Lavender Lady Life

Thanks for visiting my site and appreciating my love of tea and photography.  I've been a tea drinker since childhood.  My mom used to make southern sweet iced tea almost every day, and after spending a summer in London during college, I was well and truly hooked.

You'll find me trying a delicious tea blend daily, without the sugar, and predominately iced year round in the afternoon, with hot tea in the morning.

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Following my passion, I "graduated" as a certified tea speaker from the Specialty Tea Association a number of years ago.  I've hosted a number of tea talks and parties through the years and am still happy to share my knowledge on occasion.  My goal is to help everyone drink better tea and take better photos.  Since reducing my caffeine intake in the afternoons, I've made it my goal to seek out tasty decaf and herbal tea blends to move you well beyond Raspberry Zinger.  Rest assured. I'm still enjoying caffeinated varieties in the mornings, so I'll taste test those varieties for you,too.

 

My passion for photography began as a young teen when my dad gave me a faithful Pentax and started sharing photography tips.  My interest really took off with the arrival of digital files, and now you'll find me shooting something most every day.  Flowers, the natural world, macro shots and our darling rescue pup are my most frequent subjects on my daily neighborhood walks here in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Covering familiar ground and shooting and reshooting the same subject has allowed me to improve my skills immensely as I figure out how to capture the best side of each subject. 

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I've been fortunate to win awards for my photography over the years, from Best in Show at our local fair to having my photograph displayed at the National Botanic Garden with an exhibit by the Garden Club of America.  Teaching has always been a passion (I actually taught high school for over a decade), so I'm eager to share my photography techniques and tips with others through formal presentations and one on one teaching opportunities.

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My day job has me working with a local school system encouraging kids to walk and bike, so I spend plenty of time outdoors.  I'm lucky to be centered in an area of great natural beauty and bordered on each side by mountains.  Although I dearly love those peaks, my heart lives at the beach, so I'll share my visits and images there from time to time.

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As an empty nester, our rescue pup now provides daily companionship.  Rosie the Rescue Dog always keeps us on our toes, partly due to her extreme separation anxiety.  She loves to walk and is very patient while I'm shooting, so she is my constant sidekick.

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