Tickle Your Fancy Gifts

Good Morning from arguably one of the most enchanted-looking locations in the UK St. Ives, County Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Lady Glass and Mrs. Teabody boarded the 8:57 train at Paddington and three martinis and five hours later arrived at this most charming of seaside towns. En route Lady Glass had the chance to realize a long-held dream of a train ride through the English countryside, and Mrs. Teabody is happy to report that Mother Nature, First Great Western and the English countryside all conspired to deliver the dream in spades. One could not have hoped for lusher trees and fields, more sparkling streams and lakes, a more generous sprinkling of stately homes and proud cottages, a better distribution of sheep, cows, horses and fowl or a smarter set of place names be it Leylant Saltings, Slough, Dawlish Warren, or Torbay. Fewer billboards touting Vodaphone, perhaps, and more chalk horses against mountainsides above bucolic villages such as Westbury, but these are small quibbles, indeed. Lady Glass was all eager traveler taking delight in the ever-changing landscape from her comfortable post next to a huge, clean, unobstructed view of it all.

Mrs. Teabody adores mass transit. Perhaps it was the egalitarian nature of her upraising that wants great cities and charming hamlets to be easily accessible to everyone. What keen satisfaction to walk into a great train station such as Paddington and to realize that all of England is just the purchase of a ticket away. How wonderful it is to look at a map of the Underground, the “Tube,” and plot one’s short journey to remarkable places such as Saint Paul’s Cathedral, the Tate Modern, the Royal Albert Hall or just somewhere exotic-sounding like Elephant and Castle without having to own a motor car.. Of course, all of America is in love with their personal motor cars, but perhaps like Mrs.Teabody you are one that takes little delight in setting out on a journey constantly at the mercy of the drivers of eighteen-wheelers or daredevils not entirely certain which lane they wish to drive in but cocksure that finding that lane will be at your particular discomfort. When it comes to getting from Point A to Point B, Mrs. Teabody will opt for the least perilous of means.
Today marked the beginning of the use of the BritRail passes Lady Glass and Mrs. Teabody purchased in the wintry clutches of February. What happens in the next few days as those rail passes enjoy employment may be far-fetched, whimsical, even a bit mad, but each rail journey will be a reminder of what rail travel can be and how much more fun any journey can be when one does not have a steering wheel in one’s hands.
Ta for now!

Penny has begun the transformation of the tea room, and I could not be any happier—well, unless it was already done.:):) Anyway, the shop will be closed May 16, 17, 18 and May 21. It will re-open for regular hours on May 22 with no plans for additional need to close. Thanks in advance for your understanding!

So what do YOU do when your plans don’t go exactly according to plan? You know. You roll with it! Many of you watched me swing madly between two visions of what I wanted the tea shop to look like and you were probably really happy when I finally chose, right? . . .H-o-w-e-v-e-r, in these golden years I have found life goes better for me when I am ensconced in rooms that are light and airy, surrounded by colors as soothing as my favorite pajamas. When Penny the artist told me she could “work me in,” I was all about compromise because I want to give you a brand new look in the tea room and if it all gets a little bit turned inside out and upside down in the process???? We’ll roll with it. Come see. You are gonna LOVE it!

Mother’s Day is coming right up so if you haven’t already bought some special remembrance for your mom, then it’s time for you to “fettle your fine joints” together and get in here to TYF where all sorts of lovely, creative gifts are just waiting for you. Tea gifts, jewelry gifts, clothing gifts, and accessories gifts as well as delightfully witty cards await your sentiment. AND, you can sip tea whilst you shop. See you soon!

I am always slightly amazed when someone visiting Tickle Your Fancy for the first time comments, “I didn’t even know there was a shop here!” Quite frankly, such a comment leaves me a little baffled. Unusual Italianate architecture in a surprising color scheme, a front garden teeming with herbs and flowers, a fluttering flag calling “Welcome!” and a sandwich board sign scrolled in neon colors announcing the tea of the day, and you didn’t know??? Holy Moley, Ravioli, wake up because “our” little segment of “town” hosts the wonderful Lost Treasures thrift shop, Towne Framing, a framing shop and art gallery and TYF, a tea and gifts shop. The Susquehanna Bank which has possibly the friendliest employees anywhere is just across the street and the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce has taken up residence in one of its wings. Just to the west you will find the incredible Antitam Iron Works and just beyond that Better Days Thrift Shop. So the next time you decide you want to get out and about, why not explore downtown McConnellsburg’s west end?

Oh, what ambrosial delights you are in for during May! All month long we will be celebrating the joys of rooibos at Tickle Your Fancy. Search for the health benefits for this lovely tea and you will find that among teas it is equivalent to quitting your stressful job and moving to your favorite vacation spot– well, maybe not THAT beneficial, but if you love how the word “antioxidant” slides off your tongue, you will equally love how rooibos makes you feel. Don’t jangle your nerves; soothe them. Now get your lovely caboose in gear and head to McConnellsburg and the prettiest little tea shop you ever did see! I’ll put the kettle on!

April is proving true to form, is she not, with her tempestuous ways–88 degrees one day, 55 the next. Jackets donned for the morning commute are left behind at work for the journey home. But who cares? All around the earth is being re-born and if the sight of a bright yellow forsythia bush or the delicate pink of a flowering magnolia doesn’t stir something in you, you might want to check your pulse! Once you find out you are alive, hustle your bustle–or whatever you have–down to Tickle Your Fancy where every single day this week you have the chance to sample the following teas:

Tuesday:
Peach Rhubarb Preserve white tea
This organic rare white tea brews up all the bounty of a summer harvest. Savory rhubarb and the sweet taste of lush peaches are blended with fragrant, floral hibiscus. This cup sings with delight. Refreshing iced.
Wednesday:
Flora herbal tea
A botanical bouquet of lush tropical hibiscus petals with a swirl of cinnamon and the sweet, invigorating flavor of licorice. Brews a delicate and deliciously aromatic cup.
Thursday
Gingerbread House Fruit Blend
Notes of all that is sweet and spice and everything nice–especially roasted almonds! Lovely color, delicious flavor
Friday
Snowflake black tea
An excellent black tea with coconut, almond and vanilla notes. A year-round favorite. Great with sugar and cream!
Saturday
Earl Grey Pride and Joy black tea
Signature Earl Grey blend with citrus. After all, it is the weekend!

If you have not visited Tickle Your Fancy–EVER, then what are you waiting for? Do what you can to support your local businesses. That big corporate store won’t even miss you.

“Skipping and a-jumping
In the misty morning fog with
Our, our hearts a-thumping
And you, my brown-eyed girl.”~ Van Morrison

Is this song a part of your life’s soundtrack? If it is, a day like this full of April buds and warm sunshine conjures up a simpler time – - a time when any free moment was a chance to get outside and be a part of nature, to follow an impulse, to feel deeply and to love deeply, too. This delightful tea is full of dreams and memories and first and foremost it recalls a time when “our hearts (were) a-thumping” with no concern about the state of our health. This is a dazzling, delightful tea that NEEDS to find a spot in your repertory. Do try it!

Finally, it seems . . .spring has arrived. Maybe you left a window open all night last night. Maybe you decided to wear a dress or a short-sleeved shirt today and leave that wretched heavy coat in the closet. If you do nothing else today, do have an awareness of the world around you–just ready to burst into life again. Just. Like. You.

In spite of all your best intentions to spread your wings this spring and try something new, here it is the second day of April already and, face it, YOU may be in a rut. If that is the case, maybe a quick visit to TYF is just the shot in the arm you need to take that first step. Maybe it can start with the tiniest change. How about a new tea to shake things up? Tea Forte is always in the vanguard with new flavor combinations, and two that you won’t want to pass you by are a rare white tea with the taste of peaches and rhubarb called, simply, Peach Rhubarb Preserve and an exquisite organic green tea called Green Mango Peach. Both are lovely and fragrant. Unexpected. Out of the ordinary—just perfect for an extraordinary person like you. Come on! Stay in that rut long enough and who will notice your perfect pedicure?