Have you had the London Fog Tea Latte at Starbucks? I am smitten. No, more like addicted. As I sit here and type, a whisper can be heard. “Go to Starbucks. Go to Starbucks. Go to Starbucks. ” Can you hear it?

I know this tiny, tinny sound can be heard by others besides me. What else explains the frequent importuning I get from my children? “Mom, can we stop at Starbucks on the way?”

I am usually immune to the lure. I prefer my coffee straight. Black, Strong. Singularly early in the morning. But now all that has changed. My attempts to avoid such conspicuous consumption foiled by a deceptively simple latte.

And not any old Latte. The London Fog is perfect. Sweet and creamy, but balanced with an earthy bitterness. Warm and cozy and full of fat, a sip can chase away the torment of winter. I can’t get enough of it.

Starbucks creates the London Fog from Tazo Earl Grey, Vanilla flavoring (I ask for sugar free) and foam (I ask for breve, which is Barista Lingo for made with half and half. Sorry. For this drink, the fat is essential to the experience.) It is perfect. Here is how the Tazo website describes the tea:

Aroma of citrus, lavender and light smoke harmoniously blended, the tea flavor and astringency of Tazo Earl Grey are perfectly balanced with the slightly spicy, lavender-and-lemon taste of the bergamot.

Last week I was introduced to Kris’s Color Stripes. Kris pulls rectangles of color out of photos and art work. I commented that it could be interesting for decorators to do this, only more specifically by pulling out actual hues that correspond more usefully to popular paint palettes. Fortunately for me, the Tazo box of my obsession wears the BIG TREND of purple and gray.

From the Classic Color Palette from Benjamin Moore:
Moon Shadow 1516
Ashley Gray HC-87
French Violet 1427
Gargoyle 1546