these are a few of my favorite things

Apropos of nothing, here are some of the things that I'm into these days, in no particular order.

Stonyfield Farms organic Greek Yogurt, called Oikos. I'm digging the honey. YUM!

Speaking of food, do you shop at Trader Joe's? It's a cute little grocery store with locations scattered around the country. At first, I was freaked out because they don't carry the brands that I'm familiar with. But now, that's what I love about them.

One last food item...I LOVE G2 by Gatorade. It has less calories than regular Gatorade, so you can drink it after a workout without undoing all that you've done.

These days, I'm living in my Ugg boots. Yep, they're pricey, but so worth it. Period.

Have you ever heard of Boden? It's a great women's, men's, and kid's clothing company out of England. They don't have stores, so it's all Internet & catalog. They're fun, funky, and wearable. I love Boden!

I'm a jeans kind-of-a-girl. And my new fave is Kut From The Kloth. They're comfy, reasonably priced, and fit great.

If you're into hip, handmade, one-of-a-kind items for yourself, your kids, or your home, you simply MUST check out Etsy.com. You can literally get everything from hairbows to jewelry to artwork to hand dyed yarn. Very cool! But don't go there if you're in hurry...there's so much to check out!

I'm a purse addict. I have quite a collection, and there are some big names in there...Kate, Prada, Coach... you know the drill. But the purses that I've been buying lately are all custom designed by ME at 1154 Lill. If you're lucky enough to live in Chicago, KC, Boston, or Philly, there's a Lill location near you. But for the rest of us, you can use the design tools online to create you own fabulous bag. They literally have hundreds of styles of fabrics, and you are the designer. Warning...this is TREMENDOUSLY addicting. But SO fun!

One of my favorite pastimes has always been reading. And lately, my guilty pleasure has been chick lit. I'm in love with Irish author Marian Keyes. Her wit and sense of humor will grab you and her ability to tug at your emotions will keep you turning the pages. My favorites are Watermelon and Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married.

I'm obsessed with lip balm. Jeff is convinced that the manufactures put crack cocaine in it as I'm ALWAYS applying it! I love Burt's Bees. I have one in everyone of my purses (that's about 15), as well as stashed in drawers around the house. There is never a time when my Burt's is not within reach. Enough said.

I've had painted nails every day of my life since I was a senior in high school. I get regular manicures and can't imagine what my hands would look like without polish. I love dark browns and maroons in the winter and am currently loving Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ by OPI. My favorite summer shade is Jumpin' Junkanoo by Essie.

Do you watch Friday Night Lights on NBC? Check it out, Fridays, 9/8 central. I've always has a fascination with small town life in Texas (I'm being totally serious!) and would love to move there for a while to see what it'd be like. Now, I don't have to.

I'm way into the art of Joe Sorren. There are so many layers, such intricate details. The paintings are simultaneously dark but hopeful, and there's humor in almost every one. Way cool stuff. Oh, and Joe just happens to be my cousin :)

My favorite way to spend a few hours to myself is scrapbooking. If you'd like to get started preserving your own memories, my friend Kathy can help. She's a Creative Memories consultant and has been my go-to-gal for supplies and inspiration for a number of years.

That's what's been on my mind. Hope you're inspired to try something new.

TTFN~
a.