mr. golden sun appears to be permanently indisposed...yellow sweater to the rescue

 shoes: steve madden. pants: gap. shirt: j.crew. cardigan: old navy. bracelet: downeast basics. pin: don't recall. earrings: hawaii.

 I'm looking for it, guys. My dignity, that is. Searching hard...

 Drat. It's gone. Quite possibly forever.

Dignity or no... it's Friend Friday! This week's topic is among my favorites: Gratitude. Here goes:

1. When it comes to me personally – I owe a lot of who I am to: My parents and siblings, natch, for their sculpting of me through my childhood years. My college roommates during those pivotal college years, who helped me figure out what really is -- and isn't -- important to me and my life. (For example: ISN'T: yellow landrovers, caffeine, and pleasing everybody. IS: loyalty, laughter, and clean cookware.) And, forever and ever amen, my husband and children.

2. When it comes to me professionally – I owe a lot of who I am to: My English professors who embraced my uniqueness and let me -- encouraged me to -- fly, the Grant Lab (my first career-centered job, right out of college, which taught me the ins and outs of real-life professional technical writing and set me up for the kid-friendly, flexible freelance writing I do now), and my husband whose support has been unwavering and perspective reassuring.

3. When it comes to the art of blogging, I’m grateful to these people for helping me through some rough spots: Heidi, who without knowing it has set the example for me of completely being ones own glorious and unique self on blog (her blogging resolutions for the New Year 2011 were what sealed the deal), Jill, a stranger who took a chance and asked to feature me when I first started my blog and who will always have a place in my e-heart, and (sincerely) all you style bloggists who are genuine and who put yourselves out there because you love what you do. It's inspiring. Annnnd...my husband, who smiles and supports me even though blogging & "style" per se aren't exactly his thang. (Ew. Gross. Pretend I didn't just type that.)

4. One blogging challenge I’m grateful happened because it made me stronger was… Adding Disqus. Ran into many problems installing it on my blog for some reason, but I learned some html stuff and patience and how to curse in my head but not out loud. All very applicable life skills.

5. To my readers, I’d like to say… Thanks, all four of you, for putting up with me, with my sarcasm, with my text-heavy posts, with my outfit blunders, with my silliness, and with my amateur self- or kid-snapped photos. Thanks for your comments, for making me laugh, and for following and visiting often. I think you're pretty great.

Happy Friday!

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