Things I Love Thursday: Thanksgiving Everyday!

Things I Love ThursdayMy week in Instagram: An amazing beaded shift dress at the ASOS Spring/Summer preview; my new favourite perfume; I wore this entire outfit from a catalogue (yes, pants too!) & loved it; a sticker stuck outside one of our favourite brunching spots; my treasure chest manicure (Marie Antoinette lives!); & the ultimate onesie for Monday night lounging… !

Thanksgiving might be next week, officially, but I’m feeling the love already. Officially! I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, learning to see the blessings in your life is one of the fastest ways to feeling true, genuine happiness. I’ve been writing my Things I Love Thursday column for six years now — that’s crazy! — & it really helps me keep perspective. It is so easy to grumble & grizzle, to be pedantic & pout, but it takes skill & discipline to look on the bright side.

My weekly TiLT lists serve a few purposes. Firstly, it gets me to focus on the positive, & not just in some abstract way: it forces me to really sit down, assess my life, & shine a light on the best parts of it. Secondly, it serves as a kind of “happy diary”, a way of chronicling & remembering my life — which I need, because my memory is not what it used to be!

I’m sure that to some people, my writing of a public gratitude list is weird & incomprehensible. I don’t write this to boast; instead, I write it to hopefully persuade you to do the same. When I commit myself to doing this every week, out loud & in public, maybe that will inspire you to commit in a similar way.

Writing a list of your blessings doesn’t have to take a long time — it could be as short as a tweet! — but it is an instant mood picker-upper, & the long-term effects from doing it on the regular are immense & wonderful.

So… Go write one! Make today the day you start.

“It is a miracle if you can find true friends, & it is a miracle if you have enough food to eat, & it is a miracle if you get to spend your days & evenings doing whatever it is you like to do, & the holiday season — like all the other seasons — is a good time not only to tell stories of miracles, but to think about the miracles in your own life, & to be grateful for them.”

(Lemony Snicket — from the latest issue of Real Simple.)

There are so many miracles to celebrate, like sun shining through yellow & orange trees, bunches of purple tulips, & taking naps in a darkened room while both Hank & Dolly squish as close to me as possible. (Heart-melting, really. & remember, my husband found Hank when he was thrown from a moving van, & Dolly had been bounced around shelters for years. If you’re considering making an animal a part of your family, please, please consider rescuing one.)

In fact, I woke up to a miracle this morning: we sold all 30 spaces of The Blogcademy London in 24 hours! Words cannot describe our happiness, this is such a dream come true. We are so excited that other people are as enthusiastic about this as we are! We have plenty of news on that front, too, so watch this space!

Peu d’amour: Emails from Francesca Lia Block (I mean, really!) Meditating in the bathtub Harney & Sons green tea with coconut (I have a theory that the antioxidants in green tea — which my husband drinks constantly — are what keep him so fresh-faced!) Researching hotels & harassing Nubby about it via text message La Petite Robe Noire by Guerlain: my new daily perfume & a MAJOR favourite, I look forward to putting it on every day! Instagram’s new public web profiles! Kudos! Lana Del Rey’s new album & Christina Aguilera’s new album, too! Soft velvetty dog heads! Kat & Shauna, who rock my world Getting glittery bunny ears in the mail (thanks, Crown & Glory!) Handwritten thank you notes from adorable Blogcademy graduates Natanya & Laura (such manners! BLESS!) Making this for dinner (with Udi’s gluten-free bread, so good!) “I saw Crystal Castles in 2007 & took off my clothes” (I have amazing friends) Watching Sons Of Anarchy with Mike & begrudgingly admitting I really like it! Making a big bottle of lemony water Michael Jackson. FOREVER! Striped cashmere sweaters (I’m wearing a black/white one right now!)

Oh, & I discovered something that is even better than Nutella on toast for those of us with sensitive bodies… Udi’s gluten-free bread (toasted), Earth Balance, & Justin’s Chocolate Almond Butter… OMG. I am definitely thankful for that!

Infinitely grateful,