"The ages-old tapestry of taking tea is woven with a prismatic palette of threads, from the golden strands of tradition and the silver cords of friendship to the rainbow ribbons of taste bud-tempting refreshments and the brightly hued filaments of an elegantly set table."--Publisher's website.

Celebrate the warmth and intimacy of friendship with the warmest and most intimate of celebrations -- a tea party! This collection of seasonal celebrations -- complete with easy recipes, doable decorating tips, and other imaginative ideas -- will inspire you to nurture your friendships through the seasons, through the year.

From tea guru Sebastian Beckwith and New York Times bestsellers Caroline Paul and Wendy MacNaughton comes the essential guide to exploring and enjoying the vast world of tea. Tea, the most popular beverage in the world after water, has brought nations to war, defined cultures, bankrupted coffers, and toppled kings. And yet in many ways this fragrantly comforting and storied brew remains elusive, even to its devotees. As down-to-earth yet stylishly refined as the drink itself, A Little Tea Book submerges readers into tea, exploring its varieties, subtleties, and pleasures right down to the process of selecting and brewing the perfect cup. From orange pekoe to pu-erh, tea expert Sebastian Beckwith provides surprising tips, fun facts, and flavorful recipes to launch dabblers and connoisseurs alike on a journey of taste and appreciation. Along with writer and fellow tea-enthusiast Caroline Paul, Beckwith walks us through the cultural and political history of the elixir that has touched every corner of the world. Featuring featuring charming, colorful charts, graphs, and illustrations by bestselling illustrator Wendy MacNaughton and Beckwith's sumptuous photographs, A Little Tea Book is a friendly, handsome, and illuminating primer with a dash of sass and sophistication. Cheers!

Beloved artist Sandy Clough delightfully guides readers on the fine art of blending tea and friendship. Along with her beautiful antique teaware paintings, Sandy offers a creative variety of ways for friends to gather and savor the fragrance of time spent together, sharing a part of their lives. Friends, old and new, close and far away, will enjoy ideas on how to... have a telephone tea party with long-distance friends host a homeschool lesson on the art of tea make a teacup friendship topiary Laced with wonderful quotes, poems, and Scriptures that celebrate the blessings of friendship, this visually stunning treasure is perfect for rekindling past friendships, nurturing current friendships, and encouraging the growth of new friendships. Ideal for birthdays, holidays, and special celebrations.

Using the ancient Zen tea ceremony, Osho demonstrate the relationship between relaxation, alertness, and meditation. A cup of tea is the most ordinary thing in the world, yet Zen changes this ordinary thing into an extraordinary experience. Here, Osho shows how the art of tea is a form of meditation, telling Zen stories and anecdotes to explain the basic concepts behind the tea ceremony and the original purpose in the Zen tradition of each element of this gracious and refreshing way to gather together with friends. In addition, there are several simple exercises and meditation techniques to bring new vitality to the senses, to promote relaxation, and to enhance the appreciation of the simple pleasures of life. A practical section at the end of the book gives an overview of the different varieties of teas and what criteria to use in selecting them, plus a list of common herbal tea ingredients and their benefits. The book is illustrated with forty pages of color. Two tea cups and a bamboo mat form the perfect "starter kit" for transforming the everyday act of drinking tea into something sacred. Contents: 144-page color illustrated book, two teacups,and a bamboo mat.

New paintings from beloved artist Sandy Clough set a cozy scene for friends to gather and share their hearts while sipping a cup of tea and nibbling delicious scones. Readers will be delighted to find five sections dedicated to celebrating the friends of their lives—the oh-so-sweet one, the faithful one, the newfound one, the rain-day one, and that extra special one. With a loving invitation to spend time together, quotes to warm hearts, and recipes to bless the senses, readers step through these beautiful pages to discover a graceful setting where friendships flourish. When friends give this book, they celebrate the loving spirit of a shared friendship, as wonderful as it is unique. A beautiful gift for any occasion.

The Book of Tea is a brief but classic essay on tea drinking, its history, restorative powers, and rich connection to Japanese culture. Okakura felt that "Teaism" was at the very center of Japanese life and helped shape everything from art, aesthetics, and an appreciation for the ephemeral to architecture, design, gardens, and painting. In tea could be found one source of what Okakura felt was Japan's and, by extension, Asia's unique power to influence the world. Containing both a history of tea in Japan and lucid, wide-ranging comments on the schools of tea, Zen, Taoism, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony and its tea-masters, this book is deservedly a timeless classic and will be of interest to anyone interested in the Japanese arts and ways. Book jacket.