A very thankful heart...

This is seriously my favorite time of year. The excitement is building and all the impending magic of the season is filling the air. I can't believe we're so close to Thanksgiving! I know all of us say that, and it always feels like it's snuck up on us, but it's definitely true for me this year. I can't wait!

This year has truly been a year of gratitude for me. Being aware of all my blessings has been something I've worked really hard on in the last two years and this year I've been trying to be even more aware of it. Having an awareness of your blessings can have the biggest impact on your mood and outlook on life (in my humble opinion). I am constantly reminded just how blessed I am and it's one of the most important exercises in my life. 

"interrupt worry with gratitude" 

That's one of my favorite quotes ever. Like everrrrruh. I just love it. It's gotten me out of some tough times when all I wanted to do was wallow in self pity and anxiety. I'm very grateful for coming across it. 

I'm so excited to link-up with everyone in The Blogging Elite today to talk about all of our blessings (especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner)! So many good vibes are about to happen right now. 

Some of my blessings are serious, some are silly, and less important, but I'm thankful for all of them, big and small.

// I'm grateful, first and foremost, for my family. They're consistently putting up with my shit, always loving me, and always making me question how on earth I got so blessed to call them mine. & for my sweet pup Benny who makes every day all the more joyful. 

// for my guy. For making me laugh, for always quoting Home Alone with me, and for showing me how cool Liam Neeson is. I love our little family the two of us have created. I am forever blessed for all that he does. Mostly for the Liam Neeson thing.

// for my friends. The old ones, the new ones (like Donna!), the ones I talk to every day, and the ones I may only see a few times a year. Thanks for always being there to listen and to get Chipotle. 

// for God who always welcomes me with open arms.

// for my job. I'm so grateful to have been accepted by such a wonderful company where I'm surrounded by such creativity I'm amazed by on a daily basis. 

// for being in graduate school. Having the ability to learn every single day is a blessing many unfairly go without and I never take it for granted. 

// for books and the wonderful worlds they provide.

// for an able body that is healthy and has the ability to grow and heal itself and learn and observe. Thankful for my health every.single.day.

// for the health of all my loved ones. That comes before my own health.

// for food. For the ability to enjoy it and the resources to access it easily. Specifically pasta, good bread, and ALL THE CARBS, Doritos, cream cheese, meat alternative products (ew shut up I know), fruit that's in season, tortilla chips and queso dip, Trader Joe's cheese tamales, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Coca Cola in a glass bottle, stuffing, all the potatoes ever, so basically all the food in the world.

// for Trader Joe's because it's the greatest place ever.

// and for Target because that's literally the greatest place ever. 

// for the bed I sleep in at night and the home I can always come back to.

// for all the people who are constantly listening to me ramble on, and on, and on. I am grateful for your unmeasured patience. 

// for the ability to share my words, freely, with the world.

// for all the blogs I read and am obsessed with. They've, maybe weirdly, gotten me through some difficult days. Speaking specifically to Cupcakes & Cashmere, Cup of Jo, Little Baby Garvin, Love Taza, A Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, and Tea Time with Tess. 

// for turtle necks, for any pants with elastic waists, for jeans that don't cut off my circulation (holler new jeans I found at Old Navy holler), a great pair of heels, and all the scarves. 

// for the ability to travel and see the world and for coming back to the greatest country on earth, for even with it's flaws it is my home. And for the women and men who eat holiday meals alone, and spend their days missing their families, in order to protect the freedoms this country stands for. I am grateful for you all more than you know. 

// for Disney, Julie Andrews, Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, Nora Ephron, Ernest Hemingway, Audrey Hepburn, Diane Keaton, Monet, Barack and Hilary, Mindy Kaling, Gene Kelly, David Foster Wallace, Fitzgerald, Anne Lamott and all the artists who have inspired me with their words and talent. 

// for music that makes my heart sing and my body move (even if it results in me thoroughly embarrassing myself..) 

// for Frank Sinatra's birth.

// for a cold glass of Lambrusco red wine or Hofbräuhaus Pale Lager.

// for all the holiday memories I have made and will make this year. 

// for my gorgeous city of Chicago. For Wrigley Field, The Cubs, and the nachos.

// for the magic of going to the movies. Also, movie theatre popcorn. The most magical of all. 

// for a good vampy lipstick, a killer cheekbone highlight, and big ol' lashes. 

// for The Golden Girls or Sex and the City every night before bed.

// for good hair days.

// for all the women before me who fought for the equality we all deserve. I will strive to continue the fight you began. Eternally grateful for you bad bitches. 

// for children and for dreams.

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This list could go on and on and that's what's so amazing about life. We have so many blessings we could easily fill up pages writing them all down. It's so lovely to stand back and look at all the things that make life so enjoyable. 

I can't wait to read everyone else's lists! I hope everyone has a warm Thanksgiving and weekend filled with many, many blessings. 

xo