Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all are somewhere warm enjoying time with friends & family! Take a break from the turkey (just kidding, keep eating) and enjoy these 40 reasons why I’m so thankful, brought to you by my Instagram.
1. My pops for being hilarious and always making me laugh.
2. My wonderful step mom and friend who continues to be an inspiration and guiding light wherever I roam. And my sweet tia! These women are amazing. You can sample her son Josef Centeno’s cooking at Bäco Mercat, Bar Ama, Orsa & Winston or Pete’s Los Angeles in downtown LA. <Chef cousin name-drop.>
3. My cousin, Megs, who I definitely don’t see enough of.
4. Pearl snaps and my grandparents who really knew how to rock ’em.
5. My boyfriend who continues to encourage and surprise me every day with his random (but totally awesome) hobbies and skills. Annnd who also sets me straight when I question why anyone would care about my travel photos or love for clothes from Anthropologie. Go see how talented and funny he is.
6. PUPPIES!@#&*@$
7. My homebase.
8. Books and their authors who inspire me to write my own.
9. Friends!
10. Meredith Morris, my friend and hair goddess who has completely changed my hair life. P.S. She just opened a bad-A studio in Beverly Hills and you should go see her. I mean, she’s ridiculously gifted. (And so fun and cute!)
11. Travel.
12. Biking through my hood in Culver City.
13. Culver City
14. Thoughtful friends who send me inspiring gifts & kind words. Dear Laura & Jen, XOXO.
15. Hiking, especially with a helpful guide who walks you through your fear of heights.
16. Art.
17. Other bloggers and creatives who inspire me every day like Bri from Designlovefest and Joy from Oh Joy! P.S. I highly recommend Bri’s Blogshop and other workshops (especially the social media one) and Joy’s AMAZING book, Blog, Inc.: Blogging for Passion, Profit, and to Create Community.
18. My second home, Rocco’s.
19. Texas. And all my family members and friends in Texas whom I miss like whoa.
20. Music. And that one time my friend Kit and I ended up stomping and singing on stage at Sasquatch with The Head and The Heart & Grouplove. I don’t know who this lovely woman is, but she definitely recorded me skipping on stage around the 3-min mark. She also got our high-five at the end. MOMENTS, YOU GUYS!
21. Coachella. And Portugal. The Man.
22. Blue skies.
33. Brunch.
34. The magic of Kauai.
35. Magic.
36. Oysters. Especially with this guy at Hog Island in San Francisco.
37. Wine, tattoos, cool boyfriends and lazy days spent at tasting rooms. (Especially at 2Hawk Vineyard & Winery in Medford, Or.)
38. Puns and coffee.
39. The freedom to chase my dreams.
40. You! Whoever you are. Thank you.
XO,
Mel
Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole mmmm. 
The easiest dip ever! 
Apple Cider Sangria!