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The Tea Gathering 2018
As promised, here is a glimpse into the enchanted afternoon that was our recent Tea Gathering. Nestled in the mountains, we sat at a communal table in front of an open fire and partook in a modern day tea ceremony, Nourish and Nest style.
Seasonal flora was strewn down the table and of course, there was candlelight aplenty. It was particularly special seeing people connect across the table, in the glow of our candles, having not known each other before they walked in but feeling the ease that a cup of tea and relaxed space can bring.
Nicole from Reay's Place nourished us with what can only be described as an afternoon tea degustation, with each course paired perfectly with one of our teas or herbal tisanes.
It was the first gathering we have hosted in quite some time and it was nourishing to the body and soul. It was also a beautiful reminder of why these events are such an important part of Nourish and Nest, so stay tuned for what we have planned for this November.
Thank you to Nicole and the team for the food, Marissa for styling, Sasha for the photos and our beautiful guests for spending the afternoon with us.
P.S. Nicole's date and walnut scones with maple butter were an absolute hit and she has kindly shared the recipe with us. Perfect for special Winter afternoons! If you'd like to receive it, make sure you're signed up to receive our newsletter via our homepage.
Scroll down for more photos xx
The ritual of tea
“...Tea.
There is nothing saner than tea, he thought. ... Tea was the great leveller. It brought calm, quiet, contentment, warmth. And it was something to do.
.....Tea-- so normal, so mundane, so hot...
...The heat and scent of it permeated his head and cleared his mind.
He understood completely the attraction of ceremonies grounded in the ritual of drinking tea.
It required both caution and abandonment of the senses. It demanded that you move into it slowly and savor the moment. And it rewarded you with warmth and delicacy of taste and refreshment.
And after you were done, it could parse out your future.”
The June List
Currently...
Celebrating!
Are the birthdays in your family spread out, or do you have a cluster of festivities like me? It is birthday season for my little tribe at the moment which means cakes and garlands (and late nights making!) but also stopping to consider and soak in the uniqueness of the person being celebrated. I know amongst the chaos of lots of little (and not so little) people underfoot that these are the golden years and I'll remember these days in decades to come. And any reason to gather people around cake and tea (or perhaps champagne...) is a good thing in my books.
Reading:
Cook Beautiful. But that's a cook book I hear you say! Well, let me tell you, I judge a good cook book by whether I want to take it to bed to read at the end of the day as much as I do by the recipes. I was gifted this beautiful ode to seasonal eating (and living) earlier this year and am loving working my way through the chapters as the seasons dictate.
Listening to:
The Raw Milk Podcast by Beth Kirby. I have long loved Beth's blog, Local Milk, and her way with words (not to mention beautiful food and photography) but it is her honesty that always impresses me. She shares, quite vulnerably at times, about creativity, mental illness, making a living doing what you love and everything in between. She has just launched a new podcast and I loved the interview with the woman behind a brand I strongly admire - Elizabeth Suzann.
Working hard on:
'Little Nourish and Nest'. We are launching a range for mamas and babes this Spring and it is on my mind a lot at the moment. The ethos of Nourish and Nest - enjoying small rituals, embracing simplicity and finding beauty in the everyday was something I didn't really discover until motherhood and so it really feels like this brand was birthed and grew with my babes themselves. I really want to share the goods that helped me or that I wished for when my girls were babies and of course they need to meet our criteria of being beautiful, functional, timeless and ethical. This little range is being put together with a lot of care and intention and I can't wait to share it.
Planting:
Bulbs for Spring flowers. A little late admittedly but I'm hoping I'll still have blooms aplenty this Spring and Summer. Up until recently, I have not cared too much for growing flowers and now I can't understand why. After a small planting in early Summer, I was literally giddy to check the garden every few days and find foxgloves, mini dahlias, pansies and marigolds. Can you ever have too many flowers?
Harvesting:
Mandarins, oranges and greens galore.
Grateful for:
The magical Tea Gathering that we held recently and the beautiful people who came along. It was such a special afternoon... I'll share more about it on the blog in the days to come.
Chat soon,
Tara xx
The Tea Gathering 2018
Nourish and Nest is once again collaborating with Reay's Place to bring you 'The Tea Gathering': a nurturing afternoon of beautiful Nourish and Nest teas paired with delicious morsels from Reay's Place.
And we only have a handful of tickets left!
Set amongst the forest at Mt Keira Girl Guides Hall, you can trust that the gathering will be a sensory delight in true Nourish and Nest style.
This event is perfect to come to on your own or with a friend.
The gathering will be held on Saturday 26th May, 2:30-5pm.
Want a sneak peek at the menu???
Secure your ticket here.
Gather & Celebrate - International Women's Day
Earlier this week, Nourish and Nest hosted a few fabulous women we know for a mimosa gathering (we're totally claiming that as a thing now) to celebrate International Women's Day and raise money for One Girl.
We believe in community over competition and being inspired by one another rather than making comparisons... and good food, tea & champagne don't hurt either.
Nourish and Nest will be donating $1 from every candle sold this month to One Girl who are doing the powerful work of providing education to girls who otherwise wouldn't have access to it.
Strong women - may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them xx
The February List
The second month of the year, for me, seems to be the time that things really start moving along. The days are still warm and the daylight hours long, but after a Summer of recharging and dreaming, February is usually when I get motivated to see those dreamy ideas take shape.
So the things that are filling my mind, my diary and my home this month seem to fit that theme.
Reading..
Entrepreneur by Kinfolk. Aesthetically and philosophically, I particularly love the spread on Francesca Bonata of Coqui Coqui.
Re-visiting..
Simplicity Parenting. It is such a brilliant book, especially if you have school-aged children, a rather realistic guide to embracing simplicity as a family.
Burning..
Lemongrass & Coconut and Fig & Hazelnut candles. I lean towards the former when it's a balmy day and the latter when I'm in the mood for getting cosy.
Finalising..
the details of our next gathering, to be held in Wollongong this May. It will be a delicious, nourishing afternoon. Details will be released very soon.
Listening..
to the BGM channel while I am working. I find it helpful to have a soundtrack to my working day. It seems to help focus my ever-wandering mind on the task at hand.
Discovered through this blog.
Washing..
myself with our Lemongrass Nourishing Body Bar. I love lemongrass essential oil in the morning. It is an aroma that cuts through the morning fog and feels fresh, energising and just a little bit tropical (always a good thing in my books).
Harvesting..
our first pumpkin for the season. Truth be told it was a rogue vine that sprouted of it's own accord. And the last of the chillies.
Planting..
Not quite there yet but getting ready to plant the Autumn garden. Leek and garlic and broad beans.. oh my!
Drinking..
not coffee! Crazy I know. I am have a coffee-free month and am feeling fabulous for it (as opposed to how I imagined I would feel which was more along the lines of psychotic). As you can imagine, there has been plenty of tea consumed. I love to start my day with a warm cup of 'Settle' tea and then often sip chilled 'Refreshed' tea throughout the day. If I really need a pick-me-up, I turn to my beloved 'Island Green'.
Making..
Autumn candles! Ready for the season to come. I love that our tribe mark the season with our limited edition candles that are a celebration of the now. It's an honour to make something that will be a part of people's homes and everyday rituals.
Thank you for your support of Nourish and Nest and the philosophy behind our brand.. hope your February is going swell!
Tara x
Christmas Gathering
We're all about gathering and celebrating.. which is exactly what we did a couple of weeks ago with a simple backyard dinner to thank everyone who is part of Nourish and Nest and Nourish Creative. I truly am grateful for each and every one of them.. and hey, any excuse for a party right?
Marissa took a simple communal table in our backyard and styled it up beautifully. Candles, greenery, wood and glass.
Event Lighting Hire weaved their festoons through our hedge and kiwi fruit vine and strung their new drop lights over our table.
We drank a Summer tea cocktail (recipe below) whilst we ate around one of Nicole Reay's signature grazing tables. Once we sat down, she fed us spinach wontons, crab and quinoa fritters, lamb and haloumi skewers with tzatziki and prawns with lime aioli on brioche rolls. Delish.
Thanks to Hindsight Images for the photos.
Hope you all have a chance to gather with those you love and appreciate too!
Tara xxx
Summer Tea Cocktail
(disclaimer.. this is a very loose 'recipe', no exact measurements were made!)
Brew a pot of our 'Refresh' tea (lemongrass, ginger & lemon myrtle) and chill in the fridge. Mix it with mineral water, freshly squeezed lime juice, a splash of pineapple juice & dry ginger ale and vodka to taste/preference. Serve chilled with a stick of cucumber.
Fresh, light and summery.. enjoy!
Christmas love & store break
From my tribe (in the flower garden!) and I to you and yours, I want to wish you a beautiful Christmas and New Year.
I am incredibly grateful for everyone who makes Nourish and Nest part of their rituals and their homes. Some of our customers have been on board since we began 3 years ago and some have just discovered us - and we've loved connecting with you all this year!
And thanks to you, we were able to donate $1 from every candle sold this year to organisations such as The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, The Preemptive Love Coalition and A21.
The Nourish and Nest online store will be on a break from 19th December until 21st January. Any orders placed during this period will be shipped out (with love) on the 22nd January. Don't forget you can always source our goods of ritual from one of our stockists.
We've dreamed up some new things for Nourish and Nest for 2018 and I look forward to sharing them with you next year.
Peace and love,
Tara xx
Photo of my girl gang by Hindsight Images
The in-between days...
I really do look forward to Christmas. I love the meaning and the gathering and the kindness and the giving. But to be honest, one of the things I look forward to the most are the days directly after Christmas.. when all the festive engagements are finished, and there's a lull in between Christmas and the New Year. Even if we're working during these 'in-between' days, things seem to be a little slower and a whole lot quieter.
One of my favourite Christmas rituals is to find some time on Boxing Day to drink tea and read in bed (possibly while the kids watch Elf for the 100th time.. ahem..)
After all the gathering that the festive season involves, it's rather delightful to spend time alone and recalibrate, with a full heart and the promise of a fresh start that the New Year brings.
When the pre-Christmas days are busy and long, I look forward to the upcoming 'in-between' days. I'll be sipping French Lady Grey (the most indulgent tea to drink in bed) out of my favourite ceramic tumbler, burning our Lime & Cucumber candle and tackling my way-too-ambitious book pile (or Kindle line-up as it may be).
My Summer reads include: Gourmet Rhapsody, Wonder (once my daughter has finished it), Saga Land and Traveling Mercies.
If you want to put together your own 'in-between days' self-care stash, don't forget to purchase your goods of ritual by Monday 18th December to ensure your order arrives before the Christmas break!
Tara xxx