FBFF - Friend Friday: Gratitude

I know, I know...I've been somewhat of a stranger lately...I've been unbelievably busy with life that I haven't had the time nor energy to post outfit photos. The boy moved home last week which is lovely, but we're still settling into a routine, so I'm a bit off-kilter with my days and haven't had a chance to take photos, etc.  But thanks for sticking with me! I'll get the hang of it eventually, I promise!

Today's FBFF is another great topic - gratitude (it's also the one-year anniversary of FBFF! Yay!). There are so many people in my life I'm grateful for, so am super pleased to have an excuse to give them a shout out (not that I NEED an excuse!).

When it comes to me personally - I owe a lot of who I am to:
My parents. Hands down, they are the most important people in my life and I am eternally grateful for everything they have done for me and my brother. Don't get me wrong, they can make me mighty frustrated and I don't always see eye-to-eye with them on my life choices (or theirs!) but when I think about everything they've done for us and the sacrifices and hard work they put into raising our family, it makes me tear up just thinking about how lucky I am. My parents started with very little, but were always able to give my brother and I more than we ever needed in life...and while it wasn't always as much as others around us were given (we went to high school in a pretty well off neighbourhood and definitely didn't have as much as most), they worked so hard to give us a better and more fortunate life than they had. And in doing this, I think they taught my brother and I strong values of hard work, being good people and respect for others...all qualities I try so hard to carry with me as I become a "grown up" myself.

Of course I also owe a lot of who I am to my bf, D. We have had our (sometimes un)fair share of difficulties in the 4 years we've been together (mostly due to the last 2 years being long-distance) but he has been an amazing support and best friend to me and I love him more than anything. He has always accepted me for who I am and has always encouraged me to be myself, no matter what.

D and I at Machu Picchu, Peru in August 2010

When it comes to me professionally - I owe a lot of who I am to:
Keeping with the fam theme, I'd have to say first and foremost my mother. She started working when I started primary school and showed me that it is possible to raise a family and be a strong, professional, successful woman at the same time. She literally started from the bottom - as a typist - and has worked her way to a respectable policy job that she is proud of. And I've always looked up to her for it. But I also owe a lot of who I am professionally to the amazing people I work with. There are a few very difficult people in my workplace to deal with, but there are even more amazing people who not only support me immensely, but also make me laugh on a regular basis and who make coming into work fun. These people have become very close friends over the years I've been in my job and I can't imagine making it everyday in my work without them.

When it comes to the art of blogging, I'm grateful to these people for helping me through some rough spots:
Well, I'm still so new at blogging, but I'd like to give a shout out to my girl Nini for encouraging me to finally get my blog up and running (something I'd always wanted to do but never had the courage to actually get it done).

I'm also grateful to my other friends IRL who have blogs and help encourage me: J, M, and R.

Third, I'm grateful for Lisa from archives who was the very first (non-IRL-friend) comment on my blog (hahaha, is that creepy?)! I was flabbergasted that anyone out there in blogger-land had even read my blog, and better yet, left a great comment to boot. That one comment really made me feel really legit as a blogger!

Finally, I'm grateful for everyone who has followed me on Friend Connect, commented on my posts with such encouraging remarks, or who has even just visited! I still find it amazing that anyone is interested in what I wear or what I have to say, but I'm so grateful for each and every one of you!

One blogging challenge I'm grateful happened because it made me stronger was...
Starting a blog! Getting over that hurdle of just sitting down and starting a blog was NOT easy. Before-hand, I focussed too much on worrying about what people would think or that my clothes and my stories weren't "good enough". But just starting and getting myself out there helped me SO much...it helped me realize that I don't actually give a crap what the nay-sayers might think...and that if I want to post my outfits, I will! And seeing others out there in the same boat as me, or those who enjoyed fashion blogs as much as I did really helped encourage me and get over the fear.

To my readers, I'd like to say...
THANK YOU! Blogging really is a community, and without each other, we'd never be here. I am so grateful for everyone's encouragement, sweet comments and support. I may not have the most popular blog, but that makes each and every reader that I do have all the more special.



Love love love!


xo J.