Give thanks.

Despite its rather obvious title, I have noticed in recent years that many people seem to be under the impression that Thanksgiving is more about turkey and cranberry sauce and less about giving thanks.  Don't get me wrong, I love food.  Especially turkey and cranberry sauce.  However, I do think that it's important to take the name of the holiday to heart.  

Too many people take too many things for granted and, while I think it's important to give thanks every day, I know that it can be easy to forget.  That's where Thanksgiving comes into play.  It's basically some cosmic power being like: "Okay, you've all been selfish, whiny assholes all year.  Appreciate life for a day."  We are literally being given a day to redeem ourselves.

Growing up in a family of vegetarians, my Thanksgivings have varied from year to year and have followed a less traditional path.  However, even my weird, quirky, vegetarian family has their own Thanksgiving traditions.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Cornish game hens aside, every year before Thanksgiving dinner, we go around the table and say what we're thankful for.  It's a bit of a joke in my family that I am always the first one to give thanks and I always say the same thing.

In 1912, my great grandfather (on my father's side of the family) bought a ticket for the Titanic.  Being a poor jockey, he would have likely been fated for a watery grave.  However, at the last minute, he was asked to ride in one more horse race and he forewent his trip on the "world's safest ship" in order to take advantage of this opportunity.

So, here I am.

As well as the rest of my wonderful, wonderful family.

And, although it has turned into a bit of a joke in my family, I hope that the sentiment is not lost on anyone.  There is really nothing I could be more thankful for.  If my great grandfather had ridden on the doomed ship, none of us would be here.  And, let's be real, what on Earth would the rest of the world do without the Cawleys?

Unfortunately, this is the first time I have not been able to spend Thanksgiving with my family.  In order to boost my spirits, I decided to think of all of the things I am thankful for as well as to take the liberty of asking some of my closest friends what they are giving thanks for today.

I've included some of the responses I've gotten.

***

I am thankful for:

...for having a good job.

...YOU. And my dog. And beer.

...my family and awesome friends.

...being able to travel, beings able to live and work in NYC, for good family, friends, and food.

I am thankful it's snowing! and for family!

....for the crazy people that love me.

...that fact that I just woke up. (At 11:02 AM.)

...for having a best friend who I love.

...Marty. (Her cat.)

And my personal favorite:

I am thankful for so much, but perhaps most of all for the fireplace my parents just had put in... my life has been changed.

***

So that's that.  My cheesy Thanksgiving post.  I just want to express my gratitude and give thanks to everyone who takes a few minutes out of their day to look at my blog!  

I love you all!

"Don't wear beige. It might kill you."

My roommate and I have a bit of a joke going.

As he approaches graduation and I learn to cope with the aftermath of graduation, we are both struggling with the discovery of some of life's harsh realities.  

We joke that, despite these realities, as long as we live as fabulous a lifestyle as possible, everything will be alright.

Okay. Fine. It's not a joke.

Regardless, after a moderately fabulous brunch on Saturday morning, we ran some errands and decided to reward our productivity with some late afternoon/early evening mojitos. 

As we sat on the couch sipping our drinks (fabulously, I might add), Patrick stumbled upon a 47 minute documentary about 6 women over the age of 73.  The documentary, entitled Fabulous Fashionistas, tells the story of these 6 women, all of whom have a passion for fashion and hold the firm belief that age is irrelevant.  They hope to prove that it is indeed possible to be just as fabulous when you are 87 as it is when you are 22.

Reassuring.

I won't go into further detail, but instead, I'm providing a link for any of you that may be interested in viewing the film.  I would highly recommend it.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/fabulous-fashionistas/4od

For those of you that remain unconvinced I'm going to include some pictures of these delectable divas.

Prepare to be inpsired, my friends!

That stare though.

THOSE GLASSES THOUGH.

She's 85.

Just watch it.

The beginning.

So I graduated from college in May.

Although it's only been a few months since my graduation, those months almost seem like years.

Growing up, all any kid wants is to be done with school.  Forever.  However, when the imminent college graduation actually occurs it has a tendency to leave aforementioned "kid" (now a young adult that is, most likely, struggling their way through a quarter-life crisis) with a school-shaped hole in their life.

Over the months since my graduation, I have added quite a few things to the "Things Katie Never Thought She'd Say" list.  Among them:

"I miss school."

"I miss homework."

"Is it weird that I want to write a paper for fun?" (Yes, Katie. Yes, that's weird.)

However, what I have discovered since May is that I can work to fill this vastly empty hole with all of the things that I never had enough time to do when I was a student.

I suppose writing (for fun) is one of them.

So here goes?

I don't necessarily have a goal or a theme that goes along with this blog. 

And I guess it's just as much for myself as it is for the public.  

For me, I hope that it can serve as an outlet for my recently rediscovered creativity as well as act as a place where I can share things that inspire me.

For all of you (whoever you end up being) I hope that it can be.... something.