Brown paper packages tied up with string...

These are a few of my favorite things!

~Traveling! Whether the trip takes me to amazing places on the other side of the globe or on a road tip just a few hours away, I love the journey.  I do have to say that a place requiring an airplane to get to, tends to trump the other destinations though. I love to be swept up into another world and be immersed in it's culture, to meet wonderful people, and to realign my perspective.

~Getting a handwritten letter in the mail from a good friend. (that almost never happens anymore, and no one EVER gets one from me these days... sigh. I miss snail mail!) My wonderful friend Brooke gave me a set of handmade, monogram, wax seal stamps a bit ago, and I am dying to try them out!

~FOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!! Now I know everyone likes food, but I truly love food! Like obsessively. I enjoy cooking, but what I love most about food, is eating it! I love to try new things! And when I travel, food is always a huge part of the experience for me. If I'm not eating, I'm thinking about when I will eat next and what I will be eating. haha. It can't be healthy.

~IKEA. It's a passion fueled even more by the simple fact that- I can never get to one!!!!

~Tea, mmmmm, I feel wonderful just writing that. Be it a cuppa British tea (PG Tips? yes please!), or chai (Oh India, I miss you! "Cafe!") or sweet southern iced tea, or even a lovely herbal tea with my mother, it's all wonderful! I DO enjoy coffee too, but I have to be in a coffee mood, and even then, it really just serves to flavor my milk and sugar and various additional flavorings... =P

~Colors! I pretty much love them all!

~Shoes. oh yes! Lot's of shoes! Especially heels! High ones! Yay! (but I have to admit I'm a bit of a contradiction to my own fetish, since I am barefoot most of the time. And yes, barefoot and pregnant quite a lot too... HA!)

~The Beach! The sandy, warm kind. One of my most favorite things in the whole world! And if there happen to be mountains in the distance, well then it's just that much better!

~Reading an amazing book. (I thought about about making a list because it seemed silly to just say that, and then not give a couple examples, but the mental list of just the "essentials", was about 12 books long in 30 seconds... and growing)

~Chocolate. Oh chocolate. Need I say more? (and Hershey and Nestle are NOT on the list)

~Spring and Summer  Spring could not be a more perfect season. Positively sublime! And Springtime in Missouri is absolutely lovely. Especially coming from a childhood in Wyoming where Spring lasted a total of three weeks. Summer is so much fun! No school. Family trips. Playing in, around, and with water. Long  days. Sunshine. Grilling out. Healthy food. Families sitting around the fire. S'mores, iced tea, fresh lemonade... Road trips. Camping. Yes, even the humidity (remember- childhood in WY- extremely dry and arid). I love it.

~Kisses. I think this goes with out saying. Kisses are one of the most delightful gifts God gave to humans, whether they are coming from a sweet cheeked 8 month old baby, the man you love, or your 80 year old Grandma.

~Wine. I am no connoisseur, but I do know a good glass when I taste it! And I like, like, like it!

~Photographs. Pictures are doorways. They open our memories. They open new worlds to us right in our hands. And they really ARE worth thousands of words! If there was a fire... and my family was safe, I would definitely be grabbin the photos! I also love takin photos. But I currently own a camera I have no business owning, because I don't have a clue how to use it! If I get a good shot, it's pure luck at this point. Someday... I will learn how to use that thing the way I dream of! lol