My Ghost of Christmas Passed (pun intended) had a combined fragrance of fresh pine and new baby doll smell. It was a very specific scent that I don’t think I could ever duplicate again. Ham on the table with cousins, auntsm uncles, and grand and great grandparents. Toys like Mr. Kelly’s Car Wash, Patty Play Pal, microscopes and Give-a-Show Projectors. Tangerines still remind me of the Christmas Stocking. Tangerines and nuts in the shell. We were the kind of family who my parents say were poor. Somehow, we never knew that. There were always toys under the tree. Back then as a child, I did not realize that my dad worked several jobs and my mother held down the home front with five of us kids running around. Entertainment, back then, in Pittsburgh involved coming home from school and watching The Three Stooges and Paul Shannon’s adventure time. I am happy to say none of us siblings ever hit one another with claw hammers etc. Continue Reading »
Posted in Christmas, General | Tagged Christmas ghosts Pittsburgh memories family | No Comments »
‘Stir Up Sunday’ took place the Sunday before Advent in old Victorian England. ‘Stir Up Sunday’ refers to the making of the traditional Christmas Pudding and Brandy Butter. Before Advent, the family must prepare the pudding in order to give it time to age properly. The custom originated because, on the Sunday before Advent, English congregations were encouraged to “stir up” and bring “forth the fruit of good works.” Part of the ritual was that each family member must take a turn stirring the pudding while making a wish. Finally, a lucky sixpenny piece was placed into the dough. Whoever finds it in their portion on Christmas Day is destined to be wealthy the following year!
Well, while we at The Stillroom do not make the Christmas Puddings and Brandy Butters, we do import them from the Elizabethan Pantry in Britain. They are the smallest of the fruit cakes and taste terrific with Brandy Butter. They are small enough to put into a Christmas stocking or tuck into a gift basket. Fruitcake has always been one of those holiday treats that people always make bad jokes about, but when you understand the thought behind the tradition, you can see why we love having these sweet and spicy little cakes in our shop every holiday season. Click Here to purchase these and other items from our on-line shop.
Posted in Christmas, General, Products, Store | Tagged Christmas food Pudding Tradition Victorian England | 1 Comment »
I have noticed that we have been getting questions in the shop regarding items that we sell and if they are local. We have merchandise from all over the world starting with our own back yards! We get our statuaries, kaleidoscopes, coffee, biscotti and a number of other goods from the Pittsburgh area.
However, we also have merchandise from Texas, Ohio, Connecticut, Maine, Oregon , Maryland and several other states. We also have items from Peru, Nepal, Madagascar, Mexico, England, China and other countries as well. I think the concern is “how much merchandise do we get from China?”
We live in a big world, it is a global economy and we feel strongly about bringing quality, beautiful, unusual and fun things from all over this world of ours. It has never been the goal of The Stillroom to purchase American products only. After all, “He’s got the whole world in His hands”, not just Pennsylvania!
Right now, you can order the wonderful tea and tea accessories that we carry in our on-line store. Click here to access our on-line store at www.shopstillroom.com!
Posted in General | Tagged global economy Pittsburgh Pennsylvania The Stillroom Ch | No Comments »
Can’t make it into Saxonburg? Really like what you see on our web-site? Good news!!! We have just added our very own e-Store… www.shopstillroom.com is your one stop tea and gift shop. Visit & shop The Stillroom from the comfort of your home or office.
Posted in General | No Comments »
It is that time of the year when the snow starts to fly and the temperatures start to drop. It is nice to warm up after a long day with any of our holiday teas from Stash.
Whether you purchase for your own bad self or for a special friend, we have the the teas to make shopping easy, pleasant and affordable.
Christmas Eve Herbal Tea is a delicate flavor to savor and settle you in for the excitement that is yet to come!
Christmas Morning Black Tea blend is what you will need when the kids get up to open what Santa has left behind. A beautiful blend of black tea, this will give you the kick you need to start the festivities of Christmas Day!
White Christmas is the one that flies off the the shelves like snowflakes in a high wind! A terrific medley of white tea with a perfect balance of mint and ginger makes an absolutely delicious hot drink not to mention the benefits of white tea and the ginger that settles and calms rattled tummies.
The Holiday Chai Black Tea with the added flavors of rum and nutmeg gives a nice twist to the traditional chai tea flavor.
Last and also the newest addition to the holiday collection, Organic Green Merry Mint Tea has won over many of our die hard Morroccan Mint tea connoisseurs!
Beautiful packaging aside, these are delicious and it takes very careful planning just to keep these in stock! Coupled with a package of Stash Honey Sticks and any number of our in-shop goodies, we are happy to help our shoppers put together a thoughtful gift that will be well recieved. We will help you pick out the flavors and package them for you in a way that you can just hand it over to the lucky recipient! We want to go the extra mile to make your shopping experience at The Stillroom Gift & Tea shop a memorable and tranquil one that you will appreciate. Our Christmas wish is for peace on earth, and our hope is to let it begin with us!
Posted in General | Tagged Stash Holiday Tea | No Comments »
Saxonburg’s annual ‘Light-Up Night‘ is no match for the Christmas Tree Constellation, but we certainly are close.
This small town event, which takes place the evening after Thanksgiving (Friday Nov. 23rd), is something we look forward to every year. It is one of the few occasions where you will actually catch all the shops open at the same time!
Like kids gazing into a toy-lined storefront, people start lining Main Street, Saxonburg as early as 6p.m. in anticipation for the parade, which starts at 7p.m.
After the parade, the shopping (if you haven’t already worn yourself out earlier in the day) and visiting begins and doesn’t stop ’til we all drop!
Stop on into The Stillroom to warm up with a wonderful cup of Stash Tea or a hot cup of La Prima coffee. While you are here, pick up an ornament for your tree, a stocking stuffer, or one of many gifts for those special someones.
A number of quaint shops populate the newly lighted street. Along with several restaurants to visit, you can enjoy small town shopping in an old-fashioned way in Historic Saxonburg.
If you like what you see, there are a range of Bed & Breakfasts within walking distance of Main Street. Stay for the weekend and visit all the niceties that Saxonburg has to offer.
For more information, call 724-295-9090
~ or ~
The Stillroom 724-352-0212
Posted in General | No Comments »
In the U.S., Day of the Dead coincides with All Soul’s Day - Nov. 2, or sometimes with All Saint’s Day - Nov. 1. In the States we most commonly associate it with Halloween, while in Mexico it stands as one of the largest festivals of the year.
Historically, this observance is a time for the dead to return home and visit loved ones they had to leave in death. The living celebrate their deceased loved ones by constructing a three tier alter, (to represent the holy trinity). The alter can be as large or small as you want it. Celebrations take place in the streets and cemeteries to honor the lives of those who have passed on.
What started out as a curiosity in a Cape May gift shop some 20 years ago, these skeleton figurines, (which represent the departed) captured my attention. I thought they were whimsical in nature and this began my fascination with the holiday. Through alot of searching, I finally was able to find a small family owned business in Mexico that we were able to purchase these adorable figurines from. From joyous Mariachi bands, to nurses to dogs and cats, brides and grooms along with an array of colorful costumed characters, The Stillroom is so happy to have these cute little hand made skeletons in our shop! They only come out three days out of the year to celebrate this obsure holiday, then they go back into an “altered state” until next year!
It is funny when people come into the shop and they say, “oh look, it is the characters from Nightmare Before Christmas!” That is why we keep a small informative leaflet about the holiday. Once people read it, then the figurines don’t seem so bizarre in a shop like The Stillroom. In fact, they could not be more at home!
It is in this style that I remember my own grandmother. With a photo of her, a spool of thread and needle because she was a sewer, a day of the dead skeleton dressed in a glittered gown represents her sewing ability. I keep a rose in a vase because she had a great rose garden and a rosary because she enjoyed the peaceful meditation.
Posted in General | No Comments »
There is nothing prettier than a pumpkin patch set against an autumn sky. Bright and orange and each different, just like us! (Except for the orange part). One of my favorite things to do is to buy a pumpkin and penetrate the tough skin with my pumpkin carver to release the undeniable aroma of this fresh, cool fall fruit! The way the slimy seeds feel in my hand oddly enough, is simply theraputic, not to mention the creative carving that goes on.
The Stillroom pantry is brimming with dry roasted, lightly salted organic pumpkin seeds, waiting to be picked. We can’t believe how happy people are when they see these, all ready to eat without the mess of cleaning and baking!
Our delicious pumpkin tea from Stash is excellent with a little milk and sugar and is as good as the pie itself! We have a
few weight watchers clients who enjoy it with splenda and skim milk for a sweet, low calorie seasonal drink.
Pumpkin biscotti laced with chunks of sweet chocolate from La Peri Dolci bakery rounds out our pumpkin patch. These are beyond delicious and are a big hit every season, we have a hard time keeping them in the shop!
So, if you find yourself out pumpkin picking in these next few days before All Hallows Eve and Thanksgiving, stop in at The Stillroom to pick your pumpkin treat!
Oh, we also have a wonderful children’s book ‘Eve, The Halloween Fairy’ which you should totally have in your children’s library collection. It is a very sweet story and we invite you to come in a browse through it and other children’s books as well!
Think about it, curl up
with a hot pot of sweet creamy pumkin tea and chocolatey pumpkin biscotti and read ‘Eve, The Holloween Fairy’ with your little goblins!
Posted in General | No Comments »
Laurel Burch was an American artist who had every color imaginable on the tip of her brush and on the tip of her soul. As a working artist from the late 1960’s until her untimely passing earlier this year, Laurel experimented with various media on which to display her art. Fabrics: (scarves & socks) Fashion: (handbags & earrings) and Pottery: (plates & cups) are just a few of the canvases that serve to exhibit these beautiful and imaginative pieces of art.
Laurel’s art work is normally comprised of multi-colored cats and dog, wild horses and celestial dream scapes. Each figure is completely unique. So it’s not hard for all tastes to be satisfied along the way.
Take a few minutes to peruse some pieces from a real modern artist and to celebrate a life that was dedicated to all the colors in the rainbow.
“The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears” -American Indian proverb-
Posted in General | No Comments »
Saxon-burg that is… With all our quaint shops dressed to the nines with 
pumpkins, multi-colored leaves and scarecrows who can resist harvest time….? Any direction you drive this time of year your senses will delight, from the chill in the air to wonderful autumn fragrances, and who could ignore the fall foliage. Take a ride or leisurely walk along our near-by Rails-to-Trails to experience all the joys of fall right in our backyard.
Afterwards, don’t forget to stop by The Stillroom to warm up with a hot cup of Stash tea, hot cocoa, or La Prima coffee. Browse around the shop for seasonal favorites. Autumn teas to warm you, autumn decoratives to warm your home, and autumn candles to warm the air. We have a little something for everyone.
Posted in General | No Comments »
