So for me, tea is one of my favorite things to drink. Whether hot or cold, I love the flavor and all it has to offer. I don't discriminate when it comes to tea, I love both loose tea and bagged tea.



I had started to notice the amount of teas in boxes was starting to take up a lot of space where I normally keep my teas. So, I began hunting for a cute way to store my tea bags that would still be functional.








I began shopping on Amazon for a closed container that held a decent amount of teas. The storage couldn't be too big or too small. I have enough teas to need a decent size, but also for when I bought more kinds, I wouldn't have to keep them in the box, but would be able to store them right away.
There were a lot of wooden tea boxes that satisfied those needs, but they were out of the price range I was looking to spend. Some of them were $30 and up. Then, I found this gem, which is exactly what I was looking for. I didn't need to put my teas on display, like with many of wooden boxes with glass in the lid.





I love my container and it holds every tea bag I have. This was such a great buy for $25! And now I must continue the hunt for a cute storage solution for my loose teas.






Until next time!

If there is one thing I absolutely love, it's Oreos. Last year they released an Oreo called Most Stuf  because, well they were unlike any other Oreo containing the most filling of all the rest. Not even the Mega Stuff Oreos can even compare.

As an Oreo lover, I had to jump on this opportunity, but by the time I found out about them, they had sold out. I had even wondered if they were even sold in my area because they were gone without a trace. Luckily, there were plans in place to re-release them so that more people could enjoy them. And I am so glad they did!




Upon testing, and I mean my testing I mean trying not to eat the entire carton, I did notice that the cream tasted slightly different than in other Oreos. It had a distinct taste. That is not a bad thing, but just something that I noticed. You can never go wrong with an Oreo, unless it doesn't have enough cream.

This also gave me another chance to play with my 50mm lens.

When it comes to my normal Oreo routine, I think I'll stick to my Double Stuffed Oreos. I like the option though of double stuffing my double stuffed when I feel it's needed. Is this too much cream? Not for me, but another downside is that is with more cream, you get less cookies in a package.

Every year in November, there is a weekend where artists come together to do workshops and stock up on artist supplies. Art of the Carolinas is something I always look forward to. I get inspired being around other creative people that too have a passion for art of all kinds. There are so many great products and demonstrations I can stay there all day. A couple of years ago, I even took one of the acrylic paint workshops and look forward to taking one again in the future.

Before I head to the show, I have to make a list to get a general idea of what I need and what I saw at the previous year's show that I wanted to go back for. A few of  the items I purchase are staples, like sketchbooks and drawing pens and markers. Then there are a few that I saw last year that I wanted to get this time around. And then of course there are things I picked up because they drew my attention as something cool to have. At a show like this, you always have to budget in fun and unexpected extras.

This is the absolute best time to buy or stock up on art supplies because the prices are the best and at their lowest.

So here is what I got:

As someone who sews, you always have a wish list for what you want in your arsenal. For me, I always wanted to have a sewing machine, a serger and a coverstitch machine. Well for the longest time I had only the first two, and now I have the third. For years I have wanted a coverstitch machine and either the price was too high or it was not what I was looking for. In recent years many of the prime companies have begun to have them, but I never found one until more recent months.

I was watching an episode of "It's Sew Easy" and I found myself staring at the machine featured on the show. It was the Brother CV3550. It is one of the first machines on the market that has a coverstitch on both the top and bottom. So I went on the hunt to find the machine and ended up in the next town over. After testing it I fell in love, but the sales associate and fellow seamstress had me also consider the Juki 1700QVP. It was less than the Brother, but that doesn't mean it lacked in quality.

There was a Quilt and Sewing Expo in August and I was able to take a second look at the show. I tested them both at the show, and realized how much more I really preferred the Juki. The Brother machine upon a second testing was not what I wanted; it shook too much when stitching and like a car, it just didn't feel right. So after further debating I ended up with the Juki. Although I wanted the coverstitch on the top and bottom, the Juki felt like my other machines.

Not all coverstitch machines are created equally and one of my top requirements was that it would have three needles, (many of the machines only have 2), and that it wouldn't be a pain to thread or re-thread.







As I continue to play with it more, I'll post some of the projects I made. I have been waiting a long time for a machine like this so I look forward to seeing what it can do!