Tea notes: February edition

This month's recap and recommendations, including a rap-symphony date, Kyoto-made matcha, and Substacks to follow

Feb 27, 2024

After a bit of a winter slump and some heavy social hibernation, I’m feeling like a fresh little sprout poking up out of the ground, my soft stem bending me toward the sun.

Today’s newsletter is an end-of-month recap of sorts—where I share bits and bobs of what I’ve been reading, eating, trying, buying, etc. Let me know your thoughts on this format, and hope you enjoy rooting around the contents of my open tabs/screenshots/Notes app with me.

P.S. This month marks one year of writing this newsletter. For all that have been along for the ride—thank you so much for reading, subscribing, and sharing.

Starting March, I’m making an optional paid tier available. If you’ve been getting a latte’s worth of enjoyment out of Teahouse, I’d love your support via a paid subscription. This will give you access to exclusive paid subscriber-only content, personal updates, reader q&as, and the full newsletter archive. I’ve been absolutely buoyed by the paid pledges that you have made to date. Current subscribers can pledge below, if you’d like. Your support means the world! 🤎

February highlights

Celebrated Galentine’s with a floral arranging class at Buckley House of Flowers—highly recommend for a girls’ night activity.
Lunar New Year! My mom sent $168 (a Chinese lucky number) in a red envelope, followed by a voice note that I should tuck the envelope under my mattress. Unclear if the intended outcome is wealth, babies, or both…
Spent a weekend in LA after many moons away—despite the unseasonable raininess, we had such a restorative weekend. I lunched at cafes surrounded by Mandarin chatter and slurped up a nourishing bowl of galbitang in K-town. I caught up with all the friends who decamped to LA in the last decade, met all the pandemic dogs and babies, and hearted waterfront Zillow listings while contemplating a move, because there’s something to be said about living close to your people.
Attended the opening reception of a Mexican chair design exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, which inspired me to sign up for a dual membership with a friend. We calendared a monthly museum date for good measure, and I’m already looking forward to our new friendship ritual.

We saw RZA and Raekwon (of Wu-Tang Clan) in concert with the Colorado Symphony last weekend, and it was one of my favorite live music experiences to date. Call me geriatric: A 7:30 pm start time, assigned seating, and intermission make for my kind of show. I loved the unexpected artist collab and had no idea that we had one of the most experimental symphonies in our backyard.
I’ve been taking a writing course through Lighthouse Writers Workshop, and it is giving me life, forcing me to dig into the archives of my memory, and working that long-dormant creative muscle that was lost to writing b2b tech web copy for the last decade.

Denver’s recently opened Alma Fonda Fina—featuring creative Mexican cuisine reminiscent of the fresh, bold flavors we get in Riviera Nayarit—is my new favorite restaurant in town. Did I go twice in three weeks? Maybe. I like what I like.

Favorite finds

Refreshed our linen closet with new towels, per
Hillary Kerr
’s thoroughly tested recommendation. They are oh-so-soft and fluffy—perfect if you like a lightweight towel.
Kept seeing recs for this Goop hair scrub and loving it for combating greasiness and product buildup (can’t get my husband to stop scooping it either).
Currently on a daily matcha latte kick with this Kyoto-made matcha powder—naturally sweet enough to forgo syrup.
Extending the life of my winter knits with this tissue-thin modal cashmere long-sleeve.
Tried this new brand of taper candles for my Lunar New Year table—reasonably priced and dripless!

What are some things you’re loving right now? I’d love to hear about them—whether the spring shoes you’re shopping or the Substacks you’re subscribing to.