When fashionistas empty the contents of their super-chic handbags, we love to take a peek – and we’re excited when Bigelow Tea is found among the beauty booty! Witness up-and-coming Dallas designer Prashe Shah, who recently spilled her purse for the ShopTalk blog, revealing two packets of Bigelow Tea (check out item #3 in the photo above!) along with a quilted Chanel wallet and a vintage silk cosmetic bag, of her own design, no less. We say this collection reflects Prashe’s all-around good taste!

Prashe’s tea of choice? She had Pomegranate Pizzazz and Orange & Spice herbal teas in her Prada bag. Coffee, she says, has never passed her lips. She’s our kind of gal, for sure! Prashe, who uses gorgeous vintage saris in her clothing designs, isn’t the only tastemaker who has shown her appreciation for Bigelow Tea. A while back, we also captured the contents of Kimora Lee Simmons’ purse, which included Bigelow Green Tea. In fact, Kimora Lee says she “can’t go a day” without tea and the other staples in her bag!

As these ladies know, the foil-wrapped tea pouches keep Bigelow Tea fresh and make it easy to have a cup anytime. What could be more soothing during a fashion emergency? We’d love to know – do you carry Bigelow Tea in your handbag? Tell us what you’re toting via Facebook or Twitter!

Image via shoptalk.dmagazine.com

Angelina Jolie is one of the most recognized actresses in the world, a UN Goodwill Ambassador, mother of six, star of blockbuster movies like The Tourist and Salt, and now a first time director of the new movie In the Land of Blood and Honey which has been getting a lot of attention! So how does this superstar deal with an intense and hard-hitting interview with 60 Minutes? She drinks tea of course!  She was calm as a cucumber throughout this recent interview, enjoying her tea while she talked with 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon.

At Bigelow Tea we’re thinking that perhaps it’s this drink of choice that gives her the sereni-TEA to stay so composed, especially while keeping up with all the activities going on in her life. Like us, maybe a spot of chamomile tea or mint tea puts her in just that right frame of mind for relaxing, while still helping her to keep focus.

Angelina’s partner in life, Brad Pitt, is no stranger to drinking tea either, specifically in the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Yes, Hollywood loves tea! As Benjamin Button, Brad actually spends a great deal of time in that film, almost 45 minutes, making and drinking tea!  Again, we can’t help but wonder what flavor Brad would brew for himself… a classic like Earl Grey or the enduring Constant Comment?

We’re hoping tea is an important part of Angelina and Brad’s home life. With their full work scheduls, juggling projects, kids and volunteer work (it all sounds very familiar doesn’t it?) they must look forward to a quiet cup together at the end of the day. Here’s a raised cup to this hard working couple and another busy day!

Image via cbsnews.com

“I Have a Dream.”  Perhaps some of the most celebrated and memorable words ever spoken, by one of the most inspirational men in history, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The emotion and power behind those words still fills us with hope for peace and equal opportunity for all, which are ideals that Bigelow Tea stands firmly behind.  It’s like our corporate mission statement at Bigelow Tea: “Do the right thing and good things will follow.”

Peace, equality, justice, and hope are all principles that Dr. King advocated; values that on Martin Luther King Day and all year long we strive to uphold with our families, community and the world around us. Dr. King drew inspiration for his beliefs and ideals from his religious background, the philosophies of American writer Henry David Thoreau, and the non-violent methods of Mohandas Gandhi. By taking inspiration from Dr. King, we can more fully understand each other, and can turn these words into action through community involvement. As we at Bigelow Tea help build homes for families in need, participate in school mentoring programs, and conduct book drives, we believe that we can all make a difference in our community.

It has been 48 years since the world first heard Dr. King’s I Have a Dream speech, and it is now a universal axiom. Today Bigelow Tea honors the man who preached peace and equality for a better world, and who inspires us still to take action.

Image by Flip Schulke via Seattletimes.nwsource.com

You know we love our Sweepstakes events here at Bigelow Tea! It’s always thrilling for us to see lucky winners walk away with our tea and other exciting giveaways. Recently we gave away an opportunity to meet Daryl Johnston, former NFL fullback and current broadcaster, at a VIP suite at the Dallas Cowboys’ Valley Ranch Practice Facility. Ten tea drinkers and their guests were lucky enough to win this amazing opportunity … and we heard back from them that it was an experience of a lifetime!

The winners were treated to lunch, a chance to watch the Dallas Cowboys practice and a meet and greet with Mr. Johnston, who just so happens to be a fan of Bigelow Tea! Here’s what some of them had to say.

“Thank you so much for the wonderful contest. Never in my life would I believe I would be eating lunch with Daryl Johnston, but watching the Cowboys practice was a dream come true. We had a blast. Thank you so much.”  Patricia, Sweepstakes winner

“Thank you. My husband and son (Don and Bronco) had an awesome time yesterday as a guest for the Bigelow Tea Sweepstakes winners at Valley Ranch. Meeting and talking with Mr. Johnston was the highlight. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated it as the wife and mother. You gave my BOYS a very special memory. Please pass my gratitude to your company.”  Kitty, Sweepstakes winner

“Thanks, we had a very memorable, wonderful time.”  Alissa, Sweepstakes winner

We’re so happy that all of our winners enjoyed their time with Mr. Johnston and the Dallas Cowboys. We have another big Sweepstakes event running right now on our Facebook page where you can win a trip or our fantastic Charleston Tea Garden, so check it out and enter today. Good luck!

Image by CityOfFortWorth, via Flickr.com

For tea drinkers under a certain age, the name Dave Brubeck might not be all that familiar… but Bigelow Tea is a big fan of this tea-loving musician, and we thought we’d share his jazz with you today! So brew a nice pot of tea and read on with us!

The jazz legend began his career as a pianist playing in local dance halls at the age of 14. He majored in music at college and studied music composition on his way to becoming a world-renowned composer of jazz-infused, cross-genre music! His Dave Brubeck Quartet became immensely popular in the 1950s and ‘60s, winning awards and touring with such legendary artists as Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie.

Incredibly, he is still making great music – his 2007 solo piano album “Indian Summer” was named Album of the Year by one publication!

At Bigelow Tea, we think music—particularly jazz—and tea go beautifully together. Whether we’re sipping decaffeinated tea in front of a fire or enjoying a cool tea-infused cocktail by candlelight, a little jazz playing only makes the moment better. So, thank you, Dave Brubeck, for all the great jazz you’ve written and played over the years. It makes tea-drinking an even more special experience!

Top Image via todaywasfun.com
Images 2 & 3 via richardbealblog.com

Most of the tea-drinking celebrities that Bigelow Tea features on our blog are singers, actors, writers or other famous people who enjoy a good cup of tea. Today however, our “celebrity” is, well, typically pictured as a large bird wearing a bonnet … and she may not have really existed. If you haven’t guessed already, we’re talking about none other than Mother Goose!

We’ve all grown up enjoying Mother Goose nursery rhymes. One in particular, titled Coffee And Tea, is near and dear to our hearts at Bigelow Tea, and for good reason!

COFFEE AND TEA

Molly, my sister and I fell out,
And what do you think it was all about?
She loved coffee and I loved tea,
And that was the reason we couldn’t agree.

This short rhyme makes us smile as we imagine the sisters bickering over their morning beverage choices. And while we (of course) have to take the author’s side in this debate, we feel for sister Molly who is shunned for her love of coffee … if only the author had offered her one of our many caffeinated black tea varieties, perhaps their sisterly bond would have endured!

Even though this poem is featured in many Mother Goose anthologies, the Mother Goose Society notes that Mother Goose herself did not pen the poems: “The fact is that ‘Mother Goose’ rhymes are from many sources, passed down in folklore fashion (some even written by famous authors) and perpetuated by publishers, frequently without author attribution.”

Regardless of who penned the tea rhyme, we think it’s darling! Enjoy your tea today, and don’t worry too much about those coffee drinkers out there, they clearly don’t know what they’re missing!

Image 1 via ah_coo.tripod.com
Image 2 by tiny muffins, via Flickr.com

The inimitable Nat King Cole certainly had a way with love songs, and this jazzy instrumental version of “Tea for Two” is a light and lovely one that always makes us smile! Both the song and Nat’s interpretation of it are steeped in history and have become American classics – just like Bigelow Tea!

Composed by Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Irving Caesar for the 1925 stage musical No, No Nanette, “Tea for Two” became an instant hit with catchy lyrics like “Picture you upon my knee, just tea for two and two for tea, Just me for you and you for me, alone!” Numerous artists have lent their voices to the tune over the years, including Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. In 1950, the musical film version of the show, renamed Tea for Two, had Doris Day singing the title song.

The “Tea for Two” composition has also stood the test of time as a cherished jazz standard. Although best-known for his silky-smooth baritone, Nat’s skills as a jazz pianist were outstanding, and are on full display in his rendition of “Tea for Two.” This recording was made in 1957 on Nat’s groundbreaking variety show, which was also the first Television show hosted by an African-American performer.

One of the most famous singers and entertainers in the world in his day, Nat’s diverse and storied career ended with his untimely death in 1965 from lung cancer.  But we can still enjoy this trip down a musical memory lane with this American icon of sound….best enjoyed with a delicious cup of your favorite Bigelow Tea!

Photo 1 by ky_olsen via Flickr.com
Photo 2 via classictvinfo.com

Here at Bigelow Tea we know that there’s nothing like a good cup of tea to help us think clearly, put things in perspective and make the right decisions. Take, for example, the “aha moment” that “I Dream of Jeannie” creator, Sidney Sheldon, had in the early 1960′s—over a cup of tea no less—at the Beverly Hills Hotel, with a young actress named Barbara Eden. Prior to meeting the fresh-faced blonde San Franciscan, Sheldon had been screening exotic dark-haired actresses for the role of Jeannie.  As he sipped his tea and chatted with this bubbly blonde, blue-eyed California girl, he realized that he had found his true Jeannie!  Ahhh, the power of tea!

The show, which ran on NBC from 1965 to 1970, became an instant hit, catapulting Barbara Eden to stardom. Who knew that the comic misadventures of a United States astronaut (played by Larry Hagman) and his mischievous-but-sweet muse (a beautiful blonde genie found in a bottle) would take not just America, but the rest of the world by a storm?  It was a sweetly innocent, yet funny television series that was well received during a tumultuous time in American history, when comedy was a welcome relief and escape from some troubling realities.

What happened next? Sidney Sheldon went on to create other great television shows (remember Hart to Hart, starring Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers?) and authored eighteen books. Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden became lifelong friends, enjoying successful acting careers (including of course, Larry Hagman’s JR Ewing in the smash TV hit Dallas).

And it all began with a civilized, yet illuminating discussion over a cup (or two) of tea….!

Image via fergiesdribble.blogspot.com

At Bigelow Tea we love to smile which we can’t stop doing when we’re watching a classic Walt Disney clip featuring one of our favorite fine-feathered friends, Donald Duck!

Donald first appeared in the 1934 cartoon “The Wise Little Hen,” and soon became one of Disney’s most popular characters. Mickey’s best friend, it is noted in his IMBD film biography, “has a short tempter, and often goes into temper tantrums. However, he has a good heart and a sense of adventure.”

We’ve found one particular video that is not only hilarious, but has another element that appeals to us at Bigelow Tea: Donald’s enjoyment of our favorite beverage! “Tea For Two Hundred” begins with Mr. Duck emerging from his camping tent with a teapot and cup saying “oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Hot stuff, hot stuff!” Funny … that’s exactly what we think each morning as we’re brewing our first cup of tea…! The rest of the cartoon revolves around his “antics” with a bunch of strong and clever ants. The only disappointing part of this classic short is that it appears that Donald never actually gets to sit down and enjoy his tea! The horror!

We hope you have better luck enjoying your morning tea, and while you’re here, we’re curious: just what type of tea youthink Donald might have been brewing in this cartoon? Share your thoughts!

Image by ccsx, via Flickr.com

One quaint example is the song “Getting to Know You” from The King and I, a 1956 musical starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brunner. The song, written by the legendary duo of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein, includes lyrics about tea. Ms. Kerr sings:

Getting to know you, putting it my way,
But nicely,
You are precisely,
My cup of tea(!)

The song is a classic, and the expression “my cup of tea” is one of great affection. In fact, the history of the phrase shows that being compared to a cup of tea is quite positive indeed! The Phrase Finder says that “In keeping with the high regard for tea, most of the early references to ‘a cup of tea’ as a description of an acquaintance are positive ones, i.e. ‘nice’, ‘good’, ‘strong’ etc.”

Singing about tea and love, and comparing something—or someone—to a “cup of tea” can only make us smile. Here at Bigelow Tea our customers are, as Deborah Kerr would say “precisely” our cups of tea! So enjoy your tea today … and remember the affection and goodwill that a simple cup of tea brings to so many people!

Image via reneeashleybaker.wordpress.com, featuring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner in, The King and I