has completed all levels of certification through The Specialty Tea Institute.  The Cozy Tea Cart is on-line and also a retail shoppe located in Brookline, New Hampshire.  The focus of the shoppe is the sale of high quality teas and tea accoutrements, as well as specialty gifts and food items.   www.thecozyteacart.com  

LADY GAYLE:  Tell us about your shop in New Hampshire. What types of products do you sell?  Can people stop by for a cup of tea, or do you only serve tea at special events by reservation?

DANIELLE BEAUDETTE: Our shoppe is a small, French provincial styled retail tea shoppe tucked away in a rural neighborhood.  In addition to quality specialty teas from all over the world, the shoppe offers modern tea ware for every day convenience.  Also for sale are unique, one of a kind antique gift items, tea themed jewelry, books by local authors, and much more.  All of our teas can be viewed at our web site, and soon, our gift products will be on-line as well.

Since The Cozy Tea Cart is a retail tea shoppe, our customers can not be served by the cup. However, there is always a pot readily available for our customers to sample tea before they purchase it.  They love the fact that they can try it first!  The Cozy Tea Cart does serve the tea at special events at our customer’s location. 

LADY GAYLE: Danielle, I see you offer occasional Afternoon Teas. What are some of the themes and how can people find out when you are planning an event?  What about special events such as showers, clubs, etc.?

DANIELLE BEAUDETTE: The Cozy Tea Cart hosts special themed afternoon teas at our customer’s location. A sampling of themes includes, Friendship Tea, Red Hat Society Tea, Garden Tea, and Wedding and Baby Shower Teas. I have found, however, that many of our customers have their own themed afternoon tea ideas, such as a retirement party tea, ladies luncheon, or fund raiser. We can provide a catered menu to accompany the tea, or simply provide the tea service.

Most of our scheduled events are listed on the Events link on our home page, so our customers can check to see if a date has already been taken.  However, private parties are not always listed, so I encourage our customers to call the shoppe to reserve a date as early as possible.

LADY GAYLE:  Please tell us about some of the lecture topics you offer.  How far will you travel to lecture?

DANIELLE BEAUDETTE: Some of the tea lectures I have given in the past are: The History of Tea, Teas from Around the World, Tea from the Plantation to the Cup, and Understanding the Japanese Tea Ceremony. A unique one I just gave involved Pairing Chocolate with Tea, and the folks attending had a great deal of fun learning about tea and chocolate and tasting the distinctive pairings!

I have also given lectures for local schools, typically grades 3 to 6, and tied the history of tea into the classroom curriculum to help the students understand how tea has played a major role in our history.  In addition, I have conducted manners classes for local Cub Scouts and Etiquette classes for local Girl Scouts. 

Conducting lectures is one of my favorite parts of running a business, because it allows me to reach out to so many more people in helping to demystify the unknown about specialty loose leaf teas. Also, I find that an educated customer is far more willing to make a trip to our shoppe to sample our specialty teas, if they know a little more about them. 

I will travel within an hour distance from the shoppe to give a lecture.  

LADY GAYLE:  Danielle, I see your website offers an FAQ section to answer questions about tea and health, caffeine content, etc.  Please share with us here your suggestions for storing tea and keeping it fresh. 

DANIELLE BEAUDETTE: The four worst enemies of tea are air, moisture, light and heat.  These elements will slowly begin to break down your tea, causing it to lose its flavor and freshness.  Loose leaf tea should be stored in a tightly sealed, dark tin, or a colored ceramic container that will not allow light to penetrate through.  Even though our tea is sold in tins, I encourage our customers to bring in their own beautiful tin.  This promotes such wonderful conversation between us, and always leads to a fascinating tea story!

LADY GAYLE:  Tell us what you do at your tea tastings and how much time does it take?

DANIELLE BEAUDETTE: The Cozy Tea Cart offers two types of tea tastings.  One is a 2-hour tasting with lecture up front, where I explain the process of cupping teas, what to look for in a good quality tea, both loose and infused, and then lead into the actual tea sampling.  The second one I do more often is usually in conjunction with a grand opening or special event.  This could be a local antique store, book store, or other type of business.  Here, I conduct more of a tea sampling of our Teas of the Month.  I also answer customer questions, and bring along additional specialty teas and products from our shoppe, for the customers to purchase.

LADY GAYLE: I see you offer catering services for a full tea service, a sweet tea service, and a cream tea service.  What is included?  What areas do you deliver to in NH?

DANIELLE BEAUDETTE: A Full Afternoon tea Service consists of three savories, three tea sandwiches, three desserts, and three choices of tea, and usually takes place in a more formal dining room.  But often our customers want something less formal than a full tea service. A Sweet Tea service is a nice alternative for a less formal party, such as a small baby shower or ladies gathering.  This consists of 3 savories, three pastries and two choices of tea.  For those that are entertaining close to the dinner hour, the Cream Tea Service is the best choice as it includes a large plate of scones served with clotted cream, fresh preserves and a pot of tea.  The Cozy Tea Cart delivers to areas within one hour of our shoppe.

LADY GAYLE:  For the children’s parties/dress up parties, do you host these in your shop or in the homes of your customers or both?

DANIELLE BEAUDETTE: The Cozy Tea Cart offers these parties both in our shoppe and in the homes of our customers.  I prefer to host them in our shoppe, as there is an enormous amount of set-up involved with the dress-up clothes and stations for choices of hats, boas, gloves, and jewelry.  I also offer a make-up and nails station which then leads to a photo area for the well-dressed party girl.

The Cozy Tea Cart offers its customers visiting the retail shoppe a comfortable place to take a respite from their hurried lives. During the summer months, the outdoor gardens offer a peaceful stroll while sipping tea and enjoying the sounds of the birds.  The emphasis is, and will continue to be, on providing good quality products at a reasonable price.  The Cozy Tea Cart will also sell and ship products for those who are not close to our retail shoppe.  Please visit our website at www.thecozyteacart.com

The Cozy Tea Cart is conveniently located in Southern New Hampshire at 40 Mountain Road, Brookline, NH  03033

Phone: 603-249-9111  Email: info@TheCozyTeaCart.com  Website:  www.thecozyteacart.com

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EARLENE GREY

January, 2007

www.theteahousetimes.com

This month we are interviewing Earlene Grey; www.earlenegrey.com 

LADY GAYLE:  Earlene, when did you first begin writing poetry?   

EARLENE GREY: I first began writing poetry about five years ago.  I wrote very privately, never wanting or planning to share my work. Publishing has been a big surprise to me.  

LADY GAYLE: Has your work always focused on tea?  

EARLENE GREY: My work up until this point consistently references tea.  I am, however, working on a collection of poems that focuses on another subject.  Tea is just such a huge part of my life and always has been so it was very easy to make the tea the grounding point of my poetry.  I write what comes to me.  I am merely a conduit. And since the poetry comes in the form of life lessons, I work very hard at making the poems easy to understand and assimilate.  Tea is just the little bit that I added for me.

LADY GAYLE:  What type of response do you get from your work?  
 
EARLENE GREY: Well, the response too has been a surprise.  Everyone who reads...or listens is really quite taken with the poetry.  Enthralled. Some people are very moved.... even to tears.  Others just laugh at the naughtiness or silliness of some of the poems.  Yet, people seem to identify very strongly with the words.  I’ve had ladies who I thought weren’t listening or didn’t like the poetry come to me with tears in their eyes and say thank you.  It is quite humbling.  Most people in this culture are somewhat intimidated by the thought of poetry, but if one gives it a try and reads a few poems, one’s mind is changed quite quickly.   My poetry is easy to understand and to the point. Sometimes people are quite surprised at its messages, but it definitely gives them something to think about.     

LADY GAYLE:  This may be letting out a secret, but I understand that Earlene Grey is a nom de plume.  Tell us about that and what Earlene is to you personally.   

EARLENE GREY: Yes, Earlene Grey is my writing name.  Initially I wanted to protect my identity in the local community, so we came up with a name that fit.  I am a Gemini.  Someone said that I invented my own twin.  That may be.  Earlene is very much who I am, but with a touch of the Edwardian era.  She stands for grace, civility, doing the right thing...all with a sense of humor and even a little naughtiness about her.  And she drinks gallons of only very good tea.  

LADY GAYLE:  Tell us about your new hardbound book. 

EARLENE GREY: The hardbound book, Musings With a Cuppa- The Poetry of Tea, is a collection of over 80 tea poems written by me... with the purpose of helping people feel good by providing insights and perspectives that may not have been otherwise considered. Artist, Susan Laird, who is famous for her cards and prints of footed teapots, tearooms, fairies, and other such charming subjects, illustrates the book.  I am very lucky to live in the same town as she.  Our teaming up has definitely been a good idea.  Musings With a Cuppa…, in hardbound, is what people were waiting for.  It just goes well...for a variety of reasons.  And makes a lovely gift for any tea lover.   
 
LADY GAYLE:  I understand that you may be hired for poetry readings.  What types of events do you attend?  How far will you travel?
 
EARLENE GREY: I absolutely love to read for people.  No matter the size of the audience!  It’s the best fun.  I have read at a variety of events from teas to book fairs, to dinners.  And, by golly, it seems that the audiences enjoy it just as much as I.  If someone is willing to pay for my travel, I will show up most anywhere.  And like all authors, if there are book sales involved, the fee for my reading is very negotiable.  
 
LADY GAYLE:  Do you offer wholesale pricing for your books and products?  And lastly, what is in the future for Earlene?  

EARLENE GREY:  Well, of course I offer wholesale pricing.  Interested vendors may call or email my office and we’ll talk business.  I am working on a second book now, planning to make it available at the tea conference in June this year. In addition to that, there will be a new line of cards.  What I am most excited about, however, is putting Musings With a Cuppa… on disc. We are looking at putting the whole book with me reading the poems on a CD.  With the response that I get from my readings, it only seemed a natural next step in providing what my readers want.  

LADY GAYLE:  Thank you for sharing your beautiful poetry with our readers in every issue of The Tea House Times.  It truly adds an air of beauty and friendship to our publication. 

EARLENE GREY: You are most welcome!  The Tea House Times is a fine production and it just keeps getting better and better.  I am very honored to be a part of it to be sure.  Thank you for your kindness and quality work.  

--
Earlene Grey, PO Box 228, Oregon City, OR  97045

503-655-2809      1-888-655-2809
earlene@earlenegrey.com      www.earlenegrey.com

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ANNELISE PITT, THISTLEDOWN COZIES

December 15, 2006

www.theteahousetimes.com

This month we are interviewing Annelise Pitt, Thistledown Cozies; www.thistledowncozies.com

Thistledown Cozies has been in business since 1995, manufacturing tea cozies and tea accessories for the tea industry. Annelise has a background in Fine Arts, a passion for fabrics, and an insatiable desire to create.  She produces beautiful, high quality, tea cozies.

LADY GAYLE:  For those who are not familiar with tea cozies, can you give us a definition of what purpose a tea cozy serves? How are they used?  How should they not be used?  How long will the cozy keep the tea warm?

ANNELISE PITT:  As everyone knows, tea in bare teapot cools down rather quickly. Serious tea drinkers try to keep their tea as warm as possible for as long as possible. A tea cozy helps this tremendously. In the past, tea cozies have had the reputation of being fairly useless at keeping tea warm. "Wimpy" was what one tea expert called them. No longer! Tea cozy designers, including myself, are very aware of the functional aspects of our cozies and are making cozies that keep tea warm for hours. I have done experiments with bare pots and different cozies. After 2 hours the teapots with the cozies kept the tea 40 degrees warmer than the bare teapot! (full results of the temperature experiments are on my website)

Tea cozies also happen to be gorgeous. I think they add one more element to the tea table. Just like any other table linen: napkins, table cloth, doilies; they add to the presentation. Tea and presentation and ritual are so tied together.

You asked about the proper use of a tea cozy. I am not a tea brewing expert, so I will have to quote Jane Pettigrew's book, The Tea Companion: "brew the tea using an infuser..... remove the infuser.... cover the pot with a cozy." Or... brew, then "strain the tea into a second warmed pot and cover with a cozy."    She does warn that the tea leaves can "cook" if left in extremely hot water. If you are worried about this, wait until the steeping is over, then use your cozy.    Personally, I like to use her "two teapot" method.  When I am taking my time making a good cup of tea, I steep my loose tea in a bare pot until it is just done, then I decant into a second (warmed) teapot 'avec cozy'.  I do confess though, that on most rushed mornings,  I steep the tea (PGTips bags) in the pot, with one of my Wrap-around cozies on it. I don't bother with the decanting, but do pull the teabag out as soon as possible. At that time of day I just appreciate a hot cup of anything caffeinated. I also appreciate the second hot cup an hour later when the kids are out the door.  The tea cozy makes this second cup of hot tea possible.

You asked how a cozy should not be used. I have only one request: as tempting as it may be, please refrain from putting it on your head.

(Editor’s note:  Do not use a tea cozy on the stove or near a flame.  A Tea Cozy is for covering a teapot on your table NOT a teakettle at the stove.)

LADY GAYLE:  Your tea cozies are high quality and you offer a fine selection of fabrics.  Please tell us about the wrap-around design, fabric, etc.

ANNELISE PITT: I get giddy around fabric. I love the hand and drape of a high quality fabric. I am picky about the quality of the printing too. My favorite fabrics are ones with crisp designs and deep colors. I love a little sparkle, so once in a while you will see a cozy with gold embossing.  Over the years I have discovered who the very best fabric manufacturers are, and use them exclusively.

Some of my favorite days are ones spent in the dungeons of my fabric supplier's warehouse, picking and matching and dreaming; followed by the world's best scones at Judy's nearby tearoom (cranberry/orange: The Windsor Tea Shop). Poor Judy has to ooooh and aaahh when I drag her out to see my purchases.

My cozies are all my unique designs. The Wrap-around is by far the most popular. It has lots of poofy fabric and a cute ribbon, but is actually the hardest working tea cozy of all. Surprising, because it is so cute, it keeps tea warmer longer than any of the other cozies, and much warmer than a bare teapot. I think the reason for this is that the teapot sits in the cozy and is cradled with all that fabric and padding.  Mine has a full bottom, unlike other cozies with this same look. I suspect that this helps with the heat retention as well.

Thistledown Cozies also makes a traditional tea cozy, which I call a "Classic Cozy". Ours has a lovely curved top that makes it look not so like a 'toaster cover'. We also have a very unique design I call the "Pagoda", which we do in lovely oriental fabrics.

My cozies are all made here in the USA. Thistledown Cozies is very much a cottage industry. I joke that I have "little old ladies sewing in their basements". In reality they are not that old. These ladies are fantastic seamstresses and do a fabulous job! In the last year I have grown so that I need more production and have had to hire a sewing room. Fortunately the stitchers there are as meticulous as my "basement ladies". Every one of our cozies is extremely well made.

LADY GAYLE:  What size teapot will fit into your cozies?

ANNELISE PITT: I size my Wrap-Around and Classic cozies to the most popular 'Brown Betty' styled teapots, namely the teapots from Metropolitan Tea Company. My Large fits their 6-cup teapots, my Medium fits their 3-cup, and my Small fits their 2-cup.

Many other companies make this style of teapot too. They are all nearly the same size, and my cozies fit them too.

The Pagoda cozies are all custom made to order in a variety of widths and heights.

The Classic cozies will, of course, fit any number of bone china teapots.

LADY GAYLE:  I see from reviewing your website that you offer wholesale only.  You also list shops carrying your cozies so customers may find them and purchase at retail. 

ANNELISE PITT: I do only sell wholesale. I made the decision to focus on making beautiful cozies and leave the retailing to my tearoom and online vendors.  My customers appreciate the fact that I am not competing with them. I know that this is a little inconvenient for the retail customer, but I haven't the energy to do both wholesale and retail.

Our cozies can be found in tearooms in almost every state. Use the list on my website to find the one nearest you. I hope to make every tearoom owner aware of Thistledown Cozies, and someday have my cozies in every shop. (a little ambitious, I know!)  In the meantime, if your local tearoom doesn't carry our cozies yet, you can purchase them on the web. AntiquiTeas Tearoom offers my full line, and Culinary Teas carries a good number. Links to both are on my website.

LADY GAYLE:  Can the cozies be washed?

ANNELISE PITT: Good question. Yes, every one of my cozies is washable. The Wrap-Around cozies are machine washable, and the Classic cozies are hand washable.

Many tearooms use Thistledown cozies in their service. As you can imagine, these cozies take a beating. When they are dirty they just get tossed in the washing machine, and then in the drier, and come out fabulously. (tips for removing those pesky tea stains can be found on my website)

LADY GAYLE:  Please tell us about your tea wallets.  These are adorable.

ANNELISE PITT: Many people have commented that the tea wallets are soooo cute. People are loving them.  They are designed as a tidy way to carry teabags (or t-sacs filled with loose tea). The tea wallet has six slots to hold teabags , and four slots to hold sweetener packets. It folds, folds, and folds again, and then snaps together in a neat little packet. Absolutely perfect for taking your favorite tea with you.   We are making them in all sorts of fabrics, including Red Hat. If your local tearoom doesn't carry them yet, try Culinary Teas on the web.

For more information about Thistledown Cozies, visit www.thistledowncozies.com , visit them at World Tea Expo in Atlanta, June, 2007, or call:  1-877-890-9106.  You may also email: annelise@thistledowncozies.com

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DAWNYA SASSE AKA LADY DAWNYA, TEA EVENTS

November 15, 2006

www.theteahousetimes.com

This month we are interviewing Dawnya Sasse, Tea Events, Start a Tea Business™

Dawnya is a previous tea room owner and offers extraordinary tea business training as well as some other very fine tea related businesses/activities including: Start A Tea Business, Tea Events, Tea Radio, Tea Business Dreams tea blog, weekly email tea quotes and much more. 

Be sure to visit the Tea Events website ( www.teaevents.com ) to learn more about Dawnya and for links to all of her fine websites including: www.teacruise.com, www.tearadio.com, www.childrensteaparty.com, www.startateabusiness.com .  You may also follow Dawnya’s Tea Business Dreams blog through a link at Tea Events. 

INTERVIEW WITH LADY DAWNYA:

LADY GAYLE:   Dawnya, when and where did you operate your tea room?  How did you get started with all of these other great business ventures?

LADY DAWNYA:   I started on my tea journey in 1997, opened a tea house in 1999 in Bend, Oregon and then started my online businesses in 2003.  The demand for my online courses grew so quickly that I chose to sell my tea house in 2004 to focus on tea education full time.  I loved my tea house but my online business is great as well.

LADY GAYLE:  I read the following statement at your website:  “If you Don't start a tea business you'll hate yourself later!”  This is followed by 5 signs of an industry about to boom.   Share with us your thoughts on this boom and the current trend in the tea industry.

LADY DAWNYA:  In the early 1990's the idea of “tea as an industry” was really in its infancy.   Since that time tea has taken the media by storm... even Oprah is singing its praises.  Tea is becoming a national icon for health, wellness and tranquility.  Customers are becoming connoisseurs, searching for the finest teas from exotic estates. 

I believe that now is the time for anyone who has an interest in the tea industry to dive in headlong and pursue their dream.  Many people watched the coffee train come and go and wished they had jumped on early in the game.  I think people will long for the “early days” of tea as well.  Now is definitely a great time to start a tea business.

LADY GAYLE:  Your Start a Tea Business program is great since it is something for every type of tea business, not strictly opening and operating a tea room.  Tell us how you help people decide which direction to go when thinking about starting a tea related business.

LADY DAWNYA:  I believe that honesty is the backbone of business education and so I honestly tell my students what it is like to own and operate a tea room.  I share the good, the bad and the ugly.

Then I present the many options there are for running a tea business.  I have seminars on 17 different types of tea businesses including tea cafes, web tea, children's tea parties, tea presentations, starting a tea publication, by reservation tea rooms, tea and etiquette, bubble tea bars, etc.

I encourage students to take a good hard look at where they are right now in their life.  Are they ready to invest their life savings and the next 5 years into a retail oriented business?  If not, I help them locate the perfect business for their personal lifestyle right now.  I also encourage students to start where they are now and expect their tea business and grow and change forms in the years to come.  Life changes and so does your business.

LADY GAYLE:  Is your Start a Tea Business a self study course, on-line, on CD, or in person? How/where is it presented?

LADY DAWNYA:   Once class begins students are given access to our password protected online materials.  We have written material, audio seminars, emails and forums that are completely online.  Students can work on the materials online, print them or save them to their own computer for later use.   A student can access the class around their own schedule whether it is 2 in the afternoon or 2 in the morning.

I communicate with the students for the four weeks of class answering questions, overseeing homework, helping with resources, etc. 

We offer an optional certificate to those who complete their homework assignments and each new student receives a tea kit in the mail to help them with their tea cupping assignments.

LADY GAYLE:  Tell us about starting a Children’s Tea Party Business and what training you offer.

LADY DAWNYA:  Our Start A Children's Tea Party Business is a 3 CD audio seminar set complete with a 150 page transcription plus a resource and wholesalers guide.  This is a step by step approach to offering children's tea parties.  The course ONLY focuses on running a Children's Tea Party Business.

LADY GAYLE:    Tell us about Tea Radio?

LADY DAWNYA:  Tea Radio is a free monthly broadcast available online to subscribers.  Our broadcasts feature interviews with people in the tea industry and we share fresh new industry related ideas.

I love sharing my passion for tea and Tea Radio is a great way to do that.  Another advantage to my subscribers is the free weekly tea quote that I send via email.  People seem to love the quotes.

LADY GAYLE:  Tell us about the one-on-one phone consultation you provide. Is this for current/past students only?

LADY DAWNYA:  I provide consultations by phone for anyone in the tea business or getting into the tea industry that needs a fresh perspective or guidance from someone that has been there and done it before.  I spend a lot of time helping people find sources and vendors that will cater to their particular needs. In addition I often help people who are preparing a fundraising tea event.

LADY GAYLE:  “Have tea, will travel” is also listed on your website—offering more one-on-one training expertise for speaking engagements and such.  Tell us what types of programs you will travel for.

LADY DAWNYA:   I usually travel a great deal and am called in to help entrepreneurs open tea cafes or tea rooms or sometimes I even train their staff.  In addition I speak on every aspect of tea with a special emphasis on “planning successful tea events.”  My specialty is history based tea programs including “Teatime on the Titanic” “Teatime and the White House” “A Mid Summer's Nights Tea”, etc. 

LADY GAYLE:  On that note, you have started a tea cruise as well—to offer some serious, in-person training for the duration of a lovely cruise.  Tell us when your first cruise is sailing and where to?  What will be covered in this course?

LADY DAWNYA:  Yes!  I am excited about our upcoming tea business cruise.  We are sailing January 6-11^th 2007 from Tampa Florida to the Grand Cayman Islands.  During our 2 days at sea I will be speaking on 10 different tea related topics.  Everything from

“The No Lose Way to Choose the Perfect Tea Business- A Flawless Fit for your Personal Lifestyle” to “How to quickly and easily develop stunning table settings with or without fresh flowers.” to “The Little Known Secrets to Online Success.”

I am thrilled to announce that Bill Waddington from The Tea Source will be leading tea tastings on the cruise.  It will be an excellent time to learn from him as well.

Students who complete all 10 classes will receive a Tea Cruise certificate.

LADY GAYLE:  You also offer some wonderful training CDs.  What topics are covered?

LADY DAWNYA:  Wow, there are quite a few.  I think we have 8 now.  Each one is a complete seminar that is separate from our tea business class.  Our CD's offer people a great chance to kick back on their coach and get additional training for a tea related business or project.

“Simple Techniques to Fundraising with Tea”

“Discover Tea”

“B&B and Tea”

“Planning the Perfect Tea Party”

“Holiday Teatimes for Fun and for Profit”

“Jump Start Your Tea Business by Publishing Your Own Cookbook”

“Tea Best of Tea Radio” - Volume 1

“How to Work Less and Get Paid More with Children's Tea Parties”

LADY GAYLE:  What is the most important thing you would like to share with our readers?

LADY DAWNYA:  When I entered the tea business I learned that it is not enough to find something you love and do it.  Too often we find ourselves in a field we are passionate about and burn out doing the chores we hate.  I encourage people to find their “brilliance” and do it!

What is it that makes you stand out above the rest?  What are the three things that you naturally do better than those around you?  If you can find that and combine it with your love of tea you will succeed.

Find the tea business that is right for you and let your “brilliant self” shine through.

Thanks for sharing your tea business passion with us, Lady Dawnya. 

Please contact Dawnya by visiting her websites ( www.teaevents.com, www.teacruise.com, www.tearadio.com, www.startateabusiness.com) or call 888-225-0252  You may also email Dawnya: Tea@TeaEvents.com

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE START A TEA BUSINESS™ WEBSITE AND GET STARTED TODAY!  ENJOY YOUR TEA JOURNEY!

Enjoy all your *Tea House Times*

Lady Gayle

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DIANE SIVERSON/LADY DIANE HATS

October 30, 2006

www.theteahousetimes.com

This month we are interviewing Diane Siverson, creator of Lady Diane Hats. 

Diane is owner of Lady Diane Hats.  She creates lovely hats for tea time or anytime ~ Custom Hats, Victorian Hats, Red Hatter Hats, Wedding Hats, and much more.  Diane’s hats are created with care and attention to detail.  Please enjoy this interview with Lady Diane and be sure to visit her website at www.LadyDianeHats.com .  For more information, please call: 1-800-989-8705 Pacific Time.

INTERVIEW WITH LADY DIANE:

LADY GAYLE:   Diane, when did you start this business?  How did you become interested in hats?

LADY DIANE:  I actually made and sold my very first hat in February 2004 on ebay for $76.  I have had the drive to create with fabric and colors my whole life, but didn’t know exactly what to create.  I have always been fascinated by hats and how they influence feelings about yourself when worn.  One day in January 2004, I told my husband that I was going to make Ladies Hats and he asked me “how are you going to get rid of them?”.  I guess that was the most sensitive thing he could think of at the time.  We both had a good laugh and I started creating hats. 

LADY GAYLE:  At your website, I read the following ~ At a very young age, Diane’s mother taught Diane to “make your sewing creations look as nice on the inside as they do on the outside” and they do. ~ In what ways did your mother influence you to begin creating these beautiful hats?
 

LADY DIANE:  My mother had the patience to guide me to be a perfectionist when it came to sewing and creating.  My color matching and creative abilities came from my mother and a lot of my skills to be accurate came from my father who is a very creative craftsman.

LADY GAYLE:  How often do you wear a hat?  What is your favorite occasion to wear a hat?

LADY DIANE:  I love to wear hats when I travel, do shows and to special events.  Horse racing events and polo matches are especially fun time to wear a hat for me.

LADY GAYLE:  Tell us about your interest in Afternoon Tea.

LADY DIANE:  Afternoon Tea is a perfect time to wear a hat and assume the feeling of the Victorian era.  Many Tea Rooms have purchased hats for their customers who are not acquainted with the hat wearing adventure and also to capture the full benefit and feeling of the Afternoon Tea experience.

LADY GAYLE:  Please briefly describe the following hats listed at your website (many people will need to know what these mean esp. Cloche, Fascinator, etc.): Derby, Feather Mania, Victorian, Wedding, Red Hat, Cloche, Designer, Custom, and Fascinator. 

LADY DIANE:  The word Cloche is a French word meaning “Bell” and is applied to a hat with a somewhat similar look.  A Fascinator is a hair piece much less substantial than a hat, but makes an elegant statement.  The Fascinator also has a lesser affect on a hairdo.  The Derby hat line as shown on our site, is intended to stir the imagination of the customer to request a custom hat created to be a “Hat Contest” winner at any horse racing event.  The Victorian styles are created to be worn at events such as Afternoon Tea, Theatrical productions, hat displays and again the horse racing crowd and other occasions where a Lady would not want to go unnoticed.  The Wedding Hat line has become very popular among brides that want to truly be the center of attention at their ceremony.  The Red Hats are mainly purchased by the Red Hat ladies who have reached a point where “more is better” and upgrading to a higher level of attention seems to be the trend.

LADY GAYLE:  What size are the hats?  Do you offer custom sizing as well as custom designs?

LADY DIANE:  My hats are a bit different from other hats on the market.  I have developed a design that is all fabric.  There is not a straw hat base.  The brim is completely flexible and may be formed to the mood of the wearer without a concern of damaging the hat. Each hat is custom made to fit the buyers head size and style requirements.  The design of the interior of my hats allows a comfortable fit for a hat size variation of about 1 inch.  In other words the same hat would fit a size 21 as well as a size 22, which allows for hair style variations. The fabric colors and embellishments are also custom made to the buyer’s request.

LADY GAYLE:  When is it appropriate to wear a stunning hat such as the ones you have created?

LADY DIANE:  Hats today are easily worn to events like horse races and polo events that other hat wearers attend.  Church is another place where some hats are worn.  It mostly depends on how much attention a girl can stand.  Wearing a hat in an airport will cause an enormous amount of flattering attention and a lot of photo requests.  Be prepared!

LADY GAYLE:  I have also read customer comments at your website ~ about the hats making people feel special when they wear them & also a warning that if you don’t want the attention, you better not wear the stunning hat! ~ What is this like?  I know myself; it takes a lot of nerve to wear a hat.  I have several hats and only just wore one of them about a month ago when I got up the nerve one day.  It was SO hard to do.  But, once it sat upon my head for a while, I got used to it and didn’t feel so self conscious. 

LADY DIANE:  Last May I was asked to make 70 hats for the best customer of a Casino near Louisville and we were asked to fit the hats to the wives of these customers.  So we decided to go ahead and attend the Kentucky Derby as long as we were so close.  There is a photo of us at the Derby on our website so you can see how we were dressed.  Every few minutes someone would ask us if they could take a photo and then suddenly out of nowhere 20 or so other cameras would appear as long as we were posing.  Wearing a very fancy hat makes you feel like a celebrity and others treat you like a celebrity.  It is a very interesting and flattering experience to say the least.  It is always easier to wear a hat if someone else is wearing a hat right next to you.  This is the best way to start.  After you get used to the flattery, you can finally find yourself wearing a hat to the airport, to sporting events and even out to dinner.  It all depends on how much attention you can stand.

LADY GAYLE:  Do you have any tips or advice for greeting people while wearing a hat? . . . Eating with a hat on?  I find it a little awkward to hug/kiss anyone while wearing a hat.  And the first time wearing a large hat made it a little difficult to eat as well.  Should we remove our hats to greet our loved ones—or simply air kiss?  What about removing our hats at tea?  Can you recommend proper etiquette for hats?

LADY DIANE:  Because women’s hats are so elaborate and can be quite a production to remove and replace, women have not been required to remove their hats for any reason.  Another good reason not to remove your hat is because of a condition I call “Hat Hair” as a result of wearing a hat.   

LADY GAYLE:  Do you offer hat making classes? Or hat making parties?

LADY DIANE:  I have not attempted to teach anyone how to make the style of hats that I create because of the complexity of the design and the prior sewing experience that would be required.  I do have hat parties when requested, mostly Red Hat Ladies who come in a group to have Tea and other refreshments and to select an appropriate hat for their needs as a Red Hatter.

LADY GAYLE:  What is your favorite hat style for the upcoming holiday season?

LADY DIANE:  Because of the lack of a need for a brimmed hat, I prefer the Cloche style creations in the fall and winter months.  These small brimmed hats make an elegant statement for the seasons.

LADY GAYLE:  Hats may be purchased via your website.  Do you also offer wholesale pricing?

LADY DIANE:  The demand for these hats has become so great that I must produce hats for the Internet and “Drop By” customers first.  This makes it very difficult for me to provide much of a discount for wholesale orders.

LADY GAYLE:  What is the most important thing you would like to share with our readers and tea room owners?

LADY DIANE:  Wearing a fancy hat will turn you into another person and change the way you feel.  There is a little girl in all of us that loves to fantasize and to be recognized as a stunning Lady.  Wearing a beautiful creation of a hat will certainly create all of the emotion and recognition you desire.

Thanks for sharing your passion with us, Lady Diane. 

If you are ever in the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho vicinity, you are always welcome to visit Lady Diane’s shop.  Visit her website at www.ladydianehats.com or call 1-800-989-8705 Pacific Time for more information.

Enjoy all your *Tea House Times*

Lady Gayle

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BONNIE PORRO/THYME FOR TEA

Sept. 15, 2006

www.theteahousetimes.com

This month we are interviewing Bonnie Porro, Thyme for Tea.

Bonnie Porro is owner of Thyme for Tea, a lovely tea room located at 5 West Main Street in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.  She has been a tea room owner for many years.  Lady Gayle had the pleasure of sitting in on a class with Bonnie and a few other tea room owners sharing/presenting their knowledge and expertise at the World Tea Expo.  Bonnie offers great classes to share her expertise.  Please enjoy this interview with Bonnie and visit her website at www.thymefortea.us for more information, or call 215-362-2466.

INTERVIEW WITH BONNIE PORRO/THYME FOR TEA:

LADY GAYLE:  How did you become interested in tea and opening a tea room in Pennsylvania? 

BONNIE PORRO/THYME FOR TEA:  I guess it was about 14 years ago I was out and about one day in an area that I was not familiar with and wanted to get lunch. I found a small tea room and was enchanted by the decor, food and service. I knew at once that this was what I wanted to do.

LADY GAYLE:  What is the décor/style of your tea room?  Do you offer parties?

BONNIE PORRO/THYME FOR TEA: I guess you would call my style Victorian although our decor is a bit less busy than most of the tea rooms that I think of as Victorian. We offer party packages as well as special events.

LADY GAYLE:  Bonnie, you have had some wonderful tea experiences.  Tell us about your tea with Norman Rockwell and his wife, Molly.

BONNIE PORRO/THYME FOR TEA:  In the early 1970's I was Norman Rockwell's private duty nurse. Each day he and his wife Molly had tea and a whiskey sour. They would go outdoors to the gazebo in the summer and indoors to the library in the cold months. I sometimes had the tea but never the whiskey sour. Mr. Rockwell was an interesting gentleman who was every bit as down to earth as he appeared.

LADY GAYLE:  You are now sharing your successes and experience as a tea room owner by offering many classes.  What are some of the events/classes you have open to your tea room guests?  What classes do you offer for those interested in opening a tea room someday?

BONNIE PORRO/THYME FOR TEA:  We do special events all year long. For example:  We will do a Yuletide Harpistry and High Tea in early December. Of course Valentine's Day we do a sweetheart tea. In April we have done "Last Dinner on the Titanic." We also offer some classes on scone preparation, tea sandwiches and mini-desserts.  These classes are offered about 3 times per year and are very popular. We are also trying to share some of the things we have learned during our tea room operation with others who would like to open a tea room. Our seminar is called "Dream to Reality, How to Open and Operate a Successful Tea Room."

 

LADY GAYLE:  Your Dream to Reality Seminar focuses on How to Open and Operate a Successful Tearoom.  This sounds very interesting.  What are some of the highlights/topics covered? How many days is this seminar? Please share with us the upcoming dates for this seminar.

BONNIE PORRO/THYME FOR TEA:  The seminar is about 2 1/2 days and is very intensive. We start early in the morning and except for about a 2 hour break around 4 p.m. we spend the entire day with our attendees. We feel that people come from a long distance and we want to give them as much as possible in the time they have to spend. We cover the financial aspects fairly heavily because that is what I wanted to know when I opened my tea room. We also cover gift shop arrangement, give vendor lists, talk about parties, mailing lists and newsletters, contracts, special events and many other topics. The next dates for the seminar are March 25-28, 2007. We also do tutorials for individuals at selected times.

LADY GAYLE:  As part of your seminar, one of the topics is planning Themed Teas & Special Events.  What are some of your personal favorite themed teas and special events?

BONNIE PORRO/THYME FOR TEA:  Some of my personal favorite special events are the Christmas events. Last year we hosted Mrs. San-Tea-Claus who did a reading of A Cup of Christmas Tea and A Memory of Christmas Tea. Among my other favorites are the Titanic events in April and the harpistry events.

LADY GAYLE:  As part of your seminar, one of the topics is Kitchen Basics including some great tips/tricks for smooth operations.  Will you share one of your great kitchen tips with us now?---Something we can all benefit from when planning a tea party in our homes OR operating a tea business?

BONNIE PORRO/THYME FOR TEA:  First of all the trick to a successful tea of any kind is organization and preparation. I do a lot of preparation ahead of any party, event or just regular business day. That way I am ready for whatever might happen. I make my sandwiches the day before they are served and store them in an airtight container. I always have things in the freezer "just in case."

LADY GAYLE:  Any advice as we all plan for the busy holiday season?

BONNIE PORRO/THYME FOR TEA:  The advice when planning for the holiday season is the same as before: organization and preparation. Being organized and prepared gives you a confidence that you cannot get any other way. The holidays are not a surprise so we all need to do our best to keep on top of what we know is going to be a busy time.

 

LADY GAYLE:  What is the most important thing you would like to share with our readers and other tea room owners?

BONNIE PORRO/THYME FOR TEA:  The most important thing that I would like to share is that to be successful in any business you must love what you do. If you love what you do it will show in the product you put forth and people will definitely respond to that. The best part of my day happens when someone calls for a reservation at my tea room and says, "someone I know recommended your tea room to me." It happens at least three or four times a week and it is something that I never get tired of hearing.

Thanks for sharing your tea passion with us, Bonnie. 

Please visit www.thymefortea.us for more information or call 215-362-2466.

Enjoy all your *Tea House Times*

Lady Gayle

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NAN TAYLOR, TEA GRACES

August 4, 2006

www.theteahousetimes.com

This month we are interviewing Nan Taylor of Tea Graces.

Born of an Australian mother that brought her English traditions into the home, Nan was literally raised with "tea as a second language." Since the early 90's, she has been involved in presenting, consulting, and teaching many types of tea events. Nan has written the curriculum for tea classes, Let's Have Tea, which she teaches at three Southern California Colleges, a quarterly newsletter called Tea Graces, as well as various seminar topics.  She is a speaker for churches, tea rooms, community organizations, women's events, and mini seminars. She is also the founder of Tea Graces, a retail tea business.  Nan is the author of The Graceful Art of Tea, a wonderful book to help you plan the perfect tea party.

INTERVIEW WITH NAN TAYLOR:

LADY GAYLE:  Nan, when did you start this business?

NAN TAYLOR:  In the early 90’s my interest in tea was piqued by exposure to bridal and baby shower teas, elegant tea rooms that always had a grand assortment of food and ambience.  I was hooked.  I began to do a lot of research and read most anything I could put my hands on about tea events.  It was 1999 when I launched out and started teaching tea classes from my home to test the waters, and found this was the avenue I wanted to take and that it needed to be expounded upon.  To prepare a memorable tea takes time and planning.  I always say if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.  Along with appealing food, interesting props and decorations are essential.

 
LADY GAYLE:  Nan, you are an expert on the topic and art of preparing a memorable tea. What types of seminars do you offer?

NAN TAYLOR:   Thank you Lady Gayle for the accolades, but I don’t consider myself an expert, perhaps a specialist.  I don’t believe anyone can truly know all there is to know about the wonderful world of tea, there are so many aspects to it.  I try to keep up to date on the latest finds from other tea informed people and subscribe to several tea related publications, such as The Tea House Times. I regularly conduct a variety of classes, seminars and tea party events in the Southern California area.   Some of the topics include Private Tea Classes, Seminars, Tea Event Planning, Social Tea Graces, Out and About Hospitali-tea, How-to workshops and more.  You may visit my website for a Class & Seminar Schedule to find an event near you! 

LADY GAYLE:   Will you travel outside of California if someone is interested in your seminars?

NAN TAYLOR: Absolutely.  I recently returned from the east coast doing some sight seeing, speaking on Social Tea Graces and Etiquette, and book signing at several tearooms.  What a delight to meet so many women who enjoy getting together with friends celebrating the teacup. We seem to have a common thread that binds us together. It would take years to travel to all of the tearooms in the U.S., and I am ready when they are ready to invite me.

LADY GAYLE:   Tell us more about your book, The Graceful Art of Tea.

NAN TAYLOR: This has been a wonderful tool for ladies to use who either are just getting started with their own tea party giving, or for those who are experienced.  There is so much covered within the pages of the book that no one puts it down without having gained some knowledge that is tea related.  I had one lady that purchased 30 for gifts to ladies in her guild.  At this point in time I am doing some revisions and hope to go into the 3^rd printing before too long.  These are exciting times.

LADY GAYLE:   Where can people go to buy your book?  Do you accept wholesale and retail orders at your website, www.teagraces.com ? 

NAN TAYLOR:  The Graceful Art of Tea can be purchased through my website, Amazon.com and a variety of tearooms and gift shops throughout the states.  It can also be order by mail by giving me a ring at 661-298-6163.  I am happy to offer wholesale prices to a variety of businesses.

LADY GAYLE:   Nan, I enjoy reading your “Tea Tips of the Month” at your website such as How to keep your milk pitcher from dripping, Party Favor Ideas, Tips for making perfect tea sandwiches and more.  Will you share a few tips now that would be especially helpful with party planning?  Perhaps an idea or two from your book?

NAN TAYLOR: When enjoying an Afternoon Tea, order or serve black tea, such as English Breakfast, Darjeeling, Assam or your favorite blend, not flavored teas.  They don’t mix well with the palate; just think how a deviled egg sandwich would taste with a Raspberry tea.  You want to have the full flavor of both, so save the fruited teas for your Cream Tea.  If your guest requests both sugar and lemon in their tea, add the sugar first as it won’t dissolve if the lemon is added first.  Isn’t that an interesting bit of trivia!

LADY GAYLE:   What is the single most important thing you would like to share with our readers?

NAN TAYLOR:  So glad you asked.  Last week I did a photo shoot for the first of three DVD’s, and hope to have Gracing the Tea Table available to market by the end of October.  I finish the table setting segment with how to make a good cuppa, which seems to be such a dilemma to so many.  This will be a wonderful companion to my book.

Be sure to visit www.teagraces.com  or contact Nan by phone: (661)298-6163  or email:
teagraces@earthlink.net  or mail: P.O. Box 2954, Santa Clarita, CA 91386

Enjoy all your *Tea House Times*

Lady Gayle

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RACHEL JOHNSTON, SBS TEAS

June 15, 2006

www.theteahousetimes.com

This month we are interviewing Rachel Johnston from SBS Teas.

SBS Teas provide gourmet, custom-blended, high quality tea in loose leaf form as well as in single serving tea bags, refreshing gourmet iced tea blends, delicious and addictive gourmet chai tea blends (sugar-free available), gourmet hot cocoa in a variety of deluxe flavors and combinations (sugar-free available), and quality chocolates to satisfy even the most discerning palate.  SBS Teas also carries a full line of luxurious hand-crafted bath and body products for people of all ages, highly scented aroma-therapeutic candles, and custom-blended perfumes.  We are a secret pal friendly site and also provide gift certificates that can be sent anonymously to anyone you'd like.  Visit www.SBSteas.com

INTERVIEW WITH RACHEL JOHNSTON:

Lady Gayle:  Rachel, How did SBS Teas begin?

Rachel Johnston/SBS Teas:  I grew up working in family business, so, I have worked most of my life either for my family or myself.  The tea business basically started as a few innocent holiday gifts one year.  I had a ton of herbs and teas on hand that needed to be used and so, I sat down one day and just started making a holiday type tea to give for gifts.  I had no idea what to expect as far as how it would turn out.  The blend is called Hearthside Spice and it was an instant hit!  People started coming by the shop everyday wanting more of the tea and begging me to create more blends.  I was floored, yet very excited, because this was something I had really enjoyed doing. Thus SBS was born four years ago!
 

Lady Gayle:  What are your most popular teas? Or is each order specially blended?

Rachel Johnston/SBS Teas: Our most popular tea is Absolutely Fabulous, a wonderful rooibos based tisane.  Next would be Rooibos White Chocolate Toffee.  This blend has been with us since the beginning and is still one of our most popular to date.  Others would be our Vanilla Moon black tea, Earl Grey de la Crème and last but not least our Banana Caramel Fruit Tisane.

Lady Gayle:   You offer green, white, and black teas as well as herbals.  What is your process for blending teas and scents?

Rachel Johnston/SBS Teas: Originally when my first “tea blends” came into creation, I was wild about making teas that were not only tasty but provide a healthy beverage for people.  So many times, herbal concoctions for health and wellness just tasted bland and brittle to my palate.  Today, I am still very passionate about this aspect of blending, but have expanded my repertoire.  My process for blending teas and scents is quite simple for the most part.  Once a week and sometimes daily, I sit down and do a meditation to get different ideas.  This way my mind is clear and focused and I am “in the now” of what I am doing.  Fabulous ideas come to me in my sleep as well.  There is an article in our blog that goes more in depth and tells how to blend your own teas. http://www.SBSteas.com/blog

Lady Gayle:   How do your teas differ from those sold by other companies?

Rachel Johnston/SBS Teas:  At SBS Teas we focus on quality and variety.  Offering a huge selection of teas is no easy task, and even harder still is finding the freshest and highest quality teas.  We make this our number one priority as far as tea goes.  The other aspect is our commitment to total customer service.  Our customers are like family to us.  Even though we have a large customer base, I try to touch bases with new customers at least one time to introduce myself and find out about them. What they like, what they need.

Lady Gayle:  Where can people go to buy your products?  Do you accept retail and wholesale orders at your website, www.SBSteas.com ?

Rachel Johnston/SBS Teas: Right now, we sell online and in a few stores.  You can also call in orders as well.  We do not offer a catalog at this time.  We are always happy to provide wholesale information to established businesses.

Lady Gayle:  Tell us some of the scents available for the perfumes, soaps and candles.

Rachel Johnston/SBS Teas:  We have streamlined our perfumes and scented products to only include tea related scents.  Currently we offer perfumes and lotions in these scents: Earl Grey and Honey, Chai Tea, Keemun Tea and coming soon a beautiful Linden Green Tea.  One of our customer favorite items is our exclusive Tea Scented Candle line.  These candles are representative of some of our most popular teas.  Such as our Absolutely Fabulous, Bavarian Chocolate Cream, Mexican Spiced Cocoa and White Tea just to name a few.  These candles are not sold anywhere else in the world.

Lady Gayle:  What is the single most important thing you would like to share with our readers?

Rachel Johnston/SBS Teas:  At SBS Teas, we pride ourselves on quality, variety, and friendly one-on-one customer service. If your wish list includes, quality tea, stress reduction, relaxation, and nurturing of mind, body and spirit, then your wish is our command!

Be sure to visit www.SBSteas.com 

Enjoy all your *Tea House Times* 

See below for a CRUISE UPDATE and other NEWS from The Tea House Times.

Lady Gayle

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SARAH E., MISS SARAH'S TEA WARE

March 31, 2006

www.theteahousetimes.com

Looking for beautiful tea party rentals?  Visit Miss Sarah's Tea Ware.  Learn more, read the interview below:

Lady Gayle:  Sarah, I understand most of your rental pieces are from your own personal collection.  How long have you been collecting?  How did your collecting turn into a business?

Sarah E:

Hi Gayle,

Well, as the saying goes, "necessity is the mother of invention": 

When my husband and I were planning our wedding in the year 2000, we envisioned an elegant and proper afternoon tea reception. 

Sounds simple enough, but when we began visiting table-top rental companies, we quickly found that not only were our options limited, no one seemed to understand the difference between a coffee cup and a teacup!  The only things out there were bulky cups and saucers, more suited to serving coffee than tea.

Even the most upscale rental companies left us disappointed. 

We envisioned the tables at our reception to have a lovely assortment of dainty teacups and plates.  We wanted our guests to feel as if we had thrown open the doors to an elegant drawing room and invited them to celebrate our wedding over a proper tea.  That ambiance was just not easy to create with coffee cups and hotel ware!

After our wedding, the catering manager of the Ritz Carlton in Boston (where we were married and held our tea reception) asked if I “did this for a living”. That compliment was my impetus.  I decided that there had to be other people out there, just like my husband and me, who did not want to drink tea out of a coffee cup– couples who wanted their special event to be just that:  special!  So I began collecting Teacups and soon "Miss Sarah's Tea Ware" was born.  Since then, my line has expanded to include many other wonderful tabletop items such as charger plates, teapot shaped salt & pepper shakers, jam servers, etc, but it all started with teacups!

Lady Gayle:  What pieces are your personal favorites?

Sarah E:  I am not sure I can answer this question, Gayle!  My inventory is made up of both new and vintage pieces, and I love each and every one of them.  Each piece brings its own special character to a table setting and a charm that is often sorely lacking in many of today’s cookie cutter event packages. 

My enthusiasm is really for anything unique and elegant.  More often than not, this leads me to look to the past for inspiration.  I find it particularly gratifying to help breath new life into fabulously old pieces, such as my vintage “Boopie” sherbet glasses—  wonderfully chic dessert cups made by Anchor-Hocking during the 40’s thru the 60’s.  Perfectly sized for serving grapefruit sorbet as an intermezzo between the appetizer and the main course (to cleanse the palate between courses), or to cap off a special occasion with ice cream, mousse, or individual trifles, Boopie’s bring a timeless elegance to any tabletop (and the name is fun to say)!

Lady Gayle:  What items are your most popular rentals?

Sarah E:  Lately, everyone wants to rent my White Battenberg Lace Parasols:  You can’t help but feel demure while twirling a parasol – they have a timeless allure and are perfect for garden parties!

Lady Gayle:  Besides the rentals, do you offer items for sale? If so, what types of things? And do you offer retail, wholesale, or both?

Sarah E:  I do have a growing retail section – no wholesale.  I like to offer items for sale that are not easily found elsewhere – such as a fabulous loose leaf tea called “courtship tea”.  My offerings are divided into four main categories:  Fine China, tabletop items, edibles and specialty tea – and are available on line

Once the location is finalized for our tearoom, I will be expanding my gift shop to include all sorts of wonderful edibles and unique gift items! We are very excited about it - Stay tuned! 

Lady Gayle:  Can you ship the rentals anywhere?

Sarah E:  In fact, I can and do ship tea ware just about anywhere!  I prefer local deliveries because it is obviously less stressful on the more fragile pieces in my inventory, but I can easily ship across the country.  The rentals are shipped in bright pink cases that are foam lined.

Lady Gayle:  Who do you rent to?  What types of parties have you supplied rentals for?

Sarah E:  I rent to just about anyone: private individuals, such as Brides and Grooms, and also to wedding planners and caterers.  My rentals are often sought for bridal and baby showers and Mother’s Day Teas, but have also been for birthday parties and “just because” parties.  Any joyous occasion, really.

The only type of party my rentals are not particularly well suited for are children’s parties.  Many of my rentals are fragile and vintage.  As such, they are not the best option for children.  Also, most parents who want a tea party for their little girl are looking for a complete tea party package, including food.  In those cases, I am happy to recommend a fantastic children’s tea party service.

Lady Gayle:  I see at your website you offer some helpful hints links including: Proper water for making tea, How long to brew tea, Royal Albert teacup shapes, a Place setting guide, Which glass for which drink, Various types of forks, Tea Time FAQs, Afternoon Tea Etiquette, Wedding Drinks – how much to serve, and Gifts by year of marriage.  These are very helpful tips.  Do you have any other advice to share about making an event successful by using rentals of china, etc.?

Sarah E:   A bit of practical advice would be to make sure you understand up front, what your function site will and will not allow.  If you are planning on using any type of rented item, you should discuss this with the event coordinator or catering manager before even putting a deposit on a facility.    Some sites restrict what items can be brought onto the premises, or they may charge you a fee per plate, if you use third party rentals.

Lady Gayle:  What is the single most important thing you would like to share about Tea ware Rentals?

Sarah E:  The true secret to a successful event is remembering that details matter.  As we have all heard our mothers say:  “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right”.  Take time to personalize your special event so that it will leave a lasting impression on your guests and be a happy memory for years to come.  Why have ordinary when you can have extraordinary?  Remember, even if you do not live in a castle, you can still have tea like a queen. :)  

Visit  www.MissSarahsTeaWare.com to view a beautiful variety of tabletop rental pieces.  Or call 508-850-9910 for reservations.

Lady Gayle

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JOANMARIE MOCCIA, VICTORIA'S JEWELRY BOX

February 24, 2006

www.theteahousetimes.com

 
This month we are interviewing Joanmarie Moccia of Victoria's Jewelry Box.

JOANMARIE MOCCIA has been designing jewelry for over twelve years.  

Four years ago she introduced her designs online @ www.victoriasjewelrybox.com 

When visiting Victoria's Jewelry Box it is evident that Joanmarie loves the romantic style 

of the Victorian era. Every eye-catching piece of jewelry in her collection is a visual feast.

INTERVIEW WITH JOANMARIE MOCCIA:

Lady Gayle:  Joanmarie, your website www.victoriasjewelrybox.com  offers a wide 

variety of jewelry, each unique and beautiful. Tell us about your designs.

Joanmarie: Thank you for your comments about my jewelry designs and the 

opportunity to talk about the thing I love to do most, design Victorian jewelry!

Each piece is handcrafted in the USA, created one at a time with loving care and 

attention to detail. Because the jewelry is not mass produced by machine, no 

two pieces are exactly alike.

Not only are the pieces inspired by the romantic Victorian era, but many designs 

contain replica brass components. These brass components are stamped by molds 

that are over 100 years old and date back to the Victorian Era.  Even though the 

piece is new, it possesses an old fashioned quality.

Lady Gayle:  I noticed you also offer some very elegant items for the Boudoir and 

Sewing Room, as well as personal accessories that are not your own designs.   

How did you start out as a jewelry designer and end up with an online retail store?

Joanmarie: I had always dreamed of owning a boutique, and so, four years ago when 

I opened shop online, I made it a reality by offering the handcrafted work of other artisans, 

along with my own designs.

The Dress Forms, Jewelry Boxes, Pin Cushions, Sewing Notions, and many other items 

have been selected from collections I was unable to resist, have used myself, and have 

been very happy with. I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction from being able to offer these 

quality items at a reasonable price to my customers.

Lady Gayle: I see that you offer "Service With A Smile".  Please explain.

Joanmarie: My business is online and I don't have the pleasure of face to face contact 

with my customers.  Because I wanted to make their online experience as personal and as 

easy as possible, I decided to really work on customer service with a personal touch.  And 

so, "Service With A Smile" was born!

An example of this personalized service would be our Gift Wrapping Service, where the 

customer can submit the occasion for which the item is being gift wrapped. Of course, 

they may also have us include their own message to the recipient.

Gift Certificates are available for anyone who needs a last minute gift, or they know the 

recipient enjoys Victoriana, however, do not know what to get for them.

Our Gift Registry is for the woman who know what she wants. This service makes it simple 

and convenient for her to communicate her wish list to her loved ones.  It can be used to 

organize gift-giving for any occasion, from special Anniversaries, to Birthdays, to 

Confirmations and Bat mitzvahs.  If there's a gift-giving celebration, then this service will help!

Lady Gayle:  Your website also offers some reading material regarding Victorian 

Fashion, Victorian Tea, and Victoriana. Please share with us something about Victorian Fashion.

Joanmarie: The Victorian era was a time of elegance and opulence, when women 

had much more time to devote to  fashion than they do today. In fact, fashion was the 

driving force of Victorian Society. It was so important that A woman of the upper class 

would dress and undress many times a day just to maintain a certain social position.

I am fascinated by the layers of undergarments, numbers of outfits (for morning-noon-and 

nighttime activities), and overabundance of trimmings and feathers, flowers, ribbons and bows. 

One could say that the motto of their day was "More is Much, Much Better" (as opposed to 

today's saying "Less is More")

I love reading about my favorite era, and I believe many of my customers do, as well. 

That is why snippets of Victorian life are offered at Victoria's Jewelry Box.

Lady Gayle:  What is the single most important thing you would like to share with our readers?

Joanmarie: During these busy, hectic times that are typical for most of us, I am delighted to 

offer my customers an easy and affordable way to surround themselves with beautiful, old world, 

romantic reminders of days gone by.

My hope is that when they choose what tugs at their heart, for themselves or a loved one, that the 

treasure they receive is more than the object itself.

That their shopping experience was comfortable and effortless. That they know they are welcomed 

and appreciated. And the process of obtaining their heart's desire was a pleasurable event for them 

because they shopped at Victoria's Jewelry Box!

Whether you like to accent your wardrobe with a touch of Victoriana, or dress up in full 

Victorian costume and relive the days gone by, you'll  find the elegance of the Victorian Era captured in 

Joanmarie's handcrafted,  original Victorian jewelry and Victorian fashion accessories. Her collection 

of hat pins, brooch pins, beaded purses, custom necklaces, and Victorian earrings are all 

handcrafted Victorian jewelry reproductions. Step back in time and enjoy!

Check out all of the great jewelry and accessories at Victoria's Jewelry Box.  

Visit www.victoriasjewelrybox.com      Or Call 1-888-251-6614.

 Lady Gayle

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CHERYL DUNBAR, TEA TIME BINGO

December 30, 2005

www.theteahousetimes.com

 
This month we are interviewing Cheryl Dunbar, creator of Tea Time Bingo, aka TEAGOä ~a fun tea party game. 

CHERYL DUNBAR launched TEAGOä in November, 2003.  Tea Time Bingo, TEAGOä, had its initial beginnings in 1999.  While planning her second annual holiday tea, Cheryl decided to add a little fun to the afternoon event.  On Christmas red paper, she designed the first version of TEAGOä.  The game was so much fun that people encouraged Cheryl to market the game. 

Cheryl owns an event design company (Just Set The Mood) and specializes in planning and executing theme events for corporate groups, social organizations, and private parties.  She translates clients’ ideas into reality.  Here she has translated her own idea into a really fun game!  Very creative.

Cheryl also owns Dunbar’s Upper Crust, a sweet shop, which specializes in gourmet pecan pies and pastries for the holiday season. 

Cheryl is working on a book, “Cheryl’s Tea Tales ~ A Collection of Theme Tea Parties” and some other tea related endeavors. 

INTERVIEW WITH CHERYL DUNBAR:

Lady Gayle:  Cheryl, TEAGOä is a darling game for children as well as adults.  Tell us what is included in the game box.

Cheryl Dunbar: Gail, the game is elegantly packaged in blue and white reminiscent of old-fashioned china and includes 12 game boards, 50 tea lingo calling cards and color coordinated chips. A game calling idea sheet, information on each tea related item, and a teatime story also included make this original, delightful parlor game a must have.  And I am continually adding more tea time information within the box to make it a truly complete tea experience and value.

Lady Gayle:  How is the game played?  Is it just like BINGO?

Cheryl Dunbar: In general, the game plays like Bingo, but there are other alternatives to calling the game rather than just calling it out as traditional Bingo, with the letter and the item.  Making the game interactive invites total tea time fun.  For example, the caller might give information about the item the first go round to get the fun started and then invite group participation.  For example, I will say, “Ladies, you might want a cup of this to unwind at the end of the day.”  They all respond in unison – Chamomile Tea.  Calling it this way gets everyone involved with so much fun and laughter rather than just calling it out like straight Bingo.  Some people share past tea stories/experiences.  Many of the items will be at a tea party so Show’n’Tell is another option, especially with children.  Another fun alternative is reading the tea time story included which covers all 50 of the tea related items.  A few other suggestions are given on the idea sheet, but there are unlimited possibilities.

Lady Gayle:  What ages is the game appropriate for?

Cheryl Dunbar: Ages 10 and up for appreciation, however individuals younger than 10 also play the game. 

Lady Gayle:  The game is entertaining and educational.  Please tell us how we can educate through the various game category/column headings.

Cheryl Dunbar:  Each of the game’s call letters represent a different element of Afternoon Tea.  So as players are enjoying a game, they will learn about the traditional tea ware used at tea time under the T category, while the E category will acquaint (or reacquaint) them with the long-standing teas.  Players should watch their appetite under the A category describing the delicious traditional foods served at Afternoon Tea.  The flavored and herbal teas that have become so popular fill the G category and tea time accompaniments such as devonshire cream and lemon curd grace the O category. So if a person is unfamiliar with Afternoon Tea, it is a fun way to educate and if they are familiar, it is pure entertainment.  Many people use it for etiquette classes.

Lady Gayle:  How many people can play the game?

Cheryl Dunbar: 12 people can play the original game.  However due to popular request, an additional set of the 12 game boards are now available for purchase for a limited time. 

Lady Gayle:  How much does the game cost?  How can we contact you to order?

Cheryl Dunbar: The cost of the game is $24.95 plus $5.50 shipping.  For a limited time, additional sets of the 12 game boards are available for only $12.00 including S/H.  Mail check payable to Tea Time Bingo, P. O. Box 167573, Irving, Texas, 75016 or on-line at  www.teatimebingo.com    Contact us by email at orders@teatimebingo.com  or by phone at (972) 252-2077.

Lady Gayle:  Do you offer wholesale pricing for businesses?  If so, what is the ordering procedure?

Cheryl Dunbar: Absolutely we offer wholesale pricing for businesses.  Currently, a “Totally Tea’rrific” not to be missed New Year special for businesses with reduced minimums AND free shipping is being offered through January 31st only.  Interested retailers should contact me directly either by e-mail at Cheryl@teatimebingo.com or by phone at (972) 252-2077.

Lady Gayle:  Can you tell us when your book and/or new games will be out? 

Cheryl Dunbar: I am diligently working on several other tea related projects and The Tea House Times will be among the first to know when they are completed.

Lady Gayle:  What is the single most important thing you would like to share about TEAGOä?

Cheryl Dunbar: TEAGOä is more than a game; it’s a social event, which brings people of all ages together for a truly good time.

TEAGOä is a very fun game.  Visit www.teatimebingo.com to order Tea Time Bingo.  Or Call (972) 252-2077.

Lady Gayle

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GEORGE JAGE, WORLD TEA EXPO

November 30, 2005

This month we are interviewing George Jage of World Tea Expo. 

GEORGE JAGE, President  & Co-Founder of SFG Group LLC dba The World Tea Expo launched the first ever trade show dedicated solely to the tea industry in North America, March of 2003. The trade show, Take Me 2 Tea, was held in Las Vegas, Nevada and hosted 65 companies with over 1200 attendees.  After growing more than 200 % over two years, the Take Me 2 Tea Expo was re branded to the World Tea Expo in order to more accurately reflect the growth, scope and position of the trade show in this global industry.   The World Tea Expo is the premier marketplace for the tea industry and their goal is to add value to the rapidly growing tea industry by providing a true marketplace for commerce. They are committed to providing the most comprehensive products and resources necessary to serve the tea industry and facilitate its growth.

George has over 12 years of trade show management experience and was named as one of Tradeshow Week’s “Next Generation of Leaders” in 2004.

INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE JAGE:

Lady Gayle:  George, why did you start this business?  You have a solid background in trade show management, but why did you choose to focus on a tea trade show?

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:  First, Lady Gayle, I want to thank you for the opportunity.  In regards to your question, it is one that is asked often.  In the early 90’s I had launched a trade show in the apparel industry with my father.  We managed to grow the show from only 20 exhibitors to over 400 in a matter of 6 years.  In 1999, we sold the company to a large trade show organizer in the UK.  After completing a 2-year management contract as part of the purchase agreement, I decide to move to Las Vegas and was interested in starting something new.  How I ended up focusing on tea was really a matter of circumstances.  A long-time friend, Faith Bailes (one of the Expo’s co-founders along with Steven Taylor), was starting to host local tea parties in the Las Vegas area in aims to eventually open a tea retail outlet.  In a nonchalant conversation one day, she asked “Is there a trade show for tea?”

At this point, I had already started a business importing patio furniture from overseas, as well as a consulting business in which I was helping launch another apparel trade show.  Nonetheless, I was intrigued by Faith’s question and began researching the industry.  What I discovered was there was an industry that was on the verge of explosive growth, was already very exhibit savvy, and had no marketplace of it own. 

Shortly thereafter, Steven, Faith and I organized SFG Group LLC and launched the Take Me 2 Tea Expo.  It was largely an uphill battle to convince people that this will work when we had no track record or past event to build upon.  Looking back, there are very few things more motivating to an entrepreneur than being told that this can’t be done so I would like to make special thanks to Jim Harron Sr. of Simpson & Vail for being the first exhibitor to sign a contract.

Lady Gayle:  I’ve seen the World Tea Expo grow rapidly over the past few years.  It is exciting for those of us exhibiting at the expo as I am sure for the attendees.  The show continues to draw quality exhibitors and is drawing a record number of attendees.  What do you think has contributed to this growth?

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:  The growth of the Expo has been phenomenal, and we expect it to continue for many years to come.  The growth of the Expo is dependant on the growth of the industry which the Expo in turn fuels.  US Tea is Hot Report® publisher Sage Group International predicts the industry to double from 2005 to 2010, with much of this growth from the specialty tea side of the industry on which the World Tea Expo focuses.

I often compare the specialty tea industry to that of the specialty coffee industry a dozen years ago.  The coffee industry was primarily dominated by large mass-producing packers that built down to price instead of building up to quality.  Consumers are willing to pay more for a superior product if available.  This is evident by the success of Starbucks and other large coffee house chains.

US businesses are primarily driven by profits, but this is only a manifest of consumer demands.  With tea’s incredible message, health benefits, and increasing consumer awareness, the industry is on the front end of an enormous growth curve.  Buckle up!

Lady Gayle:  What types of companies are exhibiting at the expo?  And, why is it important to be an exhibitor at World Tea Expo?

George Jage,

World Tea Expo: We have a wide range of exhibiting companies at the Expo.  There are tea estates, tea packers, importers, tea-ware manufactures and distributors, associations, publications, retail services companies.  It is important for any company who is selling products or services to the tea industry to exhibit.  Trade shows are proven to be the most cost effective means of generating new sales leads for a business.  Further, the value of the show is dependant on the number and quality of the exhibitors that participate. 

There has not been significant support for the WTE from the traditional side of the industry, that is, the companies who are mass producing CTC teas sold primarily though mass market outlets and grocery stores.  However, with the re-branding as the World Tea Expo and the continued double-digit growth in attendance, we expect to see more participation from these companies in the future.

Lady Gayle:  Who attends the expo?  Is it for the trade only?  What types of businesses will benefit from attending?

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:  As we say, the World Tea Expo is for anyone selling or serving tea for profit.  There is an enormously wide market that is encompasses.  We market the Expo to tea retailers, coffee shops, specialty grocers, spas, caterers, food & beverage professionals, restaurants, chefs, bed & breakfast owners, etc.    The World Tea Expo is for the trade only, but we are in the process of finalizing plans to offer content to the consumer market on a large scale. 

The WTE is about providing value.  The value to attendees is in networking with others, learning from industry experts, and meeting with so many vendors in a single location.

Lady Gayle:  World Tea Expo offers great educational seminars throughout the 3 day show.  What are some of the highlighted topics?

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:  That is a tough question, Lady Gayle.  We will host 45 seminars over the three days.  The conference program is designed to meet the needs of the broad range of attendees I mentioned above.  A majority of the classes are focused on giving business owners immediate tools to aid in their success; however, we will also have several research scientists presenting their findings on the health benefits of tea at the Expo.

We revise our conference schedule each Expo to continue to offer new classes, new speakers, and new ideas.  We strive to provide pertinent content that each individual will find value in. 

Lady Gayle:  Some special events happening at World Tea Expo include a Welcome Reception and Keynote Speaker, the Iced Tea Shake-Off, Tea Tastings, Cooking with Tea Demonstration, a Japanese Green Tea Ceremony, a Chinese Oolong Tea Ceremony, and the first ever Tea Auction held in the United States.  Please tell us more about the Auction. 

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:  We are very excited about offering the FISRT EVER specialty tea auction in the U.S. in conjunction with the Nilgiri Planters’ Association and the Tea Board of India.  The auction will be held on the last day of the Expo, Wednesday, March 29^th.  NPA will be auctioning off small chestlets of 5 and 10 kilograms of the finest specialty teas from the Nilgiri growing region in India.

Buyers can register online when signing up for the Expo, or if they already have registered, they can call our offices at 702-253-1893.  Each buyer who registers prior to March 13, 2006 will be mailed a sample kit with a few ounces of each of the 42 teas to be auctioned, an auction guide, and information on the Nilgiri growing region.  Potential buyers can then sample the teas prior to arriving at the Expo.  Potential buyers can also register at the Expo.

Once at the Expo, each registered buyer will receive a commemorative auction paddle to be used in the bidding process and be invited to a special hospitality and tasting event on Tuesday night preceding the auction hosted by the Nilgiri Planters Association.

This will be a rare opportunity for retailers to participate in an actual tea auction and also to buy a smaller sized lot to sell at their shops.  This will be an excellent promotional opportunity for the winning bidders to proclaim they are serving tea won at the first-ever tea auction in the U.S. at the World Tea Expo.

Lady Gayle:  You are a member of several organizations including: International Association for Exhibition Management, Society of Independent Show Organizers, Specialty Tea Institute, Tea Council, Tea Association of the USA, Inc., and the Tea Association of Canada.  In what way do these organizations contribute to your business?

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:  Both IAEM and SISO are organizations for trade show producers and provide excellent learning and networking opportunities for our company to continue to improve our products and services at the WTE.  The various tea association memberships allow us to work closely with them to mutually promote both our efforts.  Especially the Tea Association of the USA as we have recently entered a long-term collaboration agreement for promotion and they serve as our Marquis Sponsor. 

Lady Gayle:  Specialty Tea Institute is offering additional days of seminars and a certification program two days prior to World Tea Expo.  Any comments you would like to share? 

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:   I am currently serving on the Specialty Tea Institute’s Board of Advisors although I am not involved in the Certification Committee due to potential conflicts of interest.   STI’s Certification is an important initiative for the industry and we feel it is an important offering to have at our event.  Although the program is still being developed in its entirety, I expect that its long term impact and importance to the industry will continue to grow.

Lady Gayle:  World Tea Expo offers a complimentary newsletter via email called World Tea News.  The news really helps tea professionals keep up to date with trends and research pertaining to tea.   Can anyone sign up for the free World Tea News; or do we need to be exhibitors or attendees of World Tea Expo i.e. the trade to sign up?  How can someone sign up for World Tea News?

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:  We launched the World Tea News this year as simply a value-added service to the industry.  There is a tremendous amount of news domestically and international relating to the tea industry.  The World Tea News consolidates this information into a short but pertinent bi-weekly e-newsletter.  Subscribers can keep up on current trends, product releases, and industry news and click through to stories that are of specific interest them. 

Anyone is welcome to sign up and can do so by visiting our WTE website at www.worldteaexpo.com or by visiting the newsletter website at www.worldteanews.com.

We are very excited to announce that we have just recently signed a long-term collaborative agreement with Sage Group International, publisher of the US Tea is Hot Report® that will improve the overall content of the bi-weekly e-publication.  Sage Group will also be including exclusive content in our WTE Resource Directory and be releasing his 6^th Edition of the USTIHR at the WTE in March.

It is amazing to see something like this gain a life of its own.  We continue to gain dozens and dozens of new subscribers each week and expect to exceed 5,000 subscribers by the time of the Expo.  We encourage anyone who is interested in tea, whether for business or pleasure, to not only sign-up, but tell their friends as well.

Lady Gayle:  World Tea Expo presents some very good marketing opportunities to the world of tea; from exhibiting to networking and beyond.  Can you share some of your marketing ideas and values for the tea industry?

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:  Wow, where do I start.  The World Tea Expo in itself is a marketing opportunity.  Whether you are an exhibitor, speaker, or attendee, it is a chance to gain recognition and respect in our industry.  No where else in North America is there a larger gathering of tea professionals. 

In addition to exhibiting at the WTE, companies can advertise in our Resource Directory published at the Expo or take advantage of the numerous sponsorships we offer.  The WTE is the perfect forum for large and small companies alike to create brand awareness, showcase their unique talents, and establish personal relationships with their customers. 

Lady Gayle:  You have a great team of people working for World Tea Expo.  Who are your team players and what do they specialize in?

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:  Not to seem biased or braggadocios, but we truly have the best team possible at the World Tea Expo.  Each with their own unique backgrounds and talents, each member of our team takes great pride in our company’s products and services.

Vanessa Kelley, our Director of Marketing, coordinates and executes our conference program, manages the attendee registration process, and develops and executes our extensive advertising and PR campaign for the Expo. 

Kimberly Frost, our Director of Exhibitor Relations, is responsible for sourcing out new exhibiting companies and fulfilling the needs of existing companies to bring together the hundreds of world-class domestic and international companies who make the World Tea Expo the premier marketplace for the tea industry.

Zulay Shum, our IT Manager/Project Manager, is responsible for keeping our website pertinent and effective and is responsible for publishing the World Tea News.  Zulay also plays a critical role in the execution of our Special Events from Cooking with Tea to the Iced Tea Shake-Off Competition.

Nate Arkush, our Operations Manager, makes sure that everything comes together, from the Special Events Pavilion to the new WTE Resource Directory to every aspect of the show floor.

And last is me.  I work for the four of them.

Lady Gayle:  What is the single most important thing you would like to share with our readers?

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:

To be keenly aware they are a part of the most important industry at the most important time.  There is no other product that can more completely promote health, harmony, and humanity as well as tea.  And at a time when both our community and world needs it most.

Lady Gayle:  Thanks for your time George, and best wishes for continued success with World Tea Expo.

George Jage,

World Tea Expo:

Thank you Lady Gayle for the opportunity and we look forward to seeing you at the World Tea Expo in March!

Visit www.WorldTeaExpo.com for current and future show dates, exhibitor registration, attendee registration, a list of exhibitors, seminars, events, and travel information.  Check out new products offered by your favorite vendors, new exhibitors, and new, exciting events and seminars happening every year.  The time you take away from your business to attend will be time very well spent.  Find new products, make new contacts, learn something new that you can pass on to your customers.  Return to your tea business refreshed and ready to continue to share your passion for tea!  See you there!

Lady Gayle

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SUE ELLEN COOPER, FOUNDER & QUEEN MOTHER OF THE RED HAT SOCIETY

October 18, 2005

This month we are interviewing Sue Ellen Cooper, Founder and Queen Mother of The Red Hat Society.

Most of our readers already have a good idea of what the Red Hat Society (RHS) is, but here is some general background information:  In 1997, Sue Ellen Cooper gave a friend who was turning 55 a bright red, vintage fedora and a copy of a famous poem called “Warning” (written by British author Jenny Joseph) about an aging woman who wears a red hat and purple dress.  Sue Ellen started giving red hats to all of her friends as they reached the age of 50.  In 1998, Sue Ellen and friends wore their red hats and purple outfits to tea!  It was magical and The Red Hat Society was born.  Women 50 and over wear red hats and purple outfits; their younger friends, called Pink Hatters, wear pink hats and lavender outfits.  To find out more about The Red Hat Society, visit www.redhatsociety.com .  Now, on to our interview.

Lady Gayle:  Thanks very much for agreeing to an interview.  I enjoyed reading your first book and tasting the wonderful Red Hat Society teas you sent for us to review. 

Lady Gayle:  While I was on hold waiting to begin our interview, I noticed the lovely background music on the Red Hat Society telephone system.  What is it? (Some of the words were “friends who care” and “stand together with a bond that never ends.”)

Sue Ellen Cooper:  That’s our official Troubadour, Mike Harline.  He is a folk singer and wrote the song for us.  His music is available for purchase at www.redhatsocietystore.com

Lady Gayle:  I understand the first outing of the Red Hat Society was to tea.  Where did you go for tea?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  In Fullerton, California, we enjoyed our first tea together at the Spring Field Banquet Center.  It was just the five of us. 

Lady Gayle:  Do you still find time to venture out with your own chapter, or are you too busy running the Red Hat Society?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  It is sometimes difficult to get together since many of us work, but yes, we do get together.  My chapter has 23 members and we are called “The Fabulous Founders.”

Lady Gayle:  If so, what do you do with your chapter besides tea?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  Once we had a night out at a consignment shop with wine and cheese.  They opened just for us.  We shopped for outfits together.  We also enjoy parades, dinners ~ since many of us work, and Saturday antiquing.  It doesn’t matter what we do, just being together is fun.

Lady Gayle:  When you do go to tea, do you try different places or do you have favorites you visit often? 

Sue Ellen Cooper:  We like to go to different places.  There are so many things to do.  All you have to do is look into your local newspaper and there are great ideas for outings or local special events.

Lady Gayle:  Do you drink tea yourself?  On a regular basis?  What tea do you enjoy?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  I’ve been drinking tea regularly since I was five years old.  As a child I had Rheumatic Fever and was advised to drink tea for a heart stimulant.  I prefer black tea or peach flavored black tea, and of course I enjoy our Red Hat Society teas produced by Harney & Sons.

Lady Gayle:  How many members does the Red Hat Society currently have?  Is your membership worldwide?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  We estimate one million members, worldwide.

Lady Gayle:  The Red Hat Society plans several large events.  What are your favorites & why?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  I enjoy the smaller events because it gives me the opportunity to talk to more people, more intimately.  But I also enjoy the larger events because it is such a spectacle to see all of us together.

Lady Gayle:  What’s the most fun you have had since starting the Red Hat Society?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  The most fun are the various ways I enter Red Hat Society events.  At the Dallas convention, I entered from the rear of the ballroom on horseback!  In Las Vegas I rode in on the back of a motorcycle with an Elvis impersonator!

Lady Gayle:  I read your first book, Fun & Friendship After Fifty, and a review was listed in our Nov/Dec 2005 issue of The Tea House Times and at our website.  I really enjoyed the book, learned more about the Red Hat Society, and now appreciate your vision and purpose which is simply to have fun and finally make time for ourselves.  You have another book, released in April, 2005, The Red Hat Society’s Laugh Lines.  How does this book differ from the first book?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  This is a sequel to the first book and contains more stories ~ amazing stories!  There are so many stories sent to us by members, we need to share them. 

Lady Gayle:  I hear there is a cookbook in the works.  What types of recipes will be included?  Are these recipes from Red Hat Society members?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  Yes and Red Hat Society members are the editors.  They are now busy testing, tasting, and judging for the best entries sent in by our members.  The book will start out with Desserts and will probably have mostly desserts ~ “Eat Dessert First”!  Of course there are other categories as well since we can’t eat dessert all of the time.  We will include some tea recipes as well.

Lady Gayle:  You have your very own magazine called Red Hat Society Lifestyle.  This is exciting.  Your members must be thrilled.  What is the focus of this magazine?  Do you use the magazine to reach out to your members?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  The Red Hat Society Lifestyle magazine was launched last January.  It is getting better and is designed for living a certain way.  It is dignified and fun.  Not everyone has access to the internet, so the magazine is a great way for us to keep in touch with our members, increase awareness, and share information as well.

Lady Gayle:  How can people purchase official Red Hat Society merchandise?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  Our flagship store is located in Fullerton, California.  Products may also be purchased at www.redhatsocietystore.com

Lady Gayle:  Is there anything else you would like to share with visitors to our website?  www.theteahousetimes.com   What is the most important thing you would want people to know about the Red Hat Society?

Sue Ellen Cooper:  We sincerely wish to connect with women.  We want to work together to make women’s lives full of more intimacy.  It is nice that so many of the Red Hat Society chapters regularly schedule time to visit tea rooms.  Tea is nurturing, warm, and leads to conversation and intimacy.  It reaches out and pulls women in.  When women get together regularly, relationships develop, and that’s not easy when so many women work.

Lady Gayle:  It has been a pleasure speaking with you and I appreciate your time.  Thanks for the interview and best wishes for continued success with the Red Hat Society.

Readers:  Be sure to visit www.redhatsociety.com to learn more about the Red Hat Society and how to become a member.  Also visit www.redhatsocietystore.com to see all the great Red Hat products they offer for sale.  Tea Room owners please visit www.redhatsociety.com for information about offering Red Hat Society merchandise for sale in your tea room.  Society Groups, click here to receive a discounted subscription to The Tea House Times.   Copyright © 2005 The Tea House Times™

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GARY WORRELL, CHRISTOPHER BROOKES DISTINCTIVE FOODS

September, 2005

This month we are interviewing Gary Worrell of Christopher Brookes Distinctive Foods. 

Christopher Brookes Distinctive Foods was founded in 1978 by an Englishman named Christopher Reeves Brookes who had an extensive worldwide career with a large English confectionery company.  In 1988 he sold the company to Gary Worrell.  Now Christopher Brookes Distinctive Foods is one of the best importers of upscale English food and gifts.  The company sells candy, cookies, preserves, chocolates, crackers, tea, tea caddies, elegant gift cards, cream and toppings, oatcakes, honey, drawer sachets and soaps, mints, Christmas puddings, and other seasonal products.  

Christopher Brookes Distinctive Foods are strictly wholesale but will sell to consumers if they order a full case.  For more information to order wholesale, please visit www.cbdf.com  or call 866-640-CBDF (2233) or send email to Sales Manager, Janet Shadle: janets@cbdf.com   Check out their website and look for these fine products at your favorite tea room.

INTERVIEW WITH GARY WORRELL:
Q: Gary, how did you become interested in selling English food and gifts?  Are you from England?
A:  I left a corporate career to pursue a business that involved travel, wholesale and could involve the family. I am not from England, but have traveled there about 18 times visiting suppliers and staying in their homes.
 
Q: What are the highlights of your product line?  Best sellers, favorites?
A: We carry nearly 300 food and gifts all from the UK, 98% which we import directly and most we are the sole importer into the US. Our best selling line is the Fine Cheese Company, artisan crackers partnered with different cheeses, next would be our curds, creams (Double Devon and Clotted), and little tins from Chambers Candy Company.
 
Q: We have seen your line of Elizabethan England preserves and curds in local tea rooms.  A very pretty product line AND delicious.  Where are the Preserves and Curds produced?
A: The Elizabethan England and Elizabethan Pantry lines are handmade in North Wales by a Welshman named Jones. There are so many Jones in Wales that they call him Jones the Jam Maker. He and his wife own Welsh Lady Preserves. With our new Name Drop and personalized program, tea shops can have the exact same products with their name. We also offer food service sizes and can special order.
 
Q: Tell us about your award winning curds.
A: Dio Jones has personally been making curds for 25 years. They use retail quality butter, fresh (also pasteurized) eggs, and in the case of lemon, the best lemon juice in the world from Sicily. Highly concentrated juices are also used so the colour in the jar is natural and the fruit content about 60% giving the wonderful flavour. With meticulous care in production, the curds have a minimum 2 year shelf life.

Q:  Do you accept retail and wholesale orders at your website, www.cbdf.com ? 
A: Our website is wholesale only and does not offer ordering. Actually, we have recently launched our new website.  Be sure to visit for product details and more information about ordering. 

Q: Other than your website, where can people buy your products?
A: Wholesale customers can contact us via phone or e-mail and retail customers can check with us for local retail outlets.
 
Q:  What is the single most important thing you would like to share with our readers?
A: We work diligently on our packaging and the product inside is just as good; often handmade with recipes handed down over the generations.  
  
The Tea House Times has been receiving delicious samples from Christopher Brookes Distinctive Foods.  Reviews will be included in several upcoming issues of The Tea House Times.  Take our word for it; the entire line is elegant, delicious, and all very good sellers.  If you are interested in viewing the entire product line from Christopher Brookes Distinctive Foods, please visit: www.cbdf.com  
 

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LISA WYNN, ARTISAN'S CUP (formerly Teas By Design)

February, 2005 

This month we are interviewing Artisan’s Cup/Teas by Design, owner Lisa Wynn.  Artisan’s Cup. 

INTERVIEW WITH ARTISAN’S CUP OWNER, LISA WYNN:

Q: Lisa, you previously owned and operated a tearoom in Minnesota, how did you get interested in selling teas?

 A: I started by blending a special blend for a friend who had lost a dear pet. It just evolved from there. Soon I was learning the art of blending and flavoring teas myself.

Q: Why is loose leaf tea better than tea bag tea?

 A: Loose tea cannot even be compared to bagged tea with the exception of "whole leaf" bagged teas. Most tea bags are made of fannings or tea dust with flavor pellets added which are designed to melt when hit with hot water. A full leaf has a wide surface for the flavoring to adhere to and results in a rich cup!.

Q: Your great selection of flavorings really add variety and interest to tea.  Explain how businesses or individuals can create their own signature blend.

 A: I like to work with each client on a very personal basis. We have an initial phone call to discuss the needs of the client and what direction they want to go with the teas (Example: spa, or tea room) Then we look at seasons, (holiday blends like gingerbread, Bavarian Chocolate Truffle may come to play) unless we talk of spring flavors, we can try to match what the client loves as well as what is popular together so they can be just as excited about selling it as I am!

Q: How do you guarantee freshness?  Where do your teas come from?

A: My teas come directly from the gardens in the Assam region. There is NO middle man with my teas. Keep in mind tea is only good for one year from "pick to pot." Most tea you buy from the shelf can be sold and resold several times...you may get it three years later! Plus, I don’t "pre-flavor" teas and toss them together. Each order is made "to order" and shipped that day.

Q: What types of tea do you offer?  Green, Black, etc.?

A: I offer a black blend of Assam similar to a breakfast blend, and a China green. I am adding white teas and hand tied flowerettes this spring.

Q: Besides tea, do you offer other products for sale at your website?  If so, what?

A: I have tea pots of course, and have started selling a new line of "Stump Pots" and mugs with metal infuser liners. Very trendy simple! I think unique to the tea sites I have seen. A cross between Asian and a Pottery Barn look.

Q:  What is the single most important thing you would like to share with our customers?

A:  Tea is the affordable luxury. You pay more per ounce for fancy mustard! Tea at even $200 a lb is still only .52 cents a cup! Hey it's cheaper then buying shoes and makeup!

We are very excited to share that Lisa’s line of teas were chosen to be included in the recent 2005 Oscars Gift Baskets!!  Congratulations Lisa!

Lisa has recently made some very nice updates & changes to her line of teas.  Be sure to visit her website at www.artisanscup.com or call 336-218-0108 for more information.

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