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.
- A long drive down my favorite streets with my mother.
- Making the most miniscule of measurable progress in my hacky-sack pursuits (I am trying to learn to play hacky-sack, Reader, and it is far more difficult than I had anticipated).
- Hand-me-down t-shirts from my older sister.
- Time to read, draw, and write.
- An early lunch with my sister and grandparents, complete with yummy enchiladas and lots of queso.
- Rewatching a childhood favorite film and having it be just as wonderful as I remember (although I do have questions about the Maggie-Phillip age gap).
- Long afternoon chats with my mother over a bag of Chex Mix and a cup of tea.
- Watching my sister capture the stage in her play.
- Listening to Olivia Rodrigo’s new song while driving down backroads in the rain.
- Watching Moneyball with my dad and listening to him explain the history behind the film, and how the events depicted were revolutionary in the world of baseball.
- My dog hopping up on my bed to take a nap without me having to beg him to do so.
- Ice cream. Every week, for the rest of time, please assume ice cream is very high on my gratitude list.
- Reading on the couch with my sisters (well, pretending to read. We mostly compared TikToks and each yelled at the other two to be quiet so we could read).
- Baking for my sister (and planning treats to send to my friends. If all goes well and my kitchen crusades go as planned, perhaps I will write a blog post about my adventures. I promise nothing, however, after last time).
- Lazy days spent doing absolutely nothing. Normally a day spent lounging would create extra stress for me, but I have been learning to love the break these past few weeks.
- Watching Marvel movies at my sister’s boyfriend’s apartment, complete with a mountain of uneaten holiday candy from the year.
- Baking bread from scratch.
- Thunderstorms.
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”.
- Another week, another perfect Kate Spade handbag for which I have no use but love to behold.
- The hat that made me giggle and yet I know I would wear (search for vaccines near you here!).
- This nice bracelet (and this one, and this one), which might be dupes for several (such as this, and this) much more pricey pieces.
- These stunning slides (and these that remind me of something worn by Tinker Bell).
- This most divine frock.
- The skirt that just screams summer (I can not find the matching top, but I will keep looking, dear Reader).
- This lovely placemat which makes me smile.
- The sweatshirt with the most wonderful (and true) message.
- The dress I would love to wear all summer long, made by one of my favorite designers. As if I needed greater incentive to pursue her work, Lela Rose is a Texas-born female entrepreneur of unimaginable creativity and style.
- I never truly recovered from the realization that I do not belong to the era in which young girls adorn their hair with taffeta bows, but Nicola Bathie’s designs are offering me much consolation.
- The ice cream and strawberry sweaters of my dreams. How precious!
- Though it appears to be out of print, I had to include this miniature library, Reader. Is it not the most beautiful collection you have ever seen?
Seven-Day Design
A word (or two) of wisdom to guide the upcoming week.
Immortal Echoes
- “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Evanescent Intentions
- This week, I will live with peace.
Dear Reader, I know I made my intention last week to live with peace, but it seemed such an important and relevant intention I decided it should receive two weeks of special attention as opposed to just the one.
I must admit that unless I actively remind myself to work toward achieving my desired state, I do tend to forget my intentions. However, I feel I was largely successful in my attempts to live with a sense of peace this past week. This is not to say I was not ever stressed or anxious, for I most certainly was, but I feel I was able to reach a place of acceptance in the discomfort which was relatively new to me. For though I often profess a longing to exist in places of uncertainty so that I may experience meaningful growth, when confronted with trying times I find myself hungry for a solution. This past week, however, I found myself able to let go, even if only to a small degree, of that desire and embrace where I am in my journey.
Lately, Reader, I have been confronted with many trying times, the details of which I feel it best to keep private, but which have brought me little peace. In the wake of such circumstances, I am learning to do what I can, with what I have, with where I am. Some days, even identifying what I can, what I have, and where I am feels murky, but I am learning to accept that reality as an unfortunate growing pain and keep trying. I do not know the answers to my questions and I suspect I will not have them for many, many years. Such is a difficult realization, especially for someone who operates as do I. And so, dear Reader, I am still in search of peace. Not a resolution, or even clarification, but peace in the moment. Thank you for joining me on this adventure.
Love,
Lettie Anne