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HAPPY GRATEFULNESS FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!
It’s my favorite day of the week because I have the opportunity to spread more vintage love to all of you by hosting another Gratefulness Friday GIVEAWAY!
This week’s giveaway — as illustrated in the pictures of the vintage prize pack pieces above — is a very special one, as it appeals to the vintage lover looking to add a few key staples to her summer wardrobe: A one-of-a-kind “It” bag & delightfully playful romper, like the ones I’m currently lusting over as featured and available for sale on Etsy in this week’s SHOP FINDS page.
Summer is officially here and many of us have fun plans scheduled with family and friends for the warm weather days and months ahead. I hope that this site inspires you to incorporate vintage fashion into this season’s outdoor activities … because there’s no doubt that girls who wear vintage have more summer fun!
Keep reading after the jump to learn how to enter this week’s Gratefulness Friday Giveaway as sponsored by vintage Etsy seller The Krickett’s Jewel, and for a quick story inspiring you to feel gratefulness for all that is in your beautiful life now, no matter the season!
In times of self-doubt and insecurity, the thoughts which comfort me best are always those of gratefulness.
I can never say enough how grateful I am for the many vintage lovers new & old (and those who are still “on the fence!”) who spend some time out of their days on Sammy Davis Vintage. I’ve met such wonderful men & women through this community who share a passion for creative exploration and self-expression.
I love nothing more than celebrating my love of vintage so that I can inspire your own “self-bration” through whatever “style” you wish to live and express your highest potential by!
I am grateful for this inspiration — and I am grateful for YOU!
xx, SD
I AM GRATEFUL FOR … MY TEARS
While all may seem like a land of limitless sunshine & butterflies in the world of Sammy Davis Vintage, there are definitely those days where my glasses aren’t so rose-tinted (more like gray!) and those butterflies? Well, they’re more like cockroaches in my New York City 4th floor walk-up apartment.
I’ve been musing lately on sharing my positive perspective of life and its opportunity with you all, which is expressed not only in these Gratefulness Friday posts but also through my newsletter, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube videos.
I truly believe that we are all inherently perfect, content and satisfied creatures of this earth. In other words: we were born to be happy.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t have tears .. and that doesn’t mean those tears are a “bad thing” and something which takes away from our natural state of happiness. Actually, I believe that tears remind us and “awaken” us to that unchanging state of happiness we always possess and can reveal from within.
The past few days have contained tears for me, as I continue to grow as both a 25-year-old human being and a woman of entrepreneurial ambitions and self-made desires.
I’ve cried tears as I open my heart and mind to the mistakes I’ve made in building this brand; I’ve cried tears as I muse on the unknown of the future; I’ve cried tears as I witness such tragic deaths as brought on by natural weather disasters that we cannot control.
I’ve cried as I looked at the homeless woman sitting with her back flat against the wall on Lexington Avenue, silently staring ahead as if a statue and without an ounce of life in her eyes. I’ve cried as I look at my 21-year-old brother, whose jump from teenager to young man reminds me that youth is fleeting and even my own “20-something years” are limited.
Like you, I’ve cried at the small and the big; the silly and the stupid; the permanent and the fleeting. And like you probably have felt, too, I’ve cried just because it feels really good to acknowledge that not everything is perfect and rosy and merry and bright.
So today, I share this gratefulness story with you because I wanted to remind you (and admittedly, myself) that crying is good. Crying is good because it is unity between us, because as we all set on to walk our own “path” there are many differences which might separate us, but that there is never a difference of “pain.” Empathy is the most universal unifier — no matter who you are and who you encounter in your life, the expression of vulnerability through pain can potentially bring you together in that moment.
We are stronger when we connect to one another. And so, while pain may seem like weakness, it is actually a potential strength. When it is shared with others and that empathy grows, a bond grows, too and a resulting understanding that we do not have to walk on our paths of happiness alone.
There is opportunity in every obstacle. And while the tears may bring pain; that pain is temporary. What’s permanent is my gratefulness for the opportunity those tears can possess to connect with others and thanks to this story, connect with YOU.
Thank you for reading today’s gratefulness Friday story …. and thank you everyone for your TEARS!
xx, SD
ENTER TO WIN THIS VINTAGE PRIZE PACK!
THIS VINTAGE PRIZE PACK INCLUDES ….
Thanks to some seriously sweltering weather (at least in the Northeast!) The Krickett’s Jewel put together this summer prize pack for one lucky winner to give a happy home!
It includes ..
One (1) vintage “Mahler California Leather & Wood Handbag” that you can check out for further detail HERE
One (1) ’50s/’60s Polka Dot & Stripe Romper and/or Bathing Suit by “Roxanne Swimsuit” that you can check out for further detail & size HERE
HOW TO ENTER GRATEFULNESS FRIDAY #7
For a chance to win the entire vintage fashion prize packed listed above valued at $48, you must enter between today [Friday, June 3rd] and by midnight on Monday, June 6th.
You can only enter once, and all winners will be drawn at random using the site random.org. Winners will be announced by Wednesday, June 8th.
Enter by answering the following question in the comment fields or Facebook comment fields below this contest post:
**Describe a moment you cried “tears of joy”**
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 June 3rd, 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
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE KRICKETT’S JEWEL
Sammy Davis Vintage Gratefulness Friday Giveaways are made possible thanks to the generous donations of online vintage sellers.
To spread vintage love, I host these giveaways to not only introduce one lucky winner to the world of vintage, but to introduce all of you to an online seller with other vintage finds that you may want to give a happy home.
Please support the Gratefulness Giveaway sponsors by visiting their online shops and saying hello!
This week’s sponsor, The Krickett’s Jewel, is having a sale of 10 percent off all jewelry and 10 percent off all dresses, skirts & shirts!
Please visit the Etsy shop now to get a peek at her delicious vintage deals!
HAPPY ENTERING & GOOD LUCK!!!!
I cry tears of joy (and tears of every other kind!) everyday! I’m a total crier. When I found out Alix was pregnant, I just burst into hysterics on the phone. And then continued to cry when I hung up. :) So excited to be an aunt!
I am such a crier. When i see how proud my niece is of herself, I cry. I just went to her first dance recital and she was so happy and proud on the stage. I of course cried!
rwvanvoorhis at gmail dot com
I just cried tears of joy recently upon receiving my cousins wedding invitation save the date card. She is such a special figure in my life and I honor her and her life’s choices.I have watched her grow and go through some very hard things this past 2 years and to see her happiness and joy come to fruition is more than joy!
Tears flow from the heart to show a gratefulness displayed for all to know. JOY!!
Brande
I have often cried tears of joy, the biggest moment was when I got to join in on a Memorial Service for one of my best friends mother’s who lost her fight to breast cancer. Just a few month prior she had greeted us at the end of our Race for The Cure with a huge smile on her face. That kind of joy in a terminal person can only be expressed by tears, so we all cried and we all cried again remembering her and what a powerful, wonderful woman she was. We were overtaken with joy that she had lead such an amazing life and was now with God to wait for us to join her.
I cried tears of joy when my daughter was born 8 and half years ago. It was then that I realized most of things that are really important in life.
I have been very lucky in life, I haven’t lost family to illness or had any major accidents. I cry a lot, I’m just very emotional that way :p I cry tears of joy when I think of my partner. Every part of my self loves him and cares for him, and the best part is, I know he feels the same way. We may be young, but we know we belong together, and fate willing, we will remain this way always.
I cried the most tears of joy on my wedding day! When I first saw my husband at the other end of the aisle, when our family members were giving their readings, when my husband shared his vows… the list goes on and on. And the best part was that everyone in attendance was crying too, including my husband’s brother and best friends. Our wedding was a wonderful day filled with very happy tears!
The last time I cried tears of happiness was when I was sitting on the edge of a cliff at Fall Creek Falls state park in Tennessee with my fella last fall. We were just sitting in silence watching the birds fly and trees sway, and it was my perfect moment. I teared up — full of love for him, my home, and this life.
Thank you both!
-amysweeps at gmail dot com
I cried tears of joy the day my son was born. After twin girls and then another girl 2 years later, I was finally blessed with a son :). He is one of the 2 most important guys in life and a mommy boy. I will always think of him as mommys baby boy no matter how old he gets.
I have to admit that I’m NOT a crier. LOL When I do cry it’s as a result od being either extremely sad or VERY mad. However, after much much much reflection there is a time where I can remember when I cried tears of joy.
Since I’ve hit to ripe age of 2-, I’ve been going to A LOT of weddings. lol During every wedding there is one moment where the bride doesn’t get my undivided attention, but rather the groom. When the bride comes down the aisle to meet her future husband I normally don’t look at her. I look at the groom to see his reaction and whether his face says ‘I’m making a HUGE mistake.’ lol
When my good friend got marriead two years ago as she came down the aisle, he now husband looked completely in awe at his bride and he started to cry. When he cried I bursted out in tears. If a manly man like that could shed a tear why can’t I?!
I just hope I can find someone that loves me that much one day. :-)
I cry tears a joy a lot…that’s what happens when you are emotional/sensitive yet very happy…lol. The most memorable time was when the doctors told me my beautiful daughter was healthy as can be after a terrifying labor and emergency c-section.
I watched a show tonight on tv about a community that came together to raise money and volunteer their time to rehab a house for a family that was struggling. I sniffled when the whole community came to celebrate the new home because it inspired hope for the family, who really needed something to believe in because the mother had breast cancer and two of the children had a terminal spinal illness.
I cried tears of joy when my son first told another child that, no, he didn’t have daddy… but he has a Mommy, a NiNi, a PopPop, an Uncle…etc… At two years old, he understood – without ever having had it explained to him. My heart grew three sizes that day, and I’ve been so proud of him, ever since. <3 <3 <3
Leah,
Call me when you read this message. 8.1.11. Need to talk to you about upcoming weekend.
Poppop
Great post — very heartfelt! The biggest source of my tears for joy come from my child. Most recently my tears came from seeing him compete in 6 track events, where he won 1st & 2nd place medal in 5 events … The tears were from seeing him achieve his first athletic accomplishment … from seeing him perform with such raw and perfect ability … from watching him succeed in a sport that is my favorite! Then, seeing his joy in being on the podium and hearing the events results!