A Cup of Tea {in my grandmother’s tea cup}
Last September I told you I had become a coffee lover after a recent trip to Italy. I fell in love with Italian espresso and have been drinking it ever since. Before that I was an avid tea drinker and although coffee is now my favorite wake up call, I am still a tea lover at heart. I just drink it later in the day as a way to relax instead of waking up with it. There is something soothing about sitting down to a cup of tea. It can be an afternoon recharge or a quiet way to end the evening. There are so many varieties to choose from and lots of benefits to drinking it. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite “tea” things today. Happy Friday!
I’m a big fan of loose tea. I like to buy different varieties but Ceylon is my favorite.
I love this little gadget called the ingenuiTEA. It’s the coolest way to brew loose tea.
Decaffeinated Ceylon Tea from Harney & Sons is my favorite afternoon tea. It has all the flavor of a good black tea without the buzz.
Tea should be poured into something pretty. I bought this hand painted mug on a trip to Alaska. It’s one of my favorites.
I love the flavor of lemon in tea. And I’m a huge fan of lemon wedges because you can’t squeeze skinny slices! Silly but true.
Whether you enjoy tea or coffee, pour a cup, relax and enjoy the moment. Have a wonderful weekend!
Leslie xo
Try this recipe for Pine Nut Orange Biscotti with your tea or coffee!














This is my maternal grandmother. She was an amazing woman. She loved unconditionally, had tremendous faith and a compassionate heart. She touched everyone’s life in a positive way and treated every person she met with love and respect. She was full of wisdom and an absolute joy to be around. She was an amazing role model.


This is my daughter Lauren with her son Braden. I will never forget the day he was born. It was one of the happiest days of my life. You can’t imagine a joy greater than your own child until you have a grandchild. The past two years have been some of the best in my life.





Sparkling wine in a can? This
Executive Chef 

















In my family, spring is the season for birthdays. We have so many to celebrate and it seems like every few days we are singing to someone. By now you know I love a party, so having so many opportunities to make people feel special is something I look forward to. Some of the people I love are close by and some of them are far away. All of their birthdays are special to me. So for the ones that are close by, I might make cupcakes or buy balloons. For the ones that are far away, a card, small package or a simple phone call might do. The point is to celebrate! This week I thought I would share a few of my favorite birthday photos. Happy Friday!
Bake Cupcakes!
Throw Confetti!
Send Cards ~ these cards came from all over for my son’s recent birthday. Family rocks!
Blow Up Balloons!
Light Candles and Sing!
A couple of weeks ago I shared a
I went to Home Depot and picked up a 12 x 12 piece of white marble tile in the flooring department for $3.99. I cleaned both sides of the tile with a product I use on my granite kitchen counters. You can use soap and water or anything that is safe for marble. The point is to get all of the powder and dirt off of the tile before you use it.


















These cookies are made with old-fashioned oatmeal, organic peanut butter and natural sugar. I used












