GeorgiaPeachez

Green Tea - Chinese Gold

One of my favorite stops while visiting China was to the Longjing Green Tea Plantation in Hangzhou.

Located in a beautiful valley with rows upon rows of tea bushes lining the slopes.

Early each morning the workers fan out across the fields and snip off only the new growth.  Then it is all processed by hand.

The most delicious green tea I have ever had.

Everywhere you go in China you see people with their water cups that have green tea leaves floating within.

I'm definitely a convert.  This is my special cup from China with a built in strainer, although it's perfectly alright to eat the green tea leaves.

Along with the green tea it is customary to include dried orange peel and hawthorne berries.  You can use boiling water or room temperature water.  After you fill it up in the morning you can refill it up to five times with the same tea leaves.  The "souvenir" that keeps on giving :->

NYC Flea Serendipity

When we planned our long weekend to NYC I really didn't anticipate getting to any flea markets.  This was a family trip and I was planning to go along and do what every the collective wanted to do.  Believe me, the collective did not desire to go to the flea markets. 

But then our hotel turned out to be within walking distance of the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market so everyone agreed that we could stop by on Saturday and take a quick stroll.  I absolutely loved it and that is where I met up with the DiResta brothers.

What I absolutely did not anticipate was waking up Saturday morning and finding a flea market in the parking garage directly across the street from my hotel!!

 

Literally twelve steps across the street!  I slammed down my Hampton Inn breakfast and hustled right over there, you betcha.

Quite an assortment of vendors and some good junk to look at for sure.

Serendipity?  Hell yeah, but it gets even better :->

I found a fabulous dealer at this market, a dealer with the coolest vintage jewelry, beads, findings, and creations.  A fab dealer with an equally fab etsy shop, Beadtopia Vintage.

I picked up some cool vintage items from her to use in my creations.  I've bought from her etsy shop in the past and I'll be shopping there again.  Serendipity, I love it.

Getaways are Great

You know that feeling when you return from a vacation and you think that was great but I'm so glad to be back home.  I'm not getting that feeling.  My romantic getaway with MrPeachez was so fabulous that I wish it could have lasted forever.

We had the best time and Savannah was too fabulous.

We walked for miles around the historic district, took tours and immersed ourselves in the museums and history.

Our hotel, The Avia, was so perfect.  We ate fabulous meals and drank some yummy wine.

We went to ShopSCAD and it was over the top. 

The weather was so perfect.  I miss Savannah already, but I guess it's ok to be back home too.   

Perfect Weather

The weather here couldn't be more perfect.  Our usual humidity hasn't made an appearance this weekend and the skys are blue with big fluffy white clouds.

MrPeachez and I took a little road trip to Urbanna, VA.  Urbanna is a small town (pop. 750) that is big on coastal charm.  Originally a tobacco port it is now just a sleepy little place to go and relax.  Boating is the main industry and the seafood is outstanding. 

First we had a little lunch at the crab shack right down on the water.  Crabcake sandwiches and soft shell crab sandwiches are all they serve.

We checked out some boats too.  There was a sailboat for sale at this marina that caught our eye.

The views of the water were so lovely because the weather was so clear.

This would be the perfect spot to sit and watch the fireworks and the boat parade that was scheduled to happen that evening. 

Everyone was busy getting their boats decorated for the boat parade.

I took this picture just because I thought this was a cute little shack.

It was a completely enjoyable day in Urbanna but later on back at home it was a lovely afternoon here in Hampton at the beach.

Cluck!

This herd of mexican chickens was spotted on the side of the road in Florida.

The big mama!

Back to It

Our crazy 96 hour trip to Florida is behind us.  The kids had fun and we all are sick of Interstate 95.

My BIL's sister Gina and her mate Robin have the most awesome house right by the beach.  Great colors and beautiful tile work throughout the house.  Every time I visit it makes me want to move to Florida with a large can of pink paint.

Where does a Georgia Peach eat when she goes to Florida?  Yummy!

Mr Peachez had time to chill out too.    

Thinking of Spring - Japanese Style

Daughter No. 2 and I checked out the library used book sale last week.  I found a stack of japanese magazines and seed catalogs that had been donated so I picked up the most colorful seed catalog of the lot.  It is the spring 1983 issue and that is about all I can tell you because I don't speak or read Japanese!  But I can appreciate these beautiful pictures.

Melons really say spring and summer for me.  Daughter No. 2 and I are watermelon pigs.  We can sit down and polish off a whole one between us at one sitting, no problem!

There are of course a few exotic flowers and veggies that I would love to try!

Mums are a popular flower in Japan, especially in paintings, etchings and textiles.

Just for fun I also picked up this little travel booklet for Malaya, March 1962.

I love the ads.  What do you think the "latest apparatus" for facial massage would have been in 1962?  I would love to jump in a time machine and go back to travel to Malaya in 1962.  I'd probably have to take up cigarette smoking though!

Cute Volvo, don't know about those white walls though.

After looking at this travel booklet, I am going to watch "A Town Like Alice" today.  I love, love, love that miniseries.  Such a fabulous love story and that Bryan Brown is smokin'.  If you have never seen it, please watch it now!  It was a PBS series many years ago but Blockbuster or Netflix should have it.  You will thank me later.   In fact, maybe I will just make it a Bryan Brown marathon and watch "The Thornbirds" after that.  Oh yeah.