It’s day 12! We’re half way through this Advent Calendar! Wow!
How goes the holiday rush? Have you finished your holiday shopping? We haven’t. Then again, we have been a little under the weather! Both hubby and I came down with a horrible cold. I’m glad that neither of our daughters caught it. Hubby had to take a few sick days, neither of us were feeling well enough to get up and go anywhere – much less face the crowds of a store filled with frenzied Christmas shoppers!
For today’s artistic inspiration, I’m going to show another piece that I created a few years ago. This is my holiday wreath. It was very easy to make. It almost feels a little “wrong” for me to say that I made it when I think that most of the work came from an artist who calls herself “Confections” on Etsy. She made this gorgeous “ragamuffin” style “yarn” that I used to wrap around a foam wreath shape that I bought from my local craft store. I’d wrap and wrap and then, every once in a while, I’d tie it off to enhance that ragamuffin look. Then I attached some glitter adorned holly leaves and big red buttons for holly berries, and added a big red bow to finish it off.
It was a fun project and really simple. I managed to finish it in a few hours and it’s a wreath that I proudly hang up every year. The colors in the ragamuffin yarn are so beautiful and were exactly what I was looking for for this type of project. I love it!
Speaking of love, today Teanzo sent me a tea I adore!
Organic Bergamot Earl Grey
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teanzo 1856
Tea Description:
Our highly aromatic version of this legendary American favorite Earl Grey tea is blended using organic tea giving this Bergamot Earl Grey Tea its depth of flavor. Bergamot Earl Grey tea is also delicious served over ice.
Taster’s Review:
I was greeted with a bright, beautiful fragrance when I tore open the sampler pouch today! That amazing aroma of bergamot! It’s a little sweet, citrusy and there are notes of flower in the fragrance.
To brew this, I grabbed my Kati Tumbler (boy, my Kati is getting a work out with this advent calendar!) and poured the contents of the packet into the basket. Then I heated 12 ounces of water to boiling and let the tea steep for 3 minutes.
This is a good Earl Grey. I like that it’s an organic selection!
The flavor is bright and tangy. The bergamot flavor is strong but doesn’t overwhelm the black tea base which is bold. There are notes of malt and notes of caramel that mingle nicely with the energetic flavor of the Italian fruit.
I taste hints of flower in the distance, but don’t mistake this as my saying it tastes “perfume-y” because this doesn’t taste like that at all! It’s a strong, forward flavor but it hasn’t been overdone. A good quality bergamot oil was used to craft this blend because it doesn’t come off as soapy. It just tastes like a really smartly blended Earl Grey tea!
This is an Earl Grey tea I’d be happy to drink any day! I’m so glad that Teanzo included this in their advent calendar!
