Gratefulness Giveaway: Win This Prize Pack from Quarter Life Vintage!

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS CLOSED!! THANK YOU TO ALL FOR ENTERING!!

Hello and happy WEEKEND, vintage lovers!!

It’s the early AM of a Saturday morning as I write this post, and I’m so excited to soon hit “publish” because I get to introduce another chance for you to win an amazing vintage prize pack from Quarter Life Vintage, and also be inspired to feel gratitude today and in all of your days to follow.

Especially with Thanksgiving (arguably THE holiday of gratitude!) less than a week away, today’s giveaway is an important one because I believe that it may be the most timely and meaningful to date.

But first, a few short words on Quarter Life Vintage and why this giveaway is particularly special for me!

The internet is a beautiful place because it brings like-minded individuals together in positive ways — like myself and Lisa, the founder of Quarter Life Vintage and a Washington, D.C. based fashionista, thrifter & writer.

More than a year ago, Lisa reached out to me as a fan of this blog. I was tickled pink by her flattery, and we became fast email buddies. It was thanks to a wedding I attended in D.C. last April that I had the chance to actually MEET Lisa — which I did, and which you can see a photo from our meeting here!

Lisa is a lot like me. Heck, maybe we are the SAME person! Her family is from PA (like mine) and she turned to selling vintage through Quarter Life 202 as a creative outlet away from the 9 to 5.

I’m happy to report that Lisa is now a successful 20-something entrepreneur behind her online & pop-up sales business of selling vintage. PLUS, she no longer works the 9 to 5 and is enrolled in D.C.’s prestigious Georgetown University for graduate school!

Keep reading after the jump for a chance to support Quarter Life 202 by channeling your life’s gratefulness into an entry for today’s vintage fashion giveaway!This weekend’s giveaway is such appropriate timing for next week’s Thanksgiving holiday — which I hope so many of you (American or not!) are looking forward to enjoying with friends and family.

I know I can’t wait to visit home and see the newborn children of my family, and also to visit the elderly wisdom of my grandmothers and that of my extended family thanks to my stepmother’s relatives, too!

No matter the “small” things you are grateful for day by day, one “BIG” thing that is always deserving of appreciation is that of family & friends. Thank YOU all for my being my friends and in some ways, my vintage/thrift family.

Happy Gratefulness Giveaway, everyone! Have a great weekend and GOOD LUCK!

xx, SD

I AM GRATEFUL FOR … THE SMALL THINGS!

Admittedly, I sometimes use these Gratefulness Giveaway posts as a chance to wax poetic about something that has been happening to me on a personal level, which I hope to share and express to you in a way that is relatable and hopefully, inspiring.

I’ve realized that one of the key traits of a positive and content person is not necessarily one of success like wealth, or beauty or a particular talent … but rather, the trait of having the ability to “be simply happy about absolutely nothing.”

I’ve been working on this ability to be “happy about nothing” by pausing in my day to observe the beauty and blessings of all the small things. And in taking these pauses to be in the moment, I’ve experienced a magical thing: I’ve literally felt that euphoria of “life is beautiful” and the most confident belief that everything and everyone is and will always be taken care of.

It’s an unrealistic feeling — this euphoric sense that “perfection” exists and that in no place on earth there is pain or suffering — but perhaps it’s just that in focusing on the small things which are positive and not worrying about the big that are negative, that I’m able to somehow bring myself to this higher consciousness and peace.

So vintage & thrift lovers, I wanted to write out a list of 10 small things which have given me “happiness about nothing” lately. With Thanksgiving so near, I encourage you to muse on the small things in your own life which you may have never stopped to recognize before but with one small shift, are shining brilliantly before you.

There is such beauty before us and within us, but it’s not always seen until we decide to see it. I believe the more you condition yourself to stop and see the beauty, that the beauty will stop to shine on you.

Enjoy my list, and enjoy — with happiness for no reason!!! — making your own list of small things you are grateful for!

xx, SD

1.) I am grateful for … sunsets!

I believe that the planet was built to give us beauty on a regular basis, and one of these regularly occurring beautiful events is that of the sunset.

No matter where you are on the planet, a sunset can occur before you. And while my sunset may be different than your sunset, the unity is that we each have our own sunset which directs the closing of the day’s light.

I’m stopping to witness the “smallness” of the sunset, reflecting on the beauty that it is and to think back on whether I lived in my day in truth, peace and love. Sunsets are like the ringing of a bell to see the power of the universe which is displayed to us everyday for free.

2.) I am grateful for … the changing seasons!

I’m grateful to live in an area of the world that has changing seasons, and which possesses the natural vegetation and climate to display the scenic shift in seasons.

The transition to fall is ironically beautiful. During this season, we are witnessing the literal death of the trees’ leaves — but it is in their death that beauty of many splendid colors is displayed.

If we compare a dying leaf to an aging human, it reminds me that I must look at the wrinkles of the elderly with the same awestruck admiration that I view the changing colors of the trees.

The wit and wisdom of the eldest generation of mankind is equivalent to the reds, oranges and golds of a mighty trees’ dying leaves: In order to truly take in the gift of each, we must stop to listen and stop to admire.

3.) I am grateful for …  peace in our hearts!

I forget just how lucky I am to live in peace.

No matter the distress of Occupy Wallstreet, or the trying circumstances of those less fortunate than me or the tension which may exist in my life and yours …. chances are, if you are reading this, you have peace in your heart to be grateful for, too.

When I am feeling hurt, tired or angry I like to stop and put things into perspective. The roof over my head, the food in my fridge, the family & friends who have my back.

All of these reasons — and more!! — are reason for limitless peace in my heart, which I hope to always remember in order to spread its light on all I meet.

4.) I am grateful for … availability of healthy food!

I’ve lived as a healthy-food-convert for almost two years now. In switching out fake food for real food; red meat for lean meat and the carbs of gluten for natural fruits and vegetables to provide my energy I’ve established a structured diet of health that I believe is my greatest source of wealth.

My health is what drives my passion for what I do in my daily life and the love and peace I bring to it, too. With each bite of an apple, carrot, greek yogurt and other nutritious foods I love — I know that I am treating my body like a vessel of strength. This gives me the energy I need to be the best person and most loving person I can be.

Because I love myself with health, I am able to love others, too.

The availability of healthy food is a blessing because I live in a city that is surrounded by boundless opportunity to buy fresh, to buy local and to buy wholesome. What I put in my body has and will always forever influence what I do with that body and its mind.

5.) I am grateful for … working at such a beautiful vintage store!

Because I work at vintage store, I am surrounded by beautiful things all day long. I almost feel like the store is my own personal closet that I visit three to four times a week!

I muse on how blessed I am to work at this particular store because not all vintage stores are created equal. A Little Wicked is merchandised so beautifully, which inspires my creativity and my passion for fashion.

When we are surrounded by a balanced feng shui of beauty and peace in our environment, I believe that appreciation also radiates from within.

So when a customer comes into the store, my pride in how it appears shines from my smile and allows me to connect more easily with them and ultimately, positively influence their own love for vintage and self-expression, too.

6.) I am grateful for … knowing how to swim!

Many of you either know or don’t know that about six months ago I completed my first marathon. It was perhaps the most spiritually-stimulating physical activity of my life thus far, and one in which I feel that a higher power was running beside me as I successfully completed 26.2 miles in a time of 3 hours and 18 minutes.

Due to a running injury this past July, I’ve had to completely stop running (and all exercise with “impact” on my bones) and turn to swimming instead.

Exercise — like healthy food — is another way I give love to my body I’m blessed to have. I am so grateful that despite not being able to currently run, that I am able to currently swim.

I know many people were never given the chance to even learn how to swim, so I am particularly grateful that my parents gave me swimming lessons at such a young age and then later in my youth, I competitively swim on a local team every summer.

While I’m not running 6 miles every morning like I used to (now I’m swimming ONE mile, instead!), I know that there is a silver lining in the clouds of this injury. I am turning to my talents a swimmer that I was blessed with at such a young age.

7.) I am grateful for … my fire escape!

A few weeks ago I took out the air conditioning unit in my window of my Manhattan apartment. The air unit spilled out into my fire escape, so when I removed it I was given a view of the fire escape and obviously, the apartment building next to mine!

I posted this exact picture on my personal Facebook page and within hours, had received such a positive reaction to it! It reminded me that not every person has a “fire escape” in their “home.” And even if they live in an apartment building, they may not have fire escapes which look like this!

While I have yet to sit out on my fire escape (I’m afraid of heights and of it crashing down!!) I now look to it with a greater appreciation for its specialness than I had before. There may come a day in my life when I will never have a fire escape again. This is a part of “city living” that makes it so unique, and I am grateful for that!

8.) I am grateful for … a supportive & loving Facebook fanpage!

I started the Sammy Davis Vintage facebook page on a whim two years ago this December. It was approximately December 20th, 2009 to be exact — I was home for the holidays and decided, “Why not?” to support this blog and use another outlet to spread my passion for vintage and encourage others’ love of t, too!

Here we are two years later and 3,000+ vintage lovers strong. You are all so smart, stylish and savvy! We are one anothers’ teachers and encouragers on the page.

And in almost selfish fashion, you are my inspiration — because it is when I post a picture or a link and you give me positive feedback, that I’m encouraged to share and be so exuberant and joyful about vintage.

Thank you for your support and your contributions to the Facebook page, everyone! Without you, vintage fashion would NOT be the same!

9.) I am grateful for … experiencing the NYC Marathon as a volunteer!

If you read gratefulness #6, you know that for the past few months I’ve been unable to run.

So instead of being upset that I couldn’t participate as a runner in the NYC marathon this year, I decided to turn an obstacle into an opportunity to volunteer for this prestigious race.

I volunteered at the 23rd mile along Central Park East, preparing the water and Gatorade stations for runners and when they ran/walked/limped by (lol!) handing them the refreshments they needed and cheering them on to the finish line 3 miles ahead.

As someone who has participated in dozens of races, I’m grateful for this humble time that I’m NOT racing, because it encourages me to give back to the running community in thanks for what they gave to me.

So while I would like to run the NYC Marathon someday, I’m grateful for the chance to still participate and to be a cheerleader for the thousands of runners who inspire me with their strength.

10.) I am grateful for … blue skies!

I wanted to wrap this lit of 10 small things I’m grateful for with another allusion to the power of nature and how that power is accessible to each and every one of us all day, every day.

Lately, to stop and pause at the small moments of beauty, I’ve been turning my iPhone camera to the great blue skies.

There is SUCH magnificence in the skies above us! And while the magnificence remains the same, the “blue” of these skies changes daily.

I’m continually amazed how one day, there can be not a single cloud in the sky, creating this crisp, clean blue of perfection. And then the next day, that crisp, clean blue is replaced with a paler version and dotted with large fluffy white clouds that look like cotton candy.

The sky is our planet’s true style, vintage lovers! It is like the gorgeous coat we own and put on over any outfit to look and feel marvelous. The sky is like our planet’s amazing outerwear.

Look up at your sky today, vintage lovers! What beauty do YOU see?

WIN THIS VINTAGE PRIZE PACK!

APPROXIMATE SIZE OF PIECES: Medium-Large

(1) Double-breasted blouse with puff sleeves

HOW TO ENTER GRATEFULNESS GIVEAWAY #16

For a chance to win this vintage prize pack from Quarter Life Vintage valued at $50, you must enter between today Saturday, November 19th and by midnight on Tuesday, November 22nd.

You can only enter once, and all winners will be drawn at random using the site random.org. Winners will be announced by Thursday, November 24th.

Answer the following question in the comment fields or Facebook comment fields below this contest post:

**What’s a seemingly “small thing” that you’re grateful for?**

OTHER IMPORTANT RULES

**Entrants/Winners must be legal U.S. residents of the lower 48 states (not including Alaska and Hawaii) and at least 18 years old as of November 19th, 2011

**For full contest rules and regulations can be found here

**All information submitted by contestants is subject to Sammy Davis Vintage’s privacy policy found here

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