The Steeping Chronicles

I'm Erica. I'm a tea sommelier here in San Antonio, a mom of five, and this all started at my own kitchen table in a season when a hot cup was about the only thing I could manage. Then my kids started sitting down with me. We talked. This is where I put the things people actually ask me: how to host a tea party without losing a whole week to it, what to send when you don't know what to say, and why your green tea tastes like regret. Pick the part you came for.

Thanksgiving Reflections: Same Tea, Different Steeps
Pour Into Yourself

Thanksgiving Reflections: Same Tea, Different Steeps

The Steeping Chronicles, REAL side. The yearly debate with my mom about traveling for Thanksgiving, why I am choosing gratitude anyway, and the teas I am packing this year.

Pour Into Yourself

Thanksgiving Reflections: Same Tea, Different Steeps

The Steeping Chronicles, REAL side. The yearly debate with my mom about traveling for Thanksgiving, why I am choosing gratitude anyway, and the teas I am packing this year.

What to Wear to a Tea Party: Outfits and Style Tips for Every Occasion
Host a Tea Party

What to Wear to a Tea Party: Outfits and Style Tips for Every Occasion

Ten tea party outfit ideas, from big hats and fascinators to pearls, blazers, and wide-legged pants. Plus the exact wording to put the dress code on your invitation so no guest has to guess.

Host a Tea Party

What to Wear to a Tea Party: Outfits and Style Tips for Every Occasion

Ten tea party outfit ideas, from big hats and fascinators to pearls, blazers, and wide-legged pants. Plus the exact wording to put the dress code on your invitation so no guest has to guess.

Easy Tea Party Foods: Delicious Menu Options for Your Next Gathering
Host a Tea Party

Easy Tea Party Foods: Delicious Menu Options for Your Next Gathering

The key to an easy tea party menu is bite sized food that pairs with your tea. Here are the finger foods, fruit, sweets, and tea cakes I serve, and how to put them together.

Host a Tea Party

Easy Tea Party Foods: Delicious Menu Options for Your Next Gathering

The key to an easy tea party menu is bite sized food that pairs with your tea. Here are the finger foods, fruit, sweets, and tea cakes I serve, and how to put them together.

How to Organize the Perfect Tea Party: Themes and Ideas for Every Occasion
Host a Tea Party

How to Organize the Perfect Tea Party: Themes and Ideas for Every Occasion

Eleven tea party themes to borrow, from classic English and garden teas to Halloween, holiday, and mother-daughter, each with the decor, the menu, and the one activity that makes it an occasion.

Host a Tea Party

How to Organize the Perfect Tea Party: Themes and Ideas for Every Occasion

Eleven tea party themes to borrow, from classic English and garden teas to Halloween, holiday, and mother-daughter, each with the decor, the menu, and the one activity that makes it an occasion.

Reasons for Tea Parties: Women’s Social Interaction and Business Growth
Host a Tea Party

Reasons for Tea Parties: Women’s Social Interaction and Business Growth

Tea parties have always been where women gather, talk, and get things done. Here are six reasons to host one, for your family, your friend group, or your organization.

Host a Tea Party

Reasons for Tea Parties: Women’s Social Interaction and Business Growth

Tea parties have always been where women gather, talk, and get things done. Here are six reasons to host one, for your family, your friend group, or your organization.

Questions I get asked

Who writes The Steeping Chronicles?

I do. Every word. I'm Erica Powers, the tea sommelier who packs the boxes and sets the tables. The blog shares its name with my newsletter and it has the same 2 sides: the sweet side, and the real side where the honest stories live.

What kind of tea party do you write about?

The kind you can actually pull off on a Saturday. Bridal and baby showers, birthdays, church and senior groups, office gatherings, Galentine's, watch parties, and a table set for one on a Tuesday. I write for the woman hosting it, not for a magazine shoot.

Do I need china and a teapot to host a tea party?

No. You need hot water, something to steep in, and a table people can sit at. My own collection started as mismatched cups I picked up one at a time. If you want the vintage look without buying 40 of them, I rent china around San Antonio and my team washes every piece afterward.

Where do I start if I have never brewed loose leaf tea?

Start in Know Your Tea. Water that is too hot and leaves left in too long are what turn a good cup bitter, and both are easy to fix. Then pick 1 blend and brew it 3 times before you decide how you feel about it.

Send Someone a Tea Party

I started packing these boxes so I could send my kitchen table to people I could not get to in person. Every one holds loose leaf tea and something to do while it steeps, because the part that matters is the hour you sit down for. Pick the one that sounds like the person you are sending it to.

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