Model Monday: Kaya #5

It's Not Raining!

But It's Still Cool and Damp

It's been raining for days; today we get a break. Yay! It's a good day for a skirt and my favorite sweater. So very cozy and warm. Do you have a favorite sweater or sweatshirt?

I took a chance mixing patterns and really like the result. I hope you do too.

The Shoot

Which is your favorite photo?

The Details

Sweater: OG Beyond Cozy (retired; no link available)
Blouse: OG The Real Teal (retired? no official link available)
Skirt: Amy Sheppard, local crafter
Socks: cream pointelle; I forget where we got these. It was definitely a local crafter.
Boots: The Queen's Treasures. The boots are no longer on The Queen's Treasures' website, but it seems you can get them from Target online.

So glad you stopped! come again soon.

Note: Tea Time with Melody Q is not affiliated with American Girl, Our Generation, The Queen's Treasures, Target, or any crafter. The outfit featured above was put together using various items in our collection. All were purchased with our own money. Most links will take you to previous posts and are intended purely for informative purposes. No purchase is required or suggested to enjoy the post.

Fun Friday: Grace Factoids

Get to Know Grace

Hi! It's Friday! I hope you had a great week. We're working on adding a profile page to Tea Time with Melody Q and hope you will be able to help up narrow down our profile photos. Most profile pages give stats and favorites. We're following that pattern.

My full name is Grace Thomasina Silverleaf and my birthday is January 22, 2005. There are books about a girl who looks like me; her birthday is September 17, 2005.

My pet is a French bulldog named Bonbon; she's off napping somewhere.

I like to bake, hike, read, and watch movies in my spare time.

My Favorites

Animal: French bulldog, of course.

Book: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. See my review here.

Color: Burgundy or cerise

Food: Croissant. Ah, that buttery, flakey yumminess! With some raspberry preserves...(sighs)

Flower: Unbleached. (giggles) Actually, I really love forget-me-nots. I know, they're blue not red. Oh well.

Instrument: Mandoline. (giggles) I don't play an instrument, but this is one handy kitchen tool.

Movie: Oh, my gosh! I love, just love, A League of Their Own! Have you seen it? I can't move from the screen when it's on.

Number: Hmmm, 9. It's really fun to say in French...neuf.

Rock group: This is a tough one. The Smiths, The Beacons, The Runaways, The Donnas, The Strokes, The Black Keys, The Cranberries, The Lumineers, The Decemberists, The Foo Fighters, The Pretty Reckless. (laughing) Can you tell what they have in common? (laughing) oh, and Selena Gomez.

Sport: Um, let's think...baseball!

Tea: This one doesn't show up in a lot of profiles, but I think for us it's a must. My favorite teas are Paris and Paris Breakfast.

TV Show: The Great British Baking Show and Chopped.

I think that's it. Did I leave anything out? Feel free to ask me a question in the comments below. Make sure it's polite and appropriate. 

Hey, and please let me know which photo is your favorite. I'm having a hard time picking a favorite. Thank you! Merci!

À bientôt!

Tea Review: Stash EG

Thirsty Thursday #26

Stash Earl Grey (thé noir earl grey)

Hi! Guess what? Today it's really Tea Time with Melody Q! (giggles)

(nudges leg) Oh, and Coco too! We're going to look at Stash tea's Earl Grey.

The box contains 20 tea bags individually wrapped in foil pouches. On the back you find ingredients and brewing instructions as well as the company information.

If you are a long time follower, you know my favorite tea blend in Earl Grey. It has a lovely citrus-y, smokey aroma. When I opened this pouch the aroma wasn't quite right. The citrus seemed off.

We've added the hot water and set the timer for 4 minutes. I'm hoping for the best.

[Timer beeps]
Done! Look at that wonderful color. Dark amber.

Let's take a whiff. (inhales deeply) 

Well, it smells okay, but it's still not right. Reminds me of the smell of over ripe oranges on the verge of spoiling.

We've transferred the tea to a mug. Still looks awesome! I'll be using the smaller cup in the background.

(sips) 

The tea plain or without anything in it is okay. The bergamot is more flowery than citrus-y. I'm on the fence. I wonder how it is with sugar.
(sips) 

I added plain table or white sugar. The sweetness of the sugar meshes well with all the notes. That bergamot though...let's add milk.
(sips) 

Ah, creamy, slightly sweet. The warmth. But the bergamot again! It's just not what I'm used to. It's too, I don't know. I don't want to say too flowery because I like the Earl Greys with lavender in them...hold on. 
[Leaves room, Coco at heels]
Woof!
[Keys clacking] A-HA! UGH!
Woof!
[Returns]
There are two types of bergamot!! 

The plant - also called Bee Balm which is prevalent in America - AND the fruit - also called sour or Seville Orange! I was hoping since Stash is located in Oregon they used the leaves of the plant in their Earl Grey blend. But reading their website shows they do use the fruit. I think they let the fruit get a bit too old before extracting the oil and the word I'm looking for is perfume-y. 

So here you have a review without stellar marks. Actually, we've been drinking this one all month trying to see if it would get better. This was our last Stash Earl Grey tea bag. While we don't plan to get the Earl Grey again, Stash has other flavors we enjoy more. Our local grocery store has several; yours may too.

Have you ever had a tea or beverage you thought you'd love and then didn't? What was is it? Please share your memory with us.

Best wishes,

Note: Tea Time with Melody Q is not affiliated with American Girl or Stash tea. The featured tea was purchased from our local grocery for our collection. The review is unsolicited and composed of our own observations, thoughts, and words. All links are provided for educational and informative purposes. Not purchase is required or suggested to enjoy the post.

Model Monday: Lanie #3

February Icky Weather

Today is supposed to get up to 50 degrees...HA! Definitely, not getting there to day. It's really rainy. today and cold enough for a knit hat. I took Bijoux for a short walk and we didn't get very far; she wanted to go back where it was warm and toasty.

The Shoot

The Details

• Hat: this is our new pink hat from Lady Vanyer. I didn't need the scarf...I think.
• Coat: I love this coat. It's pink! Yay. It's the Rainy Day Coat from AG. (retired 2015)
• Sweater: You can't see it, but I'm wearing a long sweater under the coat. I'm glad I did; keeping me warmer than a tee shirt. It's the one from the Snow Good to See You outfit. I love the different pinks!
• Pants: We've had these for ages! I love them. So very comfy AND they have pink flowers near the hem on the one leg. They're from the Photographer Outfit. (retired 2011).
• Shoes: We picked these and the matching handbag up at The Queen's Treasures. You'll see us wearing them a lot. Stylish and comfy.
• Pup: Bijoux is the AG Pomeranian puppy. You can read about her adoption here.

Xyra Aside: It is raining today. Just misting when I took these shots, but the area was wet. to protect Bijoux's paws I folded a piece of cling film or plastic wrap so it fit just under her. I was able to shoot around it, but it's visible in one or two.

So what do you think of my outfit? How is the weather where you are? Which is your favorite photo?

See you again soon!

Note: Tea Time with Melody Q is not affiliated with American Girl or The Queen's Treasures. All items featured in the post were purchased for our collection or received as a gift from friends and family. All links are provided for educational and informative purposes. No purchase is required or suggested to enjoy the post.