My Favorite Things, Right Now

1. This Forever 21 fleece-lined sweater I got in the mail today. For only $14, it is the perfect slouchy fit, warm, cozy and that heather gray non-color I like so much. Wearing it now with Brandon’s Hollister sweats, but I’ll wear it out too: with jeans and a scarf and boots or something.

2. Every day I am falling harder and harder for my Kindle. It’s an addiction: I love reading on it, I love how I can hold it with one hand (and turn pages with the same hand) and I love the instant access to books. (I have some great book reviews coming up next week too.)

3. Speaking of books, for all you fashion people, have you read The Fashion File by Janie Bryant? Brandon got it for me for Christmas and it’s a book filled with tips and inspiration from Bryant, who is the Mad Men costume designer. I tend to poo-poo fashion or style books because they are generally bad and/or dated by the time they go to print, but this is one worth having. It’s a genuinely good style advice-type book and has a gorgeous layout, too. If you’re about to buy Style by Lauren Conrad, save your money and get this one instead.

4. Brandon’s parents bought us a Keurig coffeemaker for Christmas and I’ve been churning out and drinking unholy amounts of coffee since. I know these are super-hyped, but it’s really well-deserved. It’s so easy, there’s virtually no clean-up and the coffee is brewed perfectly every single time. (Also, the largest cup size setting on the Keurig fits perfectly in my favorite Williams-Sonoma Cafe Mugs, which I’ve written about before here too.)

5. Sometimes it’s the little things: I found a nearby restaurant that makes fantastic sushi—and delivers fast. [These things are a big deal in the suburbs, y’all.]

What are your favorites right now?

Review: Kusmi Tea

If you have been reading my blog for some time, you may know of my little-disguised addiction to coffee. I am definitely more of a coffee person. Tea seems a little twee to me—kind of coffee’s watery, less potent cousin. Thus, I don’t really drink tea unless it comes in the intensely sweetened, delicious Southern iced tea style.

Kusmi Tea is trying to change my mind about this whole coffee addiction thing. They even seem to have timed their delivery of complimentary teas to my doorstep strategically. A chilly, rainy day and, lo and behold! A big box of adorably packaged teas. Alright, you’ve got my attention now, tea-mongers!

Kusmi Tea, a Paris-based Russian-style tea manufacturer, has been making tea for the past 140 years and sent me one of their all-time bestsellers: their Detox blend, made from Chinese Green Tea and lemongrass. They tout it to be slimming and invigorating, without the side effects of caffeine.

Err, what? No caffeine. Ah well, I shall soldier on nonetheless.

(Also, I was completely taken by the adorable satchels that hold the tea blends. See above.)

Verdict? Detox was pretty tasty, actually, not too bold or bitter and, although I am no tea expert, it was so enjoyable to drink a hot cup of tea on a rainy day. (Oh no, I’m a cliche!) :) The Love flavor, a more spicy blend, was even more satisfying.

But, please note: whether this is or is not related to the tea, I’m not 100% sure, but while drinking the Detox tea, I noticed my mouth starting to feel very dry. I thought it was strange, but finished the cup. Several minutes later I was incredibly thirsty and felt extremely dehydrated. I proceeded to drink about 16 more cups of water the rest of the evening to try and get rid of the dry, thirsty feeling. I don’t know if this is due to the detoxifying ingredients in the tea, or I was dehydrated myself and it was completely unrelated, but I thought it strange and worth a second go. I’ll be conducting a few experiments over the next several days to see if that situation replicates itself, or if it was just a weird coincidence.

Despite the weird dehydration thing, I thought the teas were tasty, beautifully-packaged and strong enough to please a coffee drinker, like myself. They would make a really wonderful gift for a tea-lover, or even a coffee drinker who you hope to convert. A gift of these teas, a teapot and some adorable cups would be perfect!

There are several ways to find/buy Kusmi Tea online:

Buy Kusmi Tea directly off their website.

Buy Kusmi Tea on Amazon.com via EuroGrocer. (This is one of the only spots I found that had Detox tea in stock—last night it was entirely sold out on Kusmi Tea’s website.)

Buy Kusmi Tea from TeaDog. (This website also has Detox in stock, but they appear to sell quickly.)

EASY (LAZY? NOT FANCY) ICED COFFEE

I got a whole bunch of questions about my iced coffee “recipe” when I mentioned yesterday how much of it I have been drinking.

I’d like to think that I’m quite the coffee snob—except when I make it at home. At home, I’m simply satisfied if it tastes good to my unrefined palette.

Here’s what I do:

1. Brew some Tim Hortons Coffee, courtesy of my grandparents or parents picking me up a big can of grounds or beans. (Thank you, thank you!) From this point, you can use a covered container (like this one) and chill in the fridge for an hour or two, or, if you can’t wait…

2. Just pour the coffee into an ice-filled cup. (See below for a tip on how to use your ice cubes more creatively!)

3. I don’t like sugar in my coffee, so for a bit of extra flavor, I just add a tiny bit of fat-free vanilla flavoring. I know, I know, it’s full of chemicals, blah, blah, ruins the coffee. I think that is certainly true, if you use too much. But a small, delicious drop isn’t going to do you in. Yet.

And, there you go. I’m sure you’re considerably underwhelmed by my masterful iced-coffee making directions, but hey—if you want the fancy, go pay $4! :)

Here’s a tip from Steph on how to get more coffee flavor!

• “Just read that you are making/consuming iced coffee by the bucket (if you could send some up to Boston, I’d appreciate it!) so here’s a little tip: make coffee ice cubes so that you can keep your coffee cold without sacrificing any flavor!”

Yum! Thanks Shaun! And only $37.

• You should look into a Toddy maker. toddycafe.com/index.p… Cold brewed coffee makes a better tasting iced coffee, imo. From their website: “A bold, super-smooth taste that’s easier on the stomach.” I agree.

Want something adorable to perk up your morning coffee?

I picked up two of these mugs yesterday from Anthropologie—one with a “J” and one with a “B”, of course.

Perfect for a cute brunch with waffles, eggs and potatoes.

Anthropologie Monogrammed Mug, “Missus”, $6 each

Walked into the Caribou Coffee right across from my work building this morning and spotted these great reusable coffee sleeves.

They come in all sorts of fabrics, colors and designs.

Perfect gift for a coffee-loving, eco-conscious person in your life!