These are a few of my favorite things in 2009… 

Williams-Sonoma Mini Croissants – Next Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter morning, make life oh so much easier with these yummy treats.  The regular size is too big, go with the minis.  It may seem a bit pricey until you eat them – then you’ll be looking for excuses to have these in the freezer all year long.  The croissants can be made individually, it’s just the ‘sitting out overnight’ that requires just a little touch of forethought…

 Large Bar Soap – Maybe you are scratching your head, but hear me out…Instead of saving the pretty soap for guests – use it yourself.  Try a lavender or linden scent.  What you will discover is it feels special, luxurious to use nice soap.  A touch of the spa every morning, hence you feel special all day long…

 Francesca’s Collections – A girlfriend and I discovered this store (online) shopping awhile ago.  It is best described as like Anthropologie minus the massive price tag.  The clothes are hip and artsy.  They get shipments in three times a week and there are ridiculous sales aplenty.

 Costa Rica – When I first saw pictures of Costa Rica, I immediately thought of Hawaii (without the long plane ride and high costs…)  Hummingbirds, butterflies and dragon flies abound in this lush paradise.  The people are great, the food/water is clean, there is no violence to speak of and it is unbelievably affordable.  The ocean is warm and the sun is hot.  Perfecto – going back in March…

Blind Pilot: 3 Rounds and a Sound – This CD is a playful mix of quirky, vulnerable lyrics with unexpected pacing and instrument choice (horns, banjo, xylophone – what???…)  The boys of Blind Pilot are storytellers – twisting words and meanings, such as in “One Red Thread.”  It is haunting, hypnotic and sexy all at the same moment as the narrator reflects on early selfish love…Or in “Two Towns From Me” with it’s dreamy, sing-along quality…Or the toe-tapping rhythm of “The Story I Heard” melded with pleading, longing words…Love this CD.  Sounds like: The Thorns.

Capri Blue Aloha Orchid Candles – Slip into heaven and light this candle.  It truly makes any space smell like fresh flowers and the islands – add gentle music and an umbrella drink, you are on vacation…

VRBO.COM – I have had fantastic luck renting homes internationally and in the states through this site.   The prices are great and you can let your own tastes/desires be your guide.  A word of caution – chat with the owners before picking a place, you’ll be surprised how much of a difference this can make later if you run into any issues…

That Old Cape Magic by Richard Busso – Surprisingly this is the book that stayed with me all year.  It’s about a married couple and how things can all change in an afternoon…The characters are complicated and hilarious.  The pre-wedding supper is without question – priceless.  Russo perfectly illustrates how perception, memory and reality don’t always add up…

Homemade Jams – This year I’ve become a bit obsessed making jams. from blueberry to cranberry to raspberry and lots of berries in between…It’s all good.  I never knew how easy jam was to make and what a perfect gift for sharing…Downside: once you go homemade, there’s no going back to stores (expensive habit depending on the time of year!)

Wii – Everybody has fun and the kids play for hours and hours – leaping, twirling in the air.  I never laughed so hard getting beat by a seven year old!

Mad Men – Sure it’s slow and slightly depressing, but the characters are awesome.  Strangely, it sometimes feels like I’m witnessing what my own family used to whispers about  years ago – illegitimate kids (couple uncles passed off as cousins), affairs (everywhere), alcoholism (everywhere)…I swear I feel like I am finally coming to understand my own past better as the stories of my grandparents/aunts/uncles come alive watching this show.  I knew they drank/smoked a lot, but I didn’t know how normal it was back then…And finally the mean things my relatives did to each other long ago make sense.  Geez, they were all drunk in fantastic clothes playing hard…

Mad Men often illuminates the masks we all wear every day to make our own separate peace with the decisions we make each day…

Sprungli Chocolate – Let these miniature truffles in the flavors hazelnut, plain, champagne, cappuccino and bourbon vanilla (contains alcohol) melt in your mouth.  These chocolates are unbelievably tasty – so worth the long distance order…I finally understood what all the fuss was about Swiss Chocolate when I tasted these – Yum!

What became one of your favorites this year????

For the past few days I’ve been listening to this CD by Blind Pilot over and over.  From the very first refrain, I thought, “Road trip.”  This is fantastic, get moving music - I keep thinking I need to be listening to this while driving along the West Coast in a convertible with people I love and laughing ‘til it hurts.  Then I was amused to discover on their web site that this concept was in fact their touring strategy…but that is another story, the CD.

 The CD is a playful mix of quirky and softly vulnerable lyrics with unexpected pacing and instruments (horns, banjo, xylophone – what???…)  The boys of Blind Pilot are storytellers – twisting words and meanings, such as in “One Red Thread.”  It is haunting, hypnotic and sexy all at the same moment – when the narrator reflects on early selfish love by saying I remember, “When you were the savior, and I was the taker…”  You can feel his longing to be sure again of the love he was taking…for now he was being taken and unsure…

 Or “Two Towns From Me” with it’s dreamy, sing-along quality, “Had a dream you were two towns from me…got to sleep, spent the whole night running…”  Or in “The Story I Heard” with its toe-tapping rhythm and his pleading, longing words…Love this CD.  Ready for a road trip?  I am. Sounds like: The Thorns