Join In The Fun! Join In The October 2018 Tea Party!

What better way to suggest friendliness – and to create it – than with a cup of tea?” -J. Grayson Luttrell

Aloha, charming WordPressers!

I’m delighted to announce you that The Little Mermaid is hosting her fourth monthly tea party on her website. What? A tea party? On WordPress? When? How? For whom? Alright..alright…take it easy. I’m coming on to your questions.

Classically, a ‘tea party’ makes one think of superiorly elegant and elaborate affairs of the Victorian times. It also conjures up images of fluffy scones, flavoursome muffins, Devonshire Cream and dainty sandwiches served on fine silver or deluxe bone china. Still, the elemental part of a tea party remains the affable exchange of dialogue among the invitees. Almost indistinguishably, the tea party that I am organizing is an online social event hosted in honour of bloggers, that is US! Blogging is most enjoyable when it is done interactively. The tea party, therefore, is an ideal occasion for socialising and making, as well as maintaining the acquaintance of those in the blogosphere. It is a chance to truly relax and to take some time to recharge one’s batteries by engaging in a light-hearted conversation, to be with friends and simply delight in each other’s company.

While the first tea party was open-ended, subsequent ones will be topical.

This month’s theme is:

HAPPINESS

Feel free to talk about anything related to happiness. How do you define happiness? What are some of the things that you do to make yourself happy? What is the secret of a happy life? Do you pursue happiness as a goal in your life?

The October 2018 tea party begins today and will close on the 31st. Make sure that you share a blog post round to the subject as a comment and allure bloggers to read you. As for newcomers out there-grab the golden opportunity to let your freak flag fly by sharing your first post with a huge gathering. Aren’t you excited?

Now that you’re in, it is noteworthy to mention that along with tea and cups, tea parties bring to the table certain etiquettes in the bargain that must be followed to make it more respectful and all the more interesting. Not only does this process make the tea party an entertaining one for everyone involved, it also makes coordination a lot easier.

So, let’s check out the guidelines below.

-Etiquette Number 1- Introduce yourself.

Introduce yourself, your blog or even your latest post to the community in such a way that it encourages others to converse with you. Avoid posting just a link as a comment which looks rude and spammy. Be polite.

-Etiquette Number 2- Mix and mingle.

Tea is a communal experience and there it requires that you meet and greet at least some of the other wonderful people in attendance. Participate by actively reading others’ comments and visiting their links/sites.

-Etiquette Number 3- Share & reblog the most recent tea party.

The purpose of the event is to create a platform where everyone benefits from real diversity of thought; and for that we need to find people who genuinely hold different views and invite them into the conversation. So, please spread the word in the blogosphere through reblogs.

It’s a sure thing that the tea party ritual punctuates our day with precious, refreshing pauses. Perhaps that is the true gift of a teatime celebration: it fills our cups with joy, warmth and friendship. May the echo of the teacup’s message be heard not only at special functions, but anytime friends come together, both in the virtual world and in reality.

With love,

The Little Mermaid

Ingenuity

“Raw ingenuity is very often misconstrued as madness by the crowd. Take no shit. Carry on.”

-The Little Mermaid, MMXVI

Thought For The Day

“You can buy designer clothing but not elegance. You can shop for pricey make-up but not for beauty. You can purchase an upmarket house but not a home. You can buy expensive education but not manners. You can be a person with deep pockets but with just a shallow existence.”

–The Little Mermaid, MMXVI

Dance

“I want you to dance – anytime, anywhere, to any beat. Just forget everything and dance.”

-The Little Mermaid, MMXVI

Friendship

“Choose your inner circle of friends wisely because stupidity is known to have an intractable contagion effect.”

-The Little Mermaid, MMXVI

Solitude

“There are two types of solitude-one that pulls you into darkness and another one that pushes you towards light. While the former drowns a person in the tangled inferno of harrowing isolation, bottomless depression and lugubrious despondency; the latter transforms him to a fireball of energy when he is fully connected to his own being, thereby allowing the individual to get a glimpse of quintessential empyrean.”

-The Little Mermaid, MMXVI

The Perks Of Dating Much Older Men

When it comes to dating, the rotten rule that has been around for generations states that it is socially acceptable for a person to be romantically involved with someone who’s age is at least half your age plus seven. However, there are people, SANE people, who deviate from the norm and date someone much younger or older than them; which, in my humble opinion, is totally fine as long as both individuals connect. 

In my post, I’m going to write on the advantages a young woman has when she dates an older man, say +15 years her senior. While you must be cudgelling your brains about what has triggered me to blog on this, let me confess beforehand that as a young woman myself, I find older men enormously attractive. They are a whole package! And the fascinating thing with them is that they equate me on many levels – those enlightening tête-à-tête and whatnot. Hard to believe? In that case, read on…

1) Ideal if you want/don’t want children

If at present you feel mentally and physically prepared for a baby, you might choose to marry an older person who is evidently in a better position to cater for the needs of the little one than a young boy who might have other priorities.

Considering from a different standpoint, if you’ve decided that kids are not in the cards, you may have a pretty tough time persuading a younger partner to accept this idea. On the other hand, an older partner who has either already been married and begotten children or has had enough time to cogitate on fatherhood and therefore knows with certitude he doesn’t want to aggravate the global problem of human overpopulation, may be the ideal match for you.

2) Older is sexier…sometimes

When a man takes care of himself, he can actually look better with age and still be in the pink of health. Yes..much like fine wine that gets better with age. Old men somehow seem to effortlessly ooze an air of confidence and charisma. Those few strands of silver hair are symbolic of years of wisdom and experience. Simply put, old men are no longer boys. They are men. Grown-up men. In all senses. Now this is a real turn-on!

3) More financial stability

In general, there’s a stigma that a younger woman dates an older man because he’s more powerful and can essentially take care of her. Heard of gold diggers? And while this may be true for some, a 2010 study by the University of Dundee in Scotland found that as women themselves become more financially independent, their taste may skew towards older (and better-looking) men. What does it mean? It means that as a woman becomes more confident in her own career and finances, she seeks a partner who matches that, which often is not a 25-year-old guy.

Moreover, from what I’ve gathered, a man in his 20s is more likely to blow his cash on frivolous things, while men starting from their late 30s and onwards are likely to save money for the future or for experiences, like a romantic vacation. This implies you can live the good life and afford luxuries without having to worry about going dutch. Does it get any better than this? (Wink)

4) Less likely to play games

An older partner has already sowed his wild oats and is in the market for a serious relationship he can assume with honesty and loyalty. At this stage of life, he is more interested in having a companion than in hooking up with several women in the bars and nightclubs. Older men start a liaison with a clean slate and do not dream about getting a bit on the side because they have seen it and done it all. 

5) You enjoy awesome sex

A mature man knows exactly what excites him and he takes mental notes of what pleases you in bed. Ladies, forget about those night classes you had to conduct on ‘sexology’. Since older men hold the key to opening the doors to the gates of paradise, love-making becomes a more passionate and liberating ritual, than with a young fella who might just be too consumed with his own satisfaction to even bother if you comed or not. Older men literally work for you to climax because they see it as a source of pride when they can cause big, badass orgasms that leave you weak and shaking.

6) You’re the younger one. Game over.

You know the joke about older men chasing younger women? Well, ahem, drag your partner with you and look into the mirror. The benefit of being younger than him is that, as vain as it sounds, it can be an incredible confidence booster. I know it’s shallow but it’s always nice to feel extra sexy, isn’t it? Plus it makes getting old as easy as puddin’ pie because in your circle, you’ll always be the ‘young one’.

7) You learn from your partner

When it boils down to dating older men, you 24/7 feel like you’re learning; whether it be new music, food or arts. You get to hear stories about another period in time which broadens your mind. Moreover, as your partner has a vast amount of knowledge and sagacity under his belt, debates with him become more challenging, discussions more enriching and chitchats seem deeper than the ocean. 

Besides, he’s totally supportive of your ambitions and prolly full of good advice. You must be a dunce to trade all of those for a middle-of-the-road “I need to focus on my career right now, darling”.

8) Someone has already ‘fixed him up’

His past relationships didn’t work out. And now, you can reap the benefits of nice shoes on the racks, toilet seat put down and hand towel in the bathroom. 

On top of that, you can be sure that time doesn’t slow him and that he is going to be this rad forever. In 20 years, he will still be alive and kicking and keeping up with your young ass.

9) He appreciates you

An older man, de facto, might date a younger woman because he wants to maintain his youth. You keep him feeling inspired, which in turn, makes you feel deeply desired. You wake up too late? Cool. You don’t know cooking? No problem. He is a more caring, patient and a romantic lover. In short, you’re everything he wants. He’ll worship you. Period.

10) You live in the moment

Today, young people forget to relish the present moment in the pursuit of future goals and aspirations. Conversely, an older man makes you cherish the beauty of the now and value the significance of living it fully. 

So, as I have pointed out above, dating or even marrying an older man is a worthy experience. Without discounting the fact that women in general, mature faster than men, chances are, you might end up sharing your life with your twin flame, which seldom happens in real life with normal couples. Therefore, do not let society dictate your heart’s calling. And a free bit of advice to some judgemental prudes who might ostensibly conclude you have daddy issues- If you don’t want to get a fat lip, I would suggest you not to butt in where you do not belong. Live and let live. OK? 

P.S. Constructive comments on real life situations, examples or any kind of advice and opinion pertaining to this post are most welcome. 

I’m A Shopaholic!

I’m a shopaholic and I don’t pretend to be anything else
Without qualms, I assert
A sadistic pleasure, a blissful ecstasy, a kind of magic shopping spells
Gosh! I’d do it like the dirtiest pervert;
Shopping evokes a lust for things you never knew you needed
The thrill of carrying those shiny new bags
Rhapsody unabated
Even with the high price tags. 

Look at this purple dress! So elegant and pristine
Calling upon me to be released
From the ruthless vitrine
My favorites: Gucci, Topshop and Cholé, last but not the least;
Please don’t tell me that I have enough hats already
You might end up with a bleeding nose
The scent of brand Italian leather boots, so rich and yummy
Whee! I might buy all in the rows.

What is shopping? An activity, a hobby or an obligation?
If shopping were a crime, I’d plead guilty
If it were a season, it’d be spring’s invitation
If it were drugs, I’d be addicted. Pity!
If shopping were music, it’d be the sweetest duet
If it were a smell, it’d be of warm petrichor
If it were love, it’d be a tale of Romeo and Juliet
Only with an ending merrier.

Last week I got my fifth Versace sunnies at 30% off
Together with that gorgeous red Louis Vuitton belt
A sound investment I made, don’t you laugh
For a wise banker I am, correctly spelt;
Uh-oh! How could I forget this naughty Givenchy perfume?
A fragrance darn luxurious and irresistible
Not to mention that fur coat from Burberry as costume
A beautiful sin, utterly permissible.

I could never own too much of something
For once I set my eyes on them lovely black lingerie
My heart skips a beat, triumphing
In an instant moment of joyful celebratory;
Shopping is better than any cure
Yes! On watches and rings I spend galore
The mere thought of it makes me rub my hands in glee, for sure
But that’s what confessions are made for!

Bringing me closer to my doom
Winding up my day in town with an empty wallet
Credit cards turned into witch broom
When I want just another cute bonnet;
Admist this prodigality, happiness is but ephemeral
I could give up shopping
Yet it would not make me more liberal
Hey! Until then, to this craze there’s no stopping.

*Image is a still from the movie ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’