Tea Time

What is it about tea time that makes me smile? It's a quiet moment to sit back, relax and hold a warm cup. An afternoon tea with someone at the Wenham Tea House. My daughter's childhood tea parties. A collection of tea cups and handmade tea napkins that belonged to my grandmother. A special blend of tea or my favorite drink, London Fog. If you have never tried a London Fog I make mine with Early Grey tea, vanilla, cream and sugar.

I visited the Downton Abbey Exhibition a few days ago, seeing the antique sets and costumes was impressive. I have started watching the past series again on PBS, looking for all the items I saw. I think the movie is going to be great, only a month to wait.

Sometimes I dream of a grand home to showcase my tea collections and host tea parties. The reality is I have limited space and a very small cottage style home. I cherish my heirlooms and justify keeping them, but I do have some guidelines for myself to follow.

1. Not everything needs to be on display at once, I rotate a small collection every few months.

2. Reduce the collection to my favorites. At one time I had four silver cream and sugar services. I donated three to Beverly Bootstraps and kept the one I loved the most. I hope someone is enjoying my donation.

3. Storage is key. I use quilted china storage that you can buy at The Container Store or Bed Bath and Beyond.

Organizing isn't always about getting rid of stuff. It can be learning to use cherished things to bring joy to you every day.

Tell me about your tea time, collections and ways you have found to store them for easy access.

Lake Life is the Best

We annually go camping in early August to The Birches Campground on Lake Cobbosseecontee in Maine. We had a great time floating, boating and relaxing with our fellow campers. Before vacation started we had some big tasks to tackle, the floor of our hybrid RV trailer was 'soft' and we needed to find the leak and repair the floor.

Peter was able to set aside a few hours just before we left to make the needed repairs. The problem: Poorly installed awning bolts allowed rain water to run down the side walls and settle in the floor. It was soggy, a bit of mold and overrun with ants. I hate ants! Once all the bad stuff was torn out Peter rebuilt the floor and reinstalled the cabinets. Peter was able to add some nice storage inside under the bulkhead and improved the outside compartment. The camper was not ready to pack until the night before we left so when we arrived at the Lake I was able to do some much needed organizing.

Even campers need a reorg once and awhile. I did move a few things around and my family took a few days to adjust to where things ended up. I drive them crazy when I find new homes for stuff.

How many cups, mugs and glasses can a small family need in their camper? That depends on what you are drinking. If its 90 degrees you pull out the Margaritaville Frozen Drink Maker and fancy plastic clear glasses. When its 60 degrees and a strong breeze off the lake you hold onto a mug of cocoa and wrap up with a blanket. We only went camping for one week but we had both hot and cold weather. I did purge a few cups this year, mostly the freebie ones and a few old ones with loose fitting covers.

We stock our camper with:

-insulated steel mugs for hot drinks (we like Yeti)

-clear plastic margarita glasses

-red solo cups

-small paper bathroom cups

-dinner plastic water glasses

Today I am repacking the camper with clean linens. Can't wait for our next adventure!

QUICK TIP TO MAKE LIFE EASIER

Repack and be ready for the next trip asap. Restock the non perishable bathroom and kitchen items. Clean linens for the beds and bathroom neatly stored. I like the big blue tote bags from Ikea for hauling bedding.

Enjoy the next few weeks of Summer, only 3 weekends left till Memorial Day. Start planning for back to school. Get that school supply list out early and beat the crowds.

Have a great day!

Lisa

Professional Organizing

Today I am launching my new business,

Jaquith-Creative Professional Organizing.

Hello, I am Lisa Jaquith a Professional Organizer!

I live and work on the North Shore, based out of Beverly Ma. Our services help you create order in your life so you can enjoy the people and places around them.

Specializing in Home Organizing all those busy spaces in your home. Creating solutions for all stages of life; growing families, downsizing, decluttering and paper management.

I will work with you to create a custom plan and help you along the way with creative ideas.

Professional Organizing is a new service to Jaquith-Creative Carpentry business. Creating even better special places in your home.

I love organizing and working with people.

Do you have something you wish you could get organized?

I would love to help.

Look for new and exciting things coming from Jaquith Creative.

Have a great day,

Lisa Jaquith

978-729-8209

lisajaquith@comcast.net