Last month, you know, way back in 2007, Rachel and I were invited to a Craft Party. Since I don’t really “do” crafts, I try to accept any and all invitations that give the children opportunities to explore their creative side. Thankfully I’ve been blessed with wonderfully talented friends so the children aren’t suffering too terribly.
We were instructed to bring a package of tea. How lovely, crafts and hot tea! Doesn’t that sound like a perfect way to spend a rainy, gray afternoon. Sure enough, the party was a delight.
Heather (our hostess) had a craft area set up for the girls, complete with paints, hot glue gun, pretty stencils and more. There were instructions written up on the board, a model of the completed project and scented candles burning in the background.
The girls were to design their own tea caddies. They each had an unassembled cardboard box (old film packages, I believe), ready for painting and decorating as they liked. After they painted the boxes, they glued them back together, added glass beads for feet and a decorative pull for the top. Best of all was the tea swap! They traded and shared the different teas among them so each girl brought home a full box of tea.
Heather and I met several years ago when a friend brought her to our church’s women’s retreat. I immediately enjoyed her sense of humor and love for the Lord. The next year she joined us again at the retreat and we had more opportunity to visit. I knew this was creative, hilarious, homeschooling mom was someone I wanted as a friend.
This, of course, is Michelle (who introduced us) and NOT Heather, as Heather was the one taking the picture. Clear as mud?
I am constantly amazed at how God brings beautiful, unique, intelligent women into my life. Each one is like a precious gift and I am truly thankful for the way they enrich my life.
Heather is a talented artist and has a home business where she sells gorgeous project kits, ribbon crafts, and other treasures. Her oldest son was born with two congenital heart defects. Her renewed interest in art came about during the traumatic first year of the baby’s life. As she says so beautifully on her website:
Then, as God patched Jacob’s heart with a miracle, He also patched mine. With the guidance of God’s gentle hands I have been creating with my hands and heart ever since. That is why we are called The Patchwork Heart, Co.
I love that name, The Patchwork Heart. It so perfectly captures exactly what the Lord does as He gathers the broken pieces of our heart. He makes us new creations in His image.
Heather also writes for the Girlhood Home Companion magazine.
The Girlhood Home Companion is a beautiful 4-color magazine and companion guide that encourages young ladies (ages 10-18) how to enjoy their precious girlhood years while walking closely with the Lord and developing a deeper relationship with Him.
The very best thing of all is that Heather is MY friend. Despite my incredibly inept crafting abilities, my pathetic lack of artistic talent, and my tendency to ruin perfectly good decorating projects, she still likes me. 
The girls hold up their finished projects.
Rachel painted hers in two of her favorite colors – purple and turquoise/aqua.
Here’s a close up.
When you have time, I know Heather would love to have you stop by The Patchwork Heart for a visit. Her winter newsletter/catalog is online and she shares a delicious recipe for apple honey tea as well as other craft ideas.
Thank you, Heather, for a delightful afternoon!
Anyone care for a cup of tea? Oh, I have to ask: what is your favorite kind of tea? As much as I am a serious coffee drinker (love me some Starbucks, as they say), I am very fond of tea. I prefer the non-fruity ones and adore Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Constant Comet, especially with a little bit of milk.
Am I missing a fantastic tea flavor? One of my good friends loves Stash teas and introduced me to chocolate hazelnut. I’m also curious as to where you buy tea? Do you order it online? Is there a particular grocery store that sells a wide variety of teas? Does tea go on sale? What is a good price for tea?
Sorry to ask so many questions but I know there lots of you who enjoy tea and you really should share you wisdom with me!
Speaking of which, I guess I should be sure and refer you back to Rocks In My Dryer where people are sharing tips about everything from coupons, crib sheets and cameras.
Kathy
OOOHHH….Celestial Seasonings Tuscany Orange Spice is awesome. (if you can find it. Some Fred Meyer stores stock it) It tastes just like Market Spice Tea, which is my all time favorite, but is much less expensive.
Second place goes to Cinnimon Apple Spice (I think that’s what it is) by Celestial Seasonings.
Oh, those are so sweet! Did you make a coffee bean dispenser instead Kathy : D Honestly though, what a great idea and the girls did such a nice job! Looks like a really fun time : )
I love Rachel’s jeans. Is it permanent? What’s the story behind that?
DID I MISS A POST??? lol
Those are great! We recently had a tea party birthday Those would have been fun to do!
WOW WEEEE! Kathy what a sweet blog full of encouragement and kindness! Thanks for the “feature” on your blog. I would love to offer free shipping to those who stop by my website and place an order! Isn’t that totally fun?! Type DUCKABUSH on the order after the item and I will send it out free. Yippee! Thanks again for being my friend too and blessing me with your words, I’m honored! ;o)
Oh, how I love the tea caddies! My daughter’s 5th birthday is in March and we were seriously considering a tea party. Now I just might have to have one and do this craft, too! How cute!
My favorite tea of all time is Jasmine Green Tea. It smells amazing and I love it! I also like Irish Breakfast tea and Celestial Seasonings True Blueberry, but my oldest son’s favorite is Peppermint. I’m not a fan of peppermint tea myself.
I have to say, though, that I drink coffee more often than hot tea. I’m a BIG fan of the African Kitamu kind from Starbucks (I buy it at Wal Mart).
What a lovely craft! My family grew up drinking tea, so I am all about that. I generally just buy my tea at the grocery store. I prefer Twinings above all else, particularly English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast. Ooh, Prince of Wales is good too! I always have tea with milk and 1 spoon of sugar.
I’m trying to get into more herbal teas as well. A friend turned me on to the Republic of Tea series, since they have lots of different flavors and categories of black, white and red teas. So far, my favorite is Vanilla Almond.
Cute craft!
Hi Kristine this is Rachel,
I got some old jeans at GoodWill, and colored them with permanent marker for a church play I was in. No you didn’t miss a post lol.
Hi Kathy,
My favorite tea flavors are peppermint and lemon zinger… followed by Market Spice.
What a great idea to get the homeschooling girls together to be crafty! Art would definitely be one area I’d struggle if we were to home school our boys.
I’m not sure I should post or not. I don’t drink coffee OR tea. Sad isn’t it?
I drink Diet Mt. Dew for caffeine & I’ve started drinking some “energy water” as well that is caffeinated. I like hot chocolate though! LOL
I love this craft. And it’s awesome you have a friend willing to do this. How cool! But I have one burning question – what are YOU (Kathy) making?!?!?!
Until the very end, I was asking- what is a tea caddy?? Then I saw the finished product- and WHALLA. I get it.
What a fun craft. I like red zinger but am interested in tyring limon zinger- as someone mentioned.
What a dear tribute to your friends, Katherine. And from a very biased Aunt- I know YOU are the friend they gather around.
I love you. Aunt Kate
I love the tea caddies the girls made. What a creative and useful craft. I buy my tea loose leaf and steep it in a tea pot. It makes the best tea! I prefer to buy from Simpson and Vail at http://www.svtea.com. My 2 favorite teas are Decaf Almond and Rose Congou. I actually have direct links to these 2 teas posted on my home page on the left side down under “Favorite Things”.
The prices aren’t bad from S&V and you can buy tiny little sample amounts up to large amounts/bulk.
Hey there Missy…..
Girl’s trip???-!!! hehehe
That Daniel study……
Okay….first things first, someday you HAVE to take me to meet Aunt Kate. I LOVE HER!
I LOVE Stash Lemon Ginger (all time favorite) …it’s got a bite to it! The Sugar Plum that ‘we’ picked up is also really good! I like all kinds of tea. I’m drinking a lot less of all hot beverages lately, though.
Marketplace has a good assortment of Stash and they are normally about $1.99 on sale, which seems to be often.
Great pictures of the girls….I’d love one! You can just give it to me with the family picture…..
These are darling!
I love coffee and tea. When it comes to tea I really don’t like a lot of flavored teas. Right now I am drinking an Organic Green Tea . .it’s very soothing and usually have it at night before going to bed.
Coffee I like to drink while I am out and about or in the morning if it’s cold
I like Upton Teas and River Shannon is a favorite of mine. It’s a simple breakfast tea, but it has a pleasant flavor. Like you, I’m more of a coffee connoisseur. But I do like a nice cuppa in the afternoon.
I don’t like Earl Gray. It’s a favorite in my household with other family members, but the oil of bergamot reminds me of my mother’s Vick’s inhaler and I just can’t get past that. :^D I’m okay with Lady Gray. That one is yummy.
Oh – and Black Currant. And I’ll second the Rose Congou. I like my tea with a little sugar (or Splenda or stevia) and a splash of milk, never cream.
And I love the girls’ tea caddies. I won one at a silent auction a couple of years ago and it is currently housing some of our decaf Earl Gray for Morgan. But it is too small to hold all our teas. We have quite the collection. That might be something for tomorrow’s blog.
Oh – and I want to know what YOU were making as well. :^)
This is Bess.
My favorite kind of tea is Chai or Peppermint. Of course, then there is the whole line of CS holiday teas… *note to self* STOP BESS RIGHT THERE!
I love coffee and tea. I love the girl’s tea caddies. Its wonderful!
Heather is a talented artist and has a home business where she sells gorgeous project kits, ribbon crafts, and other treasures