Suzanne Carillo

I have been so touched by all of you that have reached out to me during our recent struggle with kidney cancer. You were a little ray of sunshine when all around felt hopeless and grey.

Having successfully made it through the other side and hubby well on his way to what we are hoping will be a full recovery soon I am ever-so-grateful.

As a little gift I am offering this free printable Thanks For Every Little Thing card.

I hope you will print one or more out on your computer and send it to someone that is special to you. When we take the time to appreciate the people that make a difference in our lives our heart grows three sizes. Just ask the Grinch.

Being thankful for the details in life is a skill that we need to take time to teach ourselves. Too often we are busy running around letting the moments that make up our lives slip by unnoticed.

Very often we are so consumed with our need for recognition and success that we stop enjoying the details of the journey.

In an effort to stay focused on "real life" aka "life off the internet" I have decided to cut down on my commenting on other blogs and on the pressures of having daily outfit posts. I have decided to comment only when I truly love something or have something to add to the conversation. I want my comments to mean something, truly connect with someone and not add to the online noise. In the past I have occasionally been guilty of leaving a comment just to leave my mark on a blog, like writing on the wall in a bathroom. I won't be taking that route anymore.

I'm not giving up my fashion nor my outfit posts but I will be cutting back. My best friend freaked out when I wrote last week about the futility of fashion. I've been her stylist for years now and she doesn't want to lose that and honestly I don't want to give it up. I love it. Always have, always will. But I no longer want to be obsessed or controlled by it. I don't want an item of clothing keeping me awake at night wondering why I didn't buy it. That is out of control and sad really.

I also want to slow down my outfit posts because I need to gain some control over the negative pressures of fashion blogging. The unspoken self imposed personal critique of not being young enough, thin enough, beautiful enough, or not having the latest greatest designer clothes, most professional photography, funniest stories, best sponsors, biggest giveaways etc. The overwhelming need to compete and the self comparison is taking away my joy of blogging and undermining my body image and confidence.

In an effort to focus more on my authentic self I plan on refocusing more on my graphics and designing skills. I have neglected that creative aspect of myself that is totally unique unto me.

I've decided don't want my moments to be spent taking photos of everything I'm doing either. I'm not experiencing or being present in the moment when I see something through my view finder/phone. It is not remotely the same as witnessing with your own eyes and allowing the experience to wash over your senses. If something isn't photographed does that mean it didn't happen? Hardly, but today it certainly seems that way.

I do however want to remember my life when my memory isn't so clear, so I still plan on taking some photos and hopefully getting back into scrapbooking those memories a bit more. The scrapbooks I have made over the years are so precious to look back through and are a real insight into how I was feeling at the time.

Okay…this has become a much longer rambling post than I planned, so just know this…

I am grateful for you, my readers and the positive energy you have sent my way.

I am trying to make a few changes in my blogging strategy to welcome a more authentic experience.

I am letting go of the personal over-achieving expectations I had for my blog and filling that with realistic attainable goals.

My goals are simple,

blog with heart,

blog when I want to,

blog because it makes me happy.

I'm hopeful I can achieve those goals.

Once again,

thanks for every little thing.

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My cable sucks. Totally. It is such a waste of money. I have Rogers Cable and they never have anything worth watching, so why am I paying them $150/mo? Also they skip episodes. Important episodes. Why on earth are they removing episodes anyhow? Am I not paying to have them "on demand" so I can watch them any time I want? What is the point of having "on demand" when they can just arbitrarily remove episodes or simply *forget* episodes? Or they put the episodes on 3 weeks after they have aired.

And no, I don't own a PVR. I figured the "on demand" is a PVR. But it's not.

I am seriously trying to pull the plug on cable but I'm scared.

What about Breaking Bad? *Whenever* it chooses to arbitrarily start up again.

And my beloved MadMen premier this Sunday. Will I have to catch up on it days later when some other blogger has already spilled important plot details? ( Don't cheat Don! Just don't do it!)

These are the things that keep me wondering if I can cut the cable umbilical cord.

We just got Google TV about 2 weeks ago and it is starting to make me feel a bit more courageous. I really want to cut that cord.

Do you still have cable? And if you got rid of it do you regret your choice?

Jeans – Ethanol, Shoes – Joe Fresh, Hat – H&M, Shirt – Old Navy, Sweatshirt – Forever 21, Glasses, Firmoo