What I'm Thankful for This Year
What I'm Thankful for This Year
A warm, cozy, and welcoming home. We moved back into our home this year, after 15 months of renovations following a fire. There is nothing quite like not knowing where you are going to sleep that night to make you forever grateful for a space to call your own. I hated the rebuild process. Part of that was my frame of mind, part of it stemmed from never, ever, wanting a “fixer upper.” But I have to say, we ended up with a space that is uniquely us. It is far nicer than anything we could have imagined owning prior to the fire. Everyone said this day would come, a day when I would see the silver lining. I won’t say it was “worth it.” We lost a lot of sentimental items that I still mourn. I lost a sense of peace and gained anxiety like I hadn’t known prior to the fire. It changed me. So no. it wasn’t “worth it.” But I can say there was light at the end of the tunnel. I’m living that light now. And I am deeply thankful for my warm, cozy, and welcoming home. Click here to read more about the fire and the house renovations.
A few things I’m thankful for this year: my home
Co-hosting a podcast with Lainey Cameron. Earlier this month we announced that I was to be the new co-host of The Best of Women’s Fiction podcast with Lainey Cameron. I am so excited to collaborate with Lainey to grow the podcast beyond what one person could do alone. She asked for someone with extensive knowledge of historical fiction (a genre she is less familiar with) and our mutual friend Alison Hammer suggested me! We recently recorded a special edition of the podcast introducing me to her community, chatting a bit about how we see the 2022 season going, introducing a new form for authors who are interested in being on the podcast, and more. Click here to read more and listen (or watch!) the interview.
Vaccines + travel. Can you believe it was only this year that vaccines became available? My husband and I were vaccinated in April then book our first vacation since the pandemic in May to Lake Tahoe with a few of our friends we hadn’t seen in awhile. It felt so good to get out of the city, go on hikes, explore a new area, and relax with friends. A few months later I went to San Diego with my parents. And finally, we all made it back to Cabo, a place my family and I go typically once a year. It was the place I was most looking forward to traveling to again. I can’t say it felt like the “before times,” but it was the closest to feeling normal that we’d felt in a long time. I am so thankful for science, the development of a vaccine, and the ability to travel again. Click here to read about a few of my favorite shops in Cabo.
A few things I’m thankful for this year: safely traveling again
Cooking with my husband. One of the most unpredictable results of the pandemic was finding an appreciation for cooking. Prior to the pandemic, my husband traveled for work almost every week, Monday through Thursday. I did NOT like to cook, so I almost never put in any effort to make myself a meal. Occasionally my husband and I would cook on the weekends, but we had our go-to meals and didn’t experiment much or go outside of our comfort zones. However, when the pandemic hit, we found ourselves needing to cook every. single. night. It was quite the adjustment. Slowly but surely we developed our cooking skills. But this year things really took off (probably because we wanted to take advantage of our brand new kitchen!) Cooking isn’t just something we have to do anymore. We are truly finding joy in it. Click here to read more about our kitchen renovation.
A few things I’m thankful for this year: leaning to enjoy cooking
Rediscovering my love of fashion. I majored in fashion marketing and management in undergrad. Then I earned my Masters and Ph.D. in fashion history. I am writing a manuscript on fashion in the 1940s. So, you might be wondering how in the world I lost my love of fashion. Listen, I don’t understand it either. But it happened. I was so…uninspired. Then my friend Devon (of Devon Grace Interiors) invited me to this event. I honestly had no idea what it was - I didn’t really care, I was just excited to spend some time with my friend. The event was great, I had a good time, but I didn’t know how much it would reignite my interest in fashion. The seed was planted, but it took some time for me to see the results. I noticed I was getting more excited about getting dressed in the morning. I found myself ordering sequin jumpsuits for a special event. (?!) I wanted to go shopping - something I never really enjoyed, even when I was studying fashion. I really started to feel like myself again - an even better version of myself. I owe a lot of that to Devon, for inviting me to the event, but also Tali Kogan, the host of the event. She has a positive energy like no one I’ve ever met. I can’t thank her enough for inspiring my love of fashion. Click here to see said sequin jumpsuit.
A few things I’m thankful for this year: finding my love for fashion again | Photo courtesy of Tel Aviv Couture, Tali x 900 Shops
