This Thanksgiving: 10 Things I'm Oh So Thankful For

Thanksgiving is good for us all. Not just for the acceptable day of an overindulgence of carbs but, more importantly, because it gives us a time to think of all the things we're thankful for. Even if you don't go around the table and formally state these things it's still in the back of your mind. We all need to do this every once in a while. It's easy to take for granted the great things in our life. Here's the list that I've been thinking about the past few days and it came out to a perfect number 10. So in no particular order, here are 10 things that I am oh-so-thankful for during this past year.

1. Family // Family is important and I'm lucky to have the family that I do. Being in college really makes me appreciate the time that I spend with my family even more and I'm always thankful for the time to relax around such a supportive and loving group.

2. The Very Best Friends // I'm not sure what I would do without my best friends. I know I would have a lot less blackmail-potential photos and way less embarrassing stories but I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm thankful for my the best friends that have at school, the best roommates that I get to live with daily and the best friends I have that are only a phone call away. These goobers are for life and I'm so appreciative.

 3. Kappa Delta // It may sound cheesy but KD has given me so much more than I would have ever thought. Not only did it give me an extensive collection of t-shirts but it also opened up to me a network of 200 amazing women, introduced me to the above mentioned best friends at school and gave me the opportunity to have a hands on role in leadership. AOT to all of my sisters. I'm so thankful to be apart of this incredible organization.

4. A Happy Home // Thanksgiving is a time that I do reflect on some of the things that I am lucky to have like food on the table and a roof over my head. I am so thankful for a happy home both in Lexington and Memphis where I feel safe, welcomed and loved. A bed is a beautiful thing and shouldn't be taken for granted.

5. Opportunity to Study Abroad // It might sound cliche but studying abroad truly changed my life and I will forever be appreciative of such an amazing opportunity. Not only did I get a chance to learn in Antwerp classrooms my favorite subjects but I learned of my independence, unquenchable curiosity and a passion for travel. I'm thankful for all of the things that made this possible and all of the alterations that this experience had on my outlook on life.

6. My School // To keep it simple: I picked the right one and it's a great feeling to be completely sure of that. The opportunities that Rhodes has opened up to me has been unbelievable and something that I hadn't expected. The chance to live in a soulful city, the ability and financial aid to study abroad, the chance to work at the core of some of the campuses main operations, one-of-a-kind classes with incredible professors and brilliant students have made my 3 years spectacular and I cannot wait for the fourth. I'm so thankful for this beautiful campus and the amazing opportunities that it has offered.

7. A Time to Date Myself // This summer I finally got the chance to focus on solely me and this summer I started a great relationship with myself. I learned the importance of treating myself, taking care of myself and really getting to know who I am. Just like the feeling of knowing I picked the right school, it's even better to know exactly who you are and feel completely you. I'm so appreciative of the opportunity to make my own decisions purely for me and to guiltlessly live out my dreams. I'd urge anyone to take the time to date themselves and I'm appreciative of the chance I've gotten to do this.

8. Road trips // The road trips that I took this summer, besides the big one across the pond, really stuck out in my mind when looking over this year. Whether they were a 30 minute drive to a hike, an hour and a half drive to a concert or a six hour drive to a much needed lake weekend I'm so thankful. The chance to get away and take your mind away from routine is always needed and the soul-searching that also comes along with these drives and mini-vacations is a much appreciated added perk.

9. A Good Pair of Running Shoes, Some Concert Tickets and a Netflix Subscription // These are luxuries that I am so happy to have. I'm happy to know the little indulgences that make me happy and I'm happy to have them in my life. I'm thankful that I found a free therapy in running. I'm thankful for the chance to go to concerts this year with my favorite people and I'm thankful for the mini treat once in a while that is a Netflix binge. I'm lucky to have these luxuries and on Thanksgiving I'm giving them their much needed appreciation on my list. 

10. Emily and Dot // Last but not least, Emily and Dot has made the list. I started E&D at the beginning of this year and it's completely blown me away by, first that I've actually stuck with it, and secondly by what it's grown into. What started out as a way to jot down random thoughts has turned into a daily ritual, a business venture and a way to meet other amazing bloggers in this crazy little universe. I'm so so happy and so very thankful for what Emily and Dot has become and I'm thankful for the readers like you that have made this happen. 

So here's my list and I guarantee I have left many things out but I'm lucky to have the things in my life that I do. We always need time to sit down and reflect upon the things that we're grateful for.

What made your list this year?
Emily

Girls Weekend Recap + Random Happy Things!

Originally this post started out as a recap of the girls weekend in Charlotte {post here} however in reviewing the past week there are so many more things that I have to be thankful for as well. So essentially the SparkNotes version of what this post is about is: The little things that made Emily happy over the past few days. Here we go, rewinding to last Friday and… go!

Swedish Hasbeens, hooray!

Quite literally ten minutes before I was heading out the door to leave the mailman rang the doorbell with a package. One of my absolute favorite things in the world is mail so of course I dove right into the box and what was it? Ah! My Swedish Hasbeens. I've been eyeing these sky-high clogs for forever and I finally found these babies for a steal and had to have them.  After clunking around the backyard for a bit (and creating blisters in .5 seconds) I took a few pictures threw them back in the box and hopped in the car on the way to Charlotte!

Hello Lake!

Is a weekend catching up with your best friend you haven't seen in months ever not fun? But seriously, I arrived to Izzy's lake house a little past dinner time and the first stop: queso. From there it was a laid back few days with not great weather but plenty of things to do. It's always good to have one of those friends that even when it's been a while, as soon as you start talking it feels like you picked back up a conversation from yesterday. Tubing, wining and hot-dogging were all great additions to a great view and some great laughs.

Milkshakes from Heaven.

Monday we headed back to her house in Charlotte and spent the day "bopping around town" at the cute little boutiques and awesome restaurants in the city. Before jumping on the highway we grabbed milkshakes from CookOut and let me tell you, they are addicting. I shamelessly grabbed another Oreo shake on my way home and never regretted a sip.

The worst concert photo ever taken

We planned the trip around a Dave Matthews concert that Tuesday. Little fact about Emily: Dave Matthews is my favorite band. The lyrics, the vibe, the dreads, the man himself, I truly could go on for days about this group but I'll save you all. Here's links to my some of my multitude of favorite songs if you're itching to hear more {Ants Marching, Grey Street, Crush}! This is definitely one of the worst photos I've ever taken to remember a concert however it still makes me smile looking at it. I unfortunately cut out the man behind us who jokingly told us he was determined to photo bomb every photo we took (and he succeeded). Oh, happiness is a Dave concert. 

Summer Reading

We said goodbye for a few more weeks and I can't wait to be back! I was greeted at home with a mailbox full of two of my favorite catalogues. Ah the little things. 

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them" Matisse

On the steps up to my summer job, these flowers were growing. Another fact about Emily: the key to my heart is through flowers. Sometimes they can take your breath away or simply put a little pep in your morning. You might have already seen this on my Instagram but if you don't follow me already, check out my personal Instagram {here}!

There's no fun in "Eh"

After work one day this week I stopped into a few stores just to "look around". That's always a funny joke when I end up coming out with a bag from Anthro but I'll blame it on the summer! This sign caught my eye outside of the bookstore. 

Actual Summer Reading

I stopped into Joseph Beth to grab some more books since I've been whizzing through my collection from this summer. I picked up the first book of Emily Giffin, Something Borrowed and I'm probably going to be heading back there today to pick up another one of hers. My summer books are sure to show up in a post shortly! Stay tuned for that!

Hope you liked checking out some of the little things that made me smile this week. Hope yours was equally as enjoyable! What made you smile this week?

Emily

Friday Finds! Happy in Memphis

Today's Friday Find comes from right here in the 901!

To begin with, I am totally obsessed with Pharell's "Happy". The song just gets me in an upbeat mood and I'm dancing around all day. A school from Memphis put their own spin on the tune, highlighting some of my favorite places around the city and boy this little guy is cute!

With the sun shining and the grass finally becoming green, this song is the perfect way to end the week!




Happy Happy Happy,
Emily

Relationships trump Spanish papers.

So I'm type A. I'm constantly moving, constantly working, constantly go-go-go and it's hectic. In the midst of school and life in general I easily get caught up in work and meetings that I fail to put my true priorities first and focus more on the busyness in my life. I've been working more on taking a breath. Because quite frankly sometimes I just need to chill out. The work will get done, it always gets done but I need to quit putting off the things that are truly important.

Yesterday I got some time to really step back and reflect on a lot, mainly focusing on everything in my life that is good. I thought about everything in my life that is rewarding and everything that I want to hold onto. And this is something that I think I need to do more often. I've never been consistent on journaling or keeping a diary but I do need to work towards a way of stepping back and checking in on my life. I think sometimes we get so caught up in jobs and school and work that we fail to recognize when things are falling behind and most of the time it is the most important things that we push aside.

I'm personally at fault about pushing relationships aside in order to focus on work. I push conversations to the next day and I opt out of social events with my girlfriends to finish up projects that I could work on later. However in doing so, I take little steps away from these relationships and I underestimate the toll that this takes. I need to stop assuming that these relationships will stay strong even if I'm not making deliberate efforts to strengthen them. This is such a faulty way of thinking and I'm working on changing this. We can't build and keep relationships if we don't work at them.

Friends, family and significant others trump work any day so why are we focusing so much time on work?

My problem is I need to breathe. I need to take a step back and call my dad on the phone. I need to walk to my friends house and vent on her couch (wine optional). I need to Skype my boyfriend and simply smile. Because ultimately, at the end of the day that spanish paper didn't really matter and that budget project was just a grade but these relationships I'll have for the rest of my life. And that, is what I need to be focusing on.


Feeling grateful,
Emily

Coffee Shop Minus the Coffee?

So I'm totally one of those coffee shop people. I'm definitely not hipster nor do I spend all of my day there but I really love coffee shops.

Also, Starbucks doesn't count. Of course I love my cake pops just as much as the next girl but it doesn't match the homey and neighborhood feel of a local coffee shop. They're one of the places that I could sit for hours and get so much work done but they're also the places that I love to just sit and chat. Not to mention the smell. Gosh. Love it.

Conveniently I'm currently sitting in a coffee shop pondering the fact that I love these places but I don't love coffee. *Pause…

I know I know it sounds kind of silly but I do have my reasons. For one, I don't want to become addicted to it. I don't want to be one of those people that the first thing they do every morning is make / buy a cup of coffee. Ain't nobody got time for that. Second, coffee breath. Need I say more. And last but essentially the most important, I just don't like it. And you know what? I'm fine with that.

So no coffee but I still come to these Coffee Shops? Because I love everything else. The fact that I don't drink coffee nearly cuts out half of their offerings but it doesn't necessarily cut out the best.

Here's a list of my favorite (non-coffee) drinks both hot & cold to get from coffee shops.

1. Chai Tea Latte
     
2. London Fog
    
3. Hot Chocolate
     
4. Matcha Green Tea Freddo

5. Vanilla Steamer
     
6. Chocolate Freddo
     
7. Italian Soda
   
8. Apple Cider

9. Smoothies & Frappes

10. Tazo Tea Bags
     


Hope it might spark your inspiration to try something new!



Coffee-less,
Emily

Home Town Lovin

So I debated doing this post mainly for the reason that I don't want to be hunted down and killed but I'm going on with it anyways. So with that said, please don't hunt me down and kill me but also, if you were to do that your stalking skills are pretty commendable. But don't. Really.

Moving on.

Being back home has been good. Heading back is always a weird mix of emotions. On the one hand, driving back into Kentucky is pretty nostalgic. The white fences on the highway are when I know I'm close. The bourbon distilleries and the horses are all things that I love about my state and all of the things that welcome me home the last two hours of my drive from school. On the other hand, I do feel more distant. Obviously independence does come with college and I'm definitely starting to feel that. Kentucky will always be home but it's starting to feel more like the place that I grew up rather than the place that I live. And really I'm fine with that. I will always have so much pride for this place and I can guarantee that I will bleed blue for the rest of my life.

Kentucky was a great place to grow up. And I mean truly great. I really think I got a little of everything. For a city in Kentucky, I lived in one of the most open-minded cities in the country and I am so proud of that. In the horse capitol of the world I got to be around a million dollar industry.  I definitely did not come from a horse industry family but I had friends who owned derby horses (that won), friends' parents who trained and bred those derby horses and friends who knew how to go to the track and come home with thousands of dollars each time they went. Unfortunately I was not one of those people. I would illegally (when under 18) electronically bet on the horse with the best name and come out losing every time. Along with this, I got to skip every friday during racing season to go to the track. I mean, how could you not? A chance to wear a Lilly dress and waltz around the paddock with millionaires was never too bad.

Also, with Keeneland being so gorgeous it meant rocking senior pictures if you were able to stand the fact that everyone and their sister had taken their photos there too. At the time I was too "original" for that but now I regret it a little…

I grew up downtown and apart from there being only enough children that I could count on one hand I loved it. It was big enough that people get confused driving around but small enough that well, driving shouldn't have been a problem, but also for a kid to feel safe and explore a little. Bike rides were a common thing and after investing in a Vespa my brother and I gained even more independence. I think living downtown is what gave me my sense of direction at a very young age but also my "street smarts". After living in a medium sized downtown this definitely sparked my craving for bigger cities.

While Lexington is moderately sized it still has the gossip of a small town. Maybe that's a southern thing or maybe that says something about the group my parents were in but I'm not sure I liked it. I did however like the balance of a southern city. Let's say that Lexington is southern to the point some restaurants serve unsweetened tea. Truly blasphemy I know. But I'm one of those people who appreciate a conversation with the checkout lady at the grocery store and on the other hand I can handle not being called "honey". So I'll take the balance any day.

In an effort not to make this post exhaustingly long I'll cut it straight to the point: I loved growing up here and I would recommend it for anyone. However I do think I've slowly grown out of it. Moving to Memphis for school was a step that I really liked and I am looking forward to exploring more larger cities after graduating. All in all, Lexington will always be home for me and I'm so thankful that I can say that that.



Feeling nostalgic even though I'm here now,
Emily

Feeling Like a Grownup

Recently I've been applying for scholarships and internships for this coming summer. First off I think its semi sad that I'm so focused and determined to get internships over the summer instead of planning the days I'm going to the pool. I can honestly count the number of times I was at the pool this past summer on one hand. Easy to say I wasn't very tan. Then again, it does feel pretty good and honestly rewarding to have a "real-people" job in an office.

Due to this need for experience (and mainly money) this past week has been a little stressful with all of the March 1st-3rd deadlines. Anyways, in doing this I've come to the conclusion that I'm pretty impressed with my drive and willingness to work hard in order to get my dream job. I was designing business cards last night, I'm not sure if I should be ashamed of that or proud.

For one of my internship applications I had to provide a Curriculum Vitae. Firstly, I'm prefacing this with, I had to look up what that was… Secondly, most of the samples I looked at were in other languages. Twas a task looking for an English version. By the end of the day however I had successfully completed this document and I'm actually excited about it!

So long story short, I think I can deal with this growing up thing. Although I'm missing pool time, I'm currently feeling a little accomplished and definitely driven. I can handle this.

Now with a fancy resume,

Emily