Tea With Rae: Bonding Over Tea...

I simply LOVE tea and I think I enjoy sharing tea with others equally as much. That's why I blog about tea; to share this small pleasure with you. Yes, I've been off my tea blogging game this past year, but I'm coming back. I've been reaching out to new tea companies so I can have some exciting new teas to share with you.

I enjoy a cup of tea after a long day. It's such a joy to my spirit to kick back and savor the flavor and the moment, but sharing tea with others is also a special moment.

There's an intimacy that happens when you share tea; a bonding between friends. It's a great way to get to know new friends too. When you share tea, it becomes a relaxing space and you are able to block out the noise of the world and enjoy the flavor, each other and the moment.

That's exactly what I did with J. Nicole last month.  We  had so much fun laughing over tea.  Looking back over my life, you never know who you are going to touch. I tell people all the time, be careful how you treat people.

This young lady heard me speak when she was in high school over 15 years ago. That day, she came up to me with tears flowing down her face and I gave her my card and told her to reach out to me anytime. Well, she did just that. She hit me up on Twitter  over 15 years later and invited me to be her guest in a play that she's currently in at The Goodman Theatre. OMG! She was soooo good! This play Immediate Family is a must see.

I invited J. Nicole to tea at my home and it's safe to say that we bonded over Earl Grey Lavender Tea by Gschwendner Tea and homemade lemon pound cake, by me. I chose black tea because it is her favorite. However, traditional  Earl Grey has a wonderful Bergamot flavor and the lavender,  adds additional flavor. Check out an old review on Lavender Earl Grey Here.

It was a perfect match with the lemon pound cake, a little tart was perfect for the highly fragranced black tea. When serving, don't be afraid to mix up your tea cups and tea pot.  There's no need to be matchy-matchy and it adds character. This yellow tea pot is a 1960s Collector's from my Hall's Tea Pot Collection and the heart shaped tea cup is modern and was purchased from Nordstorm's a couple of years back.

Bonding over tea can happen in your home or you can fancy it up with a formal tea. A couple of weeks ago my bestie, Markeeda and I went to tea at the Peninsula Hotel. Hands down, the Peninsula serves one of the best afternoon teas that I have ever had. And OMG they serve high tea on Wedgewood China. One day I hope I could afford a Wedgewood Tea Set.

Anyhoo, you have well over 20 teas to choose from and they are all divine. I had an Orchid Oolong Tea and Markeeda had a Jasmine Mist Green Tea.

It's interesting how the Tea Time dining room is typically full, but somehow it feels like it's just you and your friend (s). I've had that feeling with one person and with 15 having tea at the Peninsula.

Their tea is typically traditional, with fancy sandwiches, desserts and scones. But these scones are some of the best I have ever had. You also receive, butter, jam and lemon curd on the side. The service is impeccable and I always ask for lemon curd to take home. The experience of High Tea should be on everyone's bucket list.

Something happens over tea; whether it's in your home or a wonderful Afternoon Tea. The tea offers a calm that transcends into the space that you are sharing. Invite a friend over. It doesn't have to be so fancy. Just put the tea kettle on, grab a mug have some tea and cookies and just see the magic.

Yes I'm a Mommie Too!!

Me, Dwana, MJ

I was invited to tea at the Peninsula by MJ Tam and The Chicago Moms Bloggers. These women are dynamite, blogging about the life of motherhood. Well, MJ the Social Media Powerhouse in charge of this outfit, was originally wondering what the "real" Mommie bloggers would say about me crashing their event since I don't have any children. But my girl, Mommie Blogger Dwana said flat out, Rae would beg to differ.

And so it was, I had tea with a group of wonderful mommie bloggers at the Peninsula. It was wonderful! As only the Peninsula can do, they set it out for us while sharing the wonderful details of the kid friendly atmosphere they have. Details coming in tomorrow's Tea With Rae blog. Today, we are going to talk about my children: Imani, Nambi and Sophie. I may not have biological children but over the years God has blessed me with three four legged girls. So Dwana was right, my girls are my children and I would fight anyone who tried to say differently.

I get asked often if I ever wanted to have the two legged kind of children and the answer is yes. Not a whole lot, but at least a girl that I could dress like a princess. But I grew up in the old generation when you didn't get pregnant out of wedlock and embarrass your mother. You just didn't do it! So in those early years of my life having a child was out of the question. And then by the time I got married I was way sick.

Imani

It was a very difficult decision of whether or not to have a child. The infection risk for mother to child transmission of HIV was about 30% in those early days. Yes, that was risk taking, but think about it... It also meant that there was a 70% chance that a child would not be infected with HIV.

But none-the less, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want to take the chance. Nor did I want to bring a child in the world that I would die and leave in her early years. Abandonment is a big issue for me and I was not adopting or giving birth to a child I would have to leave. Especially with no family at the time that I could trust. Not having children has been one of my greatest losses with HIV.

But honestly, mother to child transmission has had been the greatest of all the HIV medical breakthroughs. Today, if a woman knows that she is pregnant during the first trimester and takes medication, she reduces the chance of infecting her child by 2-3%. But ummm, I'm way to old to be popping out a child with no husband. For Real... For Real...

So Imani was my first born and the apple of my eye. I knew the moment I put her in my arms she belonged with me. She was sweet and full of life. She loved to play. So much so that I had to put her on a curfew. For Real! No ball after 11 p.m. and none before 7 a.m. And some nights she would sleep with that darn ball. Then she gave me grandchildren, Samantha and Nambi. I kept Nambi, who was the runt, and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife Sandi took Sam, who was a straight tomboy.

Nambi

But Nambi was a Diva. She didn't sit on the floor, she didn't play and she absolutely couldn't be bothered with children. It was as if God had sent her straight to me for me. She came at a time in my life when I was really sick. AIDS was ravishing my body and creating havoc in my life. I spent many hours in the bed and while Imani played and checked in with me from time to time, Nambi never left my side. She was my shadow. There was no place I went in the house where she was not by my side. My ex-husband called her little Rae. And my friends would say, "If you die before Nambi, we gonna shoot her and put her tail right in the casket with you because no one would be able to keep her."

Imani and Nambi

She was mine, it was as if Imani had given birth to her just for me. But Imani was always my first born! Something is special about the first ones. They teach you that life is greater than you. They teach you to love beyond yourself. They teach you unconditional love. And how about my ex-husband tired to take Imani in the divorce. I thought he had lost his freaking mind if he thought for one second I would let him have her. It would have been a War of the Roses fight to the end! For Real!

I couldn't see why he wanted her anyway. After he moved out of the bedroom he would let her cry at the door. I remember one day he told me, "You love those damn dogs more then you love me. "Really?! You jealous of a dog? And then when I asked why he moved out of the bedroom, he said he didn't want to sleep with the damn dogs anymore. Really?! When we bought Imani together, really?! You're such a man that you blame it all on the dogs... Really?! But anyway, I kept my babies a lot longer then I kept him and I'm glad for it. Because the love of a four legged dog is true.. The love of a two legged, well you know the rest.

Nambi the old lady! Still A Diva!

When Imani started to age and get sick, I did everything I could to keep her alive. She was my child, my first born. Those nights when she couldn't breath, I would turn on the shower and hold her in my arms sitting on the toilet. Putting her to sleep was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I cried for weeks. Well, if the truth be told for months.

Sophie the Puppy!

I refused to get another dog. No one could replace my first born. But about 3 years in there seemed to be no life in my house. Nambi and I were just two old ladies getting older... So I found Sophie. Now I knew I wanted Sophie because any puppy that could pin two other puppies up under her in the play pen was my kinda gal. But Nambi wasn't having it!

It was the War of the Roses that first month. They each had to sleep on one side of me. Nambi wouldn't let Sophie get near her and Sophie wouldn't take no for an answer. Nambi would look at me like Mommie, why would you do this to me in my old age? But after Nambi made it clear to Sophie that she was the alpha dog, there was peace in paradise.

Sophie and Nambi at Peace!

Sophie is the life of the party. She is my little socialite. On our walks she speaks to everyone she sees, every man, woman, child and dog. For Real... People ask me often if she is a puppy. No, hello, she's almost five.  Then I get this *blank stare* then an, "Oh, she sure is full of life." But I think that's what I needed. God knew!  In fact, it was Sophie that helped to give Nambi four more years. The vet wanted me to put Nambi to sleep about two weeks after I got Sophie, but I just couldn't. I couldn't! I kept putting it off and off and then she bounced back. Then the vet concluded that having the puppy in the house made her bounce back.

Sophie and her Christmas Present!

Sophie!

Maybe so... But about 3 months ago, I could see in Nambi's eyes that she was tired. She had given me all she had. It was time... I couldn't let her suffer... So I put her to sleep. I'm still mourning Nambi. I miss her dearly. OMG I miss her.

But Sophie and I have settled into our own. I think she's been waiting to be an only child for the last four years, for real... for real...

No, I didn't give birth to any children, but I have certainly been blessed with three wonderful girls. I have the same heartaches and joys, and the same responsibilities that we have with our two legged children. They must be cared for and loved all the same.

But truly, they have showed me how to love unconditionally. Now Sophie is the most demanding of my three girls. She thinks the world revolves around her.

But she is indeed my Luv-a-pup. She gives me life and she makes me better. She focuses me to live. Some days when I want to stay in bed and hide, she demands that we get up, pull the curtains back and look at the world.

Sophie Saying Hello!

She was all up on him.. I was like.... Ummmm LOL

Yes, my girls have been like children to me. With both heartaches and joy. Yes, it would be nice to have a little girl that I can bring to the Peninsula for a weekend getaway and absolutely for tea. But that is not my fate. My fate is wrapped up into AIDS and for me, that swallowed up the possibility of children years ago. But the best thing about the Peninsula for me is that I can actually bring Sophie for tea. For Real!

Asia

When I saw Asia at tea time, I knew it was on... Stay tuned for my tea adventure with Sophie!! I'm way excited... As long as the dog is 12 pounds and under they are welcome!! Sophie makes the cut!! Happy Dance! By the way... You can follow Sophie on Twitter... She's helping her mommie fight HIV through social media. She figures if Giggy from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills could have over 27,000  followers, why not her... She's an overachiever like her mommie... 

Tea With Rae: The Real Truth About High Tea!

As I was having tea with Valencia at the Peninsula Hotel last Friday, I started to think about the history of this wonderful tradition. Sitting there drinking some of the finest tea, from some of the finest china known, in one of the best hotels in the world, clearly this is not your run of the mill activity. Even Valencia, the winner of the #TeaWithRae raffle, had to plead her case of why she should be chosen to have an afternoon of tea with me at this wonderful hotel.

The tea enthusiast that I am, combined with my passion for history, led me in search of the truth. I asked some fundamental questions that became my starting point. What the heck is high tea and has it always been for the rich and privileged class? In the United States it is certainly an indulgence that the average person cannot afford on a regular basis, but I started to wonder has this always been the case?

Let me tell you it is one tangled web that gave me a headache. So I will be reading some books about this topic to fill in the voids. But, in nutshell, High Tea, which is sometimes called "Afternoon Tea" and "Meat Tea," was originally called "Low Tea," mainly because it was typically served on a low table near a sofa. And on top of that, in the British tradition, afternoon tea was in the evening. Go figure, but its true. Because dinner was served so late in Europe for both the middle and upper classes, it was a "hold you over meal" until dinnertime and typically it was served with meat, not fancy pastries.

However, the tradition of tea drinking in England didn't began until 1662 when Catherine of Braganza married King Charles II in 1662 and brought the tradition from Portugal. She was known as an avid tea drinker. A women after my own heart, LOL.

Ok, so how did we get this fancy tradition of afternoon tea that Valencia and I enjoyed at the Peninsula? Well, it goes like this. It changed to this fancy time in the 19th century with the help of Anna Maria, Duchess of Bedford. While many people still had the tradition of "low tea," Anna Maria changed it to a four o'clock social occasion. The Duchess found taking a light afternoon snack before dinner was much more enjoyable than the heavier "meat tea." Soon she began inviting her friends over for afternoon tea and that fancy social time became the norm among the middle and upper classes. In fact, Anna Maria enjoyed her daily routine so much that when she visited friends at other castles and palaces she took her silver kettle and the whole shebang with her.

Today, many four and five star hotels worldwide offer, "Afternoon Tea." For sure, The Peninsula offers one of the best I have ever experienced. They serve tea in Wedgwood China. The pastries and sandwiches are unbelievable and they have a selection of over 20 teas. But equally as important, the service is wonderful.

I would recommend that everyone experience Afternoon Tea at least once in their life. It's a wonderful treat, and a great excuse to put on your fancy clothes and enjoy great conversation in a beautiful atmosphere with a great cup of tea. Afternoon Tea typically ranges from $30-50 depending on where you go. Yes, it is a bit pricey, but nonetheless, it is an experience you will never forget.

And Valencia, well, she said that sitting with me soaking up my wisdom was what she wanted to do. The time we have on Twitter was way to short. I think we accomplished her goal. We sat for 4 hours eating and drinking tea over great conversation.

A Special Thanks to the Peninsula Hotel for Participating in the #TeaWithRae Raffle! 

Tea With Rae: High Tea at the Peninsula Hotel Winner

A few weeks back I had High Tea at the Peninsula Hotel with my Twitter friend Lesa who was in town visiting her family. It was a wonderful treat to say the least. Thanks again Lesa! The folks at the Peninsula were wonderful. Their High Tea is a wonderful experience. I thought I had died and gone to heaven, the tea lover that I am. They had over 20 teas to choose from and the food was perfection!

Lesa Being Served Tea!

That day, I even met the PR director and explained my Tea With Rae project; and I hit them up for a raffle. I mean, if you don't ask you are guaranteed to not get. To my delight, a few days later, the Peninsula Hotel agreed to allow one of my readers the chance to chat with me over High Tea.

It was a very hard decision! But there could only be one person. The the winner of the High Tea with Rae Raffle, at the Peninsula Hotel is Valencia Frazier. Not only was her e-mail compelling, she has been an on-going supporter of my projects around HIV/AIDS since she discovered me on Twitter last March. I am honored to have such a lovely lady join me for tea.

A big Thank You, to everyone who entered the raffle. You are invited to the Tea Tasting that Argo Tea is hosting for my followers. I will e-mail each of you the details as soon as it is arranged. Thanks again!! Your support means the world to me!!

Note: I am working hard with my tea partners to share with you some of the delights they are sharing with me. There is another raffle currently taking place. You can win a tin of tea from The NecessiTeas and a Tea Bracelet from me. Go to this blog post to enter at the bottom of the post. I will announce that winner on this coming Thursday's Tea With Rae Blog Post. Good Luck!

Fashion/Beauty Tuesday: Essie - Judith Ripka Diamond Dust Nail Lacquer

Last week I went to High Tea at the fabulous Peninsula Hotel. I had a wonderful time, great tea, great food and great conversation with my friend Lesa. I blogged about it in my "Tea With Rae," post. By far it was one of the best Teas I have experienced. I have to admit, the Peninsula goes the extra mile. On some select Fridays they have an informal fashion show. Lesa and I lucked out. The Judith Ripka and Luca Luca models floated around showing off fabulous jewelry and clothing, and handing out goodie bags to every single table.

The goodie bag had generous gift certificates from both Judith Ripka and Luca Luca. It also included a bottle of nail lacquer. I didn't think much of it at first, I just casually looked at the package. But to my surprise, it was a limited edition nail lacquer from Essie and Judith Ripka with genuine diamond dust. Yep, I said diamond dust! But how about this, the Essie Loves Diamonds polish is not only infused with genuine diamond dust but there are three bottles of this polish floating around the country with a 1kt diamond, emerald and sapphire. For Real!. It took everything I had not to dump the entire bottle of polish to see if I was a lucky winner. But I'll wait  until the polish is almost gone. Why waste diamond dust. And for me, the suspense is half the fun.

On the surface, this polish reminded me of Essie's traditional nude colors, but this is not your typical polish, remember it is infused with diamond dust. So yesterday I went to have a manicure with this fancy nail lacquer. I have to admit, it does have a glow about it that is not typical of Essie nudes. But there is no glitter or anything like that. It is a classic nude with a pop. And I have fallen in love!

My favorite nail color, Sugar Daddy has officially been dethroned by the Love Diamonds polish, "Put A Ripka Ring On It". First of all, the shine is unbelievable. But more than that, it is a perfect blend between Essie nude colors like Mademoiselle, which tends to be more sheer, and the chalky colors like Angel Food.

Over all, this polish is #DivaApproved. I'm going to stock up because it is a limited edition and who knows when they will run out. Just a warning, they are double the price of other Essie polishes, but I figure the more polish I buy the greater I increase my chance to win that 1kt diamond, emerald and sapphire at the bottom of one of these bottles!

Don't forget to check out Friday's Blog "Tea With Rae," and enter the raffle to have tea with me at the Peninsula Hotel. Also Tea With Rae Logo
 T-Shirts are available. 

Tea With Rae: High Tea at the Peninsula Hotel

Last Friday I had High Tea with my friend Lesa. I was so elated that she wanted to treat me to one of my favorite pleasures! And a pleasure it was! OMG! The Peninsula is a fabulous hotel with one of the best tea's I have experienced by far. There's so much to say; my mind is racing faster than I can type. First of all, the ambiance in this five-star hotel is heavenly. And having tea during the holiday season was extra. The 18 ft Christmas tree and the window decorations were simply fabulous! To top things off there was a string duo of cello and violin serenading us.

The service was absolutely wonderful! There is not one bad thing I can say about any of them. The manager was floating around the Tea Room. Our sever was incredibly nice and made sure our every need was met. Even the busboys made sure that our water glasses were always full and dirty plates didn't linger on our table. The service was on point! They took care of our every need, and at the same time they were smooth and unobtrusive. Lesa and I enjoyed each other's company for so long that by the time we left they were setting up for the evening Chocolate Bar they have each night in the same room.

They start you with a menu. I couldn't believe my eyes, there were well over twenty teas to choose from. I wanted to try every one of them, but instead I had a premium tea exclusive to the Peninsula, "Celebration." It was a black tea with citrus notes and Lesa had a ginger blend. We were both happy with our selections. 


They serve you your tea on some of the finest china in the world. I was in Diva heaven! The Wedgwood patten was simply beautiful. I was so impressed that I have looked at Wedgwood's website every day since tea last Friday. I've put it at the top of my wish list. But the tea pot I want cost $885 and the tea cup is $160. *sigh* Something to hope for, huh? Back to tea. Eric our server brought each of us our own pot of tea and our own set of fancy delights.

They give a great assortment of fancies that are balanced, from sweet to savory. There were sandwiches such as smoked salmon, asparagus roulade, sweets such as peppermint chocolate tart, Earl Grey meringue, and my favorite were the maple glazed scones. To accompany our fancies they served  butter, raspberry jam and the best lemon curd I have ever had. It doesn't seem like a lot of food on the stand, but once you have tasted everything, you are good and full.

The Peninsula has afternoon tea every day from 2:30-4:30, but Lesa and I lucked out. On select Friday's though out the year, they have an informal fashion show. There were two models, one from Judith Ripka and one from Luca Luca, modeling wonderful clothes and handing out a goodie bag from the shops. Judith Ripka gave a gift certificate for $500 and Luca Luca $200. And OMG! We were all given Essie nail lacquer from Judith Ripka with diamond dusk in it. I will let you know what I think on next week's beauty blog.

All and all, I had a great time! Lesa and I bonded over premium tea and wonderful fancies in a fabulous atmosphere! Without a doubt it is definitely a treat. High Tea makes for a great afternoon to bond with your girlfriends and treat your mother. But honestly anyone can enjoy afternoon tea at the Peninsula. Women were there with their young daughters and companies were there with employees. I even saw a couple or two having cozy afternoon tea. So don't cheat yourself out of the finer things in life. You only live once!

Raffle Prize: I am happy to announce that the Peninsula Hotel is offering a wonderful raffle prize; one of my readers will be able to have tea with me! To enter this Peninsula Raffle you must do the following things: 

1. become a fan of the Peninsula Hotel Facebook page; 

2. become a fan of my Facebook page; 

3. follow the Peninsula on Twitter;  

4. follow me on Twitter; 

5. make a comment on this Blog post; and

6. you also have to email me at Rae@raelewisthornton.com and briefly explain why you would like to have an afternoon of tea with me. If you don't have Facebook or Twitter pages you do not have to create one. You should do what you have but the comment on the post and email is a must! Good Luck!

Deadline to enter the raffle is Friday, January 7, 2011 due to the holiday season. I will announce the winner on January 8, 2011.

Sorry, none of my personal friends can either the raffle. This is an opportunity to allow someone who has been inspired by my life a chance to meet me. You and I, on the other hand, can have tea any time we want!