Style & Serenity

Tea Party

June 1st, 2015

My little girl asked me to create a beautiful tea party for her 9th birthday. She said, “mommy, I just want a few of my friends and I want it in the backyard.” How can I refuse?

Leading up to the party required lots of planning, creating and togetherness for my daughter and I. She chose seven of her closest friends. She is very aware of mean girls and girls who talk negatively about one another. She wanted to make sure the girls at her party were ones that really cared for her and were kind to her. She is by nature the most sensitive and kindest human being I have ever encountered. I know it’s got a lot to do with her dad. He is also a gentle soul. I would like to say that I am kind as well but I admittedly have a very tough side to me. I kind of wish that my daughter was a little less sensitive and sweet. I would like to teach her to stand up for herself a bit more. It’s something I will continue to work at. Still, I never want her to lose her sweetness.

She decided that all the girls should come in wearing party dresses, jewelry and their imaginations! I thought it was a brilliant idea.

Sophia got right on her laptop and started looking for great decoration ideas and recipes. We decided on oreo lollipops, cones filled with pudding made to look like little tea cups, marshmallow ballerinas along with ice cream cake for dessert. We planned on sandwiches, chips and dips and lots of other delicious extras.

We filled mason jars with some lovely, colorful bubble gum to give as party favors.

We are lucky enough to know two older girls who we love and spend lots of time with. They made the party even more amazing by providing all the fun activities for the younger girls. Thank you Samantha and Christina! You two are amazing and will make great party entertainers for lots of children.

Needless to say the party was a successl! The weather was perfect. The girls were dressed like lovely little ladies, enjoying the atmosphere and of course all that sugar. My apologies to the parents!

Despite all the work, I got a chance to spend time with some of my dearest friends and family. Most importantly, I got the chance to put a smile on the faces of some precious little girls! They grow so fast so I’ll enjoy all the tea parties I can get for now.

I love you Sophia.

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Your choice.

May 27th, 2015

If the weight of the world is upon your shoulders, put it down.

Admit that you cannot control the world.

You cannot control others.

You can only control yourself.

“An entire sea of water can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside you.” – Goi Nasu

Mother’s Day

May 8th, 2015

Ever since I can remember, even as a small child, Mother’s Day has been a significantly special day for me. Like many who are lucky enough to have an amazing mom I feel blessed to have mine. This has always been the case although I’ve admittedly had a tumultuous relationship with my mother in adolescence.

Even in my rebellious years my mother always showed her love and never gave up on me. She also never waivered with her strict rules. Looking back it must have been difficult for her. I know it’s hard for me to say no to my daughter! I also know that if it wasn’t for my mother, I probably would not have made the best choices in life. I’m thankful to her and when it comes time for me to keep my daughter safe I’ll do the same. Although I don’t plan to be as strict as my parents, I’ll do the best that I can, just like they did.

My mother has always been my champion. She has always pushed me to shoot for the stars. Even when I thought something was impossible to achieve she would say, ” no it isn’t! Anything is possible as long as you want it, you can achieve it.” My mom is an educated, stylish, beautiful sophisticated woman who has spent her life giving to others. She worked professionally as a teacher but she always says her greatest job is to be a mother. She has raised five children including her nephew for seven years of his life. She is the person I look to for strength, comfort and advice. She is my best friend. Not a day goes by that we don’t talk. Some people think that’s too much and that we are too close but for me, every day spent with my mom in this world is one that I cherish.

There is a song by Celine Dion that always makes me think of my mom “Because you loved me” by Diane Warren. It’s almost like the lyrics where written about our relationship.

You’re the one who held me up
Never let me fall, you’re the one
Who saw me through, through it all

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see

You saw the best there was in me
You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand, I could touch the sky

I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love, I had it all

I’m grateful for each day you gave me
I was blessed because I was loved by you
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me

Thank you mom for always believing in me. You continue to be my strength and example of what a mother should be. I hope I’m half the mother you are to my Sophia. Being Sophia’s mother is a privilege and being your daughter is an honor.

I love you.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you hardworking moms…and to my friends that have lost their precious moms…..you are in my heart and prayers.

Our children

May 6th, 2015

I love taking pictures of beauty and innocence. I’ve captured some lovely moments with the children in my life. With a blink of an eye they grow and move on to make a path of their own in the world. This poem expresses what it means to have these little gems in our lives for a beautiful yet brief time.

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, “Speak to us of Children.”
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable. -Khalil Gibran

An ageless life

April 28th, 2015

“Getting older is inevitable, aging is optional.” Dr. Christiane Northrup, MD

Does your age limit who you are? Remember the time when you couldn’t wait to celebrate your twenty first birthday?

You proudly announced your age to anyone that would listen to you. It’s different when you hit your 30’s, 40’s and beyond. Many of us don’t really want to shout out our age. Although there are a handful of friends that say they feel empowered when they “own” their age.

Next Friday is my birthday. I’ve always hated getting older, even in my twenties. Unlike those that feel empowered to “own” their age I want to forget it! Don’t get me wrong, I like celebrating my birthday. I especially love getting presents! Honestly, I think moving through time is an opportunity to increase our value and our confidence. I just don’t want to state my age out loud. In fact, I’ve decided not to from now on! That’s because the second someone asks your age and you tell them they put you in a box and label you. Our culture is all about the war on aging. How do we stay young? But why fight getting older? Everyday we all get older.

As the years pass we experience life, the good and the bad. With those experiences we become more wise, sometimes we are left with both emotional and physical scars. We really begin to know ourselves. We start to evolve and look within ourselves instead of looking out. We realize that the world does not revolve around us and we look to better ourselves as human beings. We learn to let go of our ego. We care less about what people think of us and more about how we feel about ourselves. We seek spiritual guidance. We realize change is inevitable and learn to become more flexible.

What I wanted in my twenties is not what makes me happy today. I’m much closer to knowing what really matters in life now. I’m not there altogether yet, but I’m close. So it’s not that I don’t embrace getting older it’s just that announcing my age makes me feel like people put me in a box. “Oh she is 34, 38…oh she is 40..(none of them are my real age by the way.) A box of what I’m supposed to wear, where I’m supposed to be in life. How I’m supposed to act. I just want to be me. Take me as I am, don’t worry about my age. The essence of who I am will never change, no matter what age I am.

I’ve heard so many of my friends say “well, it’s all downhill from here…we aren’t as young as we used to be.” No we aren’t, but we don’t have to curl up and die! My parents often say ” well these are the last days of our lives”. I think why say that? Why think that way? It only brings you and others around you down. You are alive today, be in the present!

Do something that makes you feel great! One of the best ways to feel younger is to sourround yourself with things and people that bring you joy. The best is yet to come. It’s not over until it’s over. Don’t dwell in your own hell. Own the pain you have gone through. It could be a divorce, or a broken friendship, or a loss. We have to let ourselves feel the pain in order to heal. How you deal with loss and pain creates how you age. Burning off or letting go of the pain is how you heal and stay ageless. Let it go and live. That is the only way to live your life happy.

It’s not something I’ve mastered but it’s something I try to practice. Leave it to God.

Tea Party

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Your choice.

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Mother’s Day

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Our children

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An ageless life

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