Ohhhh I do love yoga. While I would not consider myself an experienced yogi by any means, I do try to practice once or twice a week. For me, its an incredibly centering and reflective time, and I am always SO thankful when I take the time to go to class. Not to mention, its often an incredible workout :)

All photos via.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't wish my fabulous momma a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today!! Of everything I could be thankful for in life, she pretty much tops the list :)

What are you all thankful for today?

Thankful Thursdays: Comparison

Here.

I want to start by saying that please  don't get me wrong, I really do love blogging! I find it to be an amazing creative outlet and 'connector.' It has definitely enriched my life and if I didn't enjoy it, I just wouldn't do it. But when I was visiting Tulsa last weekend, I got to visit my old church (that is AWESOME by the by). And the message that morning was about Exodus 20:17 - "You shall not covet your neighbor's house, your neighbor's wife....." etc. Essentially, the 10th Commandment.

As I was listening to the message, I immediately looked to what area in my life leads to the most covetousness- and, unfortunately, that would be the internet. Every day through blogs, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, etc, we are given a platform to compare our lives to others and to look at what others have. Most bloggers are 100% honest in saying that their lives are not perfect, and oftentimes not even close to what they feature on their blogs. But that doesn't always stop us (or, me) to comparing my life to theirs. It's super easy to focus on "I want that purse. I wish that were my house. She is so lucky.." etc. And this is a really slippery slope. It makes me lose sight of how blessed I am and how wonderful of a life I have. Comparison is a hop, skip and a jump away from covetousness. To that end, I've really enjoyed the "Things I'm Afraid To Tell You" movement in the blog world, especially Liz's, Ashlina's and Erika's. I LOVE that these girls chose to keep it real, and I'm super thankful they chose to do so.

There is nothing wrong with looking at beautiful things on the internet. The danger, at least for me, is when I start to compare and lose sight of what is really important in life. It is important for me to remember that while I may want a Chanel purse, I really don't think that having one will make me truly happy. True happiness, fortunately, comes from things that cannot be purchased. Although,  this quote rings true for me sometimes - ha!

So, this is me saying that I'm always going to keep it real. I'm going to love what I have and who I am. I am going to be thankful. I'm going to make a concerted effort to not compare myself to others (or what they show of themselves on the internet). And I'm going to focus on what I am grateful for in my life, because I really am one blessed gal :)

Want to learn about about covetousness and how to combat it? Listen to the sermon here.

That's it! Thanks for listening reading my ramblings!

Thankful Thursdays: Quotes

"I quote others only in order to better to express myself" -- Michel De Montaigne

I love a good quote. They make you feel like someone out there gets you, understands what you are feeling and can put that feeling into better words for you than you could for yourself. I really hope one day to be a quoted individual.... but until then, here are some of my favorite quotes, all courtesy of my Pinterest "Tell me what you know" board.

  

What are you thankful for today?

PS- I linked up with Bex today. Head on over to see what other bloggers have been loving lately.

Thankful Thursdays: my sweet dog

My sweet angel baby, Daisy, had a big health scare on Tuesday. To say that it was a bad day would be a huge understatement. For those of you that know me personally, you know that I am a crazy animal lover, and Daisy is the apple of my animal loving eye.

So when I had the scare of 'oh my God, what if she doesn't make it?'-- it felt similar to what I think the end of the world might feel like. For those of you who have lost (human) loved ones, you might be quick to call that dramatic. But I don't apologize for loving my animal. She is my best friend, the one who always makes me (and everyone else) smile, the one who snuggles with me at night, makes me feel better after a long day and the one who turned my Hubs into an animal lover- which I view as a huge accomplishment. When she is not around, our family is not complete. I could not imagine my life without her.

To say that I am thankful for her would not saying enough. So today, I am BEYOND thankful that she now appears to be on the mend and back at home with us. For those of you who have furry babies, you know the love that they provide that can't be put into words via a blog post. But just remember to say a prayer to God today thanking Him for loving us enough to give us the gift of dogs. The world would not be nearly as wonderful without them. Also, please pray that my baby continues to get better. It would mean the world.

Thankful Thursdays: Girls weekends!!!

I could NOT be more excited for this weekend. Tomorrow, I am headed to OKC for a long awaited girls weekend with my college friends sisters. Thankful is not a big enough word to describe how I feel about having these girls in my life.

Here.

On the list of things to do? HUNGER GAMES (yes, I have waited a whole week before seeing it), shopping, thrifting, eating (brownie mix, perferably), laughing, catching up, cocktails... sounds fab, right?? We try to get together as much as possible, but you all know how busy life gets- moves, job changes, babies.... So, needless to say, this is a long overdue weekend.

Hope you enjoy yours! See you next week.

Thankful Thursdays: a good book

I've said it before and I'll say it again.... there is NOTHING better than a good book. I'm getting into a new series I really like, so I'm feeling especially thankful for books as of late. Such a great way to escape the madness of the real world, and definitely cheaper than a real vacation :)

While it is really hard to pare down the list, here are some of my absolute favs:

So, what are you thankful for today? Thanks for stopping by!

PS- Want to see who else participates in an attitude of gratitude each Thursday? Check out it out here!

Thankful Thursdays- the mountains

The mountains are definitely one of my favorite places to be...

Here.

Which is why I am so excited that this weekend, the Hubs and I are off on our annual ski trip to Keystone, Colorado. This trip is one of my favorite annual traditions- family, food, skiing, a little spa time... what could be better?

Well, the only thing that could make it slightly better is if I had this fab ensemble to take with me...

Here.

Hope you all have a great weekend!! See you all next week.

PS- Don't forget to check out Bex, who joins me in my attitude of gratitude every Thursday :)

Thankful Thursdays- PINTEREST

Words can not fully describe how much I love Pinterest. I mean.... how did we live without it?

I hopped on the Pinterest train pretty early and I have never looked back. The type A side of me LOVES being able to categorize/organize and the left side of my brain LOVES the beautiful images and creativity that Pinterest fosters. It's a beautiful combo, really.

Just a few of my current fav pins:

Follow me here.  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Every Thursday, I practice an attitude of gratitude along with this pretty lady. I would love to know- what are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursdays: Target

I really don't think I can relate how much joy Target brings me. One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is go to the Target (alone, mind you), get a lovely coffee, and just spend as long as I want browsing the entire store. It's one of those things that you can't really explain why it feels so good- it just does!

Here.

I grew up in a town that doesn't have a Target.... just let that sink in for a minute. So I didn't really know what I was missing. But since graduating college, I have been a Target addict. And I'm not even mad about it.

Anyway! I decided to create a living room using items entirely from Target. It ended up being good looking and inexpensive. Loves it! I'm def. not recommending you get everything in your house from Target (because I think no home is complete without great antique finds/thrift store re-dos, etc)....but it can be done!

Here are the items available at Target now: Rug. Trunk. Love seats. Arm Chairs. Flowers. Chevron Pillows. Accent table. Floor lamp. Striped pillow.

PS- I just want to say a shout out to the gal who helps so many have an attitude of gratitude on Thursdays! Thanks Bex!

Thankful Thursdays- My Blog!

As today is my Blog-iversary, I am feeling especially thankful for MSC. I started this blog out of necessity for myself- I really needed a creative outlet and a place to share the things that I find to be beautiful and inspiring. I also wanted to be able to connect with fellow design enthusiasts, and be able to share all the interior projects that I work on.

So far, it's been way fun! Here are some of my fav posts from the past year.

I'm love home decor. I love animals. So obvi I love animals in home decor.

The 5 Things I Love series is so great- getting to see what makes fellow bloggers smile? Love it!

Throwing my best friend's baby shower was super fun. And the decor was way cute, if I do say so.

The Thankful Thursday series is great for me. Taking the time to appreciate the little things that I am thankful for is a great way to sustain an attitude of gratitude- even if some of the things on the list are kind of silly!

A new house calls for new stuff, and craigslist really came through for me in the TV console department.

My first sewing project was a success.

Over the past few months, I have absolutely loved writing for Twenty Something. Such a fabulous magazine and I'm so happy to be a part of it!

I still want to recover a cube for my own house. It's on the list.

One of my favorite DIY projects... probably has something to do with the crazy animal lover in me.

Still loving my skirted table. I've been having to reel myself in from skirting all the tables in our house.  

The Gilpin Sunroom was such a fun project to work on. Maybe bc it was with my bestie but maybe bc it turned out awesome. Probably both.

I just wanted to say that I really appreciate all of you who take the time to read my little ole blog! Means the world to me.

Can't wait to see what the next year of blogging will bring!

Thankful Thursdays: the country

Photo by Lori Wilson Photography.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the city. But a big part of my heart will always be in the country. There is just something about wide open spaces... and yes, that was a reference to the Dixie Chicks. When we lived in Houston (and even in now that we are in STL), I sometimes find myself driving along, seeing nothing but gas stations and strip malls, and I wish I could just see some COWS. Weird? Not for me... cows remind me of home :)

So, this weekend, I am super thankful for the opportunity to escape the concrete jungle and spend some time on red dirt and Oklahoma pastures. Oh, and did I mention spending time with great friends? Always thankful for that!

My Momma feeding her cows :)

Am I the only country lover out there? If so, that's ok with me. But knowing myself, by the end of the weekend I will be thankful for the city. It's all about balance :)

Thankful Thursdays: free weekends

Make no mistake, I LOVE a good event and having fun things to do... but every once in a while, it's just nice to have a free weekend. Between the holidays and weddings, it seems like the Hubs and I are always on the road (don't event want to talk about how many miles we have driven recently!) I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people to see and places to go, but this weekend I am looking forward to some much needed down time.

Here's what I hope to 'accomplish' this weekend...

Some coffee drinking.

Here.

Some painting.

Here.

Some yoga.

Here.

Some magazine reading.

Here.

And some general lounging.

Here.

Is it Friday yet? :) Whatever you have planned for this weekend, I hope you enjoy it!

Thankful Thursdays: Coffeeeeeeeee

Simply put: I love coffee and really couldn't get through the day without it.

I wish I could have my daily cup whilst in this scene....

Here.

 Or this one...

Here.

But even though I can't, I am still super thankful for coffee. As I always say- it's the little things, people :)

Here.

Here.

Here.

What about you all?? What are you thankful for today?