"Things I Treasure "- Reeya Westrup

This is the fifth installment of our "Things I Treasure" series. We wanted to feature women who are inspirations to us, their families and friends. These are women who work hard every day to make a difference in the lives of people everywhere. They agreed to share with us the things they treasure in their everyday lives, including their favourite fashion pieces and their must-have beauty product.
Reeya has been one of my best friends since childhood, one of my friends who has been with me through good times and bad times and always told me the truth, the real truth.  As I post this story we both lost beloved pets within the space of two weeks, it was good to have her kindness and understanding at a very difficult time, I hope I did the same for her.


These women are our treasures.  It is a pleasure to share them and their experiences with you.
Thank you! Enjoy!

Tobago Cays

My childhood friend, Deb, asked me to contribute to her blog entitled, “Things I Treasure”. After much procrastination (mostly because life tends to get in the way sometimes), and the sudden loss of our beloved family dog, Kane, I figured it was due time to let out some of my feelings on paper.


As I get older, I see the world differently, and with more clarity. I appreciate people for who they are, and not for their material possessions. These are in no particular order and are few when compared to other contributors, but I as I get on in life, simplicity becomes more attractive, as I realize that I need very little to be truly happy.

• I treasure loyalty, longevity, unconditional love.

• I treasure my loving husband and our beautiful, wonderful son, and our lives together.

• I treasure the memory of a loving, beautiful soul, Kane and am thankful to have shared ten years of my life with him. I miss him every day.

• I treasure my family relationships.

• I treasure my childhood memories.

Courtesy- Istockphotos.com




• I treasure my true friends. I can count you all on one hand. You know who you are.

• I treasure all that I am capable of doing, all that I have already achieved, and the possibilities that lie ahead.

• I treasure sunshine and warmth.

• I treasure a good book and art that speaks to me.

• I treasure a good belly laugh.

• I treasure a cold glass of beer (with salt and lemon), and the way a cigarette can take away my stress.

• I treasure my ‘alone’ time just as much as I treasure time with others.


• I treasure each day of my life, and look forward to what each day that follows this one will bring.


So here you are, Deb. I hope I haven’t disappointed you, and that I am ‘blog-worthy’! Love you, and thank you for being my friend for all these years.

Reeya

Here are some of Reeya's other treasures.....


Most Treasured Beauty Item- My tweezers!


















Most Treasured Fashion Item- Jeans, they never go out of style.

Treasured destination- Anywhere with a beach!



I am also going to add something I think another treasure and that is her Amazon Kindle, she loves it!




















Reeya, thank you very much for this wonderful post.
Love you!
DGW

Things I Treasure- Betsy Helgager Hughes

This is the fourth of our "Things I Treasure"  series.  We wanted to feature women who are inspirations to us, their families and friends. These are women who work hard every day to make a difference in the lives of people everywhere. They agreed to share with us the things they treasure in their everyday lives,  including their favourite fashion pieces and their must-have beauty product.

These women are our treasures.

Thank you!  Enjoy!

At the end of this piece please find Betsy's famous Corn Dip, it is fantastic!  I had to include it, it the best corn dip in the world!

Betsy Helgager Hughes

Mom – Wife – Friend – Daughter – Entrepreneur

1. Life – Life is what you make it. The ups and the downs, the good and the bad and everything in-between make life interesting. Keeping life’s miracle and purpose in perspective helps me get through anything. As an entrepreneur, mother, wife, friend, and daughter, I keep this in mind as I encounter each day on Earth. I know I’m not in total control, but I can choose to have an interesting and fulfilling life if I want to…and that’s a powerful way to exist.

2. Family – Being adopted, family is everything as well as undefined for me. It’s far reaching to me, beyond the definition many use – blood. If it was all about blood, my entire family would exist of me and my daughter Sophia. I was adopted into a family, I married into a family, I created a family of friends, and in 2007 was fortunate enough to be a part of extending a family of two (me and my hubby George) to a family of three with the addition of our daughter. When all is said and done, family is who will be there for you, not who has your blood.

1. Friends – There’s nothing like extraordinary friends to share your life with - trials as well as celebrations. As I get older, I often wonder if I have room in my circle of friends to have any more join it, but then I meet someone who just fits right in as if they’ve known me my entire life, and then I open the door and let them in.  Inevitably, some friends have fallen out of season for one reason or another, but that’s okay. The ebb and flow of friendship is normal, but there are some tried and true who won’t go anywhere, ever, and that’s comforting to know.

4. Entertaining/Decorating – If I didn’t have to get paid for a living, this is probably what I would do full time. I treasure creating an experience, whether it’s you walking into one of my parties or coming over for dinner in my home. I do it for me and my happiness, but it’s rewarding when others find joy in my creativity too. I call my Punch of Creativity business my Right Brain business because it allows me to do all things creative on my terms where I am also inspiring others to see their potential in their own creative genius, just with a little help from me. 

5. Traveling – Having lived overseas for three years (W. Germany), I gained a tremendous amount of respect for learning and respecting other cultures outside the United States. Although I appreciate and explore all that the U.S.also has to offer, I enjoy being pushed outside of my comfort zone to venture into unknown countries and cities and explore what  they have to offer.

Learning – If your mind is open, you will learn. I believe in being curious. I try to keep an open mind to not only what I watch, listen to and read, but who I talk to, what I ask and more importantly, I work hard at listening. That’s when I learn the most. My travels to 13 countries in Europe proved to me that learning happens everywhere, at any time, with anyone…even a random person on a train.

Building Businesses – After 9/11, I decided to live and happen to work, not the other way around which is what I had been doing for 10 years at a global PR firm. I believed in my ability at that point to start my own PR firm, BLH Consulting, Inc.  Although it was to be just a little freelance outlet, it became a full-blown PR firm serving major clients throughout the United States. It’s been amazing to be free. My emancipation day was December 17, 2001. It’s the moment I  took off my golden handcuffs to a 6-figure salary and decided I was going to accept my destiny, and not ask another grown person again if I could take a vacation. Since then, I’ve helped my husband build Simple Set Up, a home and commercial audio/video company that focuses on all the technical and equipment requirements for home theaters and conference rooms. It’s been rewarding to be able to work together - both of us working in our passions. Then, during the downturn of the economy, I created A Punch of Creativity so I could diversify my income flow. It’s been enjoyable to exercise my creative side more regularly. I’m working in the  self- designed world of my passions I want to work in, not in the world I have to work in, and that brings me JOY!

8. Health – There’s nothing like it. Although I treasure it, I know I need to focus on it more. I don’t take it for granted at all, that’s for sure, but I do need to lead a good example for my daughter who most closely watches her mother’s exercise and eating habits.

9. Treasured Beauty Product – I spent way too much time in the Florida sun as a child. I’ve been introduced to a new product by Clinique to lighten sun damage…we’ll see!

10. Treasured Destinations – I have two, and they both have to do with relaxing. One is a little closer to home than the other.  The first is Barnsley Gardens in Adairsville, GA, just 50 minutes from  downtown Atlanta. One of the most unreal, relaxing, peaceful, hospitable, beautiful places I’ve ever been. Whether it’s for a day or a weekend, when you’re at Barnsley, you forget about all that you left behind in the city.  The second is the Buccaneer Resort and Spa in St Croix, U.S.V.I. It was the place I went to reward myself after one year in business for myself. It will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the place I stood still and said to myself, you did it, you can do it, and there’s no looking back. You, Betsy, are living your life to your own beat, and you are finally at peace. Amen!

Barnsley Gardens Resort

St. Croix – The Buccaneer Resort

All Images Courtesy of Betsy Helgager Hughes. Thank you!

Our Family Businesses

Punch of Creativity

www.punchofcreativity.com

404.771.9793

BLH Consulting

http://www.blhconsulting.net/

404.688.0415

Simple Set Up

http://www.simplesu.com/

404.313.2099

Betsy Helgager Hughes

President/CEO

BLH Consulting, Inc.

404/688-0415, ext. 701

404/688-0410 (fax)

404/771-9793 (cell)

www.blhconsulting.net

"Where Our Insights Build Relationships Between People & Brands"

502 Pryor Street, Suite 301

Atlanta, GA  30312

Betsy's Corn Dip

4 cans of Shoe Peg corn(drained)
1-2 cans of chopped green chilies( drained)
3/4 stick of butter
1 package cream cheese.
Put all in a crock pot and let it cook for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally, Fix it and Forget it and or can be microwave, but I say Crock pot is the way to do. 
Serve with "scoopable" tortilla chips. 

Watch your family go crazy!  Thank you Betsy for sharing this great recipe with us!

Things I Treasure - Tracy Gravesande

This is the third of our "Things I Treasure"  series.  We wanted to feature women who are inspirations to us, their families and friends. These are women who work hard every day to make a difference in the lives of people everywhere. They agreed to share with us the things they treasure in their everyday lives,  including their favourite fashion pieces and their must-have beauty product.

These women are our treasures.

Thank you!  Enjoy!

Tracy Gravesande
Chief Learning Officer
London,England




1. My Family - every member of my family is special and each in some way has helped me to want to be and do something a little more each day. An especial mention must be made of my Mum who is one of the strongest women I know. Without her support, trust, and faith, I probably would not have been able to make the moves that I have so far.

2. My friends - who are incredibly supportive, challenging (of me) and willing to put up with my foibles. Connecting with them whether face to face or remotely is of supreme importance in my daily life.

3. Guyana - I treasure the memory of having lived and been raised in Guyana. I would not exchange those formative years for anything. The experiences (both positive and negative) have made an indelible imprint on me.

The world famous Kaieteur Falls, Guyana.
Kaieteur Falls is a high volume waterfall in the Pataro region of Guyana. It is located in the Kaieteur National Park. The total height is 822 ft. It is five times higher than Niagara Falls Canada and 2 times higher than Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. It is the 123 tallest single and multiple drop waterfall in the world. It has a unique height and water volume. It is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world rivaling the Jog Falls of India's Karnataka region during monsoon season! The Pataro river empties into the Essequibo river which is one of the world's longest and widest rivers. Truly breathtaking!

Pepperpot is a traditional Guyanese dish of stewed meat flavored with cinnamon, hot peppers, and Cassareep


4. Books - I love, love, love to read. When I'm unable to travel reading plugs the gap by enabling me to be transported to new and different places, cultures, social events, situations and the like. Who invented the word boredom?

5. Continuous Learning - I love to learn and have been blessed to have been able to carve out a career doing what I love - supporting adults in their desire to pursue continuous personal and professional development. I consider this to be a stewardship (to whom much is given, much will be expected) and not a day passes that I don't marvel at having been given the opportunity to be of service to others in this way.

6.Fave fashion item...SHOES!!!!!

7. Fave beauty item...hmm that's difficult, I need so many. Bobby Brown pinkie brown lippy and MAC black eyeliner





8. Fave holiday - can I have two? Rome and South of France

Cote De Azul, South of Cannes France

St Peter's Basilica- Rome


Thank you!