lilacs & peonies

the flowers this spring have been just ridiculous. so extravagant.

a post like this is practically cheating, it’s so full of gratuitous flower pictures. sigh.

i hope you are taking the time to revel in the absolute gorgeousness of it all…

…and if you haven’t yet brought home a bouquet of lilacs or lilies of the valley, go to your local farmer’s market this weekend and pick some up.

you absolutely deserve it.

and a few little tidbits of goodness:

{ an exquisite map of the wind patterns that flow around us }

{ the new butters are now in the shop! }

{ still a few spots left for our tea tasting tomorrow – email me for details! }

{ baby lambs! via Another Feather }

apple blossoms

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. 

~Margaret Atwood~

Indeed.

Wishing you all the happiest of Fridays!

analog beauty: packaging

I couldn’t resist sharing these lovelies with you, custom made for me by Minna of Eat Pray Create, and the creative force behind the blog Teal & Tea. They’ll be adorning all our packages from now on and I couldn’t be more enchanted!

Also on the packaging front, I’ve been delighting in the decorative possibilities of my very first rolls of paper tape.

Working on many projects behind the scenes these days, hope to share some of them with you soon…

Also of note: all orders made this weekend in the shop will ship with a free sample from the new batch of Perfume Serum No. 2 that has just finished marrying!

a blossoming tea tasting

We spent a lovely afternoon tasting blossoming teas last Friday at Masak.

I always mean to take more photos, but there’s so much to be done that by the time I get to it, only a few bites of dessert and damp tea leaves are left. It’s always such a satisfying way to spend the afternoon, though. If you haven’t yet joined us for one, consider this your invitation. Set aside the first Friday afternoon of each month and make your reservation to sip tea with friends, eat dainty little snacks and sweets, and forget your cares!

I’m considering exploring the world of Chinese green teas in the month of May…hope you’ll join me!

We were so happy to have Kathy YL Chan of Serious Eats join us for the afternoon, as well.

Take a peek at her notes and photos here.

meet me in the garden

So much going on these days.

New sweets are needed for the spring menu – just waiting for the rosy stalks of rhubarb. New things are finally coming to the shop – slowly, slowly. The garden distracts me every day. You must think that all I do is take pictures of plants! It’s nearly true!

Planning for the tea tasting and hoping tea snobs won’t think blossoming teas are too frivolous…deviled quail eggs are actually far more frivolous, and we’ll serve them anyway. And the camellia blossoms, the flowers of the tea plant, which are the original blossoming tea – I cannot wait to share all of these delights!

A few bits and pieces from the week are here. I’ve been trying to carve out a few spacious moments. I’ve been working on the new luxurious balms, more to come soon on that. A few hints: cardamom + sandalwood + vanilla, rose + chamomile (of course!), and jasmine + cacao.

The magnolias are blooming. That’s all you really need to know.

And I’ve been listening to this, isn’t it just the loveliest thing?

the lenten rose

Simply couldn’t resist sharing these pictures from the garden today. I stopped by after leaving the kitchen, when the early evening was all grey and misty. The island of Manhattan always feels like a boat to me when the air is like that.

I love unlocking the heavy gate and sneaking into the safety of the garden, especially when no one else is around. I feel like Mary in the Secret Garden. As the Vernal Equinox approaches, (March 2oth) I find that there is something new blooming every day.

Today, the quiet beauty of the lenten rose took me in, with its shadowy blush and shy, downcast gaze.

blossoming teas

Just a little reminder to save the date for our next tea tasting at Masak…We’ll be sipping five different handcrafted organic flowering teas to celebrate the arrival of spring, accompanied by snacks and sweets, as always!

We’d love to have you join us for an afternoon of appreciating the delicate beauty of these tea blossoms…

Friday, April 6th, 3pm

$30 per person, RSVP to 212.260.6740