Desserts & Dior

Hello friends! Happy September!! I hope your first 5 days of the second most wonderful month of the year (aside from December) have been filled with the thought of pumpkins and cinnamon spice :) If you're reading this today, then the PSL at starbucks made its grand return 14 hours ago so please go enjoy that.

Though I am obviously thrilled about this new month, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the last day of August. August was filled with anxiousness and excitement as I started my senior year of college at Meredith. It has been extremely hectic finalizing a schedule for this semester and making sure I have everything completed before May. And aside from all the school work, there are a million club activities and events to tend to and sometimes there's no time to relax and just be. But here, now, today, I have some of that relaxation time. Thank you God for the ability to rest and reflect the goodness.

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On the last day of August, I attended another fabulous Trifabb event! This time, we were hosted by Kendra Scott of Raleigh in North Hills. The lovely ladies of Kendra brought in desserts from the newly opened Seasons 52 Grille in Crabtree Valley Malland makeovers by Dior. Let me tell you, every time I am surrounded by the ladies of Trifabb, I become more and more inspired to write and continue blogging. Surrounding yourself with encouraging and supportive people makes all the difference.

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Speaking of being around people who inspire and encourage you...the lovely Molly Stillman not only organized this event, but brought her camera and took professional headshots for each of us who were interested. Thank you Molly for always making the events such a great time. During the evening, Kendra Scott donated 20% of the proceeds to a nonprofit here in Raleigh that Molly is very involved in called Transforming Hope. Their mission is to end human trafficking through "education, prevention, and restoration." North Carolina is rated in the top ten of states where human trafficking is most likely to happen, so Transforming Hope wants to educate those in the Triangle and raise awareness of this issue. If you are interested in learning more, getting involved, or donating, click here. I could hear the passion behind Molly's words while she spoke about the nonprofit's mission. When the people who lead an organization have such passion, you know it will be a great success.

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I love supporting companies that have a mission that goes beyond just making a profit. Kendra Scott seems to be always giving back. Last year, the company gave millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations, including some in Raleigh. I believe that it is important to bless others with what you have been blessed with. Finding companies that also find blessing others important is something I always look for when shopping. So thank you again Kendra Scott for giving so much, to us Trifabb ladies and all the organizations you have supported! I have one piece of Kendra Scott jewelry in particular that I wear EVERY SINGLE DAY no matter what. It goes perfectly with everything, including my onyx. To check it out, click here.

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This night was another night where I was able to relax and not stress about turning something in or meeting a deadline. On social media, it is so easy to become competitive. You compare your likes, comments, and followers and wish for more just because you think that's what gives you value. As a blogger especially, it is easy to compare myself to others and wish I was as well known as they are. That's really not what its about. I want to remind myself daily that we should point out others strengths, even if that means admitting that they might be better at something than we are.

We should put out our best and just have fun with it all.

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Probably the best part of the night was finally meeting Mallory Middleton face-to-face. Mallory and I had been insta-friends a good while, but had never met! Her blog, The Cheers Years, is filled with fun recipes that have a nutritious spin on them! The best part is that tons of her recipes are only 5 ingredients. Perfect for someone like me with little to no cooking skills but with a huge interest in nutrition. Shoutout to Mallory for doing the hard part for me.

I am so happy for this new month. I am so grateful to be blessed with time for rest. I know that no matter how busy life can be, there will come time for rest. I pray that each and every one of you reading this will snuggle up in a sweater, enjoy the upcoming chilly weather, and pray with a grateful heart. Thank you for joining me at The Coffee Table.

-from Anna with love

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28