A cup of tea, with Corinne.

I am quite passionate about tea and because i hugely enjoy both drinking it and talking about it i have "sat down" together with some lovely tea drinking ladies and asked them a few questions about their relationship with tea. This time it is the lovely Corinne and i who are having our tea-time together.

V: Do you remember when you first started drinking tea?

C: Tea has always been a constant in my life, as my mother has always been a tea drinker, but I don't think I fell in love with tea until a few years ago. When my kids were born I had a huge need for caffeine! I would try and try to drink coffee, but it does not agree with me at all... so I crawled over to the tea side eventually!

V: What are your favourite teas? You can mention as many as you like...*smiling*..

C: In the morning I love a good English Breakfast tea... and in the afternoon I have a cup of PG tips to give me strength to make it through the day. At night a nice soothing Egyptian Licorice is nice... but I also have a vanilla chamomile that puts me right to sleep! Any type of chai is a favorite, and this time of year I snatch up any Pumpkin Spice tea that I can find!

V: Favourite thing(s) to eat together with your tea?

C: Anything sweet... but I think a nice apple cake goes particularly well with tea, any time of the day!

V: Most times, do you do something while having your tea, like fex. knitting, reading or listening to music?

C: I love doing anything that requires sitting while drinking tea :) Sharing a cup with good conversation {on the phone or in person!} is a great ritual of friendship. Having a cup while the kids and I do schoolwork helps me to slow down and pause instead of rushing through lessons. And of course, sitting with a book or knitting is always made better with a warm cup of goodness!

V: Is your country, USA, a country where it is very common to drink tea? Is there any tea traditions there?

C: It seems to me that there are way more coffee drinkers in the USA than tea drinkers... but that is just my observation. Coffee is a culture in itself here!

V: Where do you mostly buy your tea?

C: It's a mix between the grocery store and health food store. I can find the teas I drink the most (breakfast, and PG tips) at the grocery store, but if I want anything a little fancier, like Yogi teas or an organic, I have to go to the health food store. I'm just about ready to find some variety and shop online, anyone have any good suggestions?

V: Which tea cup of the day do you enjoy the most and why?

C: The afternoon tea, by far. It's when I can manage to steal some quiet time and either chat with a friend or my mom on the phone or sit and knit for a few minutes. I think ultimately what I love the most about tea is that it slows me down for a few minutes, a few times a day, and helps me to gain some perspective on the day.

V: Do you have a favourite tea mug/cup? Maybe we can get to see a photo of it....*smiling*....

C: My favorite mug is from an etsy seller, Creativity Happens. It's a turquoise ceramic owl, and my closest friend has the same one. Though we're miles away, I love having the same mug and knowing that we're sharing a bit of the same experience now and then! Plus, it always reminds me of our friendship and I can't help but smile!

Link:

Corinne's blog. 

Happiness for me these days are found in things like....
sunshine, eating left over cake from my husband's birthday this past weekend, choosing between all the new teas that i kindly have been gifted lately (my tea selection is quite heavenly at the moment...*smiling*...) not getting too hopeless despite of having many challenging bodydays in a row, making someone happy, eating huge amounts of delicious homegrown tomatoes from my bestie's greenhouse, to love and be loved, wearing a pretty tweed butterfly brooch on my chest given to me by a beautiful friend, several favourite artists releasing new albums and also finding new music that i like, (slowly) finishing knitted projects and dreaming of new ones too, the crispness of the autumn air, wearing my new mustard colored stockings from the lovely noa noa....

"Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content."

-Helen Keller 

 

Heavenly tea swap package from beautiful Joaquina

Joaquina

I got the lovliest tea swap package from Joaquina last week and i can promise you that i have enjoyed it every day since...*smiling*...........just look what happened to the chocolate in the few seconds that were between the two pictures below here....*laughing*....

Beautiful Spanish tea cup,  lots of delicious loose white tea, a box of tea bags with the heavenly taste of hibiscus, fruits and rose petals, a box of YUMMI chocolate muesli bars and a photocard and letter with heartwarming words.......oohhhhhh, it's no wonder that it felt like i had my birthday!! 
Thank you so much dear Joaquina!!

Blueberry scented gifts

Thank you so soooo much my dearest Anu for all these heavenly gifts that you sent me in this blueberry-scented and beautiful-patterned box....*smiling*...... My husband picked it up at the post office and his car were fastly filled with the sweetest scent of blueberries.....*more smiling*....i am sure he wished that it was HIS name that was written on the box.
And above all Anu, i want to thank you for your precious friendship!!

"One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood."

-Lucius Annaeus Seneca

To listen to the silence...

Just a photo of a moment from my day today.
Sometimes i feel so very silent...so "without" words........just like i feel these days...


“I've begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own.”
― Chaim Potok, The Chosen

Scandinavian poetry, part ten.

photo by the noisy plume

The wind
by Stein Mehren


Wind before daybreak, you are not wind, you do not
  blow, you are a wind before the wind, listening
across the earth…in breaths of light, gusting,
  gleaming in ice. As a crown of starry leaves
you blow out the heavens above this land drunk with night,
  brightening. You break from seals of the dew,
spheres within spheres, the earth beaming: Light
  over sheening spans of water, mirroring
there where birdsongs run like chinks of light, you draw
  the skies behind you, a seven-colored robe 
of forest wakening within a rushing wind of five seas.
   Wind like a wind before the wind, gusted out of the light
 into the circulation of waters, the open trembling of the high leaves.
  As the earth itself, heaven by heaven, 
rises from the sea. Like a birth. An embrace.
  Like death. Like wind. Everything that trembles in wind.

A cup of tea, with Magdalena.

I am quite passionate about tea and because i hugely enjoy both drinking it and talking about it i have "sat down" together with some lovely tea drinking ladies and asked them a few questions about their relationship with tea. This time it is the lovely Magdalena and i who are having our tea-time together:

Magdalena's own drawings

V: Do you remember when you first started with drinking tea?
M: I drink tea since I can remember. It has always been my basic beverage. But I started to enjoy it genuinly in my late school times I think.

Now I am keen on tea not only in terms of drinking it. For me it is a theme inspiring in many aspects: beautiful tableware, interesting design of packaging or even art. I use tea inspiration in some of my drawings, I like pretty tea cups, and I collect tea tags.

V: What are your favourite teas?
M: My favourites are ginger green tea and quince green tea. I constantly discover different tea flavours and types, but green tea is my all time favorite for years. Quite recently a taste of white tea turned out really likable for me too. 

V: Favourite things to eat together with your tea?
M: The perfect match for tea is an apple pie :) But mostly I eat some biscuits with it (of course I dip a bisquit in tea just like a child) or drink just a tea.

V: Is your country, Poland, a country where it is very common to drink tea? Is there any tea traditions there?

M: Tea has always been very popular here as ordinary daily drink. Which means black tea poured with hot water, often served with lemon and sugar or with raspberry juice (especially in a wintertime).

I think a greater awareness for what is tea and openness to taste it and try different types and flavours has come quite not a long time ago. We still usually drink tea to breakfast and supper. But during the day we enjoy tea as well for pleasure, for taste or for relax.

V: Is it a good tea selection to choose from in the stores and do you sometimes buy tea on-line?

M: In grocery shops there are quite good choice of basic teas. For a larger selection I need to go to special stores. I’m not a fan of on-line shopping, so I prefer buying by the way, when I’m in different stores or cities. However it could be a good idea to come around web shops as I would like to try some well-known tea brands (e.g. Kusmi, Yogi, Stash or Pukka) which are not available here in the local shops. As you know I’m a fan of tea swaps too. Sharing new tastes with other people as a lovely surprising gifts is a great enjoyment.

V: Can you tell us about your tea bag and tea tag collection?

M: I started collecting tea tags and tea bags somewhat by chance. When I’ve tasted some delicious tea, I saved the wrap ot tag as a reminder. Then the collection was growing, because some packaging was just so pretty ;) And you know, all these tea tags together looks like fun and the box with tea wraps smells so good! :) so I couldn’t resist keeping them. My collection isn’t very big but enjoyable. I have bags and tags from teas I drink and also sometimes people from different countries send me some as a very nice small gifts.

V: Which tea cup of the day do you enjoy the most?
M: I’m fond of the first cup I can enjoy in the morning. At summer I drink it on the balcony, savoring first sun rays and bracing morning air. I’s kind of keeping the moment of silence and calmness before starting a new day. I also like to have a mug of tea with my daily blogs reading or afternoon tea with a good book. Well, it turns out that I have more than one favourite tea cup of the day ;)

V: Do you have a favourite tea mug/cup? Maybe we can get to see a photo of it?
M: I have a couple of mugs and cups which I like. I usually use my everyday mug with oriental pattern, big, light and handy. But from time to time I’m in the mood for a little change and particular cup, which I choose with a pleasure for celebrating small moments. In my cupboard there’s, among others, delicate pale mug with Winnie the Pooh watercolor which I adore maybe quite childishly, my grandmother’s white vintage mug with flowers, and lavender cup from World Of Jet company (I love their flower series pottery).

Actually I’m a little bit crazy about tea cups/mugs, which you can see on my secondary blog/project: cupcollect.blogspot.com.

Link:
Magdalena's main blog. 

The lucky ones, knitted socks, sunflowers and autumn pleasures.

 
It is so FUN and EXCITING everytime i pick out the winners of these Noa Noa give-aways!! I do it in the old fashioned way: writing your names on a piece of paper, throw them into a bowl, "mix" them around and then my husband get's the pleasure of picking out....*smiling*....and here are the lucky ones this time, CONGRATULATIONS to: Melody/Mandarines, Patrice A, Claire, Màrta, Brittan and Rimpsukaisa.

My husband and i had our wedding anniversary last week, we both bought a bouquet of flowers for each other (and cake) and they still look fresh and pretty. I chose sunflowers for my husband, i get so happy by looking at this flower and i know that he does too so it was an easy choice....*smiling*....
After a long time with only knitting bigger pieces i am hugely enjoying knitting smaller ones again. A pair of socks and also a pair of mittens are started on, both for friends. The yarn for the socks are in different ocean colored shades, greens and blues, and the mittens i am knitting in a autumn ish orange color.
The plum season are finally here again (hurray) and the delicious plums from the local plum farmer are to be found at the local grocery shop now....i LOVE plums! I think i will look for a plum pie recipe and bake one this coming weekend.
Oh, and i have seen two very good movies lately: Mary and Martha, and Still Mine. Have you seen anything good lately?

Noa Noa autumn give-away (now closed).

Happily it is time for a new Noa Noa give-away in here again, i LOVE these giveaways!
Noa Noa is gifting six of my readers with this lovely and comfy hat. The hat is in one size and worth 39.95 euros. Yesterday it was a strong autumn wind blowing here and i put on my hat while sitting outside, i didn't want to take it off again because is it so comfy....smiling*..


EVERYONE are welcome to enter, you just write down your e-mail address in the comment so i get to get in touch with you if you are one of the lucky ones. If you want to enter through sending me an e-mail instead you are of course welcome to do that: duftenaverteblomster@yahoo.com
This giveaway closes at 21.00 in the evening (in central european time) of Wednesday the 11'th- good luck everyone!
AND THANK YOU Noa Noa!!



Noa Noa about Autumn 2013:
"Noa Noa delves into the world of traditional craftsmanship with a collection
that pays homage to a kaleidoscopic tapestry of ethnic influences. The
colourful and rustic textiles form an eclectic mix of pieces in contrasting
lengths, gathered from a globetrotter’s journeys and adventures: gorgeous ikat
prints weaved in rusty reds and indigo are juxtaposed with delicate French
florals in dusty autumnal hues, set off by richly textured jacquards and
quilted fabrics on jackets, bags and oversize scarves. Everywhere, saturated
colours capture the eye, from deep forest greens with sparkling accents of
golden yellow to warm berry and plum raisin shades. Antique Indian embroidery
is translated into contemporary details on voile smock tops that perfectly
capture the feminine Noa Noa signature, while light, easy viscose dresses with
a Nordic feel are paired with chunky knits and outerwear cut with a nod to
military tailoring"

You can view the gorgeous Noa Noa Autumn Journal 2013 by clicking HERE.

A conversation with Corinne.

V: I have SO looked forward to have this conversation with you Corinne and i want to thank you for saying yes!...*smiling*. First i think it would be lovely if you could tell a bit about yourself.
C: Hello! Of course I would say yes! *smiling back* I was thrilled when you asked and have been looking forward to this ever since! A bit about myself.... I'm a 30-something wife, mother, knitter, occasional writer, nature lover, tea enthusiast, and general lover of beauty. That about sums it up!


V: I know that i have told you before but i need to say it again: i LOVE your way of writing Corinne. Your writing deeply appeals to me, it is so honest, deep and essential....you write about the real things....no "pretending" and i LOVE that!! Very often i also feel that what you share through your writings makes me connect with myself on a deeper level and that is something that i find very unique and precious! I would love to know more about your writing "history" and maybe also some dreams?
C: Ever since I was little I've loved writing. I've always been better at conveying my thoughts through writing than speaking. When I was young I wrote stories and kept journals...and up until college I wrote poems and other creative works. And then I stopped. I didn't write much other than essays through college. But when I had children I started keeping a blog about our days, and I got the itch for writing again! Knowing that people were reading my words and connecting with them really pushed my writing for quite awhile. Just this summer I've felt almost a drought in my words... and I'm trying to lean into that and honor this season of thought (and more knitting!) and less actual writing. As for writing dreams, I used to dream about having books published, but as soon as I put a label on my writing, or start writing a bigger "thing" I get turned off. When I write, I just write.I don't think I'm cut out for much other than that, and honestly I'm okay with that!

 

V: In one of your blog posts you have written: "I truly believe in sharing our stories and writing out our truths and being open with them so that we, and anyone reading or listening, can not feel so alone. I do my sharing via writing because I've always written better than I speak. True story. So in writing this blog, I fulfill a need to be heard. A need to be seen and also to see others. I want to live openly and honestly and this blog affords that reality to an introvert who gets tongue tied easily." I find these lines so beautiful and i admire your honesty Corinne! Honesty is a quality that i find very precious....and this honesty is something that i clearly notice (and are drawn to) when reading your writings. I am SO happy that i came across your blog a while back, since then it has been a must-read for me! There are, among many others: Facebook, blogs, Flickr and Instagram. What made you chose a blog and are there any other places or sites too where we get to read more of your writings?
C: Oh, Vibeke, I feel the same way about your blog! I'm so happy that we have connected, as your blog is like a breath of fresh air in this online world! As I said above, I started a blog when the kids were little. It began as me telling their stories for the grandparents, and then it morphed into me telling our stories. And then I started another blog that was still based on motherhood... and then I started different one when that felt old... and then I finally started the one I keep up with today! The process that got me to where I am now in my own little space took about five years. Once I figured out that I was holding myself back keeping a "theme" to a blog, or trying to create to my title or blog name, blogging became enjoyable and very stress free! I love it! I am on Instagram, where the simplicity of sharing photos and a few words is just lovely. But otherwise I try not to stay too connected because it really takes me out of my own life.



V: I would guess that you have quite a lot of authors and poets that you like. Could you share some of your favourites?
C: I do... I love the poetry of Mary Oliver and Robert Frost, their words linger beautifully and are soaked with nature. I've been on a bit of a Jane Austen kick, I'm reading Emma right now and enjoying the old language and timeless humor. Susanna Kearsley is my favorite fiction writer at the moment. She weaves beautiful tales of historical fiction mixed with present day adventures!

V: "I've long been a fan of daydreaming. Meditation? Eh. But daydreaming... letting my mind wander... surprisingly, it settles me. There's power in meandering thoughts. There's power in giving ourselves the nod of approval to sit and seemingly do nothing...........You need room to do that. You need space. You need to give yourself permission to do nothing but let the mind wander, and the dreams to surface, and the willingness to follow their lead." These lines are from one of your blog posts and i LOVE them, i can so relate to this! I know that for many of us it is such a huge challenge to manage to slow down and not to mention to allow oneself to seemingly do nothing... Something so simple as this has become so hard, i believe it to be one of the "back-sides" of living in this highly effective society that we have created. Can you share some more of your thoughts and experiences around this topic?
C: This is a wonderful topic. I can really only speak from my experience, and that is that when my family and I are busy with so much doing, we don't connect with each other. When I am busy with so much doing, I don't connect with myself. And when our society is so busy doing, none of us connect. We might think we do. We have all these great ways to stay in touch, to keep up, but they only hit the surface. You simply cannot grow relationships with surface level chit chat and hurried hellos. So I think it starts with each of us, the slowing down so we can connect with not only each other more, but ourselves. The benefits of cultivating a quiet, soulful relationship with ourselves will trickle out towards our relationships with others, and soon. And that's where daydreaming and giving ourselves permission to do nothing comes into play! Sometimes the only way for me to figure out what I am actually thinking and feeling is to do nothing and see where my mind
goes. It's not always fun, but it's almost always a bit enlightening.


V: I like collecting quotes and i have found some new ones at your blog that i like a lot. like fex. this one: "Whatever the present moment contains, embrace it as if you had chosen it." -E.Tolle. Do you have a favourite quote to share with us?
C: The one you just listed is a favorite of mine as well. There is a saying floating around that I just adore "It's okay to be happy with a calm life." These words by Anais Nin always resonate: "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to bloom." And also this by Anne Lamott: "Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and the discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns." This by Jack Kerouak: "One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple." Lastly, I love these words by Alice Walker: "Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise."

V: Other passions than writing?
C: Knitting. Knitting. More knitting. I love it! I love good yarn, I love
good needles, I love good patterns... I'm finding that I'm terribly
passionate about the whole process!

V: Currently reading and knitting?
C: I'm currently reading Emma by Jane Austen, and I'm working on knitting
up a Cara sweater in Osprey by Quince and co. I'm also midway through
designing a little boys scarf for my son.


V: On your want-to-knit list?
C: There's so many... I've been eyeing a newsboy type hat for myself, and as soon as my holiday knitting is done {yes, it is August, and I am already talking Christmas knitting... there's so much to knit!!} I want to spend a good deal of time knitting socks for myself and my kids! But really, I've been wanting to knit the Cara sweater for so long that I'm just enjoying having it on my needles right now!


V: What inspires you Corinne?
C: Beauty, in words and visually. I love spending time on Pinterest looking at images of simple beauty, whether it is nature scenes or steam rising from a tea cup. My kids inspire me to be more creative as I see how they are at their happiest when they are creating, both imaginatively and physical creations. After spending time by the ocean I am always full of a calm soulful inspiration and try to bring that home with me.


V: Autumn has arrived here in norway now and i am blown away by it's beauty: the colors that the nature is painted in now....the crispness of the air....the taste and smell of autumn apples. Is it one season that you are especially drawn to and if so, why?
C: Autumn is by far my favorite time of the year. I love the smell of it, the sound of leaves underfoot. I love being cozy, wearing sweaters and boots. Having an excuse to curl up under blankets and sip hot tea. Hiking in Autumn is one of my favorite activity Each year I'm left in awe at what Mother Nature has up her sleeve! My body is not made for heat, so I feel like I can actually move and be productive again when the cooler air comes in!

V: A new school year has just started. and as a closing of this lovely conversation i want to ask you if you could tell a bit about why you have chosen to homeschool your children? And also what you find as the most challenging parts about it and also about the biggest blessings of it.
C: Homeschooling just felt like a natural extension of parenting for us. I am so thankful that it's an option! Around us it seems like public school is less about the education as it is more about evaluations and test scores, and it doesn't seem like a good environment for our kids to have a love of learning instilled. Yes, it can and does happen, but for us we wanted a different lifestyle for our family. One that thrives on our intuition and cultivating creativity and freedom and intellect in a safe, warm environment. It is definitely not for everyone, but homeschooling works for us!
The most challenging part of homeschooling for me is that there isn't a break. We are together, always. And while that is also a blessing, I'm having to figure out ways to protect my introverted self from getting burned out quickly. The blessing is being a part of my children's education. I get to see all of their "aha!" moments and help them through whatever issues come up. They're still dealing with conflict and strife, but it's such a blessing to walk with them through challenges every step of the way. Plus, we get to play and go on way more adventures than if they were in school all day!

Vibeke, thank you so much for the lovely conversation! It has been lovely exploring these topics with you!


Link:
Corinnes's blog.

I have had some supercomfy yarn, in quite a fresh color, laying in my yarnbasket for a while. It is an expensive yarn but it was sold for a reduced price some months back and i found it to be the perfect excuse to gift myself some skeins of it...*smiling*... In my mind i pictured it being used for a simple and comfy cowl, something i actually haven't knitted for myself before (only for others). Yesterday these skeins got turned into this cowl and i am so pleased with it, supersimple but that was exactly what i wanted.

Autumn is for me a time for starting up with making soups more often again. I also want to bake some bread soon, nothing beats a bowl of homemade warming soup and a slice of fresh bread with butter (or avocado cream) on ...comfortfood for sure...*smiling*.. I love lentils and all kind of beans so often my soups contain this (among other things). I would love to know what kind of ingredients you like to put into your soups...*smiling*.. I made a huge pot yesterday so we have for today too, one of the great pleasures of making soup!

Oh, and some likings too:
-i am enjoying the sight of Geninne's desktop calendar on my computer- SO pretty!
-Agnes Obel's new single, can't wait for her new album to come out!!
-Alicia's writing, so very VERY often it speeks to me...
-the Flow magazine, i LOVE it!!
-Harvest bittersweet affair tea, SUPERGOOD..mmmmm....*smiling*...

The beauty of the world becomes an anchor...

I simply can't get enough of the sight and feeling of the yarn that i bought from Wooly Wonka,
it is heavenly! Soon it will be used for a shawl, similar to this one that i came across (and fell madly in love with) at Harriet Goodall's inspiring blog. The pattern that is used is the Elizabeth R Shawl by Judy Marples.
It feel sooooo good to have been able to finish every single knitting project that were laying around here just waiting to be finished!!

I have just had such a lovely time visiting Shawna's beautiful blog, her blog always fills me with a feeling of beauty and calmness when i am visiting....such a treasure of a blog! Very often, like today, i make myself a cup of tea to enjoy while i spend time there because i know that i will stay there for a long while...*smiling*...


"It seems to me to be a useful exercise to list those thing you love, those things you find to be beautiful, from time to time, whether you're a poet or not. The simplest things, the oddest things. A line of poetry, a bowl of peaches on a windowsill, the sky. What we love, the beauty of things, the beauty of the world, becomes an anchor then, for times of gladness and times of sorrow, as well.
 
Or for even times, of "oh, I don't know."

I always knew I loved the way light trickles down through leaves in a small forest like honey through your fingers. But until I started taking photographs of it, standing in the rain of it, I didn't know you could catch drops of light-honey on your tongue. I didn't know you could breathe in the light of a leaf and hold it inside you for days. I didn't know, quite, the taste of light mingled with green leaves, my heart, at the end of summer, say."
-Taken from one of Shawna's blog posts.

Welcome September.

September is here and the cold air came with it. When we woke up today comfy
woolen socks were fastly put on cold feet and the warm feeling that comes from drinking a cup of tea felt extra soothing today...

A little while back one of my lovely readers, Jennifer H, sent me a wonderful package containing (among a lot of other lovely things) these beautiful buttons.....buttons from the sea. When i saw them i knew straight away what i was going to use them for, the Annabel cardigan that i was currently knitting on. Today i have sewed on these buttons and they are perfect for this cardigan, THANK YOU so much dearest Jennifer!!...*smiling*...

The skirt, my dear Nausika sewed for me while she were here. I LOVE IT, and it goes so well together with my Annabel and also the organic saffron scarf by enhabiten that i have!! The fabric for the skirt i had actually bought quite a while back, it is by Nani Iro (i bought it through Etsy).

I am taking a pause from bigger sized knitting projects now and casting on smaller ones. Socks, mittens, a shawl and a hat is some of the things that i have planned, not all for myself...*laughing*..... Yesterday some GORGEOUS yarn were waiting for me in my letter box. I had ordered yarn from Wooly Wonka for a shawl that i am madly in love with and when i saw the yarn in real i almost fainted....OH, MYYY how beautiful and soft.... I am for sure going to have a heavenly time knitting with it AND not to mention wearing it.
And thank you so much Wooly Wonka for SUPER SERVICE, i will definitely be a returning customer!

My body is everything from good today so my husband is going to make the dinner:
pancakes with fresh blueberry jam....YUM....*smiling*!