Hello! I wanted to share a couple of things and then leave you with my newest TEA WITH interview before heading off to Topanga Canyon for a few days. The first things I wanted to share was that I wrote a really special story for Vogue on one of my favorite themes - dinner parties - this one a Filipino Kamayan dinner cooked by Woldy Reyes at Neada Deters SoHo loft. Read it here :)
Next, our apartment was featured in Architectural Digest! The room in the image (now the baby room, photographed by Linda Rizzo was once lined with floor to ceiling shelves, with the entire place smelling of mint and lemon balm- it was Masha Tea HQ.
Alexis Badiyi, a stylist and photographer, is the next feature in TEA WITH. She photographed this room while Masha Tea inhabited it AND she photographed the current Masha Tea studio (the day after I found out I was pregnant!) So it's kind of a full circle. Her images of these spaces and her interview is below :)
When do you typically drink tea?
In the afternoon or evening. If I’m away, I love ordering it after dinner or with my room service.Â
What ceramicists do you love and/or what tea cups do you gravitate towards?
I have a few armless ceramic mugs from Mexico City I sourced a few years back that are a favorite of mine for steeped tea. For larger pours I have a set of small bowls from a trip to Japan that I still treasure.Â
Currently reading or listening to anything during tea time?
If I am drinking it in the morning, I have it in bed while I meditate. If it is an evening tea, I am enjoying it on my roof and listening to all of the late day bird songs.Â
Does tea have a place in your work?Â
For my longer days tea is either a comforting wind down or a gentle boost to finish out the day.Â
How do you make tea?Â
Loose tea steeped in a long teapot for endless cups or to chill for later.Â
Last thoughts on tea memories/ sensory experiences?
Making tea for my *grandmother - she sips it with toast and jam and sometimes will add jam to her tea if it isn't sweet enough. I've had a sip and can report back that it is delicious, albeit a bit too sweet for me.Â
Reading tea leaves with my family, making up stories of futures to come.Â
Sourcing tea in new countries is one of my favorites. My credenza has treasured jars of special teas that I have been savoring over the years.Â
The first time I saw flowering tea bloom
* I LINKED to a NYT article about Alexis' grandmother titled "How to Live to 100 - recommended reading!! Something that Alexis and I connect over is that we are really close with our families - we both have a younger sister and have been deeply influenced by our grandmothers. The last time we saw each other, at the Persian New York dinner that I was covering for Vogue, she was telling her sister Natasha about the long black coat that my mom wore to a Masha Tea tasting at the Noguchi museum some time ago. It reminded them of their mom "It's giving Mom." I believe is what Natasha said.
Natasha actually has just finished 16 rounds of chemotherapy for stage 3 breast cancer. I'm including a link here to the GOFUNDME for her recovery and ongoing care HERE. Thank you!!
Below are more images of Alexis Badiyi images on tea.
