Having pondered this theme frequently, this writer chooses to document the one and only truth she’s found as time lands itself her thoughts once again. It isn’t clear where time… Read More

Will gender bias be kind to a new generation of hockey lovers? A story about what happened to one little girl’s love of hockey. Earlier this week, my hockey-loving brother sent the fam… Read More

Making new memories and remembering old ones while carving pumpkins on Halloween. Drifting down the road of autumnal nostalgia… Pumpkin carving always fills me with the best nostalgic… Read More

A light-hearted humour piece about the recent legalization of cannabis in Canada. What if tourists flocked to the far reaches of Canada for a weed vacation? Inspired by a piece written… Read More

A delightful piece of creative writing about an affair between the artist and his muse. What will happen when he finally reveals his masterpiece of her?   My apologies: I’ve had a… Read More

A creative fibre art project using repurposed fabric scraps & ribbons, and a sleep mask left over from globe trotting. At the beginning of August I was inspired by our new empress, Heidi… Read More

Part 2, When your father teaches you about yourself, the lessons you learn, the regrets you both feel, and the pieces of him that continue to live on. This is PART 2 of a beautifully eloquen… Read More

, This lunch box mama gets ready for back to school with recipes for her little ones. Bread, muffins, tarts, and even back to school pencil-shaped wafers. I’ve never really been a New… Read More

Experience the high altitudes of Peru, beauty to take your breath away, plus, the perfect place to conquer fear and that nagging inner critic.   There’s a moment at high alti… Read More

A heart-warming painting by creative mother-daughter duo of a young girl surfing. A dynamic, moody, playful expression of a young girl’s daydreams. Title: Young Girl Surfing Artis… Read More

Part 1, JoAnna’s reflections on grit, perseverance, lessons in self-sufficiency, and character traits passed down to her by her father. For better or worse. Editor’s Note: This s… Read More

Ever wonder if your husband will ever understand what its like to be a Mother? Tell him to open a restaurant.   So…. We opened a restaurant. I use the word ‘we’ loose… Read More

Who exactly are these people that we save all our nicest things for? Are they ever going to actually show up? Or should we just keep polishing the silver, just in case? I was recently remind… Read More

Celebrating the good things about Canada this Canada Day. Good reasons to live there, great reasons to visit. Live it, love it, and travel well… Canada is far from perfect. There&rsqu&hell…Read More

You know when you’re a mom, and you have glorious plans for self-care… but then life happens? Yeah, that. Hey tea fans! This is Heidi’s very first contribution to Emp… Read More

My sister-in-law’s mother makes the best jong 粽 I’ve ever tasted, so I asked her to show me how. This video reveals the fun techniques behind this delicious tradition… Read More

Sometimes the only way to accept the aging process and move forward is to make peace with “what is” and send out as many condolences as you can. This is especially true when hitt… Read More

The best surprises are the ones that affect you, positively. This surprise comes in a book format, Miss Rumphius, a children’s book gifted to Amber’s daughter. Who said children… Read More

Do you ever wonder if you measure up? Have you ever experienced a birthday that makes you think twice about who you are and where you’re going? Read this for Bridget’s advice to… Read More

That time when you’re already experiencing the pain of one death and then you get a phone call with more bad news. Here’s to figuring out how to move past life’s lows. &nbs&hell…Read More

These earrings, in the shape of wings, help to keep the memories fresh because sometimes you just can’t say goodbye. I smile, as I slip the smooth metal through the aged holes gifted t… Read More

April 11th marks Empress Tea’s 7th anniversary! Over the years it’s been a wonderful platform to share the talents and brains of an amazing group of women. It makes me happy to h… Read More

I’ve never kept a proper diary before–but who says your first try at it can’t be public? I’m currently reading David Sedaris’ Theft By Finding: Diaries (1977-20… Read More

Sometimes you just need a break and sometimes you’re lucky enough to live close to a natural wonder. See the beauty of Yellowknife’s ice caves in stunning photographs. I’ve… Read More

Dreaming of warm summer days, to help her break free from the dark and cold Northern winter, Amber remembers the carefree days of her youth. Is spring is just around the corner? I used to da… Read More

Why only have one day for women when you can celebrate year round? Follow these 7 simple steps to have your own Women’s Day every day of the week. This is my quick story about how I fa… Read More

A special community post in honour of Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dog. We’re anonymously sharing our biggest secrets in hopes of freeing the shadows from our past selves. #tea… Read More

Cheney looks forward to library conferences & laundry while JoAnna prefers to look ahead to getting punched in the face, boxing. To each her own. I am such a late bloomer a friend once t… Read More

In looking forward, you might find more happiness—so long as you’re prepared to search in some unexpected places along with the way. A friend of mine once told me, that in order… Read More

Share your biggest secrets and wipe away the bad omens left over from 2017. Tea Secrets is an anonymous platform to help you unburden yourself from your secrets and deepen your connection wi… Read More

Re-live the Yule of 2017 with a tale of a cold winter solstice in the Great White North, warm fires burning bad spirits, and friendly faces gathered together to let the light in. It’s… Read More

You’re in luck! This is a simple video about repotting orchids! No really, it’s not in the style of Georgia O’Keeffe and there isn’t even a single innuendo in here. G… Read More

A cathartic moment in moving forward, with hope that the momentum continues.       Years, now passed, a friend asked me out. He wasn’t someone I was attracted to, but I… Read More

What’s the difference between a man ‘taking space’ versus a woman? And other problems we can see when we examine how society has been distorted for decades.  I’v… Read More

On the alert for strange men behind you, trying to make it home quickly–and with determination, are the fundamentals of walking home at night while female. This piece is inspired by th… Read More

Things are not supposed to bring us happiness, however, don’t you think ‘intentionally acquired things’ can bring us more enjoyment?   The habits and activities of eve… Read More

Eliminating the dark by letting light shine in and more philosophizing on how photography offers an opportunity to look at life through a new lens.  The world has been a little dark, la… Read More

I had something else in mind for this post but decided it was a better use of space–in the wake of the Weinstein debacle and other publicised cases of assault–to write about viol… Read More

ONE OF THE THINGS I MISS MOST ABOUT HONG KONG ARE MY GIRLFRIENDS. I miss our giggly coffees and philosophical chats, and that feeling of being able to be all the parts of me at once, from th… Read More

Today’s attempt to wake up early like successful people do. Maybe I have to face the fact that I’m never going to be a morning person and just go back to bed. There’s… Read More

Change can weigh heavily on your mind. Lots of change can be overwhelming. The Change, well, it’s a little shit! _______________________________________________________________________… Read More

The importance of self-love and how it’s the first step to changing everything. Myranda’s recent post Stop Fat Shaming: Steps for a Healthy Future about how the comments you make… Read More

We have grown a twisted relationship with body image & self-worth. Follow these useful steps to change the way we use the word “fat” because it’s time to change the con… Read More

It’s a solid two days of traveling for us and our five bags to get back home. Oh the bags, bags, bags, bags. There’s the thoughtful process before purchases asking questions like… Read More

This is an excerpt from a piece written for a formidable woman I know. It came together in celebration of all the village vanguards, righteous warriors, soul survivors, and courageous charge… Read More

Last week, a friend I met at dance school way-back-when shared a blog post she’d written which got me thinking. Eleanor recounts how, during a hot-and-steamy one-night stand, her lover… Read More

Nobody wants to drag a 25kg bag around Scotland. Unless it’s full of really good whisky. On my most recent trip to the UK, I bought a leather jacket. It was well made, in a colour I h… Read More

Your Body is Safe describes sexism in the music industry and discusses sexual assault which may be triggering to survivors. It follows with positive affirmations and meditation. This is a g… Read More

The realization that inspiration can be found in the smallest pieces of your day. A brief glimpse of morning as my name, called from another room, rips me from my dreams. Foggy I carry my… Read More

Your father will teach you many things–even when he is no longer with you. Even in his absence. I – SCRATCH AND WHIP Your father taught you how to overcome boredom by taking you… Read More

An inspired look at life through the lens of a camera. Inspiration and philosophy on how life and photography share the same principles. Nearly two years ago my parents gave me a very nice w… Read More

“I’m awesome!” One of the cool things about bringing up a little one is you’re reminded of who we all are as humans, before the social expectations and self-infl… Read More

The anniversary addition of the Love Yourself Project for Bridget’s big birthday celebration! Does Bridget still practice saying nice things to herself, and how positive is… Read More

The affect one person can have on a person’s life. The air is sucked out of the room. Staring at the phone, unable to believe the text that I’m reading. “Do you love me… Read More

Watch The Love Yourself Project, a 30 day video experiment to dispel negative inner dialog and flip the switch to positively charged thoughts. It has been nearly a year already, people! A&n&helli…Read More

Motivated to stretch my creative muscles lately has me brushing dust off some fiction I’ve written in the past. I’ve excavated a short series of fairy tales… Read More

Easter has come and gone. Often in many places around the world this means shared meals, and hopefully some chocolate whether it’s bunny-shaped, or not. And for many more people, it me… Read More

“Either give me more wine or leave me alone.” – Rumi Dearest Rumi, I don’t think I could have said it any better. I’m currently in Europe where wine is like a… Read More

We just got back from spring break in California, a lovely week that began in the snowy mountains of Squaw Valley, and ended in the glorious vineyards of Wine Country. I… Read More

Between sewing for a living, growing a small human in my womb and moving house, sometimes, just sometimes, I have time to contribute to other cool projects. And, today I’d like to tak… Read More

It may not seem like it, but is being time rich a bit of a problem? I agree it’s wholly unlikely, but let’s pretend it is and explore it anyway. We’re all so busy these da… Read More

I’m a stay-at-home-Mom and responsible for getting two kids (3 and 5) ready to start their day, every day. It is a fast paced, action packed, overly dramatic, sometimes tear fille… Read More

Why do stay-at-home moms often look tired, frazzled, and unkept? Delve into the diary of one mother of two, and find out more about her acrobatic mom mornings. I’m… Read More

A group post of creative responses to the Carrie Fisher quote (made famous by Meryl Streep) ‘Take your broken heart, turn it into art.” Sign by Chris Rouleau, image cou… Read More

warning: not a true representation of my morning I meditated this morning. For the first time in what I’m sure we’ll become my best and most sustained habit throughout my lifetim… Read More

Real love is more than romance, flowers, and candy hearts. How to appreciate being single–even on Valentine’s Day–because being single is not a disability! It seems to me… Read More

Love isn’t an endangered resource. Trust me. If you want some you’ll have to dole it out until you’re almost running on empty. The only way to get more is to… Read More

Write a love note to yourself this Valentine’s Day. Self-love and me time should be on the menu this February 14th! I have this distinct memory of myself in my second year of uni: a s… Read More

January’s post holiday vibes are kind of depressing. Here are 3 of Jam’s favourite best feels / daily pleasures to keep her smiling despite the gloominess. I always find January… Read More

Pack early, pack often. You’d think getting obsessive about travel planning would suck the fun out of a holiday, but for some of us, it only enhances it. Last week, I started writing… Read More

One mother’s hectic day of chasing time, changing schedules, meal plans with bread for dinner instead of potatoes, and longing for a moment to herself. Tired Longing for a minute of s… Read More

The life force for creativity are new experiences and the easiest way to stay inspired is to get away! Break your routine, cultivate new experiences, explore new culture… Read More

Are New Year’s resolutions worth the hassle or will you join the resolutionaries? Follow these helpful thoughts to get you through the New Year with pride. Resolutionary noun1. a per… Read More

Interesting times call for an army. A company of warriors. New dynasties of champions. For while we have individual paths to follow we require a battalion if we… Read More

How to get your dream on the road when you don’t have enough experience, time, or likes. A simple how to list of 4 tips to get you on track for 2017. I feel very chuffed to have been… Read More

This has been a year of change and a chance to try many new things. Furthering the adventure of self discovery I chose to finally have a book published. It has been a long and wonderful pro… Read More

The 2016 US Election has sent shock waves around the world, it’s not that a republican has been elected—conservative minds are a valuable part of politics—the controversy… Read More