My top album of 2024 is no surprise to literally anyone who came into our shop or paid any attention to the songs I shared in my stories this year. Adrianne Lenker's Bright Future is maybe the Abbiest of Abbi albums I have ever heard and it's chock full of childhood nostalgia - bittersweet memories, grief, but mostly this album is a long poetry book of love.

​The way we love ourselves, love our partner, love our family dog who has long passed, the way we try to love our community and the love that lies buried inside us all as we travel through the weary human experience.

It was hard to choose a favorite song from this album because I have them all memorized, but Free Treasure hits me right now because it's such a deep reflection of where Jordan and I are in our relationship at year 18 - he's cooking dinner, we're processing childhood pain, we are giving each other patience and pleasure - it's simply free treasure. And while I do feel like this album is about all encompassing love and some songs I cannot help but relate to my relationship, the album is mostly sung to a woman. So for my lesbian friends looking for a beautiful love album, this one is a must listen.

​Other special songs on the album for me are: Evol - probably the best written song on the album, Sadness is a Gift - a song for those grieving, and Real House which is the album opener will bring you to your knees with all the feels. Poetry to music, this album is simply incredible.

You can find the rest of my list below along with my favorite songs from each of my top albums. Jordan and I made up a fun Tea & Records playlist that combines both of our favorite songs from our lists. You can see his full list on his Sudden Light Records blog, which is also where our playlist is housed, too!

It's been a couple of years since I have been to a church service. Part of that is on me as I have avoided church after trying unsuccessfully to find a church home that did not elevate an American man and a political movement that does not represent my faith over the truth about who Jesus Christ was as a man, and as a savior. I have felt for a long time a disenfranchised negativity toward church because of the discriminating vitriol that has taken root there. I learned last night, I am just going to the wrong churches.

Over the years, I have missed the community of church, the music, the challenging message of action and conviction that I once experienced weekly. For me, a white lady with a ministry degree, I have watched white churches turn a sharp shoulder away from the true teachings of Jesus and move toward a nationalist patriotism that has left me uncomfortable and disengaged.

I had given up on church and shame on me for it. What a privilege I have to walk away from the "messy work of compromise and community."


​Last night, I felt a tugging in my soul to be somewhere holy where I could pray for our country and whatever is to come today forward. I am glad I followed that calling to go to church. I went to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Service put on at Saint Mark Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Lord, I feel certain, found me there.

I went into that service looking for hope, but I left with a challenge & a conviction. From the spirit led worship from two choirs and a soloist who sang one of my most beloved gospel songs, Precious Lord, Take My Hand. I was already knowing I had come to a place where God was "pulling up."

There were several meaningful prayers from pastors across the city. But, a deep stirring in my heart started when Pastor George Shears, III of New Hope Baptist Church began to pray.

"Lord, we come to you with heavy hearts in a world where peace feels distant, yet our longing for it is deep. We pray for peace in this nation. Peace that is not just the absence of violence but the presence of justice."

"We are living in a time where banning an app is seems more urgent than banning militaristic armament. Lord, help us to see the value of every human life and to act in ways that protect and preserve it. Teach us to prioritize what builds peace, and safety over what divides and distracts us."

"We pray for peace in our nation, where leadership is not measured by crowd size but by character. May integrity and humility replace arrogance and division. Raise up leaders who value truth, justice, and compassion above personal gain. And may we as citizens hold ourselves to those same standards. As we reflect on Dr. King's dream, we pray for the courage to transform weapons of war into tools for building and healing. We ask for the strength to confront the injustices that disrupt peace in our communities to challenge systems of inequality and to build bridges where others erect walls.

Finally, Lord, we ask that your peace, which surpasses all understanding, would guard our hearts and our minds. Let it begin within us, spread to our homes, and flow into our neighborhoods, our nation and this world.
May we remember that the work of peace is not passive but active. Not easy, but essential. In the name of the Prince of Peace, in Jesus Christ, we pray, amen."

By the time Brittany Stillwell got up there to give the prayer of Unity, I knew God had put me in that pew next to Debbie, my new church friend, on purpose. (I went by myself and can't help but make new friends.)

Brittany, said the hard part outloud before her prayer. She said, "My knees are knocking. I have been asked to give the Prayer of Unity, and as a white woman in Little Rock, I do not think I can deliver a prayer on unity without a little confession along the way. So for my brothers and sisters in this room for whom this confession does not apply, would you help me? Will you pray for me and the rest of us that we might be able to own what is OURS to repair?" You can find her prayer & confession at 1:24:50.

The entire service built into an outpouring of hope and conviction and a call to action that requires all of us to be involved in. A strike against apathy and silence in the face of what we know is wrong even if it is "legal." I wish I could quote the ENTIRITY of Dr. Fredrick D. Haynes, III sermon, but I won't because YOU should take the time this morning to watch & listen.

If you are like me, and you feel uneasy this morning, I encourage you to hear that message. You can watch this program from start to finish here: https://www.youtube.com/live/qsWGZJaMsxg?si=i-jyd5KgOykP2Q2M

Dr. Haynes' sermon starts around 2:04:20.

Thank you Saint Mark Baptist Church for challenging and refocusing me as we move into a new era of our country on what not just WE are called to do, but what I am called to do. And thank you always to the beautiful City of Little Rock for showing up time and again to remind me what community really is in service & in action - not just words & feel good quotes.
Be well friends, and be active. And never ever be silent in the face of hate & wrongdoing. Now more than ever, we must speak up, show up, and hold up the strong constructs of justice and compassion that our black brothers and sisters have worked tirelessly to create in the face of hate and apathy without our help.

Just because they did the work, doesn't mean they didn't need our help, and it sure doesn't give us an excuse to let them continue to carry the load of equality & human rights for all without us picking up the weight that is ours to bear.

A new year is upon us, and I can't help but feel the need to make some changes. For most of my time with Abbi's Teas & Things I have used social media to reach, connect & share my thoughts, teas & things. But the root of this little tea story of mine starts with a blog. Before the tea shop ever came to be, when I was in my "hustle" years of corporate advertising - there was my tea blog. It started out as teatumblr dot com, then transitioned to myteasteeper dot com. From about 2011 to 2017, this was where I shared my tea thoughts & knowledge along with a variety of tea reviews from tea shops & tea companies in the US and afar. It was a big outlet for me from the fast paced corporate ladders I was climbing and I got to try a TON of different types of tea which only honed my blending mastery.

Many of you may know about how I hit a wall in the corporate world, and then I took that year off when my dad passed away. You can read about it on this blog post I wrote about putting my heart on a shelf several years ago. And well, I have kept up with the blog here on abbiteas.com off and on over the years but not with great consistency. For 2025, I think it's time to go back to the roots of my love for tea. I'm even thinking about having some guest posts from some of my favorite tea folks! If that interests you, let me know!!

The way I see it, the people who really care will show up here and read - when and if they want to which (for me at least) make it a little more intimate & meaningful.
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Everyone is talking about 2024 and for me, what a year. It felt like same level of hurdles I endured in 2020. Just a lot of unexpected weird life, family and day to day stuff to overcome. But we are putting that year in a box and moving forward, maybe a little beat-up and bruised, but we've still got a lot of fight left. Some of the things that got me through 2024 were good books, good music, and good friends. Thank goodness for that! Be on the look out next week for my 2024 top lists. It's gonna be a good one with some special songs, books and poems.

In the meantime, here's a few of the winter tea blends now available:

The full line up of my deep winter tea blends is now available under Seasonal Blends on the online store. If you're needing to stock up on some teas, I recommend them all - but these three are a few of my most favorite winter staples! Happy Steeping! 

Y'all! I have been wanting to do this for a couple of years, but I needed more sales data and some time to figure out how to make this work! I am SO excited to do this! Here's how it's going to work:

The initial bracket is posted below to kick-off the games. Sales data from the last 3 years will determine the winner of each tea matchup; however, each week the updated bracket will be posted and the comments will be open to vote for who you think should win the battle. These comments will be added to each tea blend's total as "People's Choice" points. Should any two blend be close, the "People's Choice" points may determine the blends outcome. Comments will be gathered weekly on Facebook, Instagram & that week's tea bracket blog post. The bracket with the most accurate outcomes will win a $100 Abbi's Teas & Things gift card to be used online, in the store or at any tea stand AND an Abbi's Teas & Things goodie bag!

• Tea Brackets are due no later than 11:59pm on February 10th!
• Email a photo of your bracket - fully filled out - to [email protected]. Any incomplete brackets will be discarded. Please put your full name & email address at the top of your bracket.
• No purchase necessary. Anyone can participate, though some working knowledge of my blends will be helpful!
• Two brackets per person but only one is required to participate. Only one bracket & one participant will win.
• Participants can post in the comments on Facebook, Instagram or the tea blog post each week to add "People's Choice" points to any blend of their choosing. Only one comment per participant per week. (ie: no spamming the comments to make one blend win, etc.) You may vote for more than one match each week.
  • A sample comment vote might look like: "I am rooting for Turmeric Sunrise, Cherry Fig & Mocha Mate this week!" Each blend would receive one "People's Choice" point in addition to their already calculated sales totals.​

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The bracket will be updated every Tuesday on Facebook, Instagram & the tea blog at www.abbiteas.com. Comments will be open for People's Choice voting on Facebook & Instagram  tonight for this first week's round of matches.

I’ve struggled all week on when to make this announcement because it’s a bittersweet one that has come with a lot of thought over the last 6 months. Do I tell them before my anniversary? On it? After Valentine’s Day? I decided for the day after my anniversary because I wanted to cap off my 4 years positively and start year 5 with the new changes. Good changes, exciting changes - but really hard changes. 

Thanks so much to everyone who came by the shop yesterday. It turned out to be a pretty quiet day and Mom came by and we got to spend some time together which we hadn’t gotten to do in a long time with our constant busy schedules we have been juggling. 

But - last night, there y’all were for the tea talk! Folks from all over the state and country. Twelve states were represented just from who I could see in the chat and orders afterward. We had a good time. I cried, and then laughed as I poured tea on my computer which was a very ME moment!  I almost spilled the beans in the telling of how my little shop came to be, but I pulled myself together.

So here we are on this Friday before Valentine’s Day and I’m still struggling to put it into words.

When I started this tea shop, this location was like an answered prayer. The building was green, it had this big patio, it was in the perfect spot with the perfect space and so much character. Every single door swung open for me in 2017 and I opened on February 10th, 2018. Those first two years operating, I was profitable and booming. I remember starting 2020 extremely optimistic about the business - we had a huge turnout for National Hot Tea Day that year, too. 

And then COVID hit in March 2020 and I confidently went to the curb with my tea stand thinking it’d be a fun solution that would only last a few months. Boy, was I wrong!  

Over the last two years, I have ebbed and flowed and changed my operations all while putting a considerable effort into growing my e-commerce and national footprint with fellow tea lovers. And, it’s worked. When the weather was bad or when I needed to take some days for self-care, I built a well-oiled online process that gave me the freedom to survive this pandemic without putting my family or my customers at risk. I’m really proud of that. And as I’ve learned in therapy over the last year, I need to acknowledge that success without the word ‘but’ at the end of the sentence.

BUT, it seems COVID is not over and we are in between surges. As many of you know, our family holds several disabilities and health conditions which makes all of this a bit scarier for us. I also have a host of customers who made my shop a safe place before and during COVID as they navigated their own lives, too. 

The reality is, I don’t feel comfortable having people eating and gathering in small or large groups unmasked for several hours a day at the shop. The potential exposure is just not worth it to me for my family or my customers. I can’t even get some folks to wear a mask for 5 minutes as they “just want to look around” right now without them swearing at me or causing a scene. It’s exhausting and depressing.

I am not sure when I’ll feel comfortable with the restaurant side of my operation again - but I know one day that piece will return to me. Just not right now. 

Okay, out with it, Abbi…

With the growth of my online business and the success of my retail and to-go only operation that I’m currently operating in, I’ve decided to let the overhead of this space go so I can maintain profitability.

My last day in Hillcrest will be March 20th, 2022. This isn’t goodbye. I’m NOT going out of business, I’m just “shifting my sails,” as Mom says. Over the next months, I’ll be finalizing a small manufacturing space where my online and blending operations will be housed and expanded! Then I will be transitioning to a smaller retail space to have my day-to-day operations. 

I’m letting go of sweet tea parties, cute little princesses, and the anxiety of having to constantly say no to people who only want to come to my shop for large group gatherings. Tea Talks will be virtual for now, but I’ll be doing some outdoor tea talks when the weather warms up consistently, too.

It’s really bittersweet. 

I’m excited about what comes next, but I’m unbelievably sad about saying goodbye to what has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me - something I built and did and thrived in, despite every hurdle. I feel like the very essence of who I am is imprinted on the walls of this tea shop. And I’m grieving the loss, to be honest about it.

I’ll miss my puppy regulars and the ebb and flow of Hillcrest, but I sure won’t miss the parking issues. 

Y’all have supported me this far, and I hope you’ll continue to support me as I make this transition. You can come by the shop through March 20th. I’ll be OPEN Wednesday-Saturday 10 am-6 pm and Sundays 1 pm-4 pm. 

Come late March/early April, I will have an update on where I’ll be next. That’ll be an exciting announcement we can all look forward to in the future.

Hello, again! Continuing the theme of what's gotten me through 2020/2021, I want to share some television shows, documentaries, and movies that helped me cope these last two years. There are the obvious shows like Ted Lasso that I won't feature since EVERYONE knows about -- instead, I'll be showcasing some favorites that are off the beaten path but are definitely worth the time. I hope you'll drop your favorite TV and movies in the comments, too!

Here we are at the end of 2021 and we all thought we'd be out of this weird and tumultuous pandemic by now. With Omicron variant and Delta surging through the world - STILL - I am spending a lot of time reflecting on the self-care practices that have gotten me through these past two years. From TV shows, to really good books, to favorite songs & podcasts - this is part one of my compiled list of "things" that helped, and of course, I shall pair them all with a cup of tea! 

This started as one post but in order for me to give the time needed for each thing, I am breaking it up into parts, so stay tuned for Part Two: Televison & Documentaries! Hope you find a new book or author in this batch of good books and don't forget to support your local libraries and bookstores!

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.

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.

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!

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.