Inspire: September

Every month I pull together a list of my favorite things from around the interwebs to share with you. This is what I'm into this month.

Share: An Open Letter To People Who Can't Stop Talking About Pumpkin Spiced Lattes - I'm telling you on Tuesday morning I woke up and it just felt like fall, and then I read this great post about how there are some people who don't really care for all the love pumpkin spiced lattes and apple orchards get this time of year.

Watch: Breaking Pointe - My favorite reality show set in a ballet company is back on the air and you can catch up on all of season 2 on the CW website.

Give: Make Someone Happy - I've got my own plans in place to spread a little happiness this month!

Live: Olive Us - I love these videos chronicling the lives of this family of 8 living in France.

Read: Divergent - I've just started reading the second book in this dystopian trilogy. 

Inspire: July

This month I'm diggin':

Eat: Watermelon Slush - Yum!

Read: Dear Friend's, great round up of summer reads - I'm on the library wait list for Where'd You Go, Bernadette.

Listen: The Evolution of Pitch Perfect's "When I'm Gone" - can't stop listening to this song, so good!

Make: Flower crown - very summery.

Give: Gold letter necklaces - great birthday gift. 

Give: Valentine's Gifts for Little People

Are you looking for a little gift to give the kids in your life for Valentine's Day? I found these sweet mailboxes in the dollar section of Target last week and filled them up with a few goodies for a quick and easy gift for less than $3.00 each.

My older niece (3 years old) is getting a pink mailbox filled with a bracelet, some stickers, candy and heart shaped fruit snacks (everything except the stickers came from my Target trip, the stickers I think are also from Target, but I have had them kicking around for a while).

I sent my nephew (18 mo) a blue mailbox stuffed with fruit snacks and a wind up bath toy (again from Target).

So there you go, no need to fear quick and simple gift giving!

And I didn't forget about the newest niece (2 and 1/2 weeks old). She got a tiny hand embellished hat. Sigh, all the cutest stuff in life, new babies and felt hearts!

Give: For the Hostess with the Mostess

Christmas is only a week away and I have one more gift guide for you. This one is an important one, it is for all the lovely ladies that open their homes up to others during the holidays. All of these hostess gifts are under $20 and can be picked up easily at local stores.

1. Serving Dish - I really like this Three Part Dish from Target
2. Slippers - Who doesn't love a nice pair or slippers on a cold winter night and With Polk-A-Dots the best!
3. An Interesting Christmas Ornament - Something like this fancy Humming Bird should do the trick
4. Champagne Flutes and a bottle of Bubbly - Perfect for a small dinner party
5. Tea Box - Even better fill it with your favorite teas, bonus it could double as a jewelry box

Enjoy all those holiday parties! Wear a pair of Christmas earrings for me!

Give: Gifts for your Dad, Brothers, Husband or Any Guy You Love

Okay I'm just going to throw this out there, finding gifts for guys can be really hard. This year I am gift shopping for four brothers and my dad, so I have been spending a lot of time thinking about gifts that men would love to get. And what kind of friend would I be if I didn't spread the knowledge of manly gifts of Christmas present? So I give you my round up of gifts for the guys you love.

1. Food of the Month Club - My dad would love this Mustard of the Month Club
2. Food or Drink Related Art - This cool Whiskey Print would look great in a man cave
3. Cool Accessories for Lunch Time - The Stanley Thermos is a classic
4. Barwear - These Vintage Bar Glasses remind me of the set in Don Draper's office

5. A Movie Every Guy Loves - Trust me on this one, your Dad loves The Sting, all dads love it
6. Books by Their Favorite Author - The guys in my family are all fans of C.S. Lewis and his Cosmic Trilogy  make for a great read for adults that loved Narnia as kids

7. Cool Tech Gadgets - Try Wireless Headphones for the Technophile and phobe
8. A Funny Little Something - What Happened Last Night bandages for all those unexplainable bumps and cuts
9. A Wardrobe Classic - Be it a preppy tie or the perfect Jean Jacket a classic piece of clothing works for men of all ages

There you have it folks, I hope this helps with any guy friendly shopping you have left.

Give: What To Give Your Teenage Sister (or niece or friend)

 Today's installment of gift idea's is inspired by my sister Phoebe. She turned 13 this year and is way cooler than me, but that just happens to be how it goes. Anyway on with the gift list:

1. Cute Heart Sweater - It seems that this J. Crew sweater is sold out, but here are a few similar pullovers from target (hearts all over and not).
2. Note to Self Socks - I love the positive message these socks send every time you slip them on. I'd give I'm perfectly me socks.
3. Bright Blue Satchel - Enough said.

If you don't think you can buy something for her wardrobe may I suggest a little something to watch or read.

4. A favorite teen TV show - I'd go with Veronica Mars, though Gilmore Girls or The OC also rock.
5. A crafty book - If she is going to be home on Christmas break she might as well pick up a new skill, like embroidery.
6. Start a Collection of the Classics - Like the Penguin Classics Northinger Abbey. Best part you now have a go to gift for any occasion.
7. Good films or television - Basically BBC beats Twilight ALL THE TIME.

Finally the fun stuff!

8. Kitten Mittens - No not from this video, but for covering your finger.
9. Baubles - Maybe a funky bracelet.
10. Something fun for her room - Like a hanging Hot Air Balloon.
11. Or a poster for her walls - I love Katie Daisy's work.
12. Perfume - Yes this is Beiber perfume, I know, I know, but whatever!

So there you have it. A round up of what I would give a teenage girl. In fact I am actually giving my sister at least one thing on this list, but I can't tell you what because I know she will read this.

Give: My Christmas Wishlist

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? No. Yeah, neither have I. So I thought I'd pull together a few gift lists to share with you. And why not start with my own wishlist.

1. My camera died a few weeks ago, so I am in the market for a new one, I'm thinking something like the Nikon 1 J1.

2. I've also been wanted a more grown-up watch. I have been rocking a Fossil watch for most of my twenties, so I know they are great watches, but I think the time has come for me to more past the pink watch face. So I'm hoping to up grade to this The Stella Watch in Rose.

3. I do not wear much jewelry, I very rarely wear necklaces or rings and from time to time I will put on a bracelet, but wear a lot of earrings. So if someone is going to give me jewelry as a gift I'd like to get something like these beautiful pink drops.

4. Every few years I ask for perfume for Christmas, I think I am always in search of "THE" scent. You know the one that you will wear forever. Well this year is a perfume year and I'm asking for Coach Poppy (fingers crossed this is the one!).

5. Slippers are such a traditional Christmas gift, I even think someone gets slippers in Little Woman. If I'm going to be given slippers, I'd like cute Cowboy Slippers from Cath Kidston.

6. Finally in the fun and never gonna happen category. Who wouldn't love to find a vintage camper under the Christmas tree? I know I sure would!

What are you hoping for this year? 

My Favorite Things Giveaway and the winner is . . .

Here is what the winner is going to get:

Little Blue Pyrex Dish

Sinful Colors Nail Polish in Soul Mate

Card of Vintage Buttons

Green Clover Candles

Milk Glass Bud Vase

Sharpie Pens

Vintage Brooch

Burt's Bees Chap-stick

iTunes Download of The Civil Wars "I've Got This Friend"

And the winner is:

jengi33

Thank you to everyone who entered and shared their favorite things I loved reading about all of them! This will certainly not be the last giveaway to keep checking back!

GIVE AWAY! These are a few of my favorite things

Hi Friends! I have been wanting to pull together both a "favorite things" post and maybe a little give away. And then it hit me, as it is my 28th birthday this week I could put together a list of 28 of my favorite things AND give some lucky reader a birthday gift for my birthday!

28 of my favorite things:

1. Vintage Pyrex - here is your first give away item, a little blue Pyrex dish

2. Dahlias - I have a great big pot of them growing on my front porch

3. The Color Yellow - I love it ever where, except in clothes

4. The smell of fresh cut grass - don't we all love this?

5. Vintage Brooches and Sweater Guards - what you don't have at least a dozen brooches (and when I say a dozen I mean like three dozen) in your jewelry box (and by box I mean boxes)

6. Black Berry Ice Cream Sandwiches - I wish I could send you some, you must try them - you must!

7. Going to the movies on a hot summer night - I used to really love this when I lived with out air conditioning, there is something kinda magic about sitting in a cool dark room watching a great story while it is 90 degrees outside

8. "I've Got This Friend" By The Civil Wars - I love this song so much I want to send it to you on itunes (and if you already have it, great I'll send Adele's "Rummer Has It" and if you already have that I'll buy you "Your Smiling Face" By James Taylor and if you have that we should totally be BFF, you know!)

9. Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin Movies - That Funny Feeling is my Fave!

10. Pink Sheets - Actually I find that I like pink everything these days.

11. Sinful Colors Nail Polish - I love this stuff and at only $1.99 a bottle you can buy it in every color, and just because you are so nice I'm going to get you started with a bottle of "Soul Mate"

12. Anthro's Latte Bowls - they are the work horses of my kitchen I use at least one every day.

13. Buttons - I have a slight obsession with buttons, ask my friends they'll tell you, and I'm going to pass on some lovely vintage nuggets to on to you.

14. Cherries - My all time favorite fruit

15. Garden Gnomes - what can I say I have a soft spot for those little guys

16. Milk Glass - this stuff always reminds me of my Grandma Fink, red roses in a milk glass vase to be exact

17. Elephants - they have been my fave animal as long as I remember

18. Knit Picks Yarn - the best price/quality mix

19. Green Clover Candles from Target - They smell like early summer and I'm going to send you some to enjoy

20. Old Family Photos - remind me that some day I want to show you this great picture of my Great Grandpa Fink from college, it involves a black bear

21. Trader Joe's Vanilla Box Cake - my go to cheater cake

22. Paper Chains - is it weird that I leave paper chains up in my dinning room all the time? no, didn't think so

23. Blank Cards - I mostly buy blank cards, they work great for birthdays, babies, bridal showers and wedding and to just send a quick note

24. Burt's Beeswax Chap-stick - who's with me? good its in the give away box!

25. The Library - I don't think I need to explain my love of the library to you, but did you know the smell of the library is a whole other love of mine?

26. Hanging out with my little sister - I would give this away if I could, but I don't think she would agree to go hang out with someone she didn't know, unless there was going to be candy, a trip to the movies, or lots of Psych or Pushing Daisies watching going to happen

27. Sharpie Pens - I have you tried these? no? okay sending a few your way

28. Surprise Packages - and I hope you do too!

Wow, that was far harder that I though it would be. I hope that there were some new things you hadn't heard of before.

What you will win:

Anything that is indicated above, plus some other surprises!

Now how to win:

1. leave a comment on this post

2. follow the blog, leave a new comment

3. follow me on twitter (libbysomething), leave another comment

4. share a few of your favorite things on your blog, twitter or facebook linking back to the blog and leaving yet another comment

(If you already follow me on twitter or follow the blog just leave a comment!)

I will leave the give away open for a week picking the winner next Monday!

warm hands, hot pads

One of my crafting goals for 2011 is to be better at working ahead. When I go to a baby or bridal shower or send of a birthday gift for a good friend I like to slip at least one little handmade item in. So when I saw this felted wool hot pad project from the Purl Bee (the wonderful blog from the folks behind Purl Soho), I thought they would make the perfect add on for a wedding shower or hostess gift. Now to just figure out what color felt to buy so I can get started!

Carrier

For Christmas I was gifted this brilliant satchel by my brother James. I can not tell you how much I love it, I have been using it almost every day and it is perfect for the (slightly unreasonable) amount of things I need (want) to carry around each day. The satchels are made by The Cambridge Satchel Company (love the name) and are shipped to you right from Old Blighty. Mine was ordered from the online store Toast, but I see that if you get it right from the maker you can have it embossed (and I do so love when things are personalized). Now just to find the perfect little something to tuck into that ID pocket.