These Are a Few of My Favorite Things: October Edition

One thing I really like to do for my sweet readers is to share about things I'm loving - beauty products, fashions, household goods, foodie finds...  You name it!  If I love it enough to blog about it, then that obviously means it's really great.  I'm going to make my very best attempt at doing some rendition of this post each month, covering what I'm really, really absolutely currently loving.  Without further adieu, I bring you "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things:  October Edition."

• VESTS
• If I could put just one word on a marquee in bright, flashing, neon letters and project it into the sky for all the world to see....  That word would be VESTS.  I LOVE me some vests!  Seriously, I feel like I could just wear them every day.  If it were acceptable and not a death wish to wear a vest in Arkansas during the month of July, I'd be just the girl doing that very thing.  I only have three vests in my little collection, but I really feel as though I could have one vest for each day of the year.  That is a testament to just how much I love them.  Except jean vests...  I haven't quite gotten into those just yet.  However, give me a good puffer, fur, or outdoors vest and I am sold.  I wear them over thin sweaters with scarves.  I wear them over chambray tops.  I wear them over dresses.  I wear them over workout sweatshirts and yoga pants to the gym.  I might even wish to sometimes wear them with my pajamas.  I am THAT vest girl.  There just isn't enough love in the world for my true vest obsession.  My fur vest is the perfect accessory to dress up an otherwise drab ensemble.  My Patagonia vest?  Well, it's perfect for anything.  It's just the epitome of perfect.  And my pièce de résistance is the one and only J. Crew Factory Herringbone Puffer Vest.  The very coveted vest that I scoured Factory store after Factory store, just to get my hands on.  That's true love, y'all...  If I could wear more than one of these vests at a time, I certainly would.  Every day.  For forever.  Get it?  Got it?  Good.

• Frye Melissa Button Boots
• If you are a boot connoisseur and you don't own a pair of Frye's...  What on earth is wrong with you?!  Albeit, they are on the pricey side.  I splurged and bought myself a pair last year, and haven't looked back since.  Sometimes I wonder what my life was like before I owned this boot.  Then I realize I'm basically reminiscing a nightmare and I immediately snap out of it.  To say I am obsessed with these boots is putting it lightly.  I could truly wear them every single day for the rest of my life and be perfectly fine with it.  It doesn't even need to be cold.  I'll die of a heat stroke for the sake of these boots. 

• Whitney English Day Designer
• I'm getting a little ahead of myself here.  I do not, nor have I ever to this point in my life owned one of these day designers.  In college, I was a die-hard Vera Bradley agenda fan.  Then, for the past two years, I've been the world's largest proponent for the Erin Condren Life Planner.  I've decided this year to take the plunge with good ol' Whitney English, and, for this very reason, I am more than slightly excited for January 1st.  You can find Whitney's shop on Etsy, and she has lots of patterns to choose from.  I may or may not stalk Whitney on Instagram...  I'm obsessed.  If I hadn't decided to buy a day designer before I found her on Insta, I am 110% sold now.  What else sold me?  The description of the day designer states it's "a yearly strategic planner & daily agenda for the creative entrepreneur."  Yep...  SOLD!  I'll be ordering my 2014 Day Designer soon, as they ship out starting November 15th. 

 

• Kendra Scott Earrings
• Again, I've never owned a pair of these...  But oh how I am lusting over them!  For the most part, I wear pearl stud earrings.  I have too many pairs of earrings to count, but I always revert to the simple.  Enter, the Kendra Scott earring.  I can't decide if I love Danielle or Elle more...  Danielle is a little larger and a slightly different shape.  My other issue?  The fabulous colors!  How on earth is a girl to choose?!  However, if someone held me at gun point right this instant and said "tell me your favorite Kendra Scott earring style and color or else I'll shoot," I'd probably have to go with the Danielle Oval Statement Earring in Turquoise.  Or in Chalcedony???  Unless said event was to happen during the spring or summer months, when I might say the Danielle in White Mother of Pearl...  Or perhaps the Elle in Salmon and Gold.  AHHH!  Decisions, decisions....  Moral of the story, I'd be happy with pretty much any color of this earring.  And I can't help but imagine that said pair of earrings would make an appearance in my wardrobe time and time again.

• Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal Bath
• A total aversion from fabulous earrings, but I just cannot get enough of this stuff!  I have fairly sensitive skin that tends to get especially dry during the fall and winter months.  Year round, I bathe and wash my face with strictly Cetaphil products and also exclusively use Cetaphil lotions to tend to my sensitive complexion.  When I need an extra little boost, I turn to Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal Bath.  You might recall being bathed in this stuff when you had chicken pox, and have definitely heard of oatmeal bath if you've ever been a victim of poison ivy, sumac, etc.  The best thing about it?  You can pick it up at your drugstore and it's super inexpensive.  A box of 8 packets {you use one packet per bath} will typically run  you about seven bucks.  It's endorsed by Good Housekeeping, which we all know is a plus.  And my favorite thing about Aveeno products is that they're gentle on skin.  Plus, to be so natural, they smell surprisingly pleasant.  If you battle skin issues in the colder seasons, try this stuff and let me know what ya think!

• Fondue
• If you're a regular here, you know I've got a pretty tight-knit group of gal pals who I adore spending my time with.  I just love having a group of friends to call if I need a girls night!  We always come up with a different theme or plan for our night - be it picking up a pizza and chatting on the couch, puppy play date, or Pinterest-inspired cooking nights...  We love to have fun!  My very favorite theme is FONDUE!  Last year for Christmas, I asked for a fondue pot.  I'm pretty sure my mother thought I was crazy.  Have you ever eaten at the Melting Pot?!  If you haven't and you live in a large metro area, you really have to try it!  There's not a Melting Pot in sight for me, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.  My sweet mother obliged with a fondue pot for Christmas, so the next order of business was to schedule a fondue girls night.  We've had at least 2 more since then!  The beauty of the Internet is that it's swimming with Melting Pot fondue recipes, my very favorite being a beer cheese recipe.  I bring the fondue pot and we get cheese and other ingredients and chop up veggies and French bread and go to town!  In case you've not yet jumped onto the fondue craze, a meal of cheese and veggies is just perfect with a glass of red wine!  For dessert?  We clean out the fondue pot and make chocolate fondue, which is glorified by pound cake, strawberries, marshmallows, and the like.  If you're looking for a fun night with your gal pals, think fondue!

• Pumpkin spice coffee creamer
• Like any gal, I've got scores of friends who fall victim to the Starbucks craze.  Don't get me wrong, Starbucks is fabulous.  I'm just not the girl who cares to spend five bucks on a cup of coffee on a very regular basis!  Enter, my Keurig and pumpkin spice coffee creamer!  SO much less expensive and, to me, the cost savings completely justify the difference in taste.  I use the Archer Farms {Target} brand of Hazelnut K-Cups and add International Delight's Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer.  Sometimes I'll drink it hot, sometimes I'll add ice, or if I'm feeling really adventurous I'll break out the Ninja and make a frapp version!  Whichever way, you really can't go wrong.  When I hear my friends talk about how they spend something like $30 a week (that's roughly $120 a month, in case you're wondering) on Starbucks, I can't help but slyly grin and continue to sip my own version of the PSL.

What are you really loving and can't live without lately?!  I'd love to hear!  If you have any fabulous product suggestions OR any questions about the ones listed above, just leave me a comment!  In the mean time, have a fabulous fall day and do something to make someone else smile today.  Be blessed! xoxo