What I Wore to the Charleston Tea Plantation

Recently I was granted the opportunity to visit the Charleston Tea Plantation on behalf of the fabulous Bigelow Tea! I won a contest and you may remember my blog post that was called “Give Me Some Sugar” For weeks before I went I fretted over what I would wear to such a nice but semi-casual place. I wanted something cute but practical for strolling around a plantation in the hot south. 

Photo Credit: Olsonography

I had watched several YouTube videos of Bill Hall being interviewed at the Tea Plantation. He was just as friendly in person as he was in those videos. He is a great story teller and makes the trolley tour a must! 

One of the fun yet educational events was a tea tasting with Cindi Bigelow. Honestly I was nervous since I like tea but I would not consider myself a professional tea tester of any sorts. I need not to have been worried. Cindi Bigelow said I was wonderful at tea slurping which is the most important part of tea tasting! Honestly, it was pretty fun.

Here is Shannon, from The Mommy Files, and I with our iced tea getting ready for the trolley tour of the Charleston Tea Plantation! By the way I was drinking the Plantation Mint . . . perfect for a hot afternoon.

This is me with Frannie from International Marketing Systems who was our wonderful hostess the entire trip!

This last picture is me with one of our wonderful chauffeurs from Genesis Executive Travel. I highly recommend this company while in the Charleston area! 

Here is the breakdown of what I wore:

Sunglasses: Foster Grant Spectacle Gold

Top:  Worthington® Short-Sleeve100% Silk Blouse

Pants: a.n.a® Rolled Cropped Jeans -Petite

Shoes: Merona Madeline Chain Ballet Flat Black

What do you think of this look? Have you ever been to the Charleston Tea Plantation?

Bigelow Tea Trip to Charleston, SC ~ The Ultimate Field Trip

I come from a family that chose to homeschool and one of the beauties of that is we got to experience many field trips to learn first-hand the subject matter that we were studying. In fact we have often joked about our mother having the ability to turn any vacation or outing into some type of field trip. I feel like I have just returned from the ultimate field trip.

My brain is on complete overload and I don’t want to just half hazardously tell you about things so for today I’m just going to give you a brief overview. In the coming days I’d like to give you more in depth details so you can gain insight into the whole process of tea making and drinking like I was able to glean over the past couple of days.

Some of the things I can’t wait to tell you about are the house we stayed in and the history behind it. Another thing I’m really looking forward to telling you about is the tea tasting we did. Did you even know that there is a proper way to taste tea? I sure didn't  One of my favorite parts was our trip out to The Charleston Tea Plantation. That in and of itself made the trip worth it.

So while I take a little bit to gather my thoughts and love on my babies (I missed them like crazy!) take a second to enter my swag bag giveaway, oh and Bigelow has added a Tea Chest to the swag bag. You are going to love all the goodies we found for you. In fact I want to win my own swag bag!

I think I’ll go make myself a nice cup of Bigelow tea before I go tackle unpacking the suitcase and starting the laundry. Enjoy your day!

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Anticipating Charleston ~ I Can Hardly Wait!

Do you remember that scene from The Music Man where the whole town is looking forward to that infamous wagon? Do you remember how the anticipation just kept building and building? Well that’s exactly how I’ve felt all day.

Then it happened . . . that distinct sound of brakes, the sliding door, and then my doorbell rang. It had arrived! Finally in my hands I have the official itinerary of our trip to Charleston, SC. I thought that I already pretty much knew what we would be doing. But much to my pleasant surprise there were even more adventures to experience!

I’ve already told you in the previous post that we will be staying on the Battery at the Palmer House Bed and Breakfast and that we’ll be touring the Charleston Tea Company. Today I found out that we have been invited to the beautiful Edmonston-Alston House for a private cocktail reception with Bigelow Tea Company’s founders, David and Eunice Bigelow.

Photo Credit:  palmbeachsymphony.org

If that isn’t enough, the next day we get to have a tea tasting with Bigelow’s president, Cindi Bigelow. I must admit I’m a tad bit nervous. I’m kind of certain that the way I make tea and the way she makes tea isn’t quite the same. (Microwaves and Keurigs probably aren’t in her process!) But I am completely excited to learn from her.

The itinerary goes on to describe a history of Charleston talk and a few more tours. They included a wonderful map so we can do some personal sightseeing in our down time. They gave us some suggestions for restaurants that sound absolutely divine. I have to tell you that my favorite part is where they strongly suggest bringing lots of hair product and flat comfortable shoes because it is going to be in the 80's and humid and the sidewalks are cobblestone!

Now I must go scour my closet for the perfect outfits and check on that shoe situation. I’m envisioning a shopping trip this weekend. I’m almost positive that I need a new pair of shoes!

Don’t forget to follow along on our adventure. We’ll be posting live updates on Facebook and of course we’ll be tweeting our heads off on twitter @RambleSAHM. You can follow the whole group by using #AmericasTea

While you’re waiting for our adventure to begin enter to win Whitney’s Swag Bag from our trip. We’ll be gathering up all kinds of goodies as we go along. Use the form below . . . we look forward to tweeting with you! 

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Dreaming of Charleston, SC

When I dream of where I would love to live Charleston, South Carolina is at the top of my list. I want to be a Bin Yah instead of a Come Yah. I want to walk along those shady sidewalks and gaze upon all the beautiful buildings that just ooze history. I want to feel the salty breeze off of the Atlantic. I want to smell the distinct odor of pluff mud and feel it between my toes. I want to be a Charlestonian!

Every couple of years we embark on a family vacation that now includes grandparents, kids and grandkids. We have long discussions about what we want to do and where we want to go . . . and then we always wind up choosing the Charleston area. More specifically we wind up on Folly Beach. It just seems to be the best fit for our varied tastes. 

Our men like to go surfing and deep sea fishing. We ladies like to shop, try new restaurants and spend lazy afternoons reading. Folly Beach is a wonderful environment for all of that. But I must confess as much as I love our time there I am always drawn to Charleston. I am in heaven when we walk the Battery. Those beautiful stately old homes just speak to me. I've always wondered what it would be like to wake up in one. How soothing would it be to take my morning cup of tea out onto the piazza and spend time gazing out at Fort Sumter?

Well I’m excited to say part of my dream is about to come true. Whitney and I have been invited to come to Charleston and tour the Charleston Tea Plantation with Bigelow Tea. Now if that isn't amazing enough we’ll also be staying at the Palmer Home Bed and Breakfast. We’d love to take all of you with us but of course we can’t so we’re going to do the next best thing!

During our stay we’re going to gather up some fabulous swag and then give it away to one lucky winner. You can begin entering at the form below. Best wishes to each of you! 

In the meantime if you would like to follow along on our trip we’ll be live tweeting at @RambleSAHM  

To see what is going on with our whole group follow the hashtag #AmericasTea

Giveaway

One US winner 18+ will win a swag bag full of goodies from our trip! Enter the rafflecopter form below to be entered! Good luck giveaway will end on May 31 2013 at 12:00 AM EST!

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