Gratitude continued...

November 25th - Black Friday - although I DO NOT participate in the madness, I am thankful it was still a good day at the shop.
November 26th - It was such a beautiful day today! It was dry, sunny, and almost 60 degrees. Perfect weather to get things done with a happy spirit!
November 27th - Cold cereal. Seriously. I.LOVE.CEREAL. My current favorite: LIFE. I have a bowl for breakfast, and usually, another bowl before bed.
November 28th - I am thankful for childhood friends like Chelsea B. She is loyal and always on "Team Emily"...she is insightful and quick to listen, slow to speak. Although we have a many miles between us, anytime I see her or we chat - instant message, email, or phone - we can always pick up right where we left off. We have been friends since we were 8...over 20 years! Today, I am grateful for her.
November 29th - Today, I am thankful for another friend, but a new friend this time! Megan. Simply put, we have traveled an identical journey in a very specific aspect of our lives. Having someone to share that journey with - and all of the ugly emotions that accompanied it, has returned sanity to my life. Our conversations together have been so validating; she is wise beyond her years. Although I may never have closure in this particular situation, the friendship that has blossomed out of our ability to relate to each other in this capacity, has given me peace and shown me what a true friend REALLY is.
November 30th - I am thankful this is the last day of this month, so tomorrow I may start anew. Refreshed, alert, motivated, and THANKFUL to be where I am :)

Attitude of Gratitude...

In lieu of Thanksgiving, which to me feels like it is approaching really REALLY quickly this year, I decided to start a gratitude journal for every day this month leading up to Thanksgiving. I will add to the draft everyday, and then post this in its entirety on Thanksgiving Day.

I believe being thankful for even the little things is important. Sometimes silly, sometimes serious, but regardless of the importance of the matter, being thankful is still a good disposition :)

I am thankful for...

November 1st - A fresh month, and pumpkin spice lattes.
2nd - Modern Family.
3rd - The beauty of love and the comfort of commitment.
4th - My new Missoni rainboots from Target.
5th - Scoring a killer deal at a cool boutique while hanging out with Paul and Kelsey. P.F. Chang's.
6th - A beautiful sunny fall afternoon spent with my most favorite people. While we were at lunch, Ty made Danny laugh so hard, he cried. These are the little moments I treasure. I love my little family.
7th - The fire hazard electric blanket that makes cozy evening cuddles possible during our nightly movie watching excursion.
8th - Breakpoint Coffee's afternoon "happy hour" - $2 on all grande drinks. This was particularly a life saver this afternoon. Hot, white mocha for $2? Yes please.
9th - DIY Craft projects that cost virtually nothing, but have a great outcome and impact!
10th - Brittany. She's the kind of friend that gets angry with me, cries for me, celebrates my joy, and encourages my success. She's a gem I tell you, a rare gem and I cannot even express how grateful I am for her in my life! The She & Him Christmas album.
11th - My loyal customers who not only helped me celebrate the boutique's 3rd anniversary today, but are the reason behind it! Danny's unwavering support - he's so proud of me and isn't afraid to tell me so. Cupcakes :)
12th - Quiet evenings IN and the quality time spent with my love. Urban Dictionary and the things we're still laughing about!
13th - Ty and the joy I'm already experiencing in anticipating our first Christmas as a little family! Tonight, we each picked out an ornament Ty picked out 3 ornaments for our tree :)
14th - Crisp, dry fall nights and a cozy little date at French Press for a $5 breakfast dinner crepe :)
15th - Tallulah. She is always happy to see me when I get home. She waits for me in the window, and greets me at the door with purrs and her billowing white fluff. I love it!
16th - Candles! They make everything smell so yummy and give off such a sense of coziness! I brought in the SKEEM candle line to the shoppe, and now I get to light one every day on my counter. MMM!
17th - Shannon. She can fight fire with fire - even if it's MY fire! She is my voice of reason in the storm, but doesn't take crap from anyone. She loves me unconditionally, as a true friend should. LOVE her.
18th - Faith and prayer.
19th - The Heritage Holiday Faire and the fun conversations I had while celebrating a friend's (surprise) birthday. Shannon and Renee, you are awesome friends and I love you both! Renee, your support in my life has been amazing. You (and our friendship) mean so much to me!
20th - The joy I get out of listening to Christmas music - especially the classics. It makes me feel jolly, peaceful, nostalgic, and content all at once :)
21st - High Tea. Today's choice, Tazo "Zen" - which always reminds me of my lovely friend Bex. She is such an amazing example of a Christian woman and mom in my life :) I admire you so much! Miss you, friend!
22nd - Paul. He is sensible and calm. Love you, brother bear :)
23rd - New stock just in time for Black Friday!
24th - A day off in the middle of the week spent with my boys...and dinner reservations! National Lampoons Christmas Vacation :)
Danny - you are the stars to my night, and the sun to my day; the rhythm to my heartbeat. My world. I love you.

Halloween 2011!

Last night, at the age of 28, I went trick-or-treating for the first time in my life! Of course, Danny and I just walked on the sidewalk while Ty ran up and rang the doorbells, but it was so much fun to brave the cold together as a little family and see all of the festivities of the evening unfold. Ty was Boba Fett, I was Princess Leia, and Danny was Darth Vader - per Ty's request. We kicked off the evening at La Margarita Express, where my brother and his girlfriend Kelsey showed up to meet us in Star Wars spirit, dressed as Chewbacca and C-3PO. Thank you both for participating - Ty absolutely LOVED it!!!!! My mom came too - but she was dressed as a Lady Bug, which was also cute. However, I am a little miffed that I did not get one single picture of Danny with-OUT the mask - which was a part of his master plan apparently, but he will pay for it at Christmas when there's nothing to hide behind but an ugly Christmas sweater :)

The cast...

Contest!!

Win 50 free custom holiday cards from Red Pearl Designs! Megan Ward is the mastermind behind Red Pearl Designs, and her work is truly stunning. Please take a look at her blog, and enter for your own chance to win her annual holiday card give-away!

http://blog.redpearldesigns.com

Good Luck :)

Here's a sneak peek of her fabulous work!

Pumpkin Lovekin.

Lets get this party started right...
Hot Chocolate. Check.
Sound of Music soundtrack on vinyl. Check.
Record player to play said record. Check.

Pumpkins, and a very VERY excited 8 year old: Check.

Power Tools: Check. Wait. What? Yes - real men carve pumpkins with a jigsaw! Oh, how I love this :)

A pattern: Check.

A master goop-scooper: Check. You rock, Alyssa!

A steady hand, a sharp object, and sheer determination: Check, check, check.

Ty's Pac-Man may or may not be my favorite!!!

My favorite boys...♥ them!

Ta-dah!

Content.

It's days like this I feel so blessed. I had a wonderful weekend spent with people I absolutely love. This morning, I woke up in a cozy bed, wrapped in the warm arms of someone who adores me. It is a crisp, cold day and despite being able to see your own breath, the sun is shining. I noticed how beautiful the leaves on the trees seem to be today as I drove to work, picking up a pumpkin spice latte on the way. I arrived at work, opened the shop, kicked on the heater and the music, and here I sit - comfy warm, enjoying the latte and a slice of warm, home-made banana bread reflecting on my life and so grateful for what I have, who I have, and where I am. It is a good, make that a GREAT day. Thank you, Lord!

Autumn Love.

Fall seemed to literally arrive overnight. One day, it's 98 degrees, the next day - overcast, misty, cool, and well, FALL. I heart Fall.

Fall is crisp. Clean. Colorful. Calm. It even smells good. Apples, pumpkin spice, that 'campfire' smell that fills the air in the evenings, cool misty mornings, warm-ish afternoons, and the kind of clear, starry sky-ed evenings that make you want to light a candle, nestle into a fuzzy blanket with your love, have a cup of tea over an intimate conversation, all while keeping the window cracked so you can smell the nights' air as it kisses your cheeks. It's romantic, it's sweet. It's my favorite.

There's something to be said about a new season. A new season in weather, a new season in fashion, a new season in life, a new season in love. Sometimes change is terrifying, sometimes whether or not we realize it at the time, change is amazing. Change of perspective, change of heart - attitude, gratitude...all of the above. A shift. I am thankful.

I am thankful for every sense of this season. I am thankful for peace. I am thankful for patience. I am thankful for forgiveness. I am thankful for love.

As we head into this new season - especially leading up to the holidays, what are you thankful for?