A DAY OF THANKSGIVING

**original photo via adventures in cooking

happy thanksgiving, everyone! and even if you're across the pond or welcoming summer down in the outback or sweating it out on a caribbean island this twenty-seventh day of november, you can give thanks, too. but only if you want to. because it's finally here! thanksgiving is finally here and as far as I'm concerned, it's the best day of the year. the family football game, the macy's thanksgiving day parade, the double batch of sweet potato casserole I'm whipping up later on this afternoon. it's wonderful, isn't it? it is such a wonderful day to take a step back and reflect on all of the wonderful things we have to be grateful for. our basic needs--food, shelter, safety, health, and in my case, diet coke. and even our not-as-basic needs--our ability to communicate with loved ones over thousands of miles. 

I know that I've harped on about this holiday and how it means so much to me and I want to fill you guys in on why. seriously, sometimes, I don't even think mitch gets it. true, he is canadian and they celebrate their own thanksgiving. but growing up, I don't even think he ever looked at that second monday in october as his favorite holiday. and not because he wasn't thankful. he's a thankful guy. I think he just needed a bit of perspective, which he found when he met me, of course ;)

I explained to him that thanksgiving is more than just a day to give thanks. truthfully, we probably all give thanks throughout the whole year. on the whole, I feel like we're a pretty grateful people. when the person in front of us at the grocery store sees that we only have three items and lets us go ahead in line. when our husbands (or wives) wake us up because we slept through the alarm and they don't want us to be late for work. when there always seems to be enough money in the bank account. when a friend lends us a shoulder to cry on. I know we all give thanks for those things throughout the year. but I told mitch that thanksgiving is a time to feel more than thankful. it's a time to feel blessed, you know? it's a time to look at life and feel absolutely satisfied and pleased in every way. it's a time to gather and share and settle differences just like the native americans and the pilgrims did. but don't even get me started on that because then I'd go on and on about how I wish I could have been there and it would probably just be redundant and bore you to tears.

I guess what I am trying to say before I go tuck into a slice (or two) of apple cake for breakfast (#1 reason for being a grown-up!), is that I'm grateful for this space and for you guys and for sharing and for pilgrims. even if you're not celebrating today, know that life is grand and let that feeling fill you up because it doesn't always seem so, but it is. life is grand. happy thanksgiving, everyone.

love, arielle

p.s. if you are already, or fancy, following along, head on back to monday's post to enter in this cookery book giveaway.

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

after three-and-some years of marriage, do mitch and I still count as newlyweds? probably not, huh? which is a shame since, for the most part, we still feel like newlyweds. especially 'round the holidays. I have a couple of theories as to why this is. it could be because we were (and are) so busy with school stuff that not a lot of original thought went into our traditions pre-graduation. or it could be because we are still in that phase of our lives when we visit our parents over the holidays and sort of just latch onto their holiday plans. either way, we are seriously in need of some holiday traditions all our own. and since this week we're celebrating our first ever on-our-own thanksgiving, pretty much the most wonderful holiday ever, I decided to begin with a simple one.

thanksgiving really is a time for cherishing loved ones, focusing outwards, and brightening someone else's day and I don't think it's a coincidence that I just happen to be in possession of the cutest, simplest 'thank you' notes at the same time I'm supposed to be giving thanks for all of the inspiring people in my life. so, I decided to put them to good use. every thanksgiving, I want to write my loved ones and let them know how grateful I am for them--to acknowledge the little things that shouldn't, but may, hang by the wayside throughout the rest of the year.

so if you're like me and looking to start some of your own traditions, try taking a morning to think and scribble down all of the reasons you love and are grateful for someone. it doesn't have to be on fancy paper. you could scribble it down on post its if that's what works for you. just let them know. this life really is a wonderful one, but it wouldn't be half as wonderful without the amazing people in our lives, wouldn't you agree?

what are some of your favorite thanksgiving or holiday traditions? I'd love to hear all about them and maybe even apply them in my own life. by all means, let me know below in the comments!

love, arielle

p.s. did you see this cookery book giveaway from yesterday?

** 'thank you' notes c/o tiny prints.

FIVE WAYS TO BE ALONE WITHOUT GETTING LONELY

**pumpkin scones recipe found here.

in university, I'm pretty sure I was that girl who couldn't do anything without company. thankfully, I had four or five very patient roommates who would take turns entertaining my midnight runs to denny's or last minute stops to the grocery store whilst putting off studying and our looming assignments. things are a little different now. instead of five roommates, I have one. a very busy one who really does require all of those endless hours of studying as he wades his way through medical school (goodbye, midnight trips to that greasy diner!). needless to say, this inevitably leaves me to my own devices most of the time considering I can't really work whilst living on the island. being the introvert that I've grown into since getting married, this wasn't really an issue...at first. I read the books that I had been meaning to catch up on and baked the recipes I had marked on pinterest, but for the most part, I spent the bulk of my time waiting for my husband to come home. and being totally honest, after awhile that just doesn't do. if I only lived during the time I actually got to spend with mitch, I would really only be living half a life. and so I got to thinking, what are some things I can do to make my time alone a little less lonely? things that turn alone time into me time. I'm sure I'm not the only one adjusting to this grown-up stage of serious relationships, so feel free to jump in any time. I'd love your input. for now, this is what I've come up with myself.

one :: do what you want. a typical movie night at our house usually kicks off with a 30-minute debate over whose turn it is to pick the movie and the menu. but even when it's my turn, there are just some movies and foods that I think twice about subjecting mitch to a second time. movies that I love but that don't hold his attention. this usually results in a very distracted mitch and he wanders off partway through (pride & prejudice, anyone?). and foods that I end up eating alone, anyway (ie :: pumpkin anything). so when the men are out, indulge in all of your favorites! the ones you usually indulge in alone. I've also noticed that this also cuts down the movie deliberation time because I've already gotten mitch's watch-once movies out of my system and am usually much more agreeable to the suspense-thriller than he undoubtedly has in mind.

two :: plan it out. nights in can become fairly monotonous after awhile, no doubt about it. however, I find that if you plan the night ahead of time, the monotony doesn't seem to settle in as quickly. saying, "tonight, I'm going to hit the gym, make chicken caesar salad for dinner, and give myself a manicure while watching the wedding planner." sounds way more exciting than "I guess I'll watch another chick flick before turning in." 

three :: make it special. adding a few little things to make those nights spent solo special really lifts the spirits. light a new holiday candle to create pretty ambience while you make yourself dinner or purchase a decadent dessert to eat for when dinner is over. if you think of it more along the lines of a date with yourself, spending time alone isn't so begrudging. 

four :: try something new. I can't think of a better time than 'alone time' to try new things and create yourself. if you know your man is going to be at the office late, then why not try joining a local cooking club or enrolling in ballet class? maybe it's something that you have always wanted to do, but never got the chance because your evenings were spent together and you didn't think your significant other would enjoy it. well, now is your chance! take the time to reacquaint you with yourself and tick off a box on your bucket list all at the same time.

 five :: catch up with friends. we all go through that stage, or at least I hope we all do. the one where we are so absorbed in our relationship that we sort of put the rest of our family, friends, and acquaintances on the back burner. I know mitch and I definitely struggled with that as newlyweds. but as we've grown up and realized that yes, indeed, that person is still going to be there tomorrow, we've realized the importance of keeping those ties with family and best friends strong. so take this time you spend alone and give it to them. call them up and ask about their lives, tell them about yours, and let them know how important they are to you. by doing so, you won't technically be spending the evening alone.

as I mentioned in this post, this past week was a difficult one and I found that I couldn't rely on mitch or books or netflix alone for entertainment. I had to get proactive and found that these little tricks really helped. shopping is always on the list, too, but that one is a little more dangerous ;)

today is going to be spent cleaning the apartment top to bottom, paying bills, and attending all sorts of other life laundry in preparation for mitch's parents to get here! mitch takes his third set of tests this afternoon and tomorrow is a holiday so we'll have a whole day to spend together. as you can probably imagine, I'm pretty excited about it! I hope all of your weeks have many fun plans in store and thanks for stopping by!

love, arielle

NOVEMBER FOCUS

source :: the fresh exchange blog

well, halloween has officially come and gone and all of a sudden--boom! there are grand, ornate trees lining each row of every shop, a whole station dedicated to christmas music on the radio, and far too many items on our to-do lists. it really is such a wonderful time of year, wouldn't you agree? but hold the phone. aren't we all missing something? I don't mean to be rude, I love december as much as the next domestic goddess, but I know my favorite holiday was supposed to be crammed into the mix somewhere. that's right. it's finally november and that means american thanksgiving is right around the corner! it is, by far and away, the best holiday. so naturally, by extension, november is my favorite month. there is just something so wonderful about a month, a holiday dedicated to being grateful and getting along. 

every year, I am so thankful for that moment when the pilgrims and the natives sat down together to enjoy a feast as unlikely friends. I love to envision it over and over again in my mind. a rustic table decorated with the fruit of the season, every person contributing something, so many sacrifices being made all around. and the people. people who, even for a small moment, set aside their differences and broke bread together. there is something so magical about all of that. in this sometimes dark and confusing world, I wish we could recreate that first thanksgiving. it would be a very beautiful sight to behold.

now, fair warning :: I'm putting on my serious hat. 

coming up in november, I want to focus on gratitude. on sharing. on forgiveness and moving on. I woke up friday morning feeling sluggish and dissatisfied with various aspects of my life. I literally looked myself in the eye and said, "I can't live like this anymore." this isn't something I always care to admit. especially here. especially to you. but we're friends. we can speak freely and that's how I was feeling. I felt like somewhere along the way I had let my inner-child-self down. I had begun thinking so practically that I had casted out adventure and there is no other word for it, it really made me sad. so I put on my thinking cap and started working through it...

I started by setting goals. goals are good. but I'd heard that if you set too many at a time that you would set yourself up for failure. I scribbled and struck through so many lines on so many pages of my notebook that I was beginning to feel guilty for wasting trees. first, I got overwhelmed, but then I started putting my words together and came up with an idea. what if we could just wake up tomorrow as the person we wanted to be? the person who gets up right as the alarm goes off. the person who immediately heads for the gym. the person who eats more than candy corn for breakfast. the person who knows exactly how she wants to spend her day. the person who remains spiritual and cultured and witty and goes to bed exhausted every night. I wanted to be her and so I woke up the next morning and set to it.

I know november isn't the designated time for resolutions, but there probably shouldn't be just one month out of a year for change and goal-setting, anyway. and besides, I know I wouldn't be able to wait until january (there's that impatience again). honestly, I can't think of a better time to set goals for positive change than a month that focuses on gratitude and contribution and kindness. 

so if you've been feeling sluggish or dissatisfied or obnoxiously adult recently :: 

first, I want you to know you're not alone. I'm right there with you. as are so many others who may not necessarily write it down for the world to see or wear it on their sleeves. even if their life looks perfect, they may be struggling with something. 

second, I want you to know you can change overnight. it's all about our decisions, which are ultimately, the only thing in this life we can control. take your day to write it out wasting every scrap of paper in the house. then, wake up the next day and embody all that you have written down (and don't forget to recycle!). it seems impossible. but so did electricity and airplanes and ipads until someone took the time and invented them. take the time to invent yourself.

rant over. serious hat away.

so now that I've yacked your ear off, I'll leave you with my customary, yet sincere, wish that you will have a wonderful monday and a wonderful third day of november! you guys really are the best. thank you so much for reading this space.

love, arielle

PINS + UPDATES || BETWEEN WISHING AND REALITY

I'm not sure if you're aware, but I struggle with looking up syndrome--a disorder I named myself, but I'm sure that all of us have suffered from it at one point or another. it's the one where no matter how wonderful your life is, you always find its opposite far more appealing. someone once told me that "the trick to being happy is wanting what you already have" and I try to remind myself of this insightful thought frequently. on the other hand, there's something magical about what you don't have that makes it so much more appealing. come to think of it, that is probably why I always enjoy mitch's supper better than my own when we go out somewhere. and at the root of it all is pinterest--so fun, so addicting, so endless. it makes dreaming so easy, but amidst that endless dreaming remember that no matter how green the grass is on the other side, it still has to be mowed ( a quote my mother-in-law says to me when I get a little carried away ). in any event, here is a bit of what we've got and what we wish we had ::

001 :: what we've been doing.

002 :: what we wish we were doing.

003 :: what we've been eating.

004 :: what we wish we were eating.

005 :: what my hair is doing.

006 :: what I wish my hair was doing.

007 :: what I've been wearing.

008 :: what I wish I was wearing.

009 :: where we are.

010 :: where we wish we were.

I hope all of your thursdays have been wonderful, so far. tomorrow is friday and I'm starting to wonder where these weeks go? mitch is already entering into block three of his third semester and I honestly can't believe that we've made it this far on this island. I'm so incredibly proud of us! is that bad to say? conceited, even? no? oh, good. have a wonderful day, you guys!

love, arielle

WHAT ARE YOU EVEN BLOGGING ABOUT?

I thought I would forego the usual collage today and maybe talk about this clever and thought-provoking piece of subway art (I found via pinterest) instead. I blog because I'm not a good rapper. in truth, it made me wonder if perhaps I might be a better rapper than I am a blogger. after a few attempts, I came to the conclusion that I do not possess the magical swag that is necessary to become a rap-star. first of all, I don't talk fast enough. and when I try, I tend to slur all of my words and it's hard to make sense of it all. second, I don't have any tragic life stories, and third, I prefer to stay far far away from all forms of politics and other strong opinions. and not just in this space, but in my life space, as well. but is blogging really so different from rapping? both have to be interesting, otherwise it is a waste of the audience's time. is my lack of life experience and my inability to comfortably share strong opinions hindering me as a blogger? maybe. all of these thoughts were running through my head during the trek from our quaint little island to the beautiful prairies of canada. and because there were several long hours from take off to touch down, my thoughts sort of ran away from me. I started wondering what I'm even really blogging about. please, excuse my mixtures of metaphors. 

perusing several interviews with other more successful bloggers than myself, their advice shares a few commonalities. it  usually goes as follows ::

001 :: be patient.

002 :: be true to yourself.

003 :: focus your writing to your audience.

these three things seem relatively simple. but with one of these, I struggle. number three is anything but simple for me. I think this is partially due to inexperience, which is typical when you're just 4 months into anything, and partially do to the fact that I have so many interests. I write about crafts because I feel like creating things and I write about fashion because I saw a style that I liked and I write about my wonderful life with mitch because I love living it everyday. but one thing all of this is not is focused. with that being said, I hope you bare with me on this journey of finding myself. which is really my whole purpose for blogging, I guess. maybe at the end of the day, that's what I'm blogging about. and as time goes on and I grow a metaphorical foot or two and I become more experienced, all the kinks will sort of wiggle themselves out. if not, then this space will continue to be the hodgepodge of fashion and food and crafts and lifestyle that it currently is. 

so I guess I'm mostly wanting to say thanks. thanks for reading this space, even though I write about whatever I want and it's a mess sometimes. thanks for being patient with me as I find myself. thanks for enduring my countless pictures of palm trees and azure waters. thanks for following me. and in return, I'll try to tie this spot up a little neater.

on a lighter note, I experience so many kindnesses every time I fly. here are a few from my trip north ::

001 :: after snoozing through the drink service, the flight attendant brought me a morning diet coke anyway. I don't think he grasped how truly appreciative I was.

002 :: when I missed my flight because my plane out of miami was delayed, my dad spent hours trying to reroute me when he could have been doing a hundred other important things. dads are the best...especially mine.

003 :: because I get easily lost in airports despite the signs (does anyone else have this problem?!), I frequently have to ask for directions. only one person looked annoyed by my request today, which is pretty good odds since I pretty much have to have someone hold my hand throughout the terminal.

004 :: after coming to terms with the fact that I would have to spend another night in an airport due to delays, my sweet husband booked me a room at a hotel nearby despite my protestation (we are trying to be thrifty). he's too good to me. quite frankly, I don't deserve him.

I hope y'all are all having an amazing wednesday, thus far! 

love, arielle

**photo found via randomitis

QUOTE :: LIVE KINDLY

searching my bloglovin' newsfeed earlier this morning, I stumbled across this amazing blog post by camille styles :: how to change your life. I'm a recent follower of hers and have yet to find a thing that I haven't immediately fallen in love with. the spotlight, kelly krause, talks about setting realistic goals in order to achieve ultimate wellness in one's life. she started by making two promises to herself ::

1. never look back.

2. live kindly by celebrating her success, no matter how small, while banishing her self-shaming habits.

so many experiences in my life have taught me that we have to celebrate even the tiniest wins and ignore our losses (because life can sometimes knock us around a little bit). losing can teach us so much, but continually focusing on these losing moments ultimately cowers us. I remember wanting so badly to get this paid internship at a clinic while in university. it seemed like it was the only thing that would make me happy and I felt like I was the most qualified applicant for the job. I made it to the last stage of the interviewing process and lost. for a couple of days, I nursed my wounds and felt really bad for myself and, admittedly, called myself a loser, like, five times. but I still needed an internship to complete my degree. calling myself names and eating whatever I wanted didn't exactly solve my problem. it just committed me to the gym for the next couple of weeks. so I mustered up enough dignity to hit the pavement and within one week, I found an amazing internship at an actual hospital where I kindled a great friendship with my supervisor and made several other meaningful connections. it even looks better on a resume. so by looking forward and being a little kinder to myself, I was able to achieve my goals. I firmly believe I had a little divine help, as well. this story is similar to kelly's. a woman who transformed her lifestyle with this same acknowledgement :: never look back and live kindly.

I hope all of you are having an incredible thursday and that you do something today to be kind to yourself. even if that's cupcakes :)

love, arielle

AND I THINK TO MYSELF...

...what a wonderful world. and it really is. 

something I have done since I was a little girl was write 'thank you' cards. a practice that was first enforced, later encouraged by my mom. it is now something that I enjoy doing immensely. I think taking the time to write it down and ponder it allows the gratitude to weigh a little more. anyway, I'd like to take a few moments and boast about a few of the people who I am so grateful for. I have the best people in my life.

in the hopes of visiting loved ones, attending doctor's appointments, and experiencing some cooler weather, I left our caribbean oasis and visited some much loved friends and family members. people who made the last 22 hours traveling, hunting down missing luggage, and sleeping in baggage claim of the houston airport more bearable. 

001. my mom has a knack for talking reason into me when no one else can. perhaps it's her patience and motherly love that make this possible. and these traits did not fail her this time, either. when I was in hysterics because they'd cancelled my flight and lost my bags in the middle of the night, she was understanding and forgiving and helped me pick myself up and go fix it. as only a mother can.

002. speaking of mothers, my mother-in-law is to be thanked as well. she is always so thoughtful and kind and optimistic. with the impending 22 hours looming over me, she lifted my spirits and did all she could to make the crazy long trip more bearable. { she also sent me home with lots of canadian treats for the husband so that he did not feel so neglected; it was so cute to watch him open all of it; I wish she could have been there }.

003. the night before I left, I visited a friend in mitch's hometown who invited me over for dinner. as I left, she handed me some muffins and said they were for my trip. there is no way she could have known this at the time, but those muffins were all I had to eat for dinner that night and the next morning as everywhere else was closed. how inspired and thoughtful was that? talk about woman's intuition.

004. my husband was so happy and cute when he picked me up. he met me in the airport with a diet coke in hand and took my heavy duffel bag { yes, even he said it was heavy }. he took me home, let me have a much needed shower, took me out for dinner, and then gave me a 20-minute massage before I passed out. he is so amazing. I am so happy to be home with him.

005. last but most definitely not least! that night in the houston airport, I stayed up all night trying to figure out my baggage situation. as did my dad. who called every person who could possibly help throughout the night. as I heard it, he didn't get to sleep till 5am that next morning. and with great effort, he finally got those bags to the obscure caribbean island we live on late that night. he is so amazing. I'm pretty sure I'm his favorite child ;)

isn't it obvious? I have some really awesome people in my life. it only seems fitting to write a post about thanks. about being grateful. about looking to see little prayers answered before you even realized you needed whatever it was you received. this world, this life, is truly wonderful. there are just times when you look back and think, 'it is so amazing to be me, isn't it?'

love, arielle