The leaves have officially fallen here in the mountains, and Winter is in the air. This is always a bit of a magical time here in the Valley; the anticipation of snow falling is almost palpable anywhere you go. Snow means ski season begins, and the little world we live in has regained its status as a snowglobe. Today, Winter Park Resort had its earlies opening day in a long, long time. Hard to believe people are already hitting the slopes. No matter where you are, the start of November is officially the Thanksgiving season. What are you thankful for this season? How are you taking special note of the good things in your life? We hope you're taking time to "count your blessings, outloud," as Robin always says. Use those fun social media November challenges to list yours daily. Start a gratitude journal. You don't need to be Brene Brown - a simple line of "today, I'm grateful for ..." works just fine. There's a great article here on the positive benefits of practicing gratitude. Gratitude after all, is a verb. It's an action we should all do more of. At South + West, we've already had so much to be thankful for to help us kick off the month. In October, we celebrated Mia and Justin as they welcomed baby Tomas. Grandparents made the journey west to soak up all the baby newness. They are at the start of a brand new adventure, and we couldn't be happier for them. Jordin and I enjoyed our first boutique shopping event as a success - and were even asked to design the cutest little snacks just for the occasion. Our biggest success was finishing our setup with thirty minutes to spare. This was definitely a first. We were well received and are already looking forward to taking the show on the road next week. We're dreaming up big possibilities. We've added some cool new items to the store, too! We both continue to be astonished at the support we've received from our community here. Last week, Josh enjoyed the best visit with his mom. We were so thankful to have her here, in good health and enjoying the mountains. Robin and Randy are, as we speak, are camping in their shiny new RV at Lake Burton. As you can see, no matter how you measure it, there are gratitudes around every corner. It's easy to find the negatives these days - but, with just a little effort, even easier to find the positives. We encourage you to spend the next few weeks diving into the reason for the season. Get out your flannel, your favorite coffee and your best fall boots - buy yourself that journal and your favorite pens. I promise, you won't ever regret looking back over the "seasons" life brings us in this special way. Stay tuned for more blog posts from all of us. We promise to throw in the occasional napkin fold and cocktail recipe too, just for fun. How are you getting ready to celebrate the Thanksgiving season? Leave us a comment and share your traditions! We'll see you out there! - Rachael