Tis The Season To Be Thankful

Its that time of year. We're all feeling cozy and happy, reunited with our friends and family; Our cups are overflowing and thankfulness just spills out of us. And this is such a good thing! Ephesians 5:20 calls us to be "always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Christ to God". From our families to reading a good book to being able to write silly blogs, all good things come from above and we should be thanking God for ever single one of these.

I think the word that's most important in this verse though is ALWAYS. Giving thanks to God should be a year round, 7 days a week affair, not just when we are giddy with the Christmas Spirit. A girl in my Bible study this past semester told me that giving thanks is a discipline, not just an emotion. I loved this perspective and I found it so convicting. We must be intentional and consistent in thanking the Lord for all of his blessings, and not let it be something we do just when a fleeting feeling passes over us.
To help me in the thankfulness department, I like making daily Thankful Lists. Whether physical or mental, making a list of all the things (broad or specific, big or small) that you are thankful for can spin a down in the dumps day to a happy, grateful one!

Here are 5 little things I'm thankful for this moth as we head into the Christmas season:
1.Quiet Mornings
There's nothing like a sipping on some hot English breakfast tea in peace and quiet to start your day. Its also fun to be able to sing morning show tunes to yourself while no one else is awake,( "good morning Baltimorrrre!", "Oh what a beautiful morrrning!", you catch my drift?)

Jim agrees with me.
(image and link on my Pinterest page)

2. The New Spurs HEB Commercials
Y'all know I love my Spurs. And let me tell you, the new HEB commercials for this season are PRIME. Not only do they feature the always great Manu, Tony, and Tim, BUT they have added in my two absolute faves, Matt Bonner (a.k.a. the Red Rocket a.k.a. the Red Mamba) and Kawaii Leonard.

I'm Obsessed**

3.Clean Drake Songs on Youtube
Ugh, Drake. Can't get enough of him. Huge shoutout to my peeps who take the time to clean up his lyrics and put them on Youtube so I can listen to my boy. I like making up my own words during those short pauses anyway, helps me work on my free-stylin', ya know? (...they know, they know, they know...)

I love you.

4. Making Silly Faces
You guys may have noticed by now, but I'm a fan of striking that funny face pose.

I'm right at home with my 6 year olds

5. Hugging My Brother
There ain't nothing better.

He LOVES me.

**Y'all I literally watched this commercial 20 times over the course of making this post and the corny/relish part gets me every time.
p.s. hollaa at those who got my drizzy lyrics reference

I'm Bringing Brooches Back (Yeah)

Calling all classy ladies,

Hey, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling twenty-two, but this cold weather snap that's happening down here in Texas has got me feeling a little, well, mundane. Sure at first it was all thrill and excitement as I got to pull out those cozy sweaters and wrap myself snuggly in knitted scarves, but these moments were fleeting. Alas, my closet contains no where near the repertoire of winter clothes needed to maintain these feelings. After a couple of weeks of consistently cold weather all possible combinations of sweaters, pants, boots, and scarves have been maximized. Things are getting repetitive, boring, predictable. 
Then I found these guys:

Now, lets settle a few things before we go making assumptions. When you think brooch, an image of a women with permed grey hair hunching over her walker on her way into church may come to mind. And its time to throw that out.
Brooches and pins ooze class and sophistication.  I give exhibits A, B, and C:


Kate knows how to rock that brooch

A brooch brings elegance and adds that neat vintage feel to an outfit(which I'm really loving). Now that we've established that brooches and pins no longer belong to the grandmas of the world, they are the perfect addition to a winter wardrobe. They are easy, versatile, and allow you to get creative when you seem to be out of new options. That sweater you wore last week? Add a subtly sparkly brooch and BAM. You've got a an outfit with a completely different feel and a new point of interest. Add some lipstick and you've become one classy lady.
Here some ways I've thought of how to incorporate these new gems into outfits. There are so many options with brooches, so get creative, experiment, and find the perfect placement for your new signature item!