Some of MY Favorite Things: A Random Assortment

I hope you are having a great start to your week! If you've been following my blog for a little while, you'll remember a post I did on my favorite things at Whole Foods. I thought I'd share some of the personal items in my home and it will also give you a chance to learn a little more about me too. Some items are things I use frequently and others are those that my heart just adores simply because it does.

Here are 10 of My Favorite Random Things

1. Most Comfy Shoes this Summer-I love shoes, in particular a great pair of peep-toe pumps, but the winner of most comfortable and equally stylish shoe goes to my Tommy Hilfiger Falsetto gladiator-style sandal. They retail for around $70 on many websites but I got these for a steal for only $19.99 at Ross! They are perfect with a pair of cuffed shorts and a top, a long maxi dress, a long shirt and tights or a pair of skinny jeans. I wear them almost every day. Thankfully I live in Florida where I can wear sandals almost every week out of the year.

2. Favorite Way to Stay Healthy-Aside from eating nutritious, organic foods and exercising as often as I can, my favorite way to stay cold and flu-free is to consume a lot of garlic. I'm not talking about a little bit of roasted garlic in a prepared recipe, but full on raw garlic cloves (and several of them) on top of almost anything. I usually crush up several raw cloves and put them on top of an already heated up soup, a fresh salad, or another dinner item. Raw garlic reduces illness, increases immunity, kills parasites, and has even been proven to shrink tumors and ward of cancer! The key is to eat it raw and not heat it, otherwise it loses most of its medicinal qualities.The best part is I pay about 25 cents for a bulb of garlic. I do not have medical insurance and I have not needed to visit a doctor in the 3 years that I've lived here. For obvious reasons, I avoid eating it if I'm visiting clients. Thankfully my hubby is on board and loves it equally as much!

3. Most Used Kitchen Tool- Many would argue that a food processor is their favorite kitchen tool, and I have to agree that it is an amazing tool and I know I'll get far more use out of it one day when I'm making homemade baby food, but until that time comes, my garlic press is my go-to gadget. I use it almost every day and my new OXO press is my favorite by far. It has a no-slip handle and it cleans up quickly and is heavy duty.

4. Favorite Decor Item-I am a sucker for anything costal and beachy, which you might remember from my getting personal post. I love, love, love starfish and was super excited to see some live while snorkeling in St. Thomas. While it is not ocean-friendly or eco-friendly to use real starfish as decor, I have used Pottery Barn's white finger star fish in several places in my home. They look like the real deal without having to harm any sea creatures for our viewing pleasure. I bought mine at their end of season sale. I use them in hurricane vases with sand and a pillar candle in the summer months, leaning against a set of frames on a shelf, and I've even had one in an apothecary jar in my bathroom as well as on the side table in our living room. Lots of fun things to do with them!

5. Favorite Starbucks Beverage-Although I'm not a coffee junkie and my budget doesn't allow for frequent purchases of their wonderful drink indulgences, when I do stop by, I have several drinks I enjoy such as the Chai latte made with soy, or the pumpkin spiced latte and the super sweet peppermint white hot chocolate (it's heavenly!), but my favorite is a drink for the summer months called a Grande Caramel Light Frappuccino, no whip. You can also dress it up with some whip cream and a drizzle of caramel for added decadance. They have a 'regular' version with a lot more calories which I have never tried because I'm sure after that the light would taste well, light. Right now it is the perfect amount of caramel, coffee and sweetness and it does not taste weak or watered down. Here is how you can make your own.

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6. Most Lovely Flower-I adore peonies and was crushed when I realized that I wouldn't be able to use them in my September wedding 3 years ago. I really longed for pale pink peonies. *swoon* I settled for blush roses that day, but I try to bring them into my home whenever possible while they are in season during the early summer months. Being that I live in FL, they are hard to come by. My old home in the Toronto area had peony bushes along the side and front which I couldn't wait to clip and put on display.

7.  Most Used Gift- Based on what comes to mind at the moment, I'd have to say it was a birthday gift that my husband purchased for me two years ago which is a large brown coach mongram wallet. I saw it in online originally and he surprised me with it and was able to grab it at the outlet store, so it turned out to be half the price, gotta love that! I have a cream leather handbag that I use a lot and this goes really well with it, as well as brown one and a few other colors as well as a small matching coach bag that I bought for a steal also. I do have a black favorite too for my handbags/clutches of that color scheme.

8. Inexpensive Glamour-When I decided to decorate our guest bedroom/my office, I wanted to add a bit of glamour to an otherwise boring room at the time. I wanted it to inspire me to paint the walls, the furniture in the room and all several other touches of glam. This little chandelier from Ikea for just $39.99 did the trick. It looks far better in person than this website photo and it has inspired me to transform that space. It has a wonderful sparkle and it provides just enough light without being too much, considering I have two windows in the space already. It would be perfect for a teen, toddler or baby girl room too. Since our guest room is our only 'spare' bedroom, this would be a future baby's room, so here's to holding onto the faith that it will be a girl, then she can enjoy the lighting too. :)

9. Newest Monogrammed Item- A couple weeks ago, I picked up this fun letter 'K' at Marshall's in the clearance section. It had a slight dent in the wood in a fairly inconspicous area, so I purchased it for $7. It is temporarily living on our guest room nightstand until I paint the room a lovely shade of pale blue and then I will hang it above a set of vintage hooks I picked up at a flea market near the door.

10. Must-Read Decor Magazines- My favorite decor magazine(s) are actually from Canada. One is called Canada's Style at Home and the other is Canadian House & Home. I had a subscription for many years before moving to the U.S. At the time I really enjoyed being able to find the items in local retailers vs. trying to hunt down items that were only available in the U.S. I do have several othes I enjoy such as Coastal Living and Better Homes and Gardens, but those are the two I pick up every time I fly home from Toronto after visiting friends and family!

Tell us some of your favorite things! Do you have a favorite pair of shoes you can't live without or a pair of earrings that go with everything you own? We want to hear from you!

Getting Personal

It just occurred to me that other than my bio, you probably don't know a whole lot about me. I thought I'd share ten things about myself that you probably didn't know. I'd love to hear from you too so feel free to write a comment with some of your own!

1. I'm half Dutch and half Polish. My maiden name was hard for most to both spell and pronounce so thankfully hubby rescued me now that I'm a 'Davis', however I do miss the uniqueness of 'Ruzycki' pronounced 'Roo-zick-ee'. I think it's funny that in Canada a 'z' is a zed and in the U.S. a 'z' is a zee.

2. My husband and I met online at http://www.christiancafe.com/. He lived here in Florida and I in Toronto, Canada. We dated briefly and he proposed in front of the Eiffel tower 3 months later! Less than 4 months after that we were married. It was quite a whirlwind! Some say it was too soon or it was a crazy thing to do, but we knew we were meant to be together.

3. I'm a dessert-a-holic. I wish it was a food group. I basically work out so I can eat dessert! I love lemon bars, lemon tarts, creme brulee, gelato and at the top of the list is CUPCAKES in almost any flavor! I also adore tart yogurt. A local shop called Sweet is my favorite go-to place.

4. I LOVE to travel and have now seen 15 countries. I'm still trying to catch up to my hubby though, he's seen 55 countries and 6 continents, I guess you could say I married to a bit of a world traveller.

5. I have to create at least one thing per day or I don't feel  that my day is complete. It can be writing an article, creating some artwork, completing a scrapbook page or even starting a new garden. I prefer it to be something crafty that I make with my own two hands.

6. I am in love with organizing and storage containers and love to keep things clutter-free. I started my Design business several years ago as a Professional Organizing company and now specialize in Design and Home Staging. From the age of five my Barbie house was turned into a book shelf and everything in my room was always immaculate, complete with made bed. It's no different today. Ironically, I married a disorganized man who loves to hold on to clutter, so I work doubletime trying to keep our house in ship shape.

7. I don't have any children yet but have always dreamed of having two girls first then a boy. My brother is 11 years younger than me and I was his constant babysitter and second mother so I'm ready for pink, polka dots, ruffles and everything girly. I am not pregnant right now but I've already started my little girl clothing collection.

8. My dream home is a beach house decorated in a casual and cozy yet sophisticated style which I like to refer to as Beach House Glam. I love whites, creams, pale blues and soft sand. However, with so many great locations, I'm not sure exactly where I would to live just yet.

9. I heart our planet. I've been composting since age ten and recycling for as long as I can remember. I love finding new ways to become more eco-friendly as well as reduce, reuse and re-purpose what I already own. I will have a green book available in 2010 and I even started a green blog so feel free to check it out!

10. One of my favorite snacks needs to be imported from Canada: Lay's Dill pickle potato chips. I love them to pieces and was thrilled when one of my best friends, Charlotte, sent them in a birthday care package last August. Second in line would be ketchup chips. This is the norm for flavors in Canada so I was sad when my chip selections were dramatically reduced upon moving to America. Having said that, I don't eat a lot of chips, but when I do, I really enjoy the tangy taste of dill pickle.

I'd love to hear from you! Tell us about yourself. What do you love to do in your spare time? Where are you from? Do you have any fun quirks you want to share with us?

~Karla