Tea for One

Tea For One Set

Coffee or Tea? 

Milk, Sugar or Lemon?

My answer to these questions would largely depend on the day I’m having – or planning to have.  I’m staying home or if it’s going to be a quiet day, I tend to drink tea with sugar and lemon if I have it. If I’m gearing up for a full, busy day, I gravitate toward a rich decadent cup of Mocha to give me that extra jolt to start me off down the road but mostly, it's tea.

A few years ago I began collecting those adorable Tea for One sets. I love them because they are made up a little teapot which which sits on top of matching individual tea cup. Every time I found a cute or unusual one I’d buy it, day-dreaming my morning tea from my newest Tea for One. 

Except it never happened. 

One morning I went into the kitchen cabinet for my regular old microwaveable mug and had to reach past one of my Tea for Ones to get it. It struck me all of a sudden of how I had collected all of these wonderful little tea sets and had never used them. It started me thinking. How long had I been reaching past those Tea for Ones to a battered old mug and why? When I figured it out, I didn’t like the answer. 

To my way of thinking, I was saving them for a special occasion. I was saving them because the Tea for Ones were too pretty to be used just for any old day or any old body. I was saving them because I wasn’t special enough to use them use for me. 

Not anymore, I decided.

Needless to say, the microwavable mug was shoved to back of the kitchen cabinet and my favorite Tea for One took its place on a simple but pretty tea tray with one of my grandmother’s silver spoons and a lace embroidered napkin. It was the best cup of morning tea I had in a long time. 

Is there something that you’ve been setting aside for company, something only used for special occasions? Someone you’re saving for someone other than you? Go find that special thing. Unwrap it, polish it, dust it off. Make it ready for your use and then use it. Remember, no matter who else does or doesn’t celebrate you, don’t ever forget to celebrate yourself.  

The Eye Of The Beholder

“It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.”

This beautiful simple truth grabbed my attention when I first started following the Nestor’s blog, Nesting Place, a little over a year ago.  It resonated in my soul. I loved it. I found myself absently repeating it to myself over and over, meditating on it if you will. There was something more in that statement for me, I just knew it. It hit me all in a flash. A moment of clarity. 

If it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful…

Could it mean that I don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful, either?

I think I actually gave a sigh of relief.

I don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. I don’t have to be anything to be beautiful.

I  just have to…be.

The world lies to us when it comes to real beauty. So do the ad agencies, the diet shake makers, the fashion magazines and the dress designers and the makeup companies and all the rest of those ‘image makers’ who kept us doubting ourselves as we  measured ourselves against their styles, their standards, their perfection and ourselves lacking.  Where ever we go, they’re all around. All of their lying voices constantly whispering telling us how we don’t measure up. Telling us how beautiful we’re not.

Stop it. Stop listening. Stop believing them. They are lying. You’ve got your own beauty, your own style and we’re going to celebrate it. 

It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.  And neither do you.

 

When was the first time someone told you that you were beautiful?

When was the last time?
What do you see when you look in the mirror?
What do you wish you'd see?

Let's talk.

31 Days: Celebrating YOU!

Welcome to 31 Days: 
Celebrating You!

I begin this first post of our series by taking a long, slow deep breath and chanting our dear Nestor's Wisdom Statement in my head:

“It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful…It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful…Thank Goodness it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful...”

This is the first time I’ve participated in a 31 Days series and I'm very excited about participating. I want to start off thanking The Nestor for starting up the 31 Days Series five years ago and also thank the wonderful posters who participated over the years and from whom I have derived much pleasure and benefit of their wisdom. You can click here for more information what 31 Days is all about..

I’m calling this series “Celebrating You!” because for the month of October I want for us to take time out each day to learn about and celebrate who we are. I really wanted to name this series was “Why YES, it is really is all about Me!” but I decided to try to keep it classy at least for my first time out. The essence of this thought, however, is what I want to impress upon you for this series. It really is all about you.  It really is. We’re going to talk about how, we’re going to talk about why and by the end of these 31 days, you’ll believe it too.

As this is the introductory post, I will introduce myself. 

My name is Cassandra. I am fifty-seven years old (yes, I said it out loud), a mother of three wonderful sons and the gram-gram of two wonderful grandsons and three lovely granddaughters. I currently live in the Great State of Texas (…and yes, you do have to say it that way. It’s a Texas thing…) where I reside in my grandmother’s 1920 historically registered home near downtown Dallas. My favorite color is red, my favorite season of the year is the fall and some of my favorite places in the whole wide world are bookstores. I am in love with bookstores and I can spend all day in one and frequently do. I am a Christian, (unapologetic and unashamed) and I currently serve in my church as the pastor of women. I love working with women. I think women are glorious creatures and I am so pleased to be one. We have are issues, yes, but…well…we’re women. That happens.

As you can tell I do try to keep things light but one the thing I am thoroughly convinced about is it really is all about you and we’re going to be Celebrating You! for the month of October.  Please stay with us and join in the conversation. We'd really love to get to know you.

Please take a moment to say 'Hi' and tell us a bit about yourself so we can begin Celebrating You!