Thankful for fall.

7 Oct posted by

I love fall.

Hello, 70 degree weather with sunshine pouring through the windows.

Hello, drizzle that makes you curl up with your family on a Sunday with a cup of tea & a movie.

raggarland Thankful for fall.

I’m thankful for fabulous homemade rag garland decorations that drape mirros, mantles, & banisters.

[rag garland tutorial here]

I’m thankful for warm candle scents of pumpkin & leaves.

porchsitting Thankful for fall.

I’m thankful for porch sitting under a blanket in the crisp night air.

I’m thankful for those hours on said porch where we talk about God & Carolina football & home improvements & dirty diapers.

I’m thankful for a hot cup of coffee on a chilly morning & sometimes at the end of a long day.

I’m thankful for little boy jeans that are pulled out for cool days.

5058174804 040cfe462f z Thankful for fall.

[Really, I'm just thankful for that little boy.]

I am thankful for mums that add even more color to this time of year.

& fall birthday parties, complete with pumpkins & scarecrows.

What are you thankful for?

TOAT Banner1 Thankful for fall.

HeirtoBlair500x150 v41 Thankful for fall.

28 Comments
Filed Under: Thankful on Thursday

Thankful on Thursday.

26 Aug posted by

Thankful for this week.

(it’s been a good one)

A week to come back to reality & to fall in love with reality, no matter it’s faults.

(like missing my little boy after our sweet lunch dates)

Thankful for these boys, that make me smile & our little family.

(& ruffled shirts from j. crew)

DSC 0241 1024x685 Thankful on Thursday.

Thankful that the ocean will be there next year, just as it is every year.

(ready to kiss my toes with sweet waves)

Thankful for friends like good ol’ Mrs. Lusher, who is always there.

(& the encouragement & sarcasm she brings into my life)

Thankful for new opportunities & butterflies of nerves.

(& a confidence I never knew before this year)

Thankful for fresh green beans sprinkled with garlic salt.

(especially when I bake them in the toaster oven & they’re ready quickly)

Photo 13 Thankful on Thursday.

Thankful for silly hairbows & giggling boys.

(especially when hairbows are a gift from my sister)

Thankful for a sweet glass of wine while I curl up in yoga pants after a long day.

(which I’m about to do right now)

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Filed Under: Thankful on Thursday

Something left, aka where I’m Thankful on a Thursday for The Bloggess.

12 Aug posted by

On Friday night, I met the Bloggess at her pink typewriter as she wrote out witty sayings, observations, & predictions for the bloggers lined up in front of her.  I was her last.  & she wrote:

nothingleft 1024x382 Something left, aka where Im Thankful on a Thursday for The Bloggess.

I have nothing left.

After four hours of typing, observing, & fawning fans, she had nothing left.  & I understood.

(to be clear, not the adoring fans part)

When I left for New York, I felt like I had nothing left.  I was drained from the blogging world, lost in some ways, jaded by public reactions & searching for that passion that got me started only a mere two years ago.  Was I done?  Was I burned out so quickly?  Had I thrown too much into it too soon?  There were days that I wanted to shut down my email, step away from the computer, & lock “Blair” in a coffin to never be resurrected.  There weren’t many days like that, but even the presence of one day was enough to make question my purpose.

On Friday morning, I stepped into my first breakout session – creative writing.  The room was packed, the panelists sat at the front with microphones.  I sat down nervously, pulled out my laptop, & prepared to take notes.  Obviously, the habits made during seventeen years of formal education die hard.  In the beginning of the session, I sat ram-rod straight in the chair, furiously taking notes & desperately searching for an internet connection so I could Tweet my newly acquired knowledge.  But as the panelists began to speak, I relaxed.  I put away the laptop.  I wasn’t there to simply learn – I was there to absorb.  & I couldn’t absorb with my head both simultaneously stuck up my ass & my Twitter feed.

So I logged off.  & I listened.

I learned to focus on the positive – the positive sides of myself that make me relatable.  Celebrating those aspects, pouring them into my writing.  About knocking down self-doubt, as it is the biggest fail whale of writing.  You cannot write if you doubt.  You cannot tell stories without details.  Paint the pictures, bring your life to page, stay focused.  & make writing a priority.  Make yourself sit down, even for 15 minutes & simply write.

Get back to the basics.

The next forty-eight hours, I deliberately chose the sessions I attended.  I shied away from monotizing, statistics, & business.  I attended writing workshops, photography labs, & a fitness group.  I marked podcasts I wanted to watch – food blogging, humor writing, wordpress customization.

& I walked away inspired.  Knowing that I’m not done.

& as damaged as I have been in motherhood…I know I have more to give.  I have had so many moments of not feeling worthy enough, strong enough, brave enough.  So many nights of tears & numb pain & simply wanting it to all end in one horrible swoop, but somehow being graced with a purpose greater than my own life.  Even in the darkest moments of feeling that I had nothing left to offer, a small part of me kept fighting, keeps fighting for myself & Nate & Harrison.

& says that I have something left.

38 Comments
Filed Under: blog crap, Fears, Thankful on Thursday

Thankful on Thursday.

15 Jul posted by

Tonight, life is hectic.  I have several projects for work, life, & blog juggled in the air & it’s hard to just sit back & be still for even five minutes.  I feel jumpy just sitting here, anxiously tapping my foot as ideas pour out of me, knowing that there’s a load of towels to be done, dinner to be made, exercise to squeeze in, all while preparing for tomorrow & the weekend ahead.  & with Harrison actually putting up a solid fight against sleep tonight in the next room over with Nate, my focus feels a little distorted.

I realized this week that I am a workaholic.  Hi, my name is Blair & I’m a workaholic.  (hi, blair)  I live for the zest of the challenge, for taking on so much & then seeing whether I buckle or thrive under the pressure.  I typically do both.  Simultaneously.  It’s a talent that I have.  But Harrison reminds me to calm down, to take a deep breath, & remember what comes first in my life – him.  marriage.  family.  & the sweet sounds of a summer day winding down.

Screen shot 2010 07 15 at 2.45.01 PM Thankful on Thursday.

For those of you just joining us, Thankful on Thursday is the brainchild of a longtime friend of mine, Nish over at The Outdoor Wife, as a sweet way to reflect back on your week & remember the serious & silly reasons to be thankful in life.  So pull up a seat, sit down with your thoughts, & take five minutes to simply breathe.

1.  For my psychiatrist, who saved my life.  & for being able to have this conversation today:
Doctor: “So, how are things?”
Me: “They’re great!  I’d love to say that they’re back to normal, but normal was shit.  So I’m happy to say that they are simply where I always thought they should be.”

2.  For a healthy babe at his 9-month check-up.

3.  For Ann, who sent a personalized present to Harrison that now hangs in his room:

wpid7620 il 430xN.154814637 Thankful on Thursday.

her shop is oh-so-cute.  me want.

4.  Beach trips.

5.  Warm, clean laundry rolling in the dryer.

6.  Making my own baby food. & then getting the chance to encourage you to do the same.

7.  Baby laughs & squeals & the way he dives into Nate’s shoulder when he just can’t stand his own laughter anymore.

8.  Summer rain showers that drench a tired, exhausted lawn.

9.  How writing it out calms me down, helps me focus, & let’s me realize that life exists past a checked to-do list, a clean kitchen, & washed bottles.

I hope y’all have a wonderful Thursday night.  Thank God tomorrow is Friday, right?

8 Comments
Filed Under: Thankful on Thursday

Thank you instead of Thankful on Thursday.

8 Jul posted by

Thank you for insisting on the big, squishy couches instead of the sophisticated ones I wanted.

[Thank you for telling me that I'm pretty.]

Thank you for making me laugh every single day.

Thank you for letting me squeeze your blackheads when I’m in a bad mood.

Thank you for letting me paint our dining room Tiffany blue.

(& thank you for all the Tiffany blue boxes you’ve given me)

Thank you for being a shower-squatter, even when I protest it because I’m shaving my legs.

Thank you for being so ridiculously good-looking & thus giving me a good-looking offspring.

Thank you for stepping up in our marriage & carrying us both this year.

[Thank you for meaning it when you said "in sickness & in health."]

Thank you for not just meaning “for better.”

Thank you for being an easy lay.

Thank you for having amazing blue eyes that light up when I walk into the room.

[Thank you for your calm reserve & boyish exuberance.]

Thank you for always putting our family first & the sacrifices you’ve made.

Thank you for letting me have bites of your french fries.

(actually, thank you for letting me have your french fries)

[Thank you for making every day an adventure.]

Thank you for being the father I always knew you’d be, & wrestling on the floor with our son.

Thank you for pushing me to grow in my faith, to always ask questions, & to never settle.

Thank you for always holding my hand when we walk side-by-side.

rings3 Thank you instead of Thankful on Thursday.

[Thank you for meeting me in that church four years ago today.]

55 Comments
Filed Under: Thankful on Thursday, The I Do's
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