“True” Beauty Tips {Wednesdays with Wanda}

This past weekend I got to go to BlissDom.

My precious sister went with me, and we had a ball!

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As I was meeting all of my favorite bloggers, I couldn’t help but wish I could call Mom and tell her all about it. She would have been absolutely THRILLED for me.

It was because of her that I was there in the first place. She told me to start my blog a year ago, and it has been the best gift she has ever given me.

Though my trip to BlissDom was amazing, I have to admit that I had a lot of fun preparing for BlissDom too.

I was excited to get a couple of new outfits for my trip. And I actually planned on getting them at the mall, not Goodwill!

Those of you who know me, know that I don’t pamper myself very much. I like to dress up, but really…with 4 boys, it’s not very practical.

If I wear a fancy necklace, you can bet my two year old will rip it off of me.

And if I wear a nice outfit, it will have peanut butter and jelly on it before the day is through.

And heels…yeah right. How can you chase a two year old in heels?!

Plus, I love to craft. So I usually have paint stains on my hands, clothes, and hair.

I said all that to say this…I had so much fun trying to get all “prettied-up” for the Blissdom Conference.

I went shopping with my sister which was an absolute HOOT! Let’s just say she and I have different tastes in clothing. She likes a lot of “bling”, and I like a more casual look with a touch of “bling”. So we had a lot of laughs as we shopped. She even talked me into getting my nails and toes done. I did enjoy that!

Just like most women, I was stressing about what to wear to BlissDom. I wanted to look like I had it all together (though most of the time I don’t). And to be honest, I guess I hoped to impress my fellow bloggers. I wanted them to like me.

And as I prepared for BlissDom, I thought about Mom. I could hear her say, “Traci, sweetie, don’t worry about it. You look beautiful.”

My mom was beautiful. And since she has passed away, I have realized it even more. I knew when I was growing up that I had a pretty mom, but when I look at pictures of her now…to me she was gorgeous!

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But like many of your moms, I don’t ever remember her getting a manicure or pedicure. Cyndi and I were talking in Nashville how we vividly remember Mom rushing to put on her nail polish in the car on the way to church.

Mom definitely never had a massage or spa treatments when I was growing up. She also never wore fancy clothes. She wore the same dresses to church year after year, and bought many of her clothes at yard sales and thrift stores.

But she was beautiful. Ask anyone that knew her, and they would say she was beautiful.

Why?

Because she knew where true beauty comes from.

3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:3,4

 

 

After Mom passed away, I inherited her computer. On it, she had a file titled, “Reflections and Poems”. In it, there was a folder titled “Beauty Tips”. The title caught me off guard because Mom never focused much on beauty tips or practices. But after I read it, it didn’t surprise me a bit.

I wanted to share it with you.

Beauty Tips

 

For attractive lips,

speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes,

seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,

share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair,

let a child run his fingers through it once or twice a day.

For poise,

walk with the knowledge that you will never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand,

you’ll find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes that she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she wears her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty of a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows.

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This is the type of beauty I want, don’t you? This type of beauty never fades. It’s the type of beauty that people truly remember when you are gone.

My mom was beautiful.

 

Thank you for letting me share the thoughts beneath my heart,

Traci

40 Comments

  1. Ah Traci,
    You melt my heart with your Wed. with Wanda posts.
    Your mom was a beautiful person inside and out from what I glean from your posts. She was so right about where it comes from. I love the Beauty Tips and will be typing and posting that up on my mirror in my bathroom.
    Thanks for sharing about your mom. Do you realize that she is still touching you and so many others when you share about her? She really is. : )
    Hugs,
    Cheryl

  2. Traci~beautiful!Your beauty routine with kids sounds like mine…I always have paint in my hair or under my fingernails, and I keep a makeup bag in the car to slap some coverup and mascara on at a stoplight :)

  3. Great post!!! Thank you for giving so much of yourself!Your memories of your mom inspire us all. You know she would have been filled with love knowing her daughters were having such a grand time together….every Mother's wish.

  4. I know what you mean about loving to dress up…but it being impractical! Glad you had a good time. Your thoughts from you mother reminded me of one of my favorite quotes. I just posted it on my blog, Happiness is Homemade.

  5. Traci you and your family are beautiful in every single way. Once again I have tears as I read another WW post. Thank you for sharing your heart with us all.

    ~Blessings, ~Melissa :)

  6. That is so sweet. That's how I feel about my mom. The relationship you had was precious, and you will always carry those memories.
    I was reflecting on how I didn't remember my mom having all the luxuries that our daughters have today. I just got my first wax job, and second manicure in my life…thanks to my daughter in law. I just don't think to do those things myself.
    Thanks for sharing these special things. It blessed my day.
    Someday I hope to meet you at Blissdom!

  7. Traci, very sweet post. I hope my kids feel about me the way you feel about your mom. What a treasure! Oh, I, too, have never had a manicure, pedicure, spa treatment…..I think that being the child of a parent from the Depression, that I look at things a little differently….perhaps your mom did, too. I love the final statements about beauty – very true. Linda

  8. I just found your blog a couple of days ago, and I love it! This post is just lovely! I have enjoyed looking around here and look forward to seeing more!

  9. Thanks for your honesty, cause you look like you have it pretty together! I enjoyed your Blissdom pics.

    But I get what you're saying. I don't think my mom has ever had those things done either. She got by with what we had and yet, her spirt and love for the Lord make her beautiful. She is treasured by so many because, like your mom, she knew what beauty to cultivate.

    Good thing for me to remember. And…I think I'll take my mom and my daughters for pedicures around Mother's Day. Wouldn't that be fun!

  10. What a fabulous post Traci! More words of wisdom from your mom. I love the Bible verse you quoted.

    Thank you.

    ~ Tracy

    p.s. I received the canvas and gifted my mother with it last weekend. She did not want her picture taken… but I did take one of the canvas where my dad set it up so she can see it from her bed. She loves it. Thank you again!

  11. I just found your blog through Southern Hospitality and I feel so fortunate to have found your blog. I lost my mom to cancer when 8 years ago this month and it still hurts. I have a daughter in preschool and she has had some mean things said to her recently and more than anything I want to talk to my mom about this. Also, I have been having a hard time getting pregnant for another child, and have been wanting to talk to her about this. So please keep up your posts as I feel it helps me to know that others miss their mom just like I do. That I am not alone in this. Thanks for such a great blog, I also like your craft ideas. Thanks again for taking the time to do something so wonderful!

  12. I love your Wednesday with Wanda posts! I feel like I can feel her sweet spirit through your memories of her. It's really precious!
    And btw, last night I was telling my hubby how all of you lovely ladies got to meet eachother at Blissdom, and I was pretending that if I got to go you'd be the first one I'd wanna run up to and meet! You're so awesome!

  13. Traci, I got to know your mother only briefly and it didn't take long to see that she was not only beautiful on the outside but on the inside as well. I would love to have your permission to share the "beauty tips" with my exercise classes during devotion time. Would you mind? Your blog is beautiful and I will definitely become a follower. p.s. I am the ugly "old man" from Halloween!

  14. Love Love Love this post.. as I do all of the others.. but this couldn't have come at a better time, as I was just talking to my 11 yr old daughter about this very topic!! I'll be keeping this!

  15. Traci:

    This was wonderful! It's a good reminder that what is inside our hearts is what God thinks matters the most, and your beautiful mother knew that!

    Blessings!

    Sonja

  16. Hi Traci – do you mind if I use that poem w/my BGirls? Do you know who wrote it? Beautiful. Your mom reminds me so much of my mom. I don't think she ever had a manicure, pedicure, or spa treatment. She was simply beautiful, though.

    We are blessed girls, aren't we? SO glad we got to share about "Wanda" at lunch time.

    Hugs!

  17. So good! If you don't mind, I would like to share this with church ladies. Your mom surely was a shining testimony for the Lord. What a wonderful heritage you have. Gail

  18. I am new to your blog. I found you thru the Nester. This post was just lovely. Thank you. I needed to read this today. And your mom was beautiful!

  19. Love that! What a great reminder for us that it's not all about what's on the outside (how good we look), but what our attitude and focus is in our hearts! Thank you for sharing!

  20. Your mom sounds like a treasure. She was a beautiful lady, inside and out. Thank you for sharing these beautiful stories with us. They are an encouragement to each of us, to be the women God intends us to be.

    Ruth

  21. This is so true. Beauty comes from within and you have that. Beauty inside and out. I'm so glad that you got to go to Blissdom!

    Hugs,
    Lee Laurie

    Oh and that sounds like me about putting on nail polish in the car. I keep an extra make up bag in the car just for those times when I'm in a big hurry. Thanks for reminding me. It just started snowing outside and I need to go get it so it won't freeze!

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