tea for two

tea cups at Lovejoy’s Tea Room,Canon Digital Rebel

If you come to San Francisco and you want to go to the sweetest, girliest place in the city, you don’t want to miss Lovejoy’s Tea Room in Noe Valley. I can’t believe that it took me 10 years to finally discover this treasure, but I’m not surprised that it was my friend SARK (queen of the dangerous tea) who showed me the ropes.

As I waited for her to arrive, I strolled around the room with my camera, taking in the vintage teacup and spoon collections and hearing giggles and laughter from groups of women eating crustless sandwiches and hot vanilla roobois. It was so girly in there! I loved it. If my friend Jason was there, he would have exclaimed, “Estrogen overload!” (which is what happened when he came with me to see Maya Angelou speak).

And as if that wasn’t girl time enough for one week, I stumbled upon a birthday party in the sand at Chrissy Field last Thursday. A group of about 15 women (who I imagine have been friends for the last 20 years or more) had set up a gorgeous table at the beach right by the water. I was so impressed by the lengths they went to to make it an elegant affair: white tablecloth, gorgeous flower arrangements, fabulous outifts, carefully wrapped gifts, and of course, an enormous chocolate layer cake. When I stopped to ask them what the occasion was, they immediately handed my friends and I a piece of cake and invited us to the party!

More inspirations:

Rama Hughes is my superhero. Rama is not only an incredibly talented illustrator, his heart is as sweet as they come. Don’t forget to read the personal stories that go along with each piece in his portfolio. {He is also the lucky fiance of the fabulous Christine Castro, who we all know and love}

The book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is my new favorite book. I am only forty pages into it and I am already convinced that I will read it over and over.

Hi, I’m Andrea

On this blog you’ll be learning with me how to use our voices, share our creative superpowers and live life in full color.

As an artist, photographer, life coach + mentor, I’m redefining what it means to be a SUPERHERO — ‘cause in my world, it’s got nothing to do with capes, spandex or sidekicks and everything to do with tenderness, intuition & baby steps of bravery.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ME >

23 Comments

april on March 27, 2006 at 9:57 AM

that is a gorgeous photo!!!!! (more please!!!)
thanks for sharing– i simply MUST go there the next time i am in the San Fran. area!!! (which, unfortunatly, won’t be soon enough!)
thanks!
have a great day!
maria on March 27, 2006 at 10:25 AM

I just finished that book last night, Andrea. I couldn’t put it down. It’s fabulous and I think you’ll love it. I posted two of my favorite paragraphs from it on my blog today … from the Bali section. It’s one of my favorite books now, too.
What a fantastic birthday party! Just looking at that photo, and thinking about having a birthday party on the beach with the cake and beautiful flower centerpieces, is delicious.
Thanks for sharing!
wn on March 27, 2006 at 10:43 AM

A birthday party on the beach….sigh….I long for summer. Thanks for bringing some sunshine to the blogosphere.
la vie en rose on March 27, 2006 at 11:28 AM

tea with you and SARK–now that would be divine!
you are the second person to recommend eat, pray, love–i’m gonna have to check it out.
surcie on March 27, 2006 at 11:34 AM

The birthday photo looks like the picture of abundant living to me. Chocolate cake, flowers, girlfriends, beach–what could be better? So sweet that they included you.
Congrats on your new venture, Andrea. From what I’ve gathered just from reading your blog, it seems like the perfect path for you.
Crissi on March 27, 2006 at 11:35 AM

I’m up here in Santa Rosa, and the next time I get to SF, I will definitely be checking that Tea Room out. And how sweet was that beach party? Good stuff!
amy on March 27, 2006 at 1:07 PM

I finished reading “eat, pray, love” last week, and immediately picked it up and started reading it again. I wasn’t ready for it to end quite yet. Hope you enjoy it as well.
Milly on March 27, 2006 at 4:30 PM

I too am reading “Eat, Pray Love”. Such a great story. I’m taking it with me on my work trip to Atlanta, so I have something good to read in my free time.
Mia on March 27, 2006 at 6:27 PM

I think it is awesome that women get together and rejoice with other women. My chick friends are the stays which hold up the sails in my life!
Andrea, loving your blog as always.
Also, am dying to visit SF again. Maybe sometime soon!
Mia
Mia on March 27, 2006 at 6:27 PM

I think it is awesome that women get together and rejoice with other women. My chick friends are the stays which hold up the sails in my life!
Andrea, loving your blog as always.
Also, am dying to visit SF again. Maybe sometime soon!
Mia
shelly on March 27, 2006 at 6:33 PM

Andrea,I just started reading her book yesterday I am on page 30 and loving it too.great pixs!
Jenn on March 27, 2006 at 6:51 PM

Andea~
Tea with a friend sounds so nice.
Isn’t it so fun to do girlie stuff sometimes. Gets us back in touch with our little girl inside.
I decided after reading this I will take Connie once the weather finally gets warm here to the beach for a fancy dinner. How exciting!
Jenn
Tongue in Cheek on March 27, 2006 at 9:38 PM

Thanks for the tip about the tea room, Noe Valley here I come.
Picnic is style sounds sweet!
Lisa on March 27, 2006 at 11:37 PM

i LOVE the picture of the quaint beach birthday party. it looks straight out of an episode of the Barefoot Contessa! i dream of being part of a party like this one day …
Michele on March 28, 2006 at 6:18 AM

Thanks for the links Andrea, I’m enjoying them very much! I would love tea by the sea!
Lynn on March 28, 2006 at 9:12 AM

Such a wonderful idea, the birthday party by the sea! And the piece Rama did on Christine made my heart melt.
Felicity on March 28, 2006 at 10:39 AM

Andrea, when I read the pieces of your life that you tell about here, my heart breaks because you make me believe, just for a minute, that I really *could* live differently. But then the minute of believing ends and that’s when the heartbreak begins.
pixie on March 29, 2006 at 8:49 AM

for TWO indeed. or THREE. sending you a big hug and more chocolate layer cake. you are so right about rama. christine, like…scored.
rama on March 29, 2006 at 9:31 AM

thank you, andrea, for the enormously kind note. i have no idea how to take a compliment like this. so…
you smell.
G-man on March 29, 2006 at 1:55 PM

I love the focal range in this photograph. Brilliant!!!
angela on March 30, 2006 at 12:25 AM

oh andrea… lovely.
and promise me, when the day comes that i finally get myself over to san francisco, you and will be going for tea… at the lovejoy’s tea room.
please…
oxo
ang.
Michael Nobbs on March 30, 2006 at 4:36 AM

The Lovejoy’s Tearoom – there’s another reason I must visit San Francisco (not that I really need another reason).
Happy tea drinking (i’m off to put the kettle on).
Best wishes from Wales
celeste on April 5, 2006 at 10:41 AM

i also *love* the book eat, pray, love. I borrowed it from the *fabulous* berkeley library as I always do first. Now, I must go to one of the *great* independent bookstores surrounding me to buy it! it may be the christmas book of the year (as was the dance of the dissident daughter, traveling mercies and many waters), bought in bulk for friends and family 🙂

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