Abbi's Teas - Nags Head, North Carolina
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  • Home
  • About
  • Tea Blog
  • Contact
  • Online Store
    • Black Tea
    • Green Tea
    • Herbal / Tisane
    • Rooibos
    • White Tea
    • Yerba Mate
    • Seasonal Blends
    • Tea Accessories
    • Sudden Light Records
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7/8/2021

July 2021 update: Here we go again...

After just over a month of being re-opened inside at the tea shop, I cannot believe I am writing this - I am headed back out to the curb. Today, Arkansas was marked as the 2nd most dangerous place in the United States in terms of contracting the new Delta Variant of Covid-19. With 1,000 new cases yesterday, and another 1200+ new cases today - our state is experiencing a THIRD surge of the virus. 

I am so discouraged. I just got used to the shop being open again - feeling a little bit back to normal, and yet we are not back to normal. I would rather be hot and tired on the curb than feeling anxious about the spread of the virus inside of my shop. I am a small business and likely my decision will make a very small ripple in this situation, but I feel a responsibility to myself, my family and to my customers to make efforts to curb the outcome of this next surge.

Many of you already know that a large part of our customers are under the age of 15 - little cuties who love to visit the shop with their parents or neighborhood kids who ride their bike to the shop to share a jug of tea on the porch. These kids have zero choice in vaccination. And, now with new information coming out that there are many breakthrough cases (people getting the Delta Variant of Covid-19 who have been vaccinated for months specifically those who have the Pfizer vaccine.) I know this to be true because a friend of mine who has been vaccinated with Pfizer since April just tested positive this past week right here in Little Rock. Fortunately, I had not seen him for awhile, but the news was enough to have me more than worried. You see, I have the Pfizer vaccine and so does my Grami. The risk of either of us contracting this new and more contagious virus is not worth it especially after I spent 15 months out there keep this little dream alive already.

So, out to the curb we go again. I did it last year - in the heat - and I can do it again. But this go around, I am not going to be as perky about it. Here me when I say, please DO NOT come to the tea stand without your masks on your face. I will not be apologetic about asking you to put one on while you're with me. It is impossible for me to know who is vaccinated and who is not - and by us all wearing a mask that takes the stress and anxiety off me while I sit out there in the sun serving my tea.

If you are out of town and you are reading this, you can still support me! Please shop online - I have a free shipping promotion on the site running through the end of July with coupon-code SUMMERTIME at check-out. You can see my various loose leaf tea blends & other tea accessories at our online store.
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HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT MY BUSINESS RIGHT NOW:
  • Buy some tea! Online or @ the tea stand,
  • Share my social media posts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
  • Be kind, send a note of encouragement, comment on my posts. 
  • Get vaccinated & wear a mask so we can all get back to normal again - for real this time.
Thank you all so much for supporting me thus far - this was a very hard decision for me as the heat is at PEAK levels in Arkansas right now. I will likely only have 2 tea stands per week during the hot weeks but if I see a cool day, I will pop out there more - you can keep up with this info on my social media pages.
Please wear a mask, please get vaccinated, please be mindful of the kids around you, please be kind to each other. - Abbi

6/30/2021

What's In Your Cup - Meaghan Ferneau

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Name: Meaghan Ferneau
Where are you? Little Rock, Arkansas
Pronouns: she/her


What do you do? Regional Demand Generation Manager (basically Tech Marketing) and Princessing as a side hustle!

Favorite blends? Gentle Dreams / Rose Mint / Peach Mint

Iced or hot? Hot!

What's your ideal tea experience? Sitting out in the French countryside with a cup of Gentle Dreams and no one is around, except Chris Pratt - he’s there. Did you say ideal experience or day dream? Same thing right?

What got you into tea? I have always enjoyed it, but in all honesty I have never had blends as creative or delicious as Abbi’s!
Any fun cocktails or weird/fun things you do with your tea leaves? I use the Rose Mint leaves on my hands for eczema- and we have made cocktails with a few blends making a simple syrup!

What are you reading? I finally opened up “Untamed” which I’ve had sitting unopened for quite some time!

What are you listening to these days? I’m an old soul - I love old records mainly from the 60s and 70s.

What's a blend you'd love to try but haven't yet? Goji Ginger
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Thanks for always making me laugh, Meaghan and for all the kind words & drive by honks from the Jeep on your way home!

6/18/2021

A Sappy Teapot Story Coming Through...

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A really small and insignificant event just happened that triggered in me a deep cathartic cry that I feel has been dwelling up in me for a few weeks now. One of those cleansing “make things new by clearing things out” types of cries.

At the beginning of the pandemic, when I was trying to figure out what retail would sell and would be easy to move in and out every day out at the tea stand I made some purchases of teapots.

Typically when I buy teapots or things for the store, I choose things that I really love in hopes people will love it like I do.


​So, when I found this matte gray teapot with a cream accent, I really wanted to keep it for myself but alas, I have so many teapots. I couldn’t let it pass and there was only one left from this manufacturer, and I needed it for the stand.
I knew it would sell.

Well, the year passed - in and out this gray teapot came and went with me out to the stand. In every season - cold weather, spring weather, hot humid weather, fall weather, and repeat.

When we got to the point where I was ready to open back up, I was merchandising and buying for the gift shop room & the gray teapot was the last remaining teapot from that initial pandemic buy. I just didn’t understand why no one loved this little teapot like me. So, I told myself that if it was still here at Christmas this year, I would take it home, and it would be mine.

Today, I sold the gray teapot.

I do not know why it touched me so much, but when they came around the corner after spending much time debating which pot to choose for their tea nook, they had the gray teapot nestled in their elbow.

Tears sprung to my eyes and I said, “Oh, are you going to buy that one?!” They said “Well, we’d hoped so!” I quickly said “yes, yes please!” and unintentionally I let loose some tears on them. I explained to them about how this was the only teapot that literally came in and out every single time at the tea stand for a year and a half - and, how I just didn’t understand why no one would buy it.

The loneliest but most loyal teapot to survive the elements and the hustle without even so much as a chip on her. She’s a resilient little pot, that one!

The tears were rolling at this point and I said, “That teapot has just been waiting for you! It’s just been waiting to find you this whole time and I hope you will just love her and cherish her.”

They were super cool about it even though my sappy ass was having a bit of a moment. We chattered about books and other things and they headed out the door with her.

But, as they are standing on the sidewalk - teapot lovingly held in their arms - I feel like the whole load of this year just came rolling out of me. The weight of making it through it all. The weight of hauling my shop in and out every single day.

Farewell, teapot friend. You are the only one who saw me laugh, cry, dance, sing, work, sweat, read, & work my entire self mentally & physically to keep this tea shop afloat. You did it with me - all on the side of the curb during the hardest year of my entire life. You hold so many stories and sights and memories that only you could see & many only you will ever know.
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I hope you get used fully and often and I bet you make the best damn tea a pot could ever make because you survived this year just like me — and now you are right where you belong! We made it. We’re okay. We survived - and now we can go back to doing what we were really meant to do.

2/1/2021

Prosperi-TEA: February 2021 Update

I made it! I keep whispering that to myself these days. February marks the start of my fourth year in business. It also marks the 12th month of operating 100% curbside with the tea stand. I spent 10 of the 12 months of my 3rd year outside in the elements of Arkansas weather slinging tea and finding solace in the faces of my neighbors and customers. I MADE IT!
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I would be remiss to not take the time to document some of my milestones during this weird last year. Despite not operating a single part of my food service business (dine-in operations, private tea party bookings, etc.) I somehow ended the year up 32.8% over 2019 - on just tea sales and tea stand shenanigans alone! What an incredible accomplishment - one that validates that my blends and my brand are viable all on their own. 

I also have a whole new batch of regulars who discovered me from being on the curb - these folks have never even set foot inside the shop yet! I cannot wait for the reopening when these folks will get to experience the whole dream. Currently. the shop sits in this eerie stand-still just waiting for me to be ready & comfortable to open again.

My online business has boomed in this last year, too. When I first opened the shop, I had just left a career in digital marketing & advertising. My burnout from that decade-long dedication to being attached to my phone and email was at its peak and I setup the e-commerce site with just a handful of blends but honestly I had no intention of expanding that part of my business. 
When everything shut down last March, I was grateful I had it built out so that all I had to do was get my inventory online - and boy, it has paid off. It has broadened my reach to customers across the US and some new folks, too. One of the most incredible parts of the online business is the encouragement and support from friends all over the US who haven't been able to support me before this year. College friends, high school friends, and even childhood friends. 

There's been so much good despite all of the hurdles the year has brought to us. That's not to say that it has been easy. Even still, people walk up and think my cute little tea stand is a "Going Out of Business" sale or the person who just moved to the neighborhood on their walk who stops to say they didn't realize things were so "desperate" here. On the show, Ted Lasso, he gives a very profound commentary on being underestimated that has resonated with me these last few months.

I suppose the tea stand is all in how you look at it, some see it as a desperate attempt to survive. Others see it as a source of hope and endurance. For me, I see it as an incredible opportunity that saved my business and it saved me, too.
"I've been underestimated my entire life, so my dart skills are just the tip of the metaphorical iceberg. The wise Walt Whitman once said:
"Be curious, not judgmental."
So if you're curious how I got good at darts, here's what my father taught me every Sunday." ​- Ted Lasso
The loneliness of 2020 was really hard for me. Not just at the tea shop that sat quiet and empty day after day, but the world in general was a hard and lonely place. Isolating from those we love, the tensions of extreme partisanship in our country, and the loneliness of being misunderstood and directly lied about were all things I struggled with more than ever in year 3. 
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​Stacey Bowers - Bang-up Betty &
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​Erin Pierce - Organized Chaos Collection
In the midst of the hard stuff, I somehow ended up making incredibly deep friendships with women who inspire me every single day. These were women who were always in my peripheral - we'd done events together, we were always friendly. But in the face of this crazy year, our group texts and shares became almost a daily thing for me to look forward to. 

​Sharing the weird stuff, the hard stuff, the FUNNY stuff - and just trying our best to encourage each other to keep going. 

At 34, finding new friends is hard. And I don't know that I really think these are new friends - just some that have deepened because of all of this. So, Stacey & Erin, thank you for getting me through this past year.  If you don't know these women, check them out & support them. 

My Anniversary Tea Stand is on February 10th, these ladies will be joining me for a pop-up. Check that event out on Facebook.
So, what's next? Well, Grami got her first round of vaccinations last week. Mom & Jessi will be getting their first round this week. I will be in the next group once they open it up. I hope to have the shop open again by May, though it might not be 100% normal when I re-open. Really just depends on what the world looks like in May, every week looks different these days.

For now, I will keep setting up my tables and breaking them down each day the weather allows for it. We are moving into a rainy season so I will be leaning on my online tea sales to carry me through until Spring. I hope you all will stick with me as you have done so far.

I am forever grateful to all of you.
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11/2/2020

The Reali-TEA: November 2020 Update

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Has it really been 5 months since I wrote an update for you all? I am so sorry! What a weird year - it has been the longest and fastest year all at the same time. I want to get right to the punch because a competitor has put out a little whisper campaign that folks have brought to my attention...

I AM NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS! Seriously, I am OKAY! Yes, I am still sitting curbside - this marks 8 months of the tea stand - but I am keeping the lights on, the rent paid, and we are finally into TEA SEASON! Hooray for that!

Sorry to have to address something so silly, but the tea is strong over here and I am not letting it get me down. 💅 
I am coming up on my 3rd business birthday - and things could have gone A LOT worse for the shop especially since we are so young and just getting our legs underneath of us.

Mom and Jessica are doing well. This year has been pretty hard for my Jessi girl. She loves her routines and loves having a plan, and 2020 just does not allow for that. She was going to get married to Donald in October but we have postponed their special day until next year as they are both high risk and so are many of their friends and family. 

How am I doing? So many of you have asked and continue to ask, and I often do not know how to respond. My bubbly, perky self wants to say "I am great - just gotta keep going! Keep swimming! Keep trying!" but the reali-TEA is that I am really not doing so great in terms of how this year has impacted me personally. I am tired. I often bounce between discouraged and hopeful. But, the cases keep rising. I see more and more people out and about in large groups without masks on. It is almost like some folks have decided this isn't real, and that the impacts of this virus are just a charade. 

As far as the shop goes, sales are steady. We were really doing good March through July - and then the heat set in, then back to school, and then the election. September and October months were slower than desired, but this last week of October was really strong which lets me know that tea season is here and y'all are ready for it!
Summer was HOT but I endured it - I actually sweated off about 18 lbs this summer which is great. And Fall has proven to be great weather so far! I am currently selling hot teas and a cold tea each day at the tea stand.

The Tea Jugs that everyone has come to love will continue until they just aren't selling anymore. I will continue to have about 4-6 jug flavors each week. We also launched our new FALL BLENDS! If you missed them, here's the list with links to the Online Store:

- Bourbon Berry (black tea)
- Cocoa Berry Chai (black tea)
- Autumn Rose (white tea)
- Chaga Chai (herbal)
- Chamomile Cardamom Chai (herbal)
- Cherry Chicory (herbal)
- Just Dandy (herbal)
- The Sassy Sage (herbal)
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Many of you have already been asking about Holiday Spirit and Twinkle Tea - these will be released Black Friday & Small Business Saturday like they are every year. I know so many of you are looking forward to stocking up on those! I just got the BEST cinnamon bark in this week to start blending it up!
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I plan to be out curbside through November. I am not sure what we will do in December - that is so dependent on the weather and also how many active cases the state has then. Right now, we have more cases in the state and in the country than we did when we were in lock-down back in March & April. So, I am digging my heels in and staying on the curb as long as humanly possible. 

Please continue to support my business - I know it's tempting to buy that tea at the grocery store or whatever big box retailer you find yourself in this holiday season, but I can tell you that I am TRULY grateful for every single sale - always of course - but this year especially. 

Be safe, wear a mask, be kind & give as much grace as you can to all of us retail & restaurant folks.
I promise you, we are all doing our very best despite so many factors that are out of our control. 
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6/3/2020

Uncertain-tea: my thoughts for June 2020

Abbi standing at her tea stand
Well, here we are and I've been doing the tea stand for 3 months now! Can you believe that?! My tan is already in full force - though there are major "farmer's tan" style lines present! Ha! 

I wish I was writing to tell you that I'd be opening the shop back up, but based on the rising new cases of Covid-19 and how they continue to tick up each day, I just don't feel safe letting people inside yet.

It's a bummer, I know, but I can assure you no one is more impacted than me by this decision. I shared with you all last month that I am taking this super seriously - my Grami, my mom, and my little sister are all considered high-risk due to their various things - diabetes, COPD, age, etc. 

The tea stand has been working, and while it is getting warmer out there, I believe I can sustain the shop a little while longer outside. I am also giving some thought to doing a few farmer's markets across the state for those of you who have been ordering online from afar -- more on that in coming weeks!
I want to be clear - AS SOON AS I FEEL SAFE I will open these doors wide and welcome you all back here! I miss having the tables full. I miss tea parties in the back room. I miss having in person tea talks in the evenings. I miss working with my mom and sister every week. They miss it, too. 

I am not going anywhere! I am not closing or giving up! We are going to make it through this crazy time. But, I do ask that you continue to support my shop.

​Please continue shopping online and allowing me to bring your orders out to you curbside, or shipping it to you wherever you live!


Since everything has started opening up, I have had a pretty significant downward trend in online sales. Fortunately, the tea stand is still thriving and that helps, but those online sales help so much, too! 

All that said, I have been so incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support, love and encouragement the past couple months. It really keeps me going & I am so thankful for all of you. 
How You Can Support
​My Tea Shop This Summer
  • Shop My Loose Leaf Tea Blends Online
  • Come by the Tea Stand on Wednesdays & Saturdays - weather permitting!
  • Buy a digital gift card
  • Tell your friends about my teas & share my social media posts.
  • Post your packages & teas on your social accounts and tag me! @teasandthings
  • Pray for me.
  • Send me a note & be patient with me.
  • Wear a mask, wash you hands & stay safe - the sooner we all do this, the sooner this will stop spreading!
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5/3/2020

The Month Ahead - May 2020

I've been giving a lot of thought to what the next month looks like for the tea shop in lieu of the announcement from the State of Arkansas on re-opening restaurants and retail shops. 
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The quarantine has taken quite a toll on my little business. I never thought I would face such an extreme hiccup in year three. 

All that said, I am overwhelmingly grateful for the outpouring of support from friends, regulars, and complete strangers.

​The past 7 weeks has been a LOT of shifting gears and a LOT of hard work but we are doing okay. My tea shop will be okay. 
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There is still so much uncertainty about how this virus spreads, how many people have it, can people get it again, and on and on. As many of you know, I run the shop with my mom and my sister, Jessica. Both of them are diabetic, my mom is over the age of 60 and I am currently the main contact for my Grami - doing her errands, taking her groceries, and visiting with her weekly. My considerations are not just for me, but my family, and ultimately for my customers. Opening the shop too soon could put those I love in jeopardy. 

​I have decided to continue with curbside pick-up, online order/shipping, and the Tea Stand through May.
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My goal is to reassess on June 1st whether it is safe to open the doors to the shop. I may try out patio only dining toward the end of the month, but again, it depends. My hope would be that I could do a nice grand re-opening on June 10th - National Iced Tea Day!

I am not ready to bring my mom back to work when things are so risky. I am not in a situation to hire additional staff to help me offer a full service experience at this time, and, frankly, it's just too soon to tell if we have really passed through this scary phase of the pandemic. 

I am hoping you, my loyal customers & friends, will understand. I am hoping you will continue to support me through online orders and you will continue to stop by the tea stand on Wednesdays and the weekends. I truly cannot wait for the day when you can sit in my lovely tea shop and share in my dreams again. Until then, I will see you curbside, in the sunshine! ​​
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2/17/2020

Girl Scout Inspired Tea Blends with Mary Grace

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Meet Mary Grace, a delightful young woman who is making Girl Scout cookies more accessible to those with food allergies and/or strict diets! For Girl Scout Entrepreneur Week, Mary Grace reached out to me to work on some tea blends inspired by some of our favorite Girl Scout cookies - but her mission was to make these blends for those who may not get to partake in the cookie mania each year.

We came up with two blends - Skinny Mint Cookie (inspired by the Thin Mint) and Caramel Coconut Cookie (inspired by the Samoa). Both of these teas are non-caffeinated and do not have added sugars which makes them diabetic friendly and can be sipped anytime during the day or night!

Mary Grace recommends taking these teas with a splash of honey - but you can substitute that for whatever sweetener you prefer! In addition to the blends being on sale at the tea shop, we will also be taking "Cookie Box Donations" for families at the UAMS NICU- the idea is to drop a dollar or two to go toward a box of cookies that can be shared with those who utilize the Family Pantry at UAMS. 
The Girl Scouts (Mary Grace's Troop - #6007) will be out front of the tea shop on Saturday, February 22nd from 10am-1pm with the Cookie Bus to sell cookies and a cup of these yummy teas!

Both of the Girl Scout Inspired Blends will be on shelves from now through March 14th - so be sure to grab a bag of tea before the cookie season ends! ​

Details for Saturday's Girl Scout event can be found on Facebook.
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11/15/2019

Fall Blends Featured on Rock City Eats

Sassy Sage Herbal Tea
Photo by Steve Shuler
We just released our fall loose leaf tea blends here at the tea shop! Our friends over at Rock City Eats have taken some time to try the new blends and give a few thoughts on their favorites. 

The new blends include:
The Sassy Sage:
bright, complex & no caffeine
Banana Nut Roo: rooibos base with warm nutty texture
Spiced Orange: black tea with a light spice & lots of citrus
The Drowsy Poet: yerba mate & rooibos with smoky citrus layers
Chamomile Cardamom Chai: floral and spicy, a nice non-caffeinated alternative to traditional chai

Be sure to swing in over the weekend for our all you can drink blend release party on Sunday! $5 gets you a cup and the chance to try all the blends!

8/14/2019

Tea Cocktails with Colonial Wine & Spirits!

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We had a great time on Good Day Arkansas this morning with Chris from Colonial Wines & Spirits talking about our event on Thursday night! Come see me at Colonial Wines & Spirits from 4-7pm this Thursday to try Abbi's Herbal Mojito and our Blackberry Patch cocktail!

​We will be selling tea and Colonial will be serving up free tea cocktail samples! 
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3933 S Croatan Hwy, MP 12.5, Nags Head, NC 27959

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