If you follow me on Instagram you will have already seen that most of last week was jam packed with tea table prep. My boys were so kind to let my mind fill up with with check lists, recipes, and themed creations. I absolutely love getting to throw myself into a theme and thankfully Mr. Doozie is unbelievable supportive.
The napkins are from Target this season, and the holders are from Pottery Barn. I had actually registered for the napkin rings when Mr. Doozie and I were engaged over 6 years ago! Up to this point they were a terra-cotta orange color, but with the help of Martha Stewart craft paints I dressed them up a bit :)
The dishes are my everyday dishes. I had fallen in love with this set before I was married, again from Pottery Barn so I opted to skip registering for china and instead put this everyday set on the list. Our church family back home filled ever single thing on that registery! What a blessing!
The silver and crystal are my mother-in-law's and I wouldn't know the names of any of it. I just know it's beautiful and I am so thankful to have it!
The woodland creature candle stick holders are from Target, this season. Seriously go grab them if you can! There is a fox, owl and woodpecker. I love love love them and think maybe come spring they might get a glossy white spray paint on them so I can keep them out year round.
My momma was also so kind to me and gifted me with the wooden tiered server as an early birthday gift. Again, blessed blessed blessed I tell ya!
I debated sharing this next part with y'all for several reasons. Never do I want to talk ill of a church I've attended or of any of the people there. I'm pretty sure what took place was just a huge oversight during lots of busyness. More so I'm sharing in hopes that y'all might find yourself in a situation like this and see the need.
As the seventy plus ladies filled the room I quickly noticed that everyone's tables were filling up, except mine. One person, only one person sat at my table...... I try and count two since the MC did come and eat for a few minutes as well (my table was closest to where she was speaking). But for the rest of the two hours I had one lone guest. It was embarrassing beyond belief. Most of the time I was pushing back tears and trying to be the best hostess I could be to my guest. I felt bad for her too, she missed out on all the fun table banter and fellowship that was taking place around us. I just wanted to crawl under the table and pray the tea would end.
As women we long to be accepted into a group and that day I felt very much like an outsider. I'm certain it wasn't done out of maliciousness, in fact I think everyone was having such a wonderful time that it simply went unnoticed. When my table won for best design I was completely conufused. Complements are a wonderful thing to receive but relationships are what we truly desire. I didn't set my table to win, I set it to serve. Thankfully my guest was wonderfully kind to me and without her I may have just ran straight out.
After the embarrassment and sadness have settled I'm left with such a strong urgency to implore y'all to be aware of the outsider in a group. Simply coming alongside an individual in a setting like that is all that is needed. How simple it could have been if a few ladies noticed my guest and I sitting alone and sent a few ambassadors over to our table. My sister is a great example of that. She is always honing in on the outsider and gathering a flock of friends to flutter around. It is something I've always admired in her and after the tea I see it as a bright and shining gift she has. So I'll leave you with this, be a flutterer ;) The world needs more of them.
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