Reader, welcome to Afternoon Tea! As a self-confessed hopeless romantic and anglophile to the highest degree, it is one of my deepest sorrows that I am not one to regularly partake in the privilege that is afternoon tea. Although I often enjoy a cup of Earl Grey on slow afternoons, my chipped mugs and sliced bananas are poor substitutions for the Spode china and brilliantly colored petit fours that would abound in an authentic ceremony. As such, I invite you to a virtual celebration of the elegant pastime that begs us to appreciate beauty and focus on being present. Here, you will find a somewhat jumbled collection of my revelations, reflections, and that which I relish from the week. So please, brew a warm pot of tea, procure for yourself an array of scones and biscuits, and peruse with me what is lovely in life.
Thanking the Academy
What does it mean to thank the Academy? To do so is to extend a breathless word of overwhelming appreciation to a higher power, to a force second only to the Universe in terms of its ubiquitous and enigmatic presence. As such, here you will find my own earnest appeal to make my gratitude known – a profound and dreamlike thank-you to that manifestation which is omnipresent, alluring, and all-encompassing.
- Drinks with old friends
- Nightly movies with my younger sister. “Boss Baby” is… oddly more heartwarming than I remember.
- Crafting all day, all week. How lovely it is to unwind with meditative creative practices.
- My sister and her boyfriend’s safe return from Europe. Reader, I believe they had a ball and I am so glad (and so jealous).
- Spending time with my family. Nothing recharges me quite as much as my favourite people.
- Sitting in a Starbucks and typing away on my laptop. I felt so adult.
- A delightful lunch with a lovely friend.
- Nannying the sweetest girl in the world. She is such a delight to see each day!
- Melancholy at the movement of life, a reminder to be grateful for the now.
- Time with my cousin before she jets off on a European adventure. Reader, let us all manifest a beautiful Italian man with a vespa for her.
- The beginning of pride month! It is wonderful to celebrate all in the LGBTQIA+ community.
- People who will listen to me tell the same story over and over and over and over –
- Walking the lake with my sisters. They both convinced themselves they had contracted poison ivy from the foliage lining the trail and of course, neither had.
- Late-night drives down twisty roads.
- Enthused discussions in the lobby of my apartment, recounting weeks of drama to no conclusion.
- Volunteering for March of Dimes, a special nonprofit organization doing great work for mothers and babies.
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things…
In an unending effort to live just as my icon, Ms. Julie Andrews, below you will find my own weekly compilation of that which brings me just as much joy as “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens”.
- This feminine number from the new Sail to Sable drop, which looks so pretty with this seashell belt I had to track down a similar version.
- These milk bottles, which I believe can be bought over DM.
- The pretty hot pink one-piece I found on TikTok. I was skeptical of the quality based on the product picture, but it looks nice in person!
- These beads which have been the centerpiece of all my crafting creations this week.
- We have all seen the Chanel F1 shirt take the internet by storm, but the rest of the 2022/23 collection is as stunning as the now-iconic shirt that first grabbed my attention.
- What can’t CeliaB do? Make a dress I can afford. Do I stare at this dress and wish I could? Of course.
- I finally started watching the Brideshead Revisited miniseries in its entirety, and I have exceptionally few complaints, an unprecedented phenomena where adaptations are concerned.
- Anne Eisenhower’s jewels. This bracelet took my breath away.
- Reader, I love House and Parties, and I love champagne coups. Hence, I love these glasses.
- Although I did not enjoy the Midnight in Tokyo cocktail (I did spill it a bit, and the squid ink did stain my leg, which was a novelty I found more appealing than the drink itself), I do love Lucky Robot for dinner with friends, and have heard their Bees Knees cocktail is more suited to a palette as apparently unsophisticated as my own.
Seven-Day Design
A word (or two) of wisdom to guide the upcoming week.
Immortal Echoes
- “Until I realized that rock music was my connection to the rest of the human race, I felt like I was dying, for some reason, and I didn’t know why.” – Mr. Bruce Springsteen
Evanescent Intentions
- This week, I will be accepting.
Dear Reader, my roommate, a Miss Castillo, and dearest friend, a Miss Samman, are adamant supporters of letting go of what one would rather hold tightly. I am not fond of yielding where I could potentially plot my path to glory, but in their gentle protestations against my ways, I have been humbled by the realisation that for all the benefits of my stubborn nature, there is infinitely more to be learned in resisting it. They bade me let go, and I did, and not only was I far more pleased with the result, but far more at peace in my own heart.
To let go and to accept are not the same, this I know. But for my part, this week, they are tightly connected. This week, as I accept this state of limbo that is my life, I must first let go of all that weighs it down and bolsters it up. I will accept each moment as it comes to me, without comparison or contest. I will work toward peace and neutrality where I am discontent, and readiness to trust and receive where I am unsure.
I wish for you, Reader, the very same, heaped upon all the joys the world has to offer.
Love,
Lettie Anne