• Afternoon Tea,  Beads and Coffee/Tea,  Jewellery,  My Favourite Jewellery Brands,  Ohm Beads,  OHM News & Updates,  Ohm Reviews,  Ohm Style,  Tea,  Tea Reviews,  Uncategorized

    OHM Beads is MAD | The Alice in Wonderland Collection

    “When I used to read fairy tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one!” 

    – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Chapter 4

    Happy Saturday! I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe, during this outbreak. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. I hope this blog post adds a smile into your day!

    I am excited to announce a simply MAD new collection from OHM Beads: the Alice in Wonderland collection! It will be releasing on April 1st, 2020. This collection is inspired by Lewis Carrol’s, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It features 9 new beads, 3 of which are made of Looking-Glass…oops, I mean OHM glass.

    A special thank you to OHM Beads for sending me these beads to review and design with. What a dream come true…not only to have this collection coming out, but to be gifted them! Thank you to the bead community, as well. I would not have these opportunities without your support. <3

    In this blog post, I will be sharing a bracelet design and an overview of the beads and their price points. Also, stay tuned for my OHM Alice in Wonderland YouTube video. This video will take a closer look at the beads, as well as share some clips from a “Mad Tea Party” that Nichol (@MyPandoraCharmedLife) and I attended at the Ivy Team Room in New Mexico.

    Speaking of Nichol, she recently posted a video that we filmed together! If you’d like to see our first impressions and us unboxing the OHM Alice in Wonderland collection, CLICK HERE or watch down below:

    Video from @MyPandoraCharmedLife Youtube Channel.

    “Curiouser and curiouser!” cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English). 

    – Alice in Wonderland – Chapter 2

    When it came to designing my bracelet, I decided to incorporate all 9 beads on my silver OHM Twisted Bangle. Usually, this would be too many beads, for a bangle. However, my bangle is a size small and on the looser side. My wrist measurements is about 14.5 cm and I find the size small bangle allows more space for beads, but still provides a comfortable fit!

    I may ultimately decide to do a layered bangle or OHM Whip Bracelet stack, with this collection, but it was fun to pair all the beads together. I would love to see an “Alice Blue” or lavender OHM Whip bracelet release!

    It was all very well to say “Drink me,” but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in a hurry. “No, I’ll look first,” she said, “and see whether it’s marked ‘poison’ or not.” 

    – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 1

    For this bracelet design, I added a few more beads, to go with the wonderland theme.

    I chose to add OHM Pretty Tea Pot and OHM Pretty Tea Cup, (which pair with the OHM Eat Me and OHM Drink Me dangles). These tea themed beads are a perfect representation of the Mad Tea Party scene from the book! I love the floral detailing on both.

    I also added the OHM BOTM Tea Bag dangle (paired after OHM Painting the Roses Red). If you’d like to see a video, taking a closer look at the OHM Tea Bag, CLICK HERE.

    I also added the OHM Milky glass bead (paired beside, OHM Mad Hat). Tea with milk or cream…such a must! I also added my OHM Woodsy spacers to the bangle, as well. A representation of the woods that Alice wonders though, trying to find her way out of Wonderland.

    “Well! I’ve often seen a cat without a grin,” thought Alice; “but a grin without a cat! It’s the most curious thing I ever saw in all my life!”

    – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 6

    Now, it is time to share a closer look at the 9 beads from the, OHM Alice in Wonderland collection. All these photos below are courtesy of OHM Beads, minus the last photo.

    OHM White Rabbit

    “The Duchess! The Duchess! Oh my dear paws! Oh my fur and whiskers! She’ll get me executed, as sure as ferrets are ferrets!” 

    Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Chapter 4

    OHM White Rabbit is magical, but running quite late for an important date! It has a thin, clear glass detailing surrounding a pure solid white core and magical bits of glittering sparkle! This bead retails for $60 US.

    OHM Saganistute

    The word “saganistute” appears to be a portmanteau for “sage” and “astute”. We love that word here at OHM; so as part of our own “Alice in Wonderland” series, we proudly present our new glass bead entitled, Saganistute. sage in classical philosophy, means “someone who has attained wisdom” or someone who lives “according to an ideal that transcends that everyday”. Astute describes one having “mental sharpness and perception”.

    Brilliantly, this creations transcends the everyday, and if you look astutely, you will find sage advice in the sprinkle of sparking magic wafting though the twilight sky and alluring depths of the wonderland around you. Saganistute: “a wise person of poetry and vision.” That’s you!

    – OHM Beads

    OHM Saganistute is whimsical! I love the purple shade of colour mixing with sparkle and magic. It pairs beautifully with OHM Gallymoggers (pictured below). This bead will retail for $60 US.

    OHM Gallymoggers

    OHM’s GALLYMOGGERS is a part of our Alice in Wonderland series. Look closely at and you’ll see splashes of euphoric cream in bubbles of delirious blue tea or perhaps you’ll see only the white teeth of the Cheshire Cat as the rest him fades into a transparent dream. Maybe you’ll see Alice’s blue-and-white dress as she tumbles down the rabbit hole into a realm of wonder. Once you wear our GALLYMOGGERS bead, you’ll believe six impossible things before breakfast!

    – OHM Beads

    OHM Gallmoggers is the last glass bead in the OHM Alice in Wonderland Collection. It will retail for $60 US and is that perfect “Alice Blue”. It is a magical reference to Alice’s blue and white dress.

    OHM Who Are You

    “Who are you?” said the Caterpillar.

    This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”

    “What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar, sternly. “Explain yourself!”

    “I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, Sir,” said Alice, “because I am not myself, you see.” 

    —Alice in Wonderland – Chapter 5

    The OHM Who Are You silver bead is packed with detail! It captures every detail of a wonderland mushroom. It also shows evidence of the Caterpillar enjoying too much of his hookah (love those droopy “ears”/antennas). From every angle, there is something to appreciate. He will retail for $60 US.

    OHM Mad Time

    “In that direction,” the Cat said, waving its right paw round, “lives a Hatter: and in that direction,” waving the other paw, “lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad.”

    “But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.

    “Oh, you ca’n’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”

    “How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.

    “You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”

    Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 6,

    OHM Mad Time is one of my favourite silver beads (if I had to pick). I love that we see the Cheshire Cat’s eyes and toothy grin. I also love that it resembles the White Rabbit’s pocket watch. Time is quite an interesting theme in Wonderland and I love the OHM Beads did a reference to it! I also love the back detailing that says: “We’re all mad here”. This bead can be threaded through the core or the little bale detail, on the top. It will retail for $65 US.

    OHM Mad Hat

    “Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.

    “I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone: “so I ca’n’t take more.”

    “You mean you ca’n’t take less,” said the Hatter: “It’s very easy to take more than nothing.”

    Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 7

    My other favourite silver bead is the OHM Mad Hat. It is inspired by the one and only Mad Hatter! This silver bead has simply MAD details: a peacock feather, signs of age and wear and a saucer like base. It is truly a must for any Wonderland fan! This bead will retail for $60 US.

    “I suppose I ought to eat or drink something or other; but the great question is ‘What?’”

    Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 4

    OHM Eat Me & OHM Drink Me

    OHM Drink Me and the OHM EAT ME beads look like they are straight out of wonderland! I love how they are crumpled slightly and have small tears…so realistic. They are very light weight and with a small bale, they are easy to squeeze onto a bracelet design! Separately, they retail for $30 US each.

    OHM Painting the Roses Red

    A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.

    – Alice in Wonderland

    The OHM Painting the Roses Red bead is heart shaped. The Queen of Hearts would be very pleased, with this reference to her! It has the option to be worn as a bead or pendant. Some of my favourite details are the “painted” red enamel roses, followed by the beautiful vines and branch detailing. This bead will retail for $65 US.

    This concludes a look at the, OHM Alice in Wonderland collection. What are your favourite bead(s) from this upcoming release?

    As a reminder, this collection will release on April 1st, 2020 along with a huge launch of other OHM collections and beads (stay tuned).

    If you plan to make your first ever OHM Beads order, feel free to use my referral link or use code: EMILY1RVCHMDY (at checkout) to save 11% off your first OHM Beads purchase!

  • Afternoon Tea,  Tea,  Tea Reviews,  Uncategorized

    Holiday Afternoon Tea | Langdon Hall Country House at Christmas Time

    My Grandma and I waiting to be seated for afternoon tea

    On December 20th, 2019 my Grandma, Husband, Mother and I went to Langdon Hall Country House for a Christmas Afternoon tea together. This was my husband and I’s second time going to Langdon Hall and we really wanted to take my Grandma and Mother, ever since our first visit! It is such a special place and I knew my Grandma had always wanted to go.

    When you walk up the steps and through the front entrance, you walk into an elegant atmosphere, surrounded by history and seasonal Christmas florals and greens, picked from the gardens and woodland outside the hall.

    After taking our coats, we headed into the waiting area that had a beautiful Christmas tree decorated with old fashioned charm and wrapped presents below it!

    Langdon Hall Christmas Tree

    Soon, they called our name and we were seated at a round table with their afternoon tea menus and beautiful seasonal decor. Afternoon tea is a seasonal, set menu, but if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, it is recommended to call ahead, when you book your reservation. Langdon Hall is fantastic at accommodating dietary restrictions and allergies, and we had called ahead about both my husband and I’s. The server let us know that my meal (and my husbands) were being served as gluten and dairy free and I loved that I didn’t even need to double check!

    Langdon Hall Tea Menu

    The server also explained their tea menu and also asked if we would like any champagne, mimosas, etc! My Grandma and I decided to go for mimosas. I rarely drink (just on special occasions) and this felt like a perfect occasion and a mimosa sounded so good! My Grandma agreed!

    There were so many delicious tea options on the menu. I had quite a few I was debating between. I settled on the, Blood Orange Oolong. Oolong tea is one of my favourites and I was intrigued by the hibiscus and citrus peel notes.

    A look at the Langdon Hall Tea Selection

    The server took our tea orders and brought our mimosas. As we were waiting for our tea and treats, we laughed and chatted away and enjoyed the understated music and outdoor views through the large windows.

    My Grandma also admired her tea cup and inquired about the little infuser inside her cup! I let her know it catches the fallen tea leaves from the tea pot! I hardly ever see this method being used and I absolutely love it!!!!!

    Langdon Hall Teacup and Saucer

    Our pots of tea arrived and they looked so charming! Every one enjoyed their tea selections! My mother actually got the same tea, as me! My Grandmother ordered a delicious ginger blend and my Husband got a peach tea.

    Such a beautiful table setting! And can you spot the blueberry jam, butter and clotted cream?
    My Grandmother enjoying the atmosphere and beautiful view outside!

    After all our first pours of tea were nearly finished, our delicious sandwiches, scones and treats arrived! Langdon Hall recommends eating their scones first, as they are fresh from the oven!

    Gingerbread and traditional scones. Mine were both gluten and dairy free!
    Such a treat.

    The sandwiches and treats were so delicious! Below is a photo of my husband’s selection of goodies.

    Overall, we had such a wonderful time together and Langdon Hall exceeded all our expectations for a lovely Christmas treat together. After leaving Langdon Hall, we drove to see some beautiful Christmas lights…such a lovely way to end the day!

    Which one would you try first?
    Comments Off on Holiday Afternoon Tea | Langdon Hall Country House at Christmas Time
  • Afternoon Tea,  Tea

    Valentines High Tea | Vegan Gluten Free

    For Valentine’s Day, my husband and I went for high tea, after work! We had made a reservation to one of our favourite high tea spots and had been looking forward to it, for quite a few weeks.

    This particular high tea spot is soo wonderful if you have gluten, dairy allergies or are vegan. They have a wonderful set menu for each or both of the concerns, so you never feel you have to make special requests. I cannot have gluten or dairy, so I always get the vegan option. It is amazing and their Valentine’s Day high tea was so beautiful done.

    Vegan, Gluten Free High Tea
    Delicious dark chocolate, rose and coconut chocolate
    Valentine’s Day Cupcakes

    Another lovely thing about this tea spot, is that you can have unlimited tea. This means, you can try a variety of tea and are not limited to one pot. If fact, you can even take a cup of tea to go, when you are done. And this is all included in both of their set high tea menus ($38 and $48 for the bubbly high tea).

    They also steep and prepare the tea to the perfect temperature and time before bringing it to your table, so you are not obligated to time the steeping yourself. I love this because your tea is delicious and perfect upon serving!

    They have a mix match of the cutest tea cups! And I also decided to go for a glass of rose!

    They also have a large tea menu with the cutest names! Many of them are named after the fairytale, Peter Pan.

    I love the tea, “Take Me To Neverland”. It is a mint and chocolate flavoured black tea.
    So many delicious options to choose from…and you can try a variety!

    The tea salon is decorated beautifully, with nods to Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and beautiful balloon and tea inspired details.

    Spot the cute vintage balloon picture!
    Tea is always a good idea.
    Before heading out, you can take some treats to go too!

    We had such a lovely time and my husband surprised me with some beautiful Valentine’s Day gifts, including two new Pandora charms! Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on these items.

    What could be inside?

    We had such a wonderful time! Always amazing service and a romantic, yet fun dining experience. After we were done, we got some teas to go, packed up some treats we were too full to finish and headed to go see the new movie, Alita!

    How did you spend your Valentine’s Day?

    Treats and Teas to go!

  • DAVIDsTEA,  Tea,  Tea Reviews

    Davidstea | 28 Day Cleanse Calendar

    With February here, I have started my new tea calendar from Davidstea: The 28 Day Cleanse. I have been a huge fan of their advent calendar since 2012, so when I found out they had a special “Dry February” themed one, I just had to get it! Plus, it is all my favourite kinds of teas: greens, herbals, whites, oolongs and even some rooibos!!!

    Let the Davidstea countdown begin!!!

    With five days into the calendar, I can already tell you: I LOVE IT!!! It is so lovely coming home after work, to a delicious tea of the day. It’s a fun surprise to look forward to and warms the soul!

    What will the the of the day be?

    So far, all the teas I have opened are ones I keep constantly buy or have tried recently. The Choco Chaga Detox was a newer tea I was introduced to, a few weeks ago. My local Davidstea told me I would love it…and especially iced! I’m not usually an iced the person (in the winter), but…WOW. I’ve gotten it a few times already! SO delicious and worth the colder cup in hand during the winter season. Now, the calendar was the first time I had the opportunity to enjoyed it hot…and as a latte. It was such a delicious treat…but so healthy!!! And I can’t honestly tell you if I like iced or hot better, both were equally yummy. I totally recommend this tea, if you haven’t tried it already. And I have better stock up on it!!!

    Choco Chaga Detox is yummy hot or iced!

    Today’s tea was Goji Green. Such a fruity tea and makes you think of the summer time!!! And yesterday was Buddha’s Blend which always makes me think of the candy, Fuzzy Peaches because of the hint of peach in it!

    Goji Green about to be enjoyed. Happy Lunar New Year, btw!

    I’ve also enjoyed my classic favourites, Organic Detox and the Skinny too. To my friends, these taste like “healthy, earthy teas”, but to me…they taste so good for the soul with delicious notes of ginger.

    Well, that’s it for now. I will continue to keep you posted on my calendar openings. AND..if you’d like to see daily calendar openings (and cute guinea pig helpers), you can watch my Instagram stories here. I post the teas daily and will often include an instagram photo too!

    Have a lovely evening!

    Emily xx

    Tea in a Mickey Themed Mug is always a good idea!
    Reaching for a cup of tea!
    Harlow is the best tea helper! She always makes sure they smell good!
  • Afternoon Tea,  Tea

    Tea with Tiara ?☕?

    What could be better, mid-week then spending an entire day with your close friend? Especially, when she lives in another province!

    My friend Tiara and I had a lovely girl’s day, this past Wednesday. We had “at home” facials and enjoyed some healthy treats before heading out for some afternoon tea at a local favourite. ? We ended up chatting the whole day away… Everything from our faith to fashion to health and fitness. Pray

    Here are some pictures from our afternoon tea: