VirginiaDella’s tea is here!:

I can’t believe the time has come! It seems like it was yesterday when I approached my sister with the crazy idea of opening a tearoom 5 years ago! After a few bumps in the road, and a lot of ups and downs, the work has been done between the two of us, and we are finally ready! We are so excited to start this journey with you! We have been busy packing up your goodies, and sipping away as we go along! Raise your tea cups to great stories, and great tea! Cheers!

-Glenita, November 2022

We were so excited to participate in last month’s Black Market Flea! Every month, this downtown Los Angeles flea market gives the city the opportunity to support Black businesses. Attendees enjoyed our “Heart and Sass” Rooibos Chai tea, while learning about our brand. We not only sold subscription boxes, but individual teas as well, which are now available for purchase on our website! It was a family affair, with my daughter Sade on hand to assist. This was an amazing experience, and we were just approved to attend again for the month of February! What a great way to celebrate Black History Month! We’re also scheduled to participate in the flea market at my daughter and son’s school, Crossroads School, in Santa Monica. Stay tuned to find out what we’re getting up to, to get the word out about VirginiaDella’s Tea!

-Glenita, February 2023

The month of March has been a busy one, and we are feeling good heading into the Spring! We attended the Culver City Chamber of Commerce “Women Connect” event to celebrate local women business owners, and were able to gift one of the lucky attendees with a free VirginiaDella’s subscription box! We also attended downtown L.A.’s Black Market Flea! The energy at this event is like no other. Last but certainly not least, we attended the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas! It was especially exciting to attend as an official business for the first time! We attended sessions on marketing and tea blending, and heard from industry leaders that shared some great info and advice for newbies like us. Next up, we’ve been given the opportunity to participate in Venice’s Artists and Flea, a market focused on handmade and craft inspired products. 

Follow us on IG and Facebook to see what we’re up to! Here are a few photos from the month! Enjoy!!

-Glenita & Kenya, March 2023

Starting with the month of May, Mother’s Day Month, we will be posting our monthly stories that we have shared with our subscribers. We started our brand to share the experience of tea drinking, but we also want to share our family stories!! So be sure to check in each month to get the tea!

May Tea Box-Featured Tea: “Mother’s Oolong” (Milk Oolong Tea)

Mothering 

Growing up, we were blessed to have our mother in our lives, and our grandmother as a second mother in some ways. Reflecting on Mother’s Day, it reminds us that we should all remember that every mother mothers differently, and we should honor all of the unique ways that we do so. 

By choice, necessity, or circumstance there are Stay at Home, Working and Single Moms throughout our family tree. No matter what type of mother, we all have in common the work that gets done…packing the lunches, making breakfast, doing school drop offs and pick ups, making dinners, wiping tears, giving words of encouragement and constructive criticism. Most of all, every mother does her best. This best is all we’ve got! This month we honor all mothers, grandmothers, and the women in our lives that have loved like mothers do. Happy Mother’s Day Month!

-Glenita & Kenya, May 2023

June Tea Box-Featured Teas: “Daddy’s Cup” (Dandelion/Chocolate) and “Yerba Fix” (Yerba Maté)

Daddy’s Girls

Our father, Herman, is an early riser, and would drink a cup of Foldgers coffee every morning. He enjoyed that cup religiously at dawn, while listening to KNX News Radio without fail. We were blessed to have a father in our lives that coached our softball teams, drove us to school in the mornings and passed on sage advice about the importance of education and being a responsible citizen. His favorite t-shirt read, “I’m a great Dad because I have great kids.” 

Our Dad is full of charisma, big smiles and big hugs, and immeasurable love! When we think back on our upbringing and what he gave us, the first thing that comes to mind is quality time. This month, we’re celebrating Dads like him, or men that served as father figures in our lives. 

Happy Father’s Day to all of these great dads!!

-Glenita & Kenya, June 2023

July Tea Box-Featured Teas: “Body Beautiful” (Ginger/Turmeric) and “Inner Solace” (White Tea)

Mental Strength

Our grandmothers, despite having different personalities, had a few things in common. Both had three children, two boys and one girl. They both had one of those sons pass away as young men; our Uncle Hyram to cancer at 20, and our Uncle Charles at 22 to medical malpractice. 

Also, both had sons that dealt with mental illness. 

Our grandmothers’ stories unfortunately, aren’t uncommon within our community. As we commend them for their ability to overcome traumatic events within their lives, we must acknowledge the emotional weight that they carried.

In the month of July, Minority Mental Health Month, we have to recognize the impact of mental illness within our community, present in various forms/expressions and the importance of actively taking steps to address it. Let's observe this month by giving ourselves grace & self-care! Here’s to minority mental strength!

-Glenita & Kenya, July 2023

August Tea Box-Featured Teas: “Watermelon Summer”(Watermelon Oolong), “Elderberry Goodness”

 Carson Summers

These hot summer days are reminding us of our summer days growing up in Carson! We lived in the Carson Apartments, and naturally, our Grandmother Virginia lived there as well. When our cousins from Pittsburgh would visit for the summer, it was time for a BBQ!

Our father would pull out the charcoal grill to work on pork ribs, kielbasa sausages, and burgers all day to get them just right. Grandmother loved watermelon, and loved to eat pigs’s feet, which we thought, of course, was just gross! These were her southern roots of Arkansas blending into California culture. Us kids would ride our bikes, run in the sprinklers, and swing in the apartment complex playground. 

Summer is a time for gathering with friends and family for cookouts, laughter and playing in the sun! Stay cool, and remember to find joy this summer!

September Tea Box-Featured Teas: “School Days”, “Autumn Apples”

Mama’s Watching

As we go into the fall, and the kids go back to school, we’re reminded of how our Grandmother Della was an educator when we were growing up. After the passing of our Uncle Hyram, she opened a daycare in her Oakland home named after him.

Her work in education started with working in administration at Compton High School when our father, Herman, was a student there. He laughingly tells the story about the time that he was caught smoking in school, and was dragged into the principal’s office. Unlike in the era of Gen Z, corporal punishment was PC in the 60’s. He remembers waiting for his punishment, and spotting Grandmother Della working in the office. She held off reprimanding him, but he knew he would get it once he got home!

As summer ends, and time falls back, we look forward to a new season. Let's remember to appreciate our educators and school support staff this month! Happy Autumn!!

October-Featured Teas: “Pumpkin Time”, “Fall Vibes”

Halloween Memories

Fall is here, and we are reminded of our days growing up prepping for Halloween! In L.A., the end of October is when the leaves start to blow and temperatures finally start to drop.

Our mother wasn’t much of a Halloween fan, but our father got into it, and was the one who always took us trick or treating. One year, we both donned the standard green faced witch costume, and actually, that costume got multiple wears! 

After doing the rounds in the neighborhood, we would always end up with a huge bag of candy! Once we sorted through and separated our favorites, it was time to chow down! 

Here’s to Halloween memories and Fall Vibes!

November-Featured Teas: “Gratitude” and “Family”

Thankful!

Growing up, Thanksgiving was an event! Our mother and grandmother, Virginia, stacked the menu with all the best of the best of soul food! Turkey and dressing, collard greens, yams, ham, and sweet potato pies! And of course, Grandmother Virginia’s extra special peach cobbler! If Grandmother Della was in town, she was sure to add that Louisiana style gumbo that we loved!

Grandmother Virginia and our Grandfather James were that old school couple that never divorced, and were separated until they passed. But during the holidays, we would go with our parents to take that trip to go to pick him up, so that he could celebrate with us as well. That’s what it was all about. Gathering with family in the name of love, and putting aside any differences.

Our hearts are full with gratitude for our family this Thanksgiving! All of you are a part of this family as well. We are so thankful for you, and all the support that we have received for VirginiaDella’s Tea! Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Holidays!

Virginia & James

December-Featured Teas: “Heart & Sass”, and “Quiet Storm”(Signature Teas!)

Snip Snip!

Virginia Johnson is the spicy side of the VirginiaDella combo. Born in Arkansas, she moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after marrying our grandfather, James. The two were just 14 and 19 years old when they married! 

 To give our kids an idea of what Virginia was like, we always tell them The “Snip Snip” Story. Because she was like a second mother to us, she would always attend PTA meetings and assemblies with our parents. At a holiday chorus performance one night, with fold up chairs tightly packed together in the small elementary school auditorium, the woman in the seat in front of Grandmother, we’ll call her Karen, rudely and unconsciously tossed her long hair back and forth throughout the performance.

What Karen didn’t know was that my grandmother always carried three things in her purse: a deliciously sensuous cinnamon brown lipstick by Estee Lauder, a pocket knife, and a pair of scissors…”just in case.” All three things could be used as weapons, in various ways!  

With every toss toss, there was a snip snip…

I’m sure it was quite a shock to the hair tosser to find her hair that much shorter when she got home! The lesson here was to be mindful of others. That was my grandmother, ever willing and ready to put you in your place! She loved to laugh, eat, and socialize. Where she went was where the fun was. We miss her dearly, but are so grateful for the memories!

Superstition is the Way

Every New Year’s Eve, our Grandmother Virginia would cook black eyed peas and chitlins religiously! It has been passed down our family tree that both would grant you good luck in the New Year. So you took one for the team, as that not so pleasant chitlin smell filled up the entire apartment each year! 

Growing up with Grandmother meant committing to many superstitious ways that became so instinctive, they still stay with us to this day! We would never set down our purses on the floor, for fear we’ll go broke. Or can’t help but wonder where the money will come in, when our palms itch. Would never split the pole while walking down the street. Bad luck!

These expressions and superstitions, or what our mother calls, “old isms” were passed down in our family from one generation to the next. So for our grandmother, this was her way of protecting us, gifting us with her love. What traditions and superstitions does your family have? 

The Sewing Machine

Our Grandmother Della and Grandfather Hyram were divorced shortly after we were born. The story is, that the year she left, she had traveled to Atlanta from her Los Angeles home to help out their daughter Tamu, who had just had her first son, but it became her escape. Checking in with him over the phone, she’d mention that it was best that she stayed just a little bit longer, and that he should send more of her things. 

It took months before he realized that his wife wasn’t coming back. The only belonging left was the sewing machine, her most cherished possession. Over the years she had poured so much love into every stitch, as she sewed and mended her children’s clothing with that machine. Our grandfather thought as long as it was in his possession, she was too. Her twins, our father and his brother, were now out of the house; one becoming a husband, and the other an angel. For her, there was no reason to go back. 

In honor of Women’s History Month, we commend our grandmother for having the courage to move on from an emotionally abusive relationship of 25 years. She even went on to receive a Bachelor’s Degree from UC Berkeley in her 40’s! Here’s to all the women who have found the key to empowering themselves.

Sunday dinners

Our mother Glenda, and Grandmother Virginia were the deliverers of THE BEST Sunday Dinners. In our family, and many Black families, Sunday is the day to gather, cook and enjoy soul food made from the heart. Springtime reminds us of how Easter Sundays were an even better reason to do so! 

After attending church with Grandmother, our mother would have already gotten started making the feast of ham, macaroni and cheese and cornbread. Grandmother added to that with her yams, chicken and collard greens. But for dessert, she would drop the mic, with her mouthwatering Peach Cobbler, made from her mother Mary’s recipe. 

The saltiness from the flaky crust, juxtaposed with the divine sweetness of the peaches was unlike anything you’ve ever tasted! In honor of this recipe, we’ve fittingly named our peach black tea “Peach Cobbler.” Also, the fruity goodness of our  “Berry Blossom” blueberry and hibiscus tea will remind you that Spring is here! Enjoy!