31 Days, 31 Reasons to be Thankful: January 31: Friends

Really...where do I even start with this.

I am, without a doubt, the friend-wealthiest person I know.

What I am about to share with you is a mere slice, a small sampling of some of the people I love. It is in no way a full representation; for those who are not pictured here, please know that I am honoring you in my heart (...ok, or we have a picture and it was bad. There, that was brutally honest.).

As I try to write this, I can't really even come close to being able to name all of the people I love so dearly, so completely...the people who make my life good.

I have friends that have been in my heart since childhood...

Friends from college...

and graduate school.

Friends from jobs I've had...

and places I've lived.

I mean, really, how lucky can a girl be?

If ever there was a reason to drop to my knees and thank the Lord for something, 

friends are it. 

My friends feed my heart and soul. As long as I have them, I know I will never go astray. 

There will never, ever be enough words to express my thankfulness for the friendships I have. New friends, old friends, friends near and far, business friends, work friends...I've got it all.

THANK YOU for seeing me all the way through to the end of my 31 Days blog series! Through this journey I have had a chance to reflect on myself and all of the wonderful things I have to give thanks for. Today, on my last day, it is with a joyful heart that I give thanks for all of you, my newest friends, and look forward to the exciting things that are still yet to come!

Today, how will you honor your friends?

"Think where man's glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends."  

-William Butler Yeats

31 Days, 31 Reasons to be Thankful: January 30: Books

Ever since I decoded my first word, I have been a reader. I LOVE books. 

If I had to name an all-time favorite, it would have to be The Lonely Doll. I was mesmerized by the graphics...real photographs that were set up with the doll and the bear in intricate scenarios (although I'm not sure if I knew they weren't real!)

 

When I was in my 'tween years, my favorites were Sweet Valley Twins.

I think I had every book in the series. To this day, when I come across these books at thrift shops or other junk treasuries, I struggle to not buy them. 

Believe me, if I had more space, they'd be mine again. I'm not ruling anything out for the future.

As an adult, a speech-language pathologist, a teacher, an artist, and a human being, I can now intelligently reflect upon my love of books and give the proper credit for my language and vocabulary development. One of my most treasured compliments is when someone tells me that I am well-spoken; mastery of language is indeed the key to mastery of life.

I didn't spend hours at a time in front of the television; rather, the words on the page came alive in my mind and my imagination. Would you believe that now we actually have to TEACH children imaginary play? Yeah, looks like all of those e-readers (hint: your kids play games on them. I know...they come to school and tell us all about it!) can never quite fill the shoes of a good old fashioned paperback.

Today, friends, I am thankful for books. New, old, big, small, fiction, non-fiction...I love it all.

What is your all-time favorite book?

"The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read." -Abraham Lincoln

31 Days, 31 Reasons to be Thankful: January 29: Beauty

There is just so much beauty in this world. 

Sometimes it's in plain sight, and sometimes it's hiding where you can't quite see it. 

Beauty is young,

 and old

large

and small

Each and every day, I step out into the world and am faced with infinite beauty and wonder. I am blessed with an amazing assortment of beautiful people, places, and things. 

Today, I am thankful for all of the beauty in my world.

What beautiful things did you see today?

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."  -Confucius

31 Days, 31 Reasons to be Thankful: January 27: Senses

This is an ode the sensory system: a true work of art in itself. The 5 basic senses, sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch, are what we has humans have come to rely on for every single function and activity in our lives. Take away one of the Big 5, and you've got trouble.

Without sight, I would not be able to see all of the beautiful things that exist in the world.

It is my sense of sound that lets me hear music, voices, laughter...all things that I love.

 I certainly am a foodie, and without my sense of taste, a well-prepared meal would be reduced to a simple perfunctory task. 

Admittedly, my sense of smell is often hampered by my severe allergies...but I treasure the first whiff of my hyacinths blooming in the spring.

Where would I BE without my hands? My sense of touch is a precious commodity...each and every day I am using touch to craft, create, make, cook, drive, perform daily living tasks...the list goes on.

Today I am thankful for my mostly functional and completely relied-upon sensory system.

What beautiful things have YOU sensed today?

"We think of our eyes as video cameras and our brains as blank tapes to be filled with sensory inputs."  -Michael Shermer

31 Days, 31 Reasons to be Thankful: January 9: The Internet

Last night for dinner, I steamed a fresh artichoke. That might not be a big deal to you, but to me, it was just slightly short of a miracle. I LOVE artichokes. Any time I see them on a menu, that's my hands down #1 pick. At home, I have enjoyed jarred marinated artichokes many times. I have seen beautiful piles of fresh artichokes at stores and at farmers markets, but I have never had the gumption to actually buy and cook one.

This is the part of the story that gets good: I put on my big girl shoes, went down to the grocery, and bought myself an artichoke. The best part, though, is that I brought that bad boy home, opened up my laptop, and learned how to cook it up. Surprisingly, it was really easy and REALLY delicious. 45 minutes later, I was proud, happy, and had a belly full of steamed artichoke. Yum.

When you stop and think about it, the Internet really is an amazing thing. It is the stuff that children of the '70s and '80s dreamed of: video chat, instant money transfers, emails...these things were the stuff science fiction was made of.

The amount of time people (including myself) spend on line is probably appalling. As a small business owner and artist, it's a full time commitment just to keep up with social media. Add on top of that your eCommerce sales site of choice (mine is Etsy), throw in email maintenance and occasional (ha!) personal shopping, and what you have is a whole life that can be conducted via the world wide web.


"Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant. "-Mitchell Kapor

31 Days, 31 Reasons to be Thankful! January 2: Home

Home Sweet Home. There's no place like it, so someone once said. For me, nothing could ring truer.

For the past 7 years, I have been the proud owner of roughly 750 square feet of cozy, eclectic, inviting happiness.  I purchased this (my first) home, a one bedroom condo, back in 2006 when I was in graduate school. I had rented many apartments up until that point, and the one day it hit me: I can OWN a place for less than I am paying in rent! Not long after that little breakthrough, I was the proud owner of my very first home at the tender young age of 25.

Since that time, my home has truly been where my heart is. Over the past 7 years, my little corner of the world has seen infinite beads, thousands of pieces of jewelry, hundreds of meals and drinks on the patio, several new coats of paint, a couple of "roommates", and one brand new kitchen. My friends and I have spent countless hours lounging and laughing at our pool, and the list of jokes and funny secrets could go on forever.

Each spring, I wait with bated breath for the arrival of my beloved irises: gorgeous blooms of violet and saffron so full and healthy that some reach all the way to my waist!

I began my business here, and with the help of friends and family I've seen it grow exponentially since it's humble beginnings in the summer of 2010. My work space is warm, colorful, and organized. In the spring of 2011, my living room was filled with fabric, laughter, and love when 4 of my closest (male!) friends spent the evening with me to prepare 1,000 of my signature flower pins to ship out to L.A. for the 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. It's one of many defining moments that has taken place here in the comfort of my space.

I invite you to share your sentiments of home here, for there is truth in the old adage, "Home is where the heart is!"

31 Days, 31 Reasons to be Thankful! January 1: Family

Welcome to 2013! I am thrilled to be ringing in the new year with a new series: 31 Days, 31 Reasons to be Thankful. Some may say that the season for giving thanks has passed, but I think that the arrival of the new year is the perfect time to reflect, count your blessings, and prepare to take your life's bounty and move confidently into the future.

Today, I take the time to honor my #1 reason to be thankful: my family. I am honored to be a part of a quirky, loving, sarcastic, slightly dysfunctional yet fully supportive and overall amazing family. As I write this, I am enjoying the final day of my trip to Florida, where I came to visit and spend New Year's with my brother. We laughed until we cried and cracked sarcastic jokes for 4 days straight, making this one of my most favorite times of the year. Yesterday, my mom text messaged me a picture of her television screen showing the score of the Pittsburgh Steelers game: a MAJOR technological feat for her and her special way of saying that she was thinking of us. The day before I left for Florida, my stepmother called me to wish me a good trip because she remembers everything and never lets an event, appointment, and even the smallest milestone go unacknowledged.

 
My dear Bubbie, although she passed in June 2011, continues to play an influential role in my life and my business. I often laugh when I think of what she'd say in certain situations...and most times that is what guides me to the right decision. Bubbie always said that she was my #1 fan, and since she has been gone my Aunt Patti has taken over that role and become my best business "partner" and friend. Aunt Patti has been with me for some of my biggest bel monili moments, including flying all the way to Texas for my first Country Living Fair, hopping behind my table to help me at NOCC's TEALtini, and coming armed with Starbucks and comfortable shoes at Handmade Arcade.

Sure, there were times when my family has had issues. We're more Bundy's than Cleaver's...but that's what I love and there's nothing in the world that I would rather have.
As I move into 2013, I am so thankful for the wonderful times I have had with my family and for the memories we will create in the coming months.

Today my wish for all of you is that you can take a moment to reflect on YOUR family and share your favorite moments in the comments below...good, bad, or otherwise hilarious. Happy New Year!