The Stillroom

I remember being in elementary school during the holiday season.  From Halloween to Christmas, those last few months of the year brought so much excitement!  The very thought of a party at school was all consuming.  The costumes, the candy, the parade around the block…it was so much fun.  Then came Thanksgiving.  Drawing the traditional hand turkey in art class always set the stage for what was to come.  Singing Over the River with the class before the final bell rang to dismiss hundreds of running, laughing kids was the best.  I remember living in Baltimore during the 90’s and driving home for Thanksgiving with that very same rush of childhood excitement at the thought of walking into my parents house and seeing the big roaster full of broken up pieces of bread waiting to be turned into stuffing the next morning.   I still sing Over the River even though we are not traversing rugged terrain and snow and cold by horse and buggy.  Now, we go two blocks to my sister’s house where we are still gathering with our parents and brothers and sisters and husbands and wives and the roast beast.

Light Up Night in Saxonburg is this coming Friday and I will be open at the State Street location for a bit.  The parade starts at 7 and I will be on Main Street watching it this year.  Join me at The Stillroom on State around 7:30 for a visit if you get a minute!  I’ll be hanging out until about 9.  Follow the luminaria, they will light the way to my door.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support and remember to shop small.  It is a good thing.

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The days are flying past me like the scenery in a fast moving car.  Speaking of which, last week when I was riding back here from Parker, I focused my camera out of the passenger window and caught about a minute of life speeding past me.  When I replayed it,  it made me dizzy.

Anyhow, here’s what has been happening at The Stillroom and at Diamond Antiques.  Even though it is technically still autumn, and will be until December blah blah and the pumpkin frenzy is just about spent, it is time to move to the next big thing.

Diamond Antiques will be preparing for the Annual Open house that is coming up the evening of November 11th from 5-9.   This evening event is when the interior of this historic building takes on a magical feel as we prepare to get  everyone in the mood to eat, drink and be merry!  This is a pleasant social event that will give you a chance to browse for cool vintage, antique or new gifts to keep to give.   Our talented group of collectors do work  their holiday magic to give you decorating ideas and inspiration and to help get you into the spirit of the season.

The holiday season in the A-K Valley is an exciting time for young and old alike.  It lights up, well, like a Christmas Tree.  The townships and borough’s have their own special evenings that usually include the local high school marching bands, floats, firetrucks and local scouts and youth groups making it festive and fun.  Some things just don’t change, thank goodness!

Diamond Antiques is located at 311 E. Sixth Avenue, right next to Massart’s Diner, across the street from Tarentum Station, a block away from Seita Jewelers, and a couple of blocks from Gatto’s Cycle Diner.  I can’t think of a better  way to spend an afternoon before the snow flies and the cold sets in than to dilly dally on our street.  You can dine at any of the local establishments, pop in at the jewelry store and then come and visit us!  Not necessarily in that order.  There is a lot to see in Diamond Antiques!  If you look forward to a laid back and relaxed atmosphere, look no further than Diamond Antiques.  The friendly staff can help you search for your Christmas treasure.  If you can’t find it here, we can direct you to the many antique stores that are located within a reasonable driving distance.

The Stillroom Gift & Tea shop is stocked with holiday teas, tea accessories,  honey sticks and more along with my vintage and antique finds.  Vintage hats, gloves, purses and pins.  The Stillroom has vanilla beans and nutmeg for your holiday baking.  You will find lavender sachets, lavender tea and lavender loose by the ounce along with organic catnip toys and organic catnip sold by the ounce.   There is too much to mention so take a minute and stop in and browse this wonderful place called Diamond Antiques.  It does not disappoint!

Here’s some news. The Stillroom Gift & Tea  shop is pretty much ready to open up in Saxonburg for the cold weather tea sipping season.  Catch me if you can at the 111 State Street shop.  The shop will be open on any given day of the week.  I have no set days, no set hours and no schedule written in stone.  It is purely when I can get out there to open. When the open flag is out, the tea monger is in.  If you are passing through and see the flag, by all means pop in to catch the holiday teas and more.  Dotted with antiques and collectibles, it is a very charming little space to visit. Don’t let the real estate for sale sign in the front yard stop you from entering.  Come in and enjoy the tea shop before it goes away at the end of winter.

The Stillroom is open inside  of Diamond Antiques in Tarentum and the hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10-5 and on Sunday’s from 12-5.

Pencil us in for the Christmas Open House on Wednesday, November 11th from 5-9 in the evening.

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The days are beautiful now with no humidity left to speak of and the nights are comfortable for sleeping with the windows open. I love fall.  It is my favorite time of the year.  There are still crickets that lull me to sleep and there are still a few baseball games left and if you are like me, you are starting to plan for the holiday season.  You might think, “that girl is ca-razy” but when you have a shop to take care of among other things,  you have to be a few weeks ahead of “normal time”.

The fall tea that arrived this past week includes some really nice dessert teas.  What are dessert teas?  Well, they are designed to be had slightly sweetened with a touch of milk.  The teas that lend themselves to this treatment are the pumpkin, the chocolate hazelnut, the orange chocolate, all of the chai teas and hot cinnamon spice.  Even if you are a purist about your tea, (meaning you take it straight up plain), the creamy teas are really a delight  and are a lovely change of habit.

September blew by fast and we had one last mini vacation hurrah earlier in the month, I can’t believe we are already checking out candy to give out to this year’s trick or treaters.  Last year, we chose Combos.  One little kid that came to our door said to her mom, “woah, Combos!”  It was kind of funny.  Hey, some kids like savory.

This year, my husband and I will be hosting Thanksgiving in our new tiny house so there’s that.  It has been ages since we hosted Thanksgiving and we are ready to accept the challenge of fitting about fifteen or so friends and relatives around our table.  This basically means we will have to shift literally every piece of furniture in our house, but that is the fun part! My dream Thanksgiving would be to have the whole thing outside if weather permitted.  Instead of the traditional roast turkey I would do a buffet of everything you can think of that you can make with turkey.  Turkey sausage with peppers and onions on good buns,  Sriracha teriyaki turkey meatballs, pumpkin turkey chili, turkey burgers (from the grill naturally), turkey tacos, turkey gyros, turkey stroganoff, turkey sloppy joes, BBQ turkey meatloaf.  I have the capacity to be the Forrest Gump of turkey.  I did say my DREAM Thanksgiving dinner but I know my extended family are traditionalists and I would not want to bum anyone out.  Or do I?  Hmmmm, food for thought.

With baking season upon us, remember that The Stillroom has fresh vanilla beans and fresh nutmeg and graters!

In the planning of the upcoming months, I have decided to re-open the tea shop in Saxonburg just for the holiday season.  By the time we moved from there to here, got settled and me opening up at Diamond Antiques, I finally have it together enough to open up a second location at the Saxonburg State Street building.  Now, this just cropped up in my head this past weekend and it’s definitely in the works.  I’m in the gathering stages of finding some antique display pieces to put in there and will be moving fixtures and tea in over the next couple of weeks.  I have no firm days or hours in place yet.

In the meantime, I’ll be at Diamond Antiques on September 24th and 25th if you want to come in and talk tea, antiques or just stuff and junk.

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I just returned from the mountains of New York where I enjoyed nothing but nature and the Internet.  I know, that sounds  weird but for me that’s the best of both worlds.  The Catskills are very different from the Alleghenies.  These are MOUNTAINS.  High and vast  As a kid,  my family “summered” in the Cook Forest area, near Warren, PA.  To us, that was “the mountains”.  As children, we enjoyed the fruits of my grandpap Ameel’s labors in the form of a great camp, right on the river.  We fished, swam, and bathed in the river with ivory soap because it would float. We also canoed, waded, caught tadpoles, grilled fresh fish, hunted for night crawlers, walked to the farm for fresh milk… the list really just goes on and on.  It was a pretty wholesome childhood.  These days I pretty much would not even put my toe in a river.

This part of New York state is surprisingly very “Witches of Eastwick” in that the architecture and layout of the town is a lot like that movie.  I did not know what to expect in that regard, so that was cool.  There were several great little towns within driving distance of where we stayed and one was Woodstock.  We decided to take a drive there  to see what that was all about.  I was fourteen when that great music scene happened and too young to really understand or care about  the hubbub at the time.  My music choices at that age were just on the cusp of leaving the Archies and The Fifth Dimension behind to the more happening sounds of the Beatles Abbey Road, The Stones, Creedence and The Grass Roots to name a few.  Now, about Woodstock.  First,  the drive in the Catskills was beautiful   The trees were still full and still lush, although in some areas you can see the leaves ever so slightly losing the battle with the seasons. My general assessment is that Woodstock  was kind of a beat looking  town full of old hippies.  It does have its charm if you’re looking to experience a piece of the 60s.  From the pot smoking folks at one end of the park to the chamber of commerce looking folks having a meeting at the other end, it still seemed to have a pretty caring, vibrant, eclectic and most likely, high community.  Lots of little shops and eateries etc…the usual hippie stuff like spelt pizza crust with soy cheese.  Yeah, sure, I’ll take a large, not.

The main reason for this little adventure was actually to see the  Rhinebeck Aerodrome museum.  You need to enjoy vintage air planes and I mean like what Snoopy flew around in.  They will take you up in one but we opted to keep our feet firmly planted on the ground, thank you.  I don’t want to be in the one that decides to take a dump.  Besides, who would be your local tea monger if I go down in flames?

My vacation to the Catskills was very relaxing and I really like watching how the weather affects the water surface patterns on the river there. It poured when we got so there so there was that.  The raindrops pierced  the surface of the Hudson river like crazy for hours.   There were days with sunny skies and a constant breeze that made tiny wavy curls that sparkled like glitter.   Loved that.  Then we had the calmest days that made the water a giant mirror.  Really very pretty.  Now, if we only could have eliminated the very busy train tracks twenty feet from the bedroom, we would have been gold!  lol.

August was awesome at the store!  The month long sale brought in A LOT of shoppers which was fantastic!  The next event to look forward to is the Antique Appraisal Fair on Sunday, September 27th from 10-2.  There is a small fee of $5.00 per item involved so that we can pay the expert for his time and knowledge.  This is a pretty cool event so bring in that special item that you always wondered about.  Is it real?  Is it valuable?  Come in and find out!

Diamond Antiques is ready for the change of seasons and summer is now fully in the rear view mirror.  Insert frowny face here.  Yes, it does go by fast.  But, part of living in our area is changing with the seasons and we do it with gusto and fanfare!  We love to decorate, celebrate, cook and savor a whole new set of flavors that delight the senses.  As sure as summer brings us the lightness of lemon and strawberry, fall brings us cinnamon, clove, allspice, anise and cardamom.  Separately or combined in a chai, we embrace these heavier flavors in our food and  tea experiences

Diamond Antiques and all of the vendors are looking forward to the annual Holiday Open House.  The date has been set and it is Wednesday, November 11th.  More specific details will be available as they develop.  It usually runs in the evening but I don’t want to post the hours until I know for sure.  In the meantime, come in and take some time to step back for a bit and enjoy everything that Diamond Antiques has to offer.  Above all, a great shopping experience in an old timey atmosphere.  That is really nice.   Hope to see you soon!

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Strawberry Pomegranate.  One of the best flavors for summer has got to be hands down, fresh and juicy strawberries.  One of the best ways to enjoy this flavor is with our Strawberry Pomegranate green tea! it is light, it is refreshing and it has the added benefit of wonderful green tea. The way I make all of my iced tea is to bring a large saucepan of water to an almost boil.  Add five teabags and simmer with a lid on for about fifteen minutes.  I remove from heat, take out the tea bags and let cool to warm.  I then add it to a glass pitcher and chill in the fridge.  Of course, if you must have it right away, just pour over a very large cup or glass with lots of ice.  Pretty nice! Strawberry tea is one of the more difficult tea flavors to find and it is always in stock at The Stillroom!

Here are some noteworthy announcements for younz’s.  (I grew up as more of a younzer as opposed to a yinzer). As I am sure you are painfully aware by now, The Stillroom has been located within the walls of Diamond Antiques at 311 East Sixth Avenue in Tarentum.  I will be coming up on a whole year!  Time sure does fly when you are having fun. We are located next to Massart’s historic diner, across the street from Tarentum Station Restaraunt and a block away from Gatto’s Cycle Diner.  That’s nice because Diamond is a great place to meet friends to shop two floors of pretty cool stuff!  From retro to country to vintage to new giftware to jewelry to some pretty awesome repurposed pieces cobbled together by one of the creative artists in the co-op, you will be sure to leave with something!  After all of the browsing and shopping, you can have a very nice meal at any of the above named dining establishments!

Coming up for the month of August, a storewide sale will be in progress!  Yes, the WHOLE month of August we will be featuring some great sales throughout the store.  Keep in mind that each vendor sets the percentage in their space so savings can be anywhere from 10% up to 25% off of merchandise over ten dollars! The Stillroom will be offering a whopping 25% off of anything over ten dollars.  That’s a pretty good sale for a small potatoes kind of shop.  Take advantage of this during the dog days of August.  You might even find me in there serving up some iced tea on the days that I work!

The next happening, of course is the Fleatique in Tarentum at the Tour Ed Mine right off of 28 on Bullcreek Road!  Shop till you drop at this once a month giant fleatique which is located about one minute off of the expressway.  This is an early start, every third Sunday of the month!  Diamond Antiques is open at 8 A.M. on fleatiques days and goes until 5 P.M.  Diamond Antiques also sets up at the event.

Here’s something fun to look forward to.  The Appraisal Fair is coming up in September!  This fun event is an opportunity for you to bring in that special something that has always been a question mark in your mind!  There is a minimal charge of five dollars per item.  This helps to defer the cost of getting our very knowledgeable and talented antiques monger in there to help us and you solve some of these mysteries.  This date will be announced in mid August.

In the meantime, I hope everyone is having and enjoying what will soon be the waning days of summer.  I can see the change in the position of the sun already.  I want to diss the local weatherman that pointed out how much daylight we start to lose in the next four weeks.  i probably could have done without that lovely tidbit of information. Keep it sunny and keep the iced tea flowing.  You really should come in and just see this great selection of tea.  It’s pretty darn nice.

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With all of the news lately on consuming drinks with aspartame, it reminds me of just how bad this stuff is.   Look it up.  Studies show that it brings on a very long list of symptoms that range from headaches to tinnitus.  I’m not going to lie here, I drink one coke zero a day and that might not seem like much but I’m quitting it.  I want to see if the ringing in my ears stops, or my muscles stop aching, or my heart stops palpatating, or my irritability stops,  my rash goes away, depression disappears,  the vertigo and nausea will stop.  My insomnia will go away and my breathing difficulty stops and my memory loss is not so bad.  Jupiter.

Oh, I’m back.  The tea. One of the great things about tea for me is that it can soothe you when you don’t feel well and it refreshes and quenches thirst on  really hot summer days.  One of the things I really enjoy about having the tea shop is that I get to mix and match my teas to create some really nice flavors of iced tea and pass the good ones on to you! One of the combinations I created this week was to a half gallon of water on the stove, add two decaf English Breakfast, bags, two regular English Breakfast bags and one coconut mango oolong. Steep for about ten minutes and let it cool. I poured it over ice and  it was delicious.  I like my tea slightly sweet so I add a half pack of Stevia to a glass with ice.  I have brewed the blueberry herbal and it is not only great but it also brews up a beautiful dark blue color. So pretty in a glass pitcher!  Iced chamomile is light in flavor and tastes like a good apple.  I use the English Breakfast, a couple of regular and a couple of decaf as the base in most brews.  I made a mash up of three English Break with two of the Vervain (lemon verbena) and it is excellent.  I was surprised that the result was more of the lemon flavor and it’s very herbally!  You don’t need to add any lemon. The combinations are endless considering I carry over 50 flavors of tea!

The cost to brew up a nice pitcher full is just over a dollar…very inexpensive and so worth it. The best part is you can control everything you are consuming.  Herbal, green, black, white, regular or decaf and in any flavor combination. I think this is a great way to keep the kids and us grownups quenched with a healthier alternative.   With the dog days of summer approaching and you are, like me, giving up diet drinks or sugary drinks, keep in mind that tea is not just for the heart of winter!

P.S.

I’m not that messed up.

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I am telling you that Harney & Sons Pineapple Green Tea is so great iced.  Even if you don’t come and check it out at the shop, find a way to get this really excellent tea!  I am figuring you can order direct from H & S (but you will pay shipping) or check Margaret’s Fine Imports in Squirrel Hill.  If you love pineapple, you will soon become addicted to this tea.

I add five bags to about two quarts of almost boiling water.  Steep it for a little while,  pull the bags out (don’t squeeze them)  and when it’s lukewarm, I add it to my favorite vintage pitcher and top it off with cold water.  I don’t sweeten it because everyone likes it their way.  Green tea has a bit of caffeine but not as much as black tea so it’s a little more forgiving if you have it later in the day.  Naturally, you might prefer your brew weaker or stronger so my personal recipe may or may not be your cup of tea.

Da da da da, Here comes the bride. All dressed in white. Sweetly serene in the soft glowing light. Lovely to see. Marching to thee. Sweet love united for eternity.  Those are the words to the traditional song, Here Comes The Bride.  I never knew that. Yes, this is yet another shameless plug for the Harney & Sons Wedding Tea.  This makes such a nice little extra something for a bridal shower or for a rehearsal dinner nightcap.  Our Harney & Sons Wedding tea is a gentle Mutan White tea with silvery green tips laced with pink rose petals, all tucked into a delicate silk sachet.  The liquor (shade of brew) is a darkish yellow- green and the aroma is a marriage of sweet vanilla and a touch of citrus from lemons.  This is really a thoughtful gift that will be well received and certainly not duplicated!

Let’s talk vanilla beans!   You don’t have to travel to The Strip to pay double the cost of what The Stillroom offers for vanilla beans.  We buy our beans in bulk, package them with a pretty ribbon and an instruction card.  This will make a cute gift to tuck into a shower gift if you are doing up a kitchen basket.

Hey, The Stillroom finally hit the front page of the Willow Tree.  I knew if I stayed in business long enough, I’d make it! lol  My second fifteen seconds of fame.  I actually had a nice article written up about the shop in Pittsburgh Magazine a few years back.  My first brush with  fame.

I will be in the shop this coming Friday so if you want to come in and talk tea look me up!  If you have not been in Diamond Antiques at 311 East Sixth Avenue in Tarentum, you are missing a lovely way to spend a relaxing time just browsing everything in the store.   The shop, which is two floors is staffed by two different people every day for a month so if you want to chat about antiques or are having a tough time finding what you are looking for, we do our very best to help you find it.  Keep in mind though that there are hundreds, and hundreds and hundreds of antiques, collectibles, tchotches, locally made soaps and lotions and of course, a cool little tea shop that is in the front window.  Come and take a peek!

What to do in Tarentum, you ask?  Well, you can dine at Gatto’s Cycle Diner, or catch an old school meal at Massart’s Diner that has been here since dirt and of course the lovely Tarentum Station.  You can sit in Tarenutm park or walk through it and enjoy our beautiful Allegheny River as it flows peacefully into the city.  If you want more shopping, ask one of us and we will be happy to tell you where to go.  Literally, we offer a great shopping guide for antiques in the A-K Valley and beyond.  Oh, yeah, and Diamond Antiques was voted number one antique store around.  That’s pretty darn nice!  The vendors in our co op work really hard to bring you the best in fun and unique things for your home or office.

Come in, get some tea and get chill on these hot summer days that we wait for all winter.   Hope to see you soon!

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Here is my instant iced tea recipe.  You know, for suddenly when the mercury hits ninety degrees in early May.

Take a good sized mug and add almost boiling water about one fourth of the way up.  Add your favorite tea bag, cover and let steep for a few minutes.  (I’m brewing Blueberry Super fruit today)

If you like it sweet, add your preferred sweetener to the hot brew. Stir.

Then just start topping off the mug with ice.  There you have it.  Cold.  Refreshing and thirst quenching!

The Stillroom has some really great teas that are even better iced!

We have coconut mango, white peach oolong, jasmine green, pineapple green, blue berry super fruit and lots more.

The hours at Diamond Antiques, (where we are now located) are Wednesday through Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-5.  311 East Sixth Avenue in Tarentum.

Oh, and since it’s Mother’s Day, we have Harney & Sons Mother’s Bouquet floral tea in a a silk sachet. It comes in a pretty reusable tag along tin!

To all of the mom’s out there, keep cool and have a peaceful day.

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Just in time for Mother’s Day!  Join me along with a host of other locally owned businesses at St. Lukes’ on Main and State Street in Saxonburg for the Gardener’s Paradise Day.

What a wonderful day to pick out flowers, garden delights and more at the third annual St. Lukes Gardener’s Paradise Day.

The Stillroom will be setting up a table filled with herbal delights and tea and so much more.

The event runs from 8-2 rain or shine.

If you miss me here, come on in to Diamond Antiques at 311 East Sixth Avenue in Tarentum and check out all of the new teas that just arrived!

The hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-5.

If you want to see me, I’ll be in the shop this Wednesday and Friday!  Come on down!

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drinking jasmine tea instead of wine”.  Well, if I can make up my lyrics to the old Seals & Crofts tune Summer Breeze, I guess this would be my version.  And wine-not?  As sure as the boys of summer start their play, my pick of the teas of summer will soon grace the shelves of The Stillroom.

As we start to toil in our gardens be they in the earth or in pots,  what  better way to warm up or cool off (depending on the temperamental weather that April brings)  than with a hot cup of Mellow Moments or Chamomile Nights tisanes.  How about a refreshing Mojito Mint green iced tea, or a pomegranate raspberry green iced tea?   If you have not tried the Harney & Sons Pineapple green tea over ice, you are missing a real delight!  Blueberry Superfruit, when poured over ice will reinvigorate your taste buds with a splash of fresh blueberries that will put you in a state of zen as the sun goes down on your hard day’s work.

Now, I will impart my tea knowledge upon you.  Did you know that herbal tea is also called a tisane?  A tisane is all herbs and  no tea at all.  Just herbs.  So, the next time you peruse the herbal tea section at the shop, you are actually picking a tisane, not a tea.  It is sort of like picking a flower!  If you have never had the opportunity to taste lavender tulsi tea, come in and check out the sample packs.  It is a nice way to discover if you will like a new tea flavor, or not.

Fresh vanilla beans are in!  Weather you are baking, making ice cream or vanilla extract, the price of our beans can’t be beat!  We buy in bulk and package them by hand.   The Stillroom cut out the glass tube, which reduces  the price of the bean.  You get two dark, oily beans for the price of one. If you have never used or are not familiar with what to do with a vanilla bean, they come with instructions that tell you how to use and store them.  They are not as mysterious as they look.  I highly recommend making your own vanilla extract, (recipe included) if you are a baker, it is a very noticeable difference in flavor!

If you have not had a chance to stop in to visit Diamond Antiques, you are missing a nice opportunity to shop two floors of antiques and more!  If you are nostalgic for the past or are looking for that special something to grace your home or wardrobe, this is the place!  With an ever changing inventory of furniture from shabby chic to retro to elegant, Diamond Antiques and Gifts is such a relaxing place to shop. With hundreds and hundreds of knick knacks, patty whacks, hats, gloves, jewelry, furniture, vintage kitchen gear, home decor both old and new, (and stuff for guys too), this co op has it all!  If you can’t find it here, we will offer you a great shopping guide for the AK Valley and beyond.  Yes, we are cool with telling you where to go. lol

Diamond Antiques and Gifts has been voted number one in the AK Valley for antiques and collectibles  and The Stillroom tea shop has the good fortune to be within the walls of this awesome, old building.  It is like stepping into the past.

Look for Diamond Antiques at the upcoming Tour Ed Mine Flea-tique on May 17th!  When the weather is fine, this is the place to enjoy an open air market with row upon row of dealers setting up their wares.  The Diamond Antique and Gift shop  at 311 East Sixth Avenue opens early that day, real early.  Like 8 in the morning!

If the weather is muddy or wet, put on your muck luks and rain coat and be brave…the rain won’t hurt you!

Stop in and visit soon at 311 East Sixth Avenue, Tarentum, PA.  Next to historic Massart’s Diner and across the street from Tarentum Station.  You will see my TEA sign in the front window…that’s me!

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