Hello!

Hello, my name is Jackie, and welcome to By Golly, Ollie! (formally known as Books & Tea). I have been blogging here for nearly a decade, though recently this site has endured several name changes and facelifts. I have attempted to repurpose this space several times, but I keep going back to my roots, which is writing about books and tea– even if those books are mostly picture books these days. Below, you will find my latest blog posts, my latest TeaTube videos, and a handful of tea and book recommendations. And of course, thank you for stopping by!

Latest Blog Posts

Sampling Sweet Treats from Dessert by Deb

Dessert by Deb blends have been on my wishlist since the beginning of 2020, but steep shipping costs to the US have usually deterred me from placing an order. The temptation is becoming harder to resist though, especially after Deb recently released her Winter Brunch collection featuring blends like Banana French Toast, Cereal Milk, Orange […]

Word of Intent: Joy

The last memory I have of 2020 is Oliver kicking me in the back as he tried to keep himself from falling asleep. I don’t know who dozed off first– him or me– but when I woke up, it was 2:30 AM in 2021. I missed the opportunity to say “so long, sucker!” to 2020 […]

Five November Favorites

Did November actually happen? I’m not entirely convinced it did. But, that sort of happens at the end of the year, doesn’t it? February drags on for 100 weeks, but October, November, and December slip by as we scramble to welcome the holidays. I actually struggled to come up with this month’s list of five […]

This is Not a Glamorous Post About Tea or Motherhood

I may have romanticized my gongfucha sessions– written about how it’s a meditative practice that lets me decompress while exploring tea more intimately. And some days, my gongfucha sessions are exactly that. But, most days it is just a tea brewing method no different than brewing tea western-style with a cup infuser. Most days, it […]

Finding Elegance in a Cup of Assam

Assam tea is a staple in my stash. No specific vendor, no specific estate— just something labeled “Assam” that produces a consistent, stick-to-your-ribs malty tea, which I dress up with milk and sugar. It’s never been anything special, but it always offers a certain kind of comfort— especially on cold winter mornings. Enter the Harmutty […]

Five Earl Grey Teas to Keep You COzy

When I first started my tea journey a decade ago, I was most excited about tasting Earl Grey. I thought this simple blend of black tea and bergamot oil was the kind of thing tea connoisseurs and true tea heads sipped. I was ecstatic when I found a box of Twinings at a World Market! […]

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New on Teatube

Hi Tea Folk! It’s time for another Fandom Friday, and this time I’m geeking out over this Earl Grey blend inspired by one of my favorite video games– Skyrim.

Thirsty? Why not try Jarl Grey from Adagio Teas?

#instaTEA

Oh snap! I’m actually drinking matcha on #matchamonday 🍵. Because if it’s going to act like Spring, I’m going to treat it like it’s Spring. Sipping a cherry blossom matcha sent my way from @briannadrinkstea . (@teaisawishblog 🙃) #tea #homeisacupoftea #teatime #cupoftheday #teaoftheday #instatea #teastagram #teasofinstagram #teablogger #teadrinker #teaphotography #teaaddict #tealove #tealife #teagram #teaholic #ilovetea #matcha #matchamorning #matchalover #teadrinkersofinstagram #teacommunity Before the pandemic and lockdown, I used to buy flowers whenever I would do my grocery shopping for the week. It always felt like a small gift to myself. In the past year though, I think I can count the amount of times I’ve gone grocery shopping on both hands. Really, I hadn’t given it much thought, but @teaformeplease recently wrote about buying bouquets of hyacinths in springtime, and it reminded me how much I missed seeing pinks and peaches and purples and greens basking in sunbeams in my kitchen. So, I asked Jon to pick flowers up on his way home one night, and after setting them up in the vase, my mood soared. [Sipping Ghoul Gulp from @adagioteas ]. #tea #homeisacupoftea #teatime #cupoftheday #teaoftheday #instatea #teastagram #teasofinstagram #teablogger #teadrinker #teaphotography #teaaddict #tealove #tealife #teagram #teaholic #ilovetea #adagioteas #myadagio #teaandflowers #teadrinkersofinstagram #teamoment On this sunny, Saturday afternoon, I’m sitting down to read the Fellowship of the Ring while sipping the Golden Wood blend from @willowyndalchemy and goodness what a treat. If ever there was a time I felt grateful for my impulsive holiday-time tea-buying, it is now— this blend is currently out of stock. ⁣⁣ It was a TGY kind of morning, but my tea cupboard seems to have swallowed all of mine. Instead, I improvised with some Milk Oolong from @aesthetetea while standing on the back porch, soaking in the morning sun. The snow is still deeper than my boots are tall, but it was warm enough that I didn’t wear a coat. Are there signs of Springtime in your neck of the woods yet? #tea #homeisacupoftea #teatime #cupoftheday #teaoftheday #instatea #teastagram #teasofinstagram #teablogger #teadrinker #teaphotography #teaaddict #tealove #tealife #teagram #teaholic #ilovetea #teaoutdoors #oolong #milkoolong #gongfutea #gongfucha #teaandseasons #dailyritual #mymorningtea Okay, is it...is it just me? Or is Totoro giving me some judgmental side-eye? Honestly, I probably deserve it for oversteeping this Sencha Overture from @adagioteas . #tea #homeisacupoftea #teatime #cupoftheday #teaoftheday #instatea #teastagram #teasofinstagram #teablogger #teadrinker #teaphotography #teaaddict #tealove #tealife #teagram #teaholic #ilovetea #adagioteas #myadagio #teapets #greentea #japanesegreentea #sencha I purchased some tea supplies for my office upstairs— a gaiwan, a tea tray, a tea cup, and most important of all, some tea pets. Look at my cute lil’ bb 😘. (All from @craftedleafteas if you’re curious). #tea #homeisacupoftea #teatime #cupoftheday #teaoftheday #instatea #teastagram #teasofinstagram #teablogger #teadrinker #teaphotography #teaaddict #tealove #tealife #teagram #teaholic #ilovetea #gongfucha #gaiwan #teapet #totoro #myneighbortotoro #dailyritual Celebrating the sunshine spilling into my house with Hou Kui from @wujiteacompany (gifted). My spirit feels so light today. ☀️ Is it really Valentine’s Day if I didn’t sip a rose-infused tea? I have Love Potion from @aesthetetea in my teacup today, which is a blend of Assam, rose, caraway, and fennel. The licorice-flavor of the caraway and fennel make this blend stand out from other rose-infused black teas I’ve had. It’s an absolute delight! Saturday Mass from @white2tea seemed appropriate for a snowy Saturday morning. #tea #homeisacupoftea #teatime #cupoftheday #teaoftheday #instatea #teastagram #teasofinstagram #teablogger #teadrinker #teaphotography #teaaddict #tealove #tealife #teagram #teaholic #ilovetea #gaiwan #gongfucha #gongfutea #teaoutdoors #white2tea #dailyritual #mymorningroutine #puerh #shoupuerh

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