The Stillroom

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Here is a brief rundown of how The Stillroom came into being.

First came the quote, “Herbs do comfort the weary brain with fragrant smells which yields a certain kind of nourishment”.  -William Coles, 1656

I developed a great interest in  fragrant flowers,  spices, essential oils and herbs around 1980 when I was living in Baltimore, MD.  We had a third floor apartment just outside of the city limits where I had a great third floor porch.  This is where I first potted rosemary, cilantro, parsley, basil, patchouli, lavender and mint just to name a few.

I grew up appreciating parsley from the garden and stepping on mint that grew wild in the summer.  Many years later when I started to experiment with flavors in cooking that I never had before, everything was a learning experience.  Like,  the first time I  tasted cilantro and I thought it tasted like soap and vowed I would never try it again.  Over time, however, Mexican food gained major popularity and only then could I appreciate what it added to dishes.  Rosemary was down right exotic to me.  I put rosemary in biscuits and butter and stuffed it into chickens and also had rosemary ice cream once in Avalon. Basil and lavender… well don’t even get me started.

Years later after reading and watching and learning everything I know about this subject, I decided I wanted to open The Stillroom and on September 11, 2001, I was ready to open the doors of my first location.  However, fate had something different in mind.  On the way there I put the car radio on and this was when I heard Ba Ba Booey say the news.  I was trying to comprehend what he was saying.  When I got to the red barn where the shop was located,  we were all just stunned at what we were hearing.  It was really like the day the earth stood still.  The quiet outside in the parking lot was like nothing I have ever experienced before.  A bright, beautiful blue September sky and no airplanes anywhere for what turned out to be days. The quiet was eery.  I was scared. I went home.

The next day I, like everyone else in the country,  was trying to figure out how I was going to fit in this new world that we all experienced together.  New territory.  Unsure. Scared.  I went into my tiny shop and rearranged almost everything and created a corner with a chair and small table and heated water for tea.  Anyone that wanted to come in and just sit there to contemplate where we were all headed was welcome. If they were looking for something  to hold in their hands that felt warm and comforting and familiar,  the tea was there and on the house.  It was quiet but for the ambient music, it smelled fabulous from the lavender which is said to have a calming effect and the space was lit with well appointed  lamps (no overhead lights allowed) and the tea was always ready. That is pretty much how the tea part of the shop was started.

The shop stayed in the Sarver location for less than a year and by the next spring  we were able to purchase a property in Saxonburg where The Stillroom remained until 2013.

We never had a story in the newspaper to announce a grand opening and never did an open house.  (We did get a nice mention in Pittsburgh Magazine and that was pretty sweet).  I always joked and said in spite of being located almost in the middle of a corn field, our tea drinkers did find us!

FAQ-Tea companies are in abundance and the Stash Tea Company is our west coast supplier. Why do we sell Stash teas over other companies?  Stash is just plain, good tea and the variety of flavors offered are excellent.  The Stillroom selection is tip top.  The shop is transitioning from the 10 packs as Stash now offers boxes only.  After selling 10-packs since 2001, this was a bit of a “thing” for me to get over.  I’m over it. Get them while they last! lol

Harney & Sons is our east coast supplier.  If you have not had their Hot Cinnamon Spice tea, you are kind of missing out because it  is superb!  If you love a deep, rich cinnamon tea, this is your cup.  Harney & Sons is a family owned tea company and the teas are outstanding.  (A little more expensive than Stash but not by much and so worth it).  The shop carries limited best selling Harney & Sons teas  that include loose Paris tea by the ounce, loose chocolate and loose rose tea.  African Autumn sachets are now available.

I digress.

Over time, life changes were made and we decided to downsize and move a bit further south on 28.  Closer to the parents, our son and new adventures.  This is the move that prompted me to become part of a fantastic co op that is Diamond Antiques & Gifts.

After many years in the area, The Stillroom is now in Tarentum and has been for three years now!  The shop has developed a great selection of tea including all of the gear that comes with tea.  Self sealing bags, honey sticks, teapots both new and vintage and everything else that I could think of.

The Stillroom is a purveyor of organic, fragrant culinary lavender and super French blue lavender.  The shop keeps a few lavender and peppermint essential oils on  the shelf.  If you have not noticed, the organic lavender is not as colorful as the super blue.  It’s because it is organic, not old. lol If you haven’t tried a floral flavor in food, grab a bag of our organic lavender and bake a lemon lavender pound cake with lavender drizzle fashizzle. It will knock your socks right off.

The Stillroom carries fragrant, dried patchouli which is a natural moth repellent and it is great for sachets.  The shop also has oak moss which is just a terrific subtle scent on its own.   These all blend well with rose petals.

Organic, locally made catnip pillows are always in stock.

New this fall, I put together beautiful harvested dried floral bundles. They are really pretty!  These make such colorful  little touches of late summer and fall in any room.  We have a few great estate sale finds that are used for displays but are for sale.  We have vintage, old, new, locally made cards, sachets, cat toys, tea cups, tea pots, vintage hats, gloves, purses and cool odds and ends.

FAQ-Why does The Stillroom have an arm and hammer as a logo? Because I like it.  Tea strong. lol

The Stillroom has pretty much everything you might remember from the Saxonburg shop and the best part is if you don’t find it in The Stillroom space at Diamond, you now have a whole giant building to peruse! Diamond Antiques and Gifts has over 25 vendors to shop through and they are all terrific.

Diamond Antiques and Gifts is located at 311 E. Sixth Avenue in Tarentum.  Right next to Massart’s historic diner.  Look for the black and white striped awning, that’s us!

The hours at Diamond Antiques and gifts are

Wednesday through Saturday from 10-5

Sunday from 12-5

closed Monday and Tuesday to dust and restock.

The shop opens early on Tarentum Fleatique Days which falls on the third Sunday of each month through the fall.

To reach The Stillroom

412-721-6357 and by all means, leave me a voicemail!  I don’t pick up when I’m driving.

for shop photos and random pics check @lequitalee on instagram!

to read my blog http://www.stillroomgifts.com  oh, wait, you’re already here.

That’s all folks!

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It must be summer is a great song by one of my favorite bands, Fountains of Wayne from the lp Utopia Parkway.    Look it up and enjoy.

The Stillroom Gift & Tea shop is having a month long sale of 25% off anything over ten smackers!

Located inside the awesome Diamond Antiques & Gifts, come in and enjoy a storewide, month long sale.  Not just The Stillroom…all of the vendors…the whole gang!

This is a great opportunity to get discounts on some of the finest pieces of found estate furniture and decorations.

Do not miss this sale.  This sale is brought to you in appreciation of your year ’round support of this awesome store.

We bring to you locally sourced finds from all over the Pittsburgh area and beyond! From furnishings to locally sourced honey and everything in between!  That means we stock over a thousand of everything in betweens.

Thank you and don’t miss our Fall Evening Affair on August 22nd.  The store will be closed during the day as we transform the interior of Diamond Antiques into the beginning of a new season.

Celebrating the beginning of the last few months of the year, we open the doors that evening from 5 to 9 p.m.

For complete details go to @lequitalee on instagram.  Lequitalee=Victoria

Diamond Antiques and Gifts

311 East 6th Avenue

Tarentum, PA

Wednesday-Saturday 10-5

Sunday 12-5

Open early on Fleatique dates!

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I did.  I totally learned something about potted herbs.  Sage is a real powerhouse of a plant.  I potted sage along with  dill in about a 10 inch pot.  My mistake was letting the dill come to flower completely and when I cut it back, the good parts of the wispy plant were not so good.  (@lequitalee on instagram will show the early picture of the dill when it should have been cut back for preservation).  Since it is a perennial that will get crazy if you plant it in the ground, I thought it would be a good idea to pot dill with the sage to keep it contained.  So, the good news is the sage is fabulous so far in this pot.  I’ll hopefully be harvesting it until October.  Sage leaves resemble lambs ear and it dries beautifully!

As far as the dill goes, what’s left of the soggy stems have been pulled out of the pot and are now resting on top of the compost heap.  Never say die.  There’s always next spring.  I did manage to shake the seeds out of the flower heads so I can use those next year in a separate pot.  Or, maybe it’s still early enough in the season to plant them and try again.

The basil is recovering nicely on my window sill after being eaten by beetles.  They are some seriously voracious eaters.  I can’t blame them.  The basil is the queen of my potted garden.  Like most folks that still preserve harvests, basil is the herb that is so versatile in cooking.  I add a cube of pesto to Shiratake noodles, soups, stews and pizza.  I get a lot of mileage out of one plant.  Last year was the first year I actually had a healthy basil plant all winter.  I killed that one too but it was before planting season so oh well.

The Stillroom is in the process of stocking all of the newly packaged teas from Stash!    Don’t forget, the holiday teas are in stock all year.  If you look closely at the trees, a faint hint of faded green is already appearing on the branches and you know what that means.  Hint: It rhymes with schmunpkin.

The long awaited month long sale starts August first and runs all month long!  Find great deals that range from 20 to 25% off on anything over 10 dollars!  That is a great sale from a great store!

Join the Sip n Shop evening affair on August 22nd from 5-9pm.  The Shop will be closed on Wednesday August 22nd during the day to prep for the Fall Preview that evening.

Yes, it is that time of the year for retailers to put on their thinking caps to create new decorating and easy living ideas for late summer which melds in with early fall.  Shadows are changing on the ground as the clock starts to tick off the days of late summer.  All of the fruits of the efforts of both farmers and patio gardener’s alike busy themselves picking and planting and pickling.

At Diamond Antiques & Gifts you can be sure that the vendors are picking awesome pieces, planting decorating ideas throughout the store and as far as pickling.  Pick your poison.  I think you can pickle furniture but it is probably much easier to just get pickled. Just don’t get pickled if your are going to pickle.  Most likely not a great idea.

The Stillroom tea shop is located inside of the fabulous Diamond Antiques and Gifts

311 East Sixth Avenue

In the riverside borough of Tarentum

Hours of operation are Wednesday through Saturday from 10-5

Sunday from 12-5

Open at 8 in the morning on Fleatique Sundays at Tour Ed Mine

Keep checking in for August specials throughout the store!

Hey, I hear brick and mortar stores are making a come back.  Now isn’t that something!

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Here is a tasty recipe that you can create with all of the produce coming in at the local farm markets.

I got two words for you.  Shiratake Noodles.  They are made from the konjac yam and you  can find them in most stores in the produce isle.   They are packed in brine and have a great shelf life in the fridge. They come in linguine or regular pasta type cut. I prefer the regular pasta cut myself and here is how I use them…

First, I rinse the brine off in a colander and let them drain while I prep the sautéed vegetables.  They are very long so I take kitchen shears and go in and cut them up while they are in the colander.  The noodles are much more manageable when you eat them when they are cut up.

.Saute one zucchini in olive oil and garlic and add mushrooms, red onion and a yellow, orange or red pepper. (or any other vegetable you enjoy).  It is a very flexible recipe. I also season with  pink sea salt and pepper and dried oregano from the herb garden.

If you are a meat eater, make some nice little meatballs preferably out of grass fed and finished ground beef.  I add an egg, salt, pepper and oregano to the mix.  Bread crumbs or rice is optional.

After the noodles drain, steam the water off by tossing around in a skillet.  Here is how I assemble the dish…

Shiratake noodles go in a bowl, add sautéed veggies and toss.  Meatballs go on the side along with a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan.  This is a great dish if you don’t want the heaviness of pasta or are watching your carb intake.

The noodles are pretty darn close to regular pasta.

A fine iced tea beverage tops it off.

Diamond Antiques & Gifts is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-5.

The Stillroom Tea Shop is located within the walls of this stupendous building and this is where you will find a lovely selection of teas to be iced for the summer.

Follow The Stillroom on @lequitalee on instagram for pictures of stuff I enjoy doing

#nebby

Nebby is a great new series you will find on WQED hosted by Rick Sebak…Mr. Pittsburgh.

It’s a fun half hour of tv.

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Today I harvested my first bundles of herbs of the growing season.  Here is how I use them.

Basil is always turned into pesto and frozen in ice cube trays.  There are plenty of fresh leaves left on the potted plant to use for fresh dishes.  After they freeze, I pop them out and wrap the cubes individually and put into a freezer bag.  One thing I did notice  with the basil was that the beetles were starting to decimate the poor thing.  I shook them off and brought that potted plant into the kitchen.  I don’t use any pesticides anywhere on the property to ensure the best quality and most organic plants.  As a result we have a lot  of clover growing and the bees love it.

The mint will be used dried for tisanes and fresh in tabouleh salad and other culinary gems.  Parsley and chives will be used fresh in some cold gazpacho on the hot summer days coming our way.  Between tabouleh salad and gazpacho, the herbs are used by the handful which is nice…no waste.

Sage and oregano and dill will be hung and dried and used in cooking and maybe a dried herb wreath later in the summer.

All of the herbs I planted have been potted this year.  If you would like to see my potted herb garden, follow me on instagram @lequitalee.  One of my canines was named Pipa Lequita aka Pipalee.  It’s all I can do to remember passwords, codes, numbers, letters and symbols.  I never forget Pip. She was actually named Pipa Lequita Louisa Fatima Maria Mookda Ingoogoo Kovacs.

Looks like it’s going to be hot over the Fourth of July week so I’d say some cold brewed tea is in fine order!

Here’s is how I make iced tea for one or two.  I did this when I served tea at the Saxonburg shop years ago.  Take a big coffee mug or mason jar, (any vessel that will handle hot water).  Add your preferred number of tea bags and fill about 1/4 or a touch more with boiled water, cover and steep.  You are basically making a tea concentrate.  If you like it sweet add your choice of honey etc.  Stir and top off with lots of ice.  At some point the ice stops melting and you have a nice, fresh iced tea to help you maintain your summertime cool.

Don’t forget, The Stillroom Tea shop is located inside of the awesome Diamond Antiques and Gifts Shop.  The Stillroom specializes in tea and tea accessories such as tea strainers, filters, vintage tea cups, new teapots, honey sticks, honey dippers, gloves, hats etc.  You will always find The Stillroom dabbled with touches of  vintage and antique pieces and generally interesting things like our violet candy. The Stillroom phone number is 412-721-6357 and instagram is @lequitalee.

If The Stillroom doesn’t have what you are looking for, I’d recommend that you try Blue Monkey (formerly Margaret’s Fine Imports) on Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill. They have EVERYTHING!

Diamond Antiques and gifts is two floors of well displayed and organized shopping.  Come and visit us and take a step back in time and enjoy all that we have to offer.  Your flowers will all be blooming and what better way to display your garden goodness than with a beautiful vintage vase.  Or perhaps you need a lovely outdoor chair to tuck away in a secret nook to create a space where you can just hang out and look at the sky for a minute.  You don’t need a “she shed” to enjoy a quiet spot outside under the stars on these summer evenings.

A garden nook and a glass of iced tea sounds pretty nice.

Diamond Antiques and Gifts

311 E. 6th Avenue

Tarentum

Next to Masart’s historic diner, up the street from Gatto’s Cycle Diner and Seita Jewelers.  Across the street from Tarentum Station Restaraunt.

Look for the black and white striped awning!

Open Wednesday through Saturday from 10-5

Open Sunday’s from 12-5

Closed Monday and Tuesday for dusting and restocking!

Remember to follow me on instagram to check out all of my garden pics..@lequitalee.

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“Write it in your heart that every day is the best day of the year”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

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It’s good to have them.

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That is a sort of  Seinfeld reference from season four,  episode entitled “The Movie,” involving the four trying to meet up to see Rochelle, Rochelle.

“Well, you made a long journey from Milan to Minsk, Rochelle, Rochelle.  You never stopped hoping, now you’re in a Pinsk, Rochelle, Rochelle,  When the naysayers ‘nay’ you picked up your pace.  You said nothing’s going to stop me so get out of my face, I’m having adventures all over the place, Rochelle,e ROCHELLE!” -This was sung by Bette Midler to Kramer.

Alrighty, then.

I have finished planting the herb garden on the patio and I must say it is flourishing.  I don’t garden in the ground any longer and find pots are so much easier to handle and care for.  Pots can also be brought into the garage after the growing season and some make it to the window sill for winter.  Last winter I managed to keep a basil plant alive and that was a first.  This year I potted parsley, chives, oregano, dill, sage, lemon grass, lavender, rosemary, thyme and peppermint. I can’t survive in my kitchen without these tasty greens that bring pretty much any dish to the next level.  (I killed my chives this spring, don’t ask).

Some herbs should be potted or they will overtake any garden and you may not want that to happen.  One of my favorite herbs to plant is mint.   Fresh picked  mint can be muddled and made into a refreshing iced tisane during the summer months or  dried and turned  into a warm, soothing tisane during the cold months. (A tisane is simply just herbs, no actual tea).

Mint should definitely be potted.  The runners crawl underground and it pops up everywhere if you let it go.  Some folks don’t mind this at all because then when the grass is cut and where mint has invaded, the fragrance that wafts up into the air is wonderful.

One of the best things about spring are the scents that come from the blossoms of so many wonderful plants, trees, shrubs and flowers.  We have a wild honeysuckle at the beginning of the woods near our patio and when the breezes blow, it stops me in my tracks.  It is sweet and light and I’m sure generations of humans have taken notice of this every spring.  Fragrance does evoke memories of all of the past springs and summers of my life.  Not much is finer in my opinion than the sweetness that is in the air this time of the year.

“Herbs do comfort the weary brain with fragrant smells which yields a certain kind of nourishment.”  My favorite quote.  I put this quote in my blog at least a few times a year because it holds true for me.

The Stillroom Gift & Tea Shop has a really nice selection of mint teas and mint blends, We have black, herbal, oolong, green and loose teas, tea accessories, diffusers, filters, honey sticks, honey dippers, demi spoons, tea cups and pots.  The Stillroom is dotted with antiques and vintage and just interesting odds and ends.  The BEST thing about The Stillroom is that it is housed in a fabulous restored old building in the riverside borough of Tarentum along with 27 fabulous vendors.

If you can’t find it in The Stillroom, you will be sure to find your treasure somewhere inside of Diamond Antiques & Gifts.  You can buy a basket, fill it with coffee, tea, honey, biscotti, treats, a gift card….the list is endless!

In a word, you can pretty much furnish a fine home and be proud to say your decorative flair was brought to you by the vendors at Diamond Antiques and Gifts.  Restored, repurposed, recycled, refurbished, or redesigned, Diamond Antiques and Gifts pretty much has it all.

Our vendors search the Pittsburgh area high and low to find the best in vintage and antique pieces with prices that are affordable to the average home buyer or apartment dweller.  We seek, haul, restore, tidy up and haul again to bring together found treasures on two floors of awesome finds!

Located next to Massart’s historic diner, up the street from Seita Jewelers, across the street from Tarentum Station.  Look for the black and white striped awning!

Diamond Antiques & Gifts

311 East Sixth Avenue

Tarentum PA

Closed Monday and Tuesday so we can dust and restock.

Open Wednesday through Saturday from 10-5

Open Sunday from 12-5

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Helmet, lid, straw, bucket, bonnet, sailor, fedora, headgear, raspberry beret, Stetson, Panama, chapeau, bowler, boater, derby, sombrero, rapper, tam, headpiece, fascinator, stove pipe, ten-gallon, tam o’shanter, turban, visor and last but not least and my personal fave, the babushka.

When we lived in Baltimore, one of the many things that was new for us besides figuring out how to pick apart a crab, was celebrating Derby season.   We lived a few blocks from Pimlico race track and this was where the second leg of the Triple Crown took place.  (Yes, people in our neighborhood DID put chairs in front of their houses during race weekend) Although we never attended the infield parties, we did celebrate this weekend with back yard gatherings that included  friends and family, crabs and beer and bets.  What does this have to do with hats?

One of the things I love about Derby season is not so much the horse racing.  For me, it is about my love of hats.  I don’t run around wearing vintage hats because it’s just not practical in my every day life.  However, I do appreciate the care and work that went into making a fine hat back in the day when our grandma’s and grandpa’s wore hats.  I still remember when I was in elementary school and my grandmother and I would go  to the Heights Plaza every spring for new hats. How I loved doing that with her.  I still wear hats although they are more practical.  Warmth in the winter and shade in the summer.

Speaking of hats, my hat’s off to Melania (if I was wearing a hat) for that awesome white hat she wore recently.  It did get mixed reviews but I say, smart move gurl.  (I think she wore it to keep that thing she knows is not an honorable husband from possibly trying to give her a kiss on the cheek).  She looked terrific and from what I saw,  mission truly accomplished .

So, if you enjoy hats…vintage hats, you need look no further than Diamond Antiques & Gifts.  Beautiful selections are available throughout the shop and the prices are truly fabulous.  Vintage hats were mostly made in the USA by union workers back in the day.  Diamond Antiques & Gifts carries hats that came from Hornes to Macy’s department stores and we have hat boxes too!

Prom, Derby season, Mother’s Day lunch, Royal Wedding (like Frankie Heck) or maybe you are just a cool chick that enjoys spiffing up your wardrobe with a fine lid.

We have a terrific selection of vintage hats, gloves and purses.  Although I think stove pipe hats are out of stock at the moment.

New at The Stillroom (located right inside of Diamond Antiques & Gifts) this month you will find the awesome new flavors of tea from Stash and they are really good.  Two of the new teas are Asian Pear and Sweet Honeydew.   Ermygawd.  That is all I can say.  These are must haves to add to your tea collection!

THIS JUST IN…Diamond Antiques and Gifts was just voted with the Gold Award from the local readers poll!  Six years in a row, not too shabby (chic)!  We’re number one, we’re number one, we’re number one!

Many, many thanks to all who have graced our doors!

Diamond Antiques & Gifts

Wednesday through Saturday from 10-5

Sunday from 12-5

closed Monday and Tuesday to dust and restock inventory

311 East Sixth Avenue

Tarentum, PA

next to Massarts, up the street from Gatto’s and Seita Jewelers, across the tracks from Tarentum Station Restaurant.

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