Bookish Product Review + Giveaway: NovelTeas Tea Tins

If you're a tea lover (like myself), you're in for a serious treat today, because I'm about to introduce you to my favorite tea shop in the whole world - a BOOKISH tea shop that sells incredibly delicious teas in stunning hardback size tins!!! So take a deep breath, brace yourself, apologize to your wallet in advance - and say hello to NovelTea Tins! 

I discovered NovelTea Tins on Instagram a while ago. I saw their amazing tea tins, went to their website and immediately purchased the Earl Grey one called "The Picture of Earl Grey" (get it?! Instead of The Picture of Dorian Gray?!! :D). NovelTea Tins folks were awesome enough to actually send me TWO of their GORGEOUS tins, along with a brewing device, fridge magnet and a bookmark. ALL OF IT LOVELY!!!  Read on to find out what I thought about the tea and then be sure to enter the giveaway Jorgen and I have put together for you!

The Picture of Earl Grey -a gorgeously aromatic, rosy Earl Grey blend. 

     I'm a big tea drinker and I love many different kinds of tea - from green tea, to fruity blends - but Earl Grey tea is most definitely my favorite. I love Earl Grey tea. I could drink it all the time.

I was beyond ecstatic to have discovered NovelTeas and The Picture of Earl Grey, because not only is this a favorite tea of mine, but it comes in a truly stunning collectible tin. The tin is so beautiful, it's hard to believe that it's just a tea container. It looks breath-taking on my shelf and everyone who visits, admires it. As you can see in the photos I took, it's really quite a large size tin - ever saw the B&N hardcover classics? They're about the same size as this tin. Inside it, there is a 3OZ bag of loose leaf tea (makes about 33 cups), and the best part is, when you run out of this delicious tea, you don't have to order another tin, you can just purchase a refill bag!

Now, let me tell you about how good this tea is. I honestly don't think I have ever tried a better Earl Grey tea. Like, ever. I like Tetley and I like the English Garden blend from Inspired by Jane, and I also really like the Harney & Sons Earl Grey tea, but I still like this one the best. I went through my first bag within maybe 10 days, because I got so addicted to the taste of this tea, I kept making excuses to brew another cup. It's just so aromatic and rosy, and leaves you with this incredibly smooth aftertaste. It's amazing!

NovelTeas has two other teas in their store - Don Quixotea and War and Peach - and they are working on adding one more, which will be Pride and Peppermint. I'm so exited for Pride and Peppermint, guys! I seriously can't wait! I really want to buy the other two tins as well, but that's going to have to wait till after we move. But it is going to happen, there's no way I am passing on that!

There's no greater pleasure than reading while drinking a cup of really good, aromatic tea. It makes for a phenomenal experience. And drinking a novel tea while reading a classic book, is just TOP NOTCH. I can't recommend NovelTeas enough. The founders of this company work extra hard to bring you the highest quality blends in the utmost unique tea tins you'll ever see, and they're just really sweet and kind folks. Be sure to check out their store and give their teas a try - I promise you, you won't regret!

About the tea:

WILDE'S ROSY TEA BLEND - THE PICTURE OF EARL GREY

Organic jasmine green tea with a rose-blended Calabrian bergamot to radiate hedonism and beauty and wait for your reflections, eternally.

"The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it."

NovelTea Tins are tea tins shaped as books with tea inside that matches its title. The Picture of Earl Grey™ is the second title in our library of literary tea tins. It's a tribute to Irish author Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and is available both with and without tea. 

TEA BLEND:

WILDE'S ROSY EARL GREY

TEA TIN DIMENSIONS: 

9.4IN X 6.3IN X 2.4IN

TINS WITH TEA CONTAINS: 

3OZ (85G) LOOSE LEAF TEA (33 CUPS)

About NovelTeas Tins

NOVELTEA TINS™ RESEMBLE GREAT BOOKS WITH ORIGINAL MOTEAF™ ARTWORK AND UNIQUELY BLENDED TEAS INSIDE, FLAVORED TO THE THEME OF A CLASSIC STORY.

We are a family of book and tea lovers in Berkeley, California who discovered a real thirst for quality tins. Our mission is to serve elegant, collectible reminders of the incredible potential for human imagination and laughter.

OUR CURRENT LIBRARY OF BOOK TEA TINS INCLUDE:

• Don QuixoTea™ - Man of La ManChai™
• Oscar Wilde's - The Picture of Earl Grey™
• War and Peach™ by L.N. Tolstoy

Find NovelTeas online:

Website | Instagram | Twitter 

Giveaway

NovelTeas and I have come together to bring you an awesome double-treat giveaway! 

We are offering a prize package consisting of one tea tin of choice from NovelTeas and one mug of choice from my Society 6 website.

This giveaway is open to US/Canada only.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bookish Product Review: Simply Sassy Things Book Candles + 20% OFF CODE!

If you're a candle lover (like myself), you're in real trouble, because I'm about to introduce you to my new favorite candle shop - a BOOKISH candle shop that - wait for it - also sells other bookish goodies (like jewelry)!!! So take a deep breath, brace yourself, apologize to your wallet in advance - and say hello to Simply Sassy Things! 

I received two candles from the awesome folks at Simply Sassy Things: Pemberly and Raven. I got them for an Instagram feature (you can check out my photos at EvieBookish), but I fell in love with them so completely, I decided to also spread the love via blog! Because, hello, they are AMAZING!

Pemberley -sprinkled with book stars from the pages of Pride and Prejudice

     This Pride and Prejudice inspired candle is by far my favorite thing in the whole world. No kidding! It smells DIVINE. It's an English Garden scent and it's heavenly. If you ever had the chance to smell the Jane Austen Library candle, it's a very similar (if not identical) smell! The candle burns very clean (it's a soy candle) and the fragrance spreads throughout the room even before you light it up! And what's even more amazing, when the soy wax melts, the stars start floating around!!! So cool!! I love it!!!

    My candle came in a sturdy glass jar with a cute lid. I have to say, I really love that this is a jar candle, it gives it a kind of classic look that goes well with literary classics!

    The other candle I received is called:

Raven - Sprinkled with book stars from the pages of Edgar Allan Poe

     I was pleasantly surprised to discover how incredibly refreshing this candle is! The scent of it is clean, light, breezy, very crisp in its clarity and overall very fitting! I honestly think it's just the right smell for Edgar Allan Poe inspired candle. It smells like the wind and freedom, with a promise of something unexpected and a dash of mystery. Like a Raven circling in the sky! I really enjoy this scent and will definitely be lighting up this candle while reading my collection of Poe stories and poems (I actually purchased this lovely hardcover copy just so I could take photos with it!) 

     These are only two of many candles available in the Simply Sassy Things store. If you go to their website, you'll discover a whole collection of book-inspired candles, from literary singles, to couple candles! There's, of course, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Gone With the Wind, The Hunger Games and many more!  

About the candles:

Each soy book star candle is hand poured in North Carolina. The book stars will float around as you burn your candle.

Candles come in 3 sizes:

"Hardback" - 16 oz glass jar

"Paperback" - 12 oz glass jar

"E-Reader" - 8 oz travel tin

*Soy wax is non-toxic and burns cleaner than paraffin, with no petrol-carbon soot which can blacken walls, ceilings, and furniture, contaminate ventilation duct work in your home, as well as add toxic carcinogens into the air you breathe.

About Simply Sassy Things

Percentage of each purchase is donated to charity (how awesome!) and there's FREE shipping on orders over $50~

Find Simply Sassy Things online:

Website | Instagram | Twitter 

Discount Code

I have a special discount code exclusively for Bookish Lifestyle readers! To get 20% OFF your order, use EVIE20 at checkout!!! 

CODE: EVIE20

January OwlCrate Review + Promo Code

Holy gloriousness!!! OwlCrate nailed it again! I thought I LOVED the December box (and really, I did!), but I have to say, I loved the January box EVEN MORE! Just look at all the goodies, people! What a fabulous way to kick off another bookish year!

The theme of the January OwlCrate Box was MAGIC, and - as you can see - it really was a magical and beautiful box!

What was included:

- Book: Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley  that came with a handwritten note from the author and a paper doll with two different outfits (and a set of books! and a doggie!!!!)
- Funko Pop! from the Harry Potter series (there was a variety of Funkos sent out, I got Severus Snape T__T - there was a lot of ugly crying while opening the box)
- A magical Patronus Lip Balm from Geek Fire Labs 
- A print with a quote from Throne of Glass and a double-sided bookmark with quotes from The Raven Boys by yours, truly! (these were exclusive designs I did for the OwlCrate folks, so they are not available in any of my stores!)
- A Bonus EBOOK - Robin McKinley's A Knot in Grain (which I thought was beyond lovely! I love eBooks!)

     Well, I might be biased, but I think this was the best box EVER! I was so happy with the choice of book, because I absolutely adore Lena Coakley! Lena's Witchlanders novel (YA fantasy) was one of the first few books I got for review as ARCs back in 2011. I was a newbie blogger then, we lived in Vancouver, I had no money to buy any books for myself so I was spending 80% of my free time perusing the local libraries! I started blogging about the books I read (Chaos Walking, Joe Hill's stuff, etc) and somehow got this ball of awesome rolling! The first package I got from an actual publisher contained Fury by Elizabeth Miles, Lena's Witchlanders, a book by Kieran Scott and one more that I can't recall now. I still get all teary eyed when I think about that! Good times! I really can't wait to read Worlds of Ink and Shadow, as it's a twist on Bronte sisters and it sounds fantastic! I have been hearing only great things about it!

    I thought the letter written by Lena herself was such a wonderful touch! As was the paper doll. Both very lovely additions to the book! 

    The Lip Balm from Geek Fire Labs came in handy very quickly, as I got sick at the end of January and, as a result, my lips were very parched. It was lovely to be able to use this lip balm and it actually helped keep my lips moist! Plus, you really can't go wrong with White Chocolate flavor! Nope, it's absolutely DELIGHTFUL!

    I loved working on the designs for January's OwlCrate (seriously guys, Korrina and Robert are both amazing human beings and they put so much care into preparing their monthly boxes, they deserve all the praise and love! I love them so much, it's scary! Don't tell them that, tho, we don't want to scare them ^__-). I think the Throne of Glass print turned out pretty freaking awesome, if I say so myself. The quality of the print is gorgeous too, and I have already framed mine and will display it proudly from now on! The Raven Boys bookmark is darker and more eerie, but it was such a fantastic project too! My favorite side is the one that says TREES SPEAK LATIN. Which one is your favorite?! 

   And last but not least, how awesome to have a Funko Pop! included in the box! I applaud this wholeheartedly, I only have one other Funko so far (Dean Winchester, OF COURSE), so I was thrilled to see Snape in my box. SO HAPPY with the Funko I got! And it's gorgeous, it's fabulous, it's glorious!!! 

    Oh! Almost forgot! The bonus eBook totally made my day, too. This was not an item that took place of something else, but simply an extra from the lovely OwlCrate team, which was so sweet and thoughtful of them! They really go the extra mile while putting their boxes together, so if you're looking for a bookish subscription box, trust me when I say - you won't find a better one! 

About the book:

Hardcover, 342 pages

Published January 5th 2016 by HarperCollins Canada

Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The Brontë siblings have always been inseparable. After all, nothing can bond four siblings quite like life in an isolated parsonage out on the moors. Their vivid imaginations lend them escape from their strict upbringing, actually transporting them into their created worlds: the glittering Verdopolis and the romantic and melancholy Gondal. But at what price? As Branwell begins to slip into madness and the sisters feel their real lives slipping away, they must weigh the cost of their powerful imaginations, even as their characters—the brooding Rogue and dashing Duke of Zamorna—refuse to let them go.
Gorgeously written and based on the Brontës’ juvenilia, Worlds of Ink & Shadow brings to life one of history’s most celebrated literary families.

About Owlcrate

Find OwlCrate online:

Website | Instagram | Twitter 

SPECIAL PROMO!!!

If you'd like to subscribe to OwlCrate (which I HIGHLY recommend), be sure to use code: ES2016 for 10% OFF your first box!  

Bookish Christmas Shopping Guide 2015 + HUGE Giveaway!

Hi guys! It's December 1st today (can you believe it?!), which means Christmas is only 24 days away! Are you prepared?! If you're still trying to find gifts for your book-loving friends and family members, hopefully I can help you decide what to get! I present you with the Bookish Christmas Shopping Guide for December 2015! 

What we have here is a collection of brands/Etsy stores / companies and subscription boxes that I have personally worked with / bought from in the past and can definitely and wholeheartedly recommend! 

We all know that bookworms love books, but did you know that bookworms really love bookish merch, too? Many of my fellow bookworms, when asked, told me they would actually prefer to get a bookish gift instead of book! Consider this when choosing a gift for your beloved bookwormy person^__^ 

Let's start with one of my favorite bookish stores that I had the pleasure of working with twice in the past, GoneReading.com:

Gone Reading is, to put simply, any nerd's heaven. Especially if you're into classics like Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, etc. They have an amazing assortment of bookish gifts, from fabulous smelling candles (The Jane Austen library candle is DIVINE!), to cool mugs, journals, calendars, bookish plates (on my to-buy list for after we move next year), shot glasses, playing cards - even toothpaste! 

Find them here -> GoneReading 

Now, let's jump straight onto my favorite Etsy stores!

If you've been a follower for a while, you are most likely familiar with the fabulous mother-son duo from Crafting Call. I adore these guys and their creative inventions! In their store, you can find necklaces, bracelets, keychains, bookmarks and more! They're all hand crafted and they all feature most beloved books - adult and young adult alike! 

I got this beautiful ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES necklace a while ago - its a locket with a place to put a picture inside! It's still one of my favorite pieces of bookish jewelry ever! :) 

Find them here -> Crafting Call

I discovered Frostbeard studio through the amazing instagram community. All of a sudden, their gorgeous candles started popping up on almost all the bookstagram accounts I've been following! I simply couldn't deny myself the pleasure of owning one of their candles...

I got the READING AT THE CAFE candle - which smells like coffee and chocolate pastry - and gosh, people, this candle is HEAVEN! It brings me back to my Starbucks reading days and makes me feel so cozy and happy ^____^ It smells AMAZING! 

Frostbeard Studio has many more bookish inspired candles and you absolutely must check their store out! Trust me, you will LOVE them!

Find them here -> Frostbeard Studio

My BookMark is yet another phenomenal store that I discovered via the awesome Instagram community. Who doesn't love bookmarks?! I've got a whole shoebox of bookmarks, some awesome magnetic ones and like a ton different ones, too. But what really sets these guys apart from the rest of the bookmark makers, is the fact that these are all handcrafted with care and love. Hand-made, hand-painted and packaged in the most stunning, gorgeous way! 

I got this Alice in Wonderland bookmark for review and I absolutely ADORE it. It's perfect! The body of it is metal + wood, so it's extremely durable, won't get all bent out of shape or damaged. It's crafted with incredible attention to detail. SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I highly recommend My Bookmark store! 

ALERT -> My Bookmark has many of their designs on CLEARENCE right now, you can get up to 55% off! HURRY!

Plus! The awesome owner of the store gave me a special coupon code to share with you! USE: BOOKISHXMAS to get 15% OFF!!!

 Find them here -> My Bookmark

And finally, I have two AMAZING bookish subscription boxes that I am a HUGE fan of! They're - in my opinion - two of the best bookish boxes on the market. Not only do they always include super-dooper books and bookish items such as bookmarks, jewelry, signed bookplates, and more, they are ran by some truly fantastic, dedicated and caring people in the industry. I wholeheartedly recommend both of these boxes!!!

OwlCrate is a Vancouver based subscription box ran by a team of awesome. These guys really know what booklovers love the most and they are determined to provide just that! I am always in awe of their book selection and all the bookish merch they include in their boxes - just look at that Poe pouch! (Poe-ch!).

For rates and to subscribe, follow the link here: OWLCRATE

UpperCase Box  is just as amazing. I could honestly not pick between these two boxes, so as soon as we're all settled in after the big move, I am going to get year of both of these boxes. I absolutely LOVE the fact that this box comes with a personalized letter - it's like an extra ray of sunshine that really brightens up your day. A lovely touch for sure! And yet again - the selection of books,as well as many options in which you can personalize your subscription, makes this an awesome choice for any bookworm!

For rates and to subscribe, follow the link here: UPPERCASE

And last, but not least, as you are probably aware, yours, truly runs two bookish stores with bookish merch, too. Not to be a douche, but a little self promotion never hurt anyone, right? 

Both stores have the same designs, but both of them have a bit different options when it comes to products. Society 6 has great hoodies, pillows, mugs, throw blankies, shower curtains, etc. While RedBubble has pouches, drawstring bags, notebooks and stickers. 

Society 6 also offers FREE WW shipping at least twice a month, sometimes more often, and they run many promotions. For example TODAY ONLY - you can get FREE WW shipping + $6 OFF all apparel!!

On RedBubble, TODAY ONLY - you can get 40% off posters! 

Society 6: CLICK

RedBubble: CLICK

Giveaway:

I've teamed up with all of these amazing stores to bring you a special HOLIDAY SEASON giveaway! 

There will be 7 WINNERS, it will END on 12/15.

First winner will win: $25 Gift Card to GONE READING (US/Canada)

Second winner will win: a necklace, bookmark or keychain of choice from CRAFTING CALL (International)

Third winner will win: a choice of one candle from FROSTED BEARD (either Bookworm, Old Books, Reading at the Cafe or Wizardy Buttery Drink) (US/Canada)

Fourth Winner will win: a choice of bookmark from MY BOOKMARK (Interntional)

Fifth Winner will win: one subscription box from OWLCRATE (US/Canada)

Sixth Winner will win: December subscription box from UPPERCASE (US/Canada)

Seventh Winner will win: a choice of mug from my Society6 store

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bookish SWAG & Book Quote Design Big Sale!

Hi guys!
So, as you already know, a couple of months ago I opened up my Society 6 store, where you can buy some awesometastic bookish gear, including mugs, pillows, blankets, clocks and more. Since then, I have also opened up a Red Bubble store. And today, I am here to share with you some exciting news and promotions!

I have recently added many new designs to my store and they've been pretty popular :) I am excited to tell you that my work has been featured on the main page of RedBubble.com and one of my designs has even been shared on Penguin Random House Facebook page! :D I couldn't be happier, especially since it coincides with a HUGE artist promo, Society6 is running now, and a big, big sale on RedBubble!

Here are some new designs and promotion details for you!

Society 6: Artist Promo

Now through November 8th midnight, you can get FREE World Wide shiping and $5 OFF on all items in my store! That is HUGE, because, for example mugs are usually $15, so you can get a mug for only $10 + free shipping!
Society 6 almost never combines sales like this with free shipping, so be sure to take an advantage of this if you're planning some Christmas shopping (it can take anywhere from 3-5 weeks for your items to arrive, especially if you're International!)

To take advantage of this promotion, you need to go through THIS LINK (this is an artist promo, not a side-wide promo, so otherwise the bonus discounts won't be applied!): https://society6.com/evieseo?promo=6BV6P4ZFMRK9

And always remember, I do custom designs and take requests! :) 

RedBubble SALE!

Only today, until midnight!!! You can get 20%OFF all of my designs and products! 

RedBubble is pretty cool, in that they have products you can't find on Society 6, like makeup/pencil cases, drawstring bags, skirts, scarves and notebooks! Even stickers! :) 

Link to my store here: http://www.redbubble.com/people/evieseo/portfolio

And be sure to follow me on Instagram for updates and giveaways!

Evie on Instagram - Eviebookish

Etsy Shop Feature: Crafting Call - Bookish accessories and more! (Review & Giveaway)

Hi guys! Today I have the utmost pleasure of introducing you to one fabulously crafty family that makes beautiful bookish crafts! Please welcome CRAFTING CALL and say hello to Ainee and Migs! This family-run Etsy store makes the world a prettier place one gorgeous bookish craft at a time. They make book necklaces, bag charms, bracelets, bookmarks and more! Check out my review and make sure to enter A FANTASTIC giveaway Crafting Call has prepared exclusively for readers of Bookish Lifestyle!

All The Bright Places Book Necklace ($20)

Product detail:

* Handmade item
* Materials: Chain, Book Locket
* Made to order
* Ships worldwide from Philippines

* Can be made into a necklace, bracelet, keychain and bookmark!

* Necklace chain length can be customized, standard is 21 inch

When I first came across CRAFTING CALL, I felt like a kid in a candy store. No joke. I was browsing through my Instagram feed and someone posted a picture of a book necklace (or was it a bookmark? I don't recall anymore!). I immediately clicked over to their Instagram account, from where I went straight to their Etsy store and some serious money spending happened. OK, I am being a bit dramatic, I only had enough money to buy one thing, but when I saw this (gorgeous! beautiful! magical!) ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES necklace, I could not stop myself. And thank God, because it is FAB-U-LOUS!

This is a necklace with a picture locket that looks just like a mini cute version of the book itself. It's tiny and so purrrrty! I just love it! Lots of care went into making it, the details are incredible and the overall look is really quite impressive. I love that I can put two tiny photos inside and I am planning to put my hubby and my daughter's pictures in there as soon as I can have them printed in tiny versions that will fit the tiny locket.

This necklace is gorgeous and the great news is, Crafting Call can make the same book locket design to be a keychain, a bracelet and a bookmark, too! Heck, if you want a different book, they have many others in their store! And if you can't find the one you really want? They'll custom make it just for you! How amazing is that?! I'm thrilled to have discovered this store and I know I will be buying more from them in the future - and the fact that this is a family run business only makes me love them more! :) (They are seriously sweet people, so don't hesitate to hit them up on Instagram or Twitter and send some love their way!). 

About Crafting Call

The Adventures of a Crafty Mother (and Son)

I have always been, no pun intended, a crafty person, but then life happened. Got married, had a job, had kids, quit the job, started a business, decided to fold up the original business, started another one, and then another, youngest kid now in college, virtually empty nester-- not necessarily in that order. Okay, except for the last part. Anyway, what started as a hobby, or more accurately a de-stresser, became a full blown, wait for it, (surprise! surprise!) business. I had to recruit the second of my three sons, (yes, the middle child, I know right?), who has his own business, to take over production while I was in charge of conceptualizing, marketing, bookkeeping, the nitty gritty stuff okay? We experimented with different materials and processes until (Eureka!) we found what suited our requirements best, durability and overall product aesthetic. Before we knew it, we were setting up shop on Etsy. And setting up another shop and maybe another. We'll see. By this time, guess you know what happens next.

    

More from Crafting Call:

Giveaway:

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Crafting Call, I get to share with you this fabulous giveaway today! 

One winner (Internationals are welcome) will win:

- custom made book bracelet

- custom made book bag charm

- custom made book necklace 

The winner can either pick from the existing ones, or decide to pick their own favorite books to be made into gorgeous custom made accessories! YAY! 

Enter via Rafflecoter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out my Society 6 store full of BOOKISH goodies and win some!

Hi guys! So I recently started adding some of my Book-related designs to my society 6 store. 

My head is full of ideas but I have no way to manufacture all the things, so I decided to join Society 6 and share my designs on there! 

I would be thrilled and honored if you'd be so kind as to check out my store and like some of the items published on there - I am only just starting and I'm adding new designs every day, so be sure to follow me on there to always be up to date with my new designs!!

For now, I am focusing on three types of designs: general bookish goodies (I Love Books etc), Woodland Creatures Love Books (cute animals with books!) and bookish quotes (check out the merch for Illuminae, Jay and Amie both got some for themselves and we will hopefully be able to give some away when Illuminae goes on blog tour, too!).

VISIT MY STORE

Giveaway

Today I am hosting a giveaway. Two winners will get their choice of either a mug or a pillow of their choosing! :)

This open WORLD WIDE because Society 6 ships pretty much everywhere, yay!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway