Hostess Gifts

First of all, I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I certainly did - I spent time with family in Florida, shopped, relaxed, enjoyed the warm weather, and - most importantly - ate a lot! Thanksgiving is really a time to reflect on what it is we are most thankful for and I could not feel more blessed to have the incredible family I have. I am so lucky!

Now that the holidays are in full swing I thought a great post would be focused on hostess gifts. Many of us will be attending holiday parties and it is always nice to bring a little something for the hostess. Obviously, flowers and food are always lovely but these special items are sure to get you invited back again and again!

Love these personalized candles from Pottery Barn! I've already ordered one for myself... :)


This beautiful box is filled with pre-planted paperwhites. Just add water and watch them grow!


I love these Mariposa napkin holders! There are a variety of napkin weights to choose from and beautiful cocktail napkins come with each holder. A great gift!



For something a little less pricey, a selection of cocktail napkins always makes a nice gift. I love these new Caspari patterns!


This candle is so fragrant and amazing - it just smells like Christmas! Bonus - if you have an artificial tree, this smells just like the real thing.


Another option - pick up a cute plate (like this one I got at Homegoods for $5 - can you believe that?) Bake some treats and add the recipe to make this an extra special and personal gift.

Christmas Decor

If I had unlimited funds, I would decorate every inch of my house for Christmas. I love it! Here are some of the items I have my eye on for this Christmas...


I love this garland! It actually looks very similar to the wreath I bought for my front door last year.


Love these ornaments! I don't know if I have enough room on my tree....


Have I ever mentioned my obsession with square boxwood wreaths? Want this!!!


How cute are these guest towels? I may have already purchased one for myself.... :)


Also love this wreath. I have a bit of a wreath fetish....


And a bit of a guest towel fetish as well.


Case in point, the third guest towel that I want. I only have 1.5 bathrooms!


Love these trees - beautiful!


Finally.... can my house please look like this someday?

Please Go Away

For all of you who don't know who this is (and how could you not if you've watched the news in the past week) this is Carrie Prejean, former Miss California whose claim to fame was her answer at the Miss USA pageant. When asked if she felt the rights of marriage should be extended to all people - gay or straight - she answered that she believed marriage should be between a man and a woman. Now, while I do not agree with her, I fully support her in her answer. After all, aren't we allowed to have and express differing points of view in this country? However, her latest press tour promoting her book and all the media surrounding it has really begun to irritate me. First, there were stories about her breast implants, then the topless photos, and now a sex tape she allegedly made when she was 17 years old. My question is this - if she is such a good Christian woman as she claims - a supporter of conservative values - why is she posing for topless photos and making sex tapes? I find it very hard to believe that a true conservative would behave the way she has in the past few years. I think what Carrie Prejean is an opportunist. She gave her answer and capitalized on the media frenzy it created. Now, she is using her 15 minutes to make public appearances and sell books. Can you tell that it bothers me? It does. Click here to see her embarrassing appearance on Larry King. Yikes.

Opinions Please!

I am so sorry I have been such a bad blogger lately! Things have been so busy. My weekend has been pretty boring with the exception of last night when I had a first date. I have been doing match.com for about two months now and to be completely honest - it has not been going as well as I had hoped. BUT, I am trying to stay positive! I know I WILL meet a great guy soon - either on match or some other way. Right? Right!

All that being said, I have a question for you lady followers out there.... Do you expect a man to pay for a meal on a first date? I'm not neutral on this - I expect a man to pick up the check on a first date and am really turned off when they don't. I know it's not politically correct, but that's the way I feel. Needless to say, the gentleman - scratch that - man I went out with last night did not pick up the check and that was one (of the many) reasons why there will be no second date for the two of us. Reason #2 is that he was home schooled and I find that a little odd.... Just curious - as independent women living in 2009, what are your thoughts? I'd love to hear them!