Always Aubrey

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Sunday Lately: Mending, Beginning, Doodling, Musing, Applauding

Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup hosted by the Blogger Tribe

We e-hangout every Sunday, sharing a small glimpse into the past week of life in our own words.

MENDING... Last week, I mended a pile of clothes. This week, I'm trying to mend my heart. On Tuesday, the world lost Kimmie Jones, one of the first friends I made when I moved to Nashville. She was a part of a little blogger girl squad that we've formed over time, and an integral part of it. I'm working on a post about Kimmie, but it's not ready (and I'm not ready) yet. In the meantime, I would encourage you to get to know her through her writing and unique voice, at her blog That girl in the wheelchair, and at other sites where she wrote...

Hello Giggles: http://hellogiggles.com/author/kimmie-jones/
Ravishly: http://www.ravishly.com/contributors/8745
Elite Daily: http://elitedaily.com/users/kjones1/

BEGINNING... a huge closet makeover! I've just listed a bunch of items on Poshmark, thrown away a bunch of shoes, and have a garbage bag of donations to inventory. I still have an insane amount of dresses (I can't part with them!) and whatnot, but I'm pulling things slowly out to make room. That way, I can add new, on-trend things like these new shoes I bought this week.

DOODLING... on Instagram stories. I quit Snapchat because I was managing too many social media channels... Blog plus Facebook/Instagram/Twitter is where I'll stay. Here's a doodle from when we were watching Rogue One last night.

MUSING... about the beauty in unexpected places. I traveled to Cincinnati for work this week, and I had no idea about the amount of art deco and beautiful architecture they had in the city. I walked and explored downtown a bit, and it was just building after building of beauty. I want to take pictures and see even more next time.

APPLAUDING... my carbon steel skillet. It's becoming a new favorite of mine in the kitchen, especially since it's so much lighter than my beloved cast iron.

THIS WEEK IN SOCIAL MEDIA...

On the Blog: I had a cuppa and reviewed Plum Deluxe teas. You can join their monthly tea club for just $10 a month! So fragrant and delicious.
On Twitter: RT during last week's Walking Dead episode. You can always count on Carol.
On Pinterest: I pinned like a zillion eShakti dresses. I have so many that I love, I need to look into some more.
On Instagram: This mug is the perfect one for me.
Shopping: I want to get all of the Target Poppy d'Orsay Flats in all the colors, like the red and cobalt blue. I just got two pairs at Target, along with a Victoria Beckham top.

How was your week?

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Plum Deluxe Loose Leaf Teas

Plum Deluxe sent me a collection of teas for my thoughts and review.

All opinions are my own. Thank you Plum Deluxe for the beautiful collection!

I started drinking tea about seven years ago, when I was deployed to Iraq for the second time. I don't drink coffee, and at the time, I didn't drink tea. But I learned quickly that black teas, like chai, are basically the national drink of Iraq! You just don't sit down with a group of people to discuss anything without cups of tea passed around. It definitely got me into the habit of drinking tea, and when I got home I became a super-fan: chai lattes, iced tea, you name it!

Andy, the founder of Plum Deluxe, reached out to me and sent me a collection of his teas. He started the company is a tribute to his mother, who never forgot to enjoy "the little things" in life, despite battling breast cancer. His story of building Plum Deluxe, choosing to create a line of premium, loose leaf teas that support local and USA farmers wherever possible. The teas are also organic, non-GMO, and free of chemicals and sulfites.

I told Andy that loose leaf tea was a bit intimidating to me. I usually grab my tea at Starbucks, or I make it myself with our pod coffee machine or tea bags. But once he walked me through it, and I bought the cutest little diffuser ever, I was making both hot and iced teas like a pro. For iced tea, I did a cold brew overnight in a pitcher, so I could have it in the morning. For hot, steeping in hot water was my usual method, so I could have a single mug.

TJ Maxx had the cutest little diffusers!

The first thing I noticed about my Plum Deluxe teas? The aroma! Even before brewing, they were so fragrant. I tried the Oregon Breakfast Black Tea, Portland Rose City Chai, A Dark Night Spice Puerh (AMAZING!), and a little sample of Rejuvenation Blend Herbal Tea. All of them were more flavorful that anything I've gotten from a teabag. There's something even more satisfying about loose leaf tea. It's so pretty, and it adds to the ritual of tea in general.

If you're looking to start a monthly tea subscription for as low as $10/month, or simply stock up on some tea for your own collection, Plum Deluxe is a fantastic choice. The website and booklets are stocked full of information, recipes, inspiration, and more. Andy has put a lot of time and care into his business, and it shows. I love supporting small businesses, and this one reminds me to take time to have a cuppa and lean back a little.

Thank you Plum Deluxe for the beautiful collection!

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Sunday Lately: Working, Loving, Stressing, Growing, Visiting

Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup hosted by the Blogger Tribe

We e-hangout every Sunday, sharing a small glimpse into the past week of life in our own words.

You guys, I've had such a rich week! The birthday joy just kept on giving. Sunday night, I reconnected with an old college friend and indulged in The Melting Pot. Monday night, I took a cooking class with a friend. Three times during the week, I had lunch with beloved coworkers, and they even treated me for my birthday. I guess I'd say that this was a week of friendship. And that just gives me all the feels.

WORKING... on building my figurative "house." This poem inspired me so much this week. The part about the roof being a masterpiece of forgiveness? Slayed me.

LOVING... the S-town podcast! I'm hooked, so no spoilers. I'll finish it on my work road trip coming up this week. It's a true-life Southern Gothic, references to Faulkner included.

STRESSING... about work deadlines and house cleaning checklists, not making time for some of the freelance commitments I have... but I'm working on prioritizing. It's all in the Happy Planner. Breathe in, breathe out.

GROWING... some bomb hairs, y'all! Look at how my girl hooked me up with a cut and some refreshed color yesterday. Love love love. I feel pretty. Confession: having someone else wash my hair is one of my favorite things.

VISITING... with friends. As I mentioned at the start, the theme of this week for me, whether I knew it at the time or not, was about the love of my friends. It felt so good making space to indulge in good conversation, laughter, and trust. After five years in Tennessee, I just feel like things are in a great place.

And I mean, look at this food. This is friendship and fellowship, right? It's actually what my friend M ate, but I snapped a pic because it's beautiful Korean food.

One thing I did this week was write thank you notes to all of my friends and family who gave me gifts or took me to lunch or something like that for my birthday. I'm a sucker for handwritten cards and letters, because it seems more personal in this day and age of texting and whatnot. Old lady Aubrey strikes again.