Favorite Things (Cue the Music)

I'm a pushover for lists of favorite things. It could be someone's favorite fishing lures, and I'd still read it. I say if someone is willing to be a product guinea pig and share their opinion, then I'm more than willing to listen. If you feel the same way, read on!  You just might stumble on to something that you've been wanting to try or discover an item you didn't know existed.

JAG JEANS

Withhold judgment until you read what I have to say.

Yes, you pull these jeans on, but the fit is fabulous. Even though they're shown here with a top tucked in, you don't ever wear them this way unless Steve Urkel is your fashion icon . Here's what's so great about these jeans: No zippers or buttons AND the wider waistband keeps you snug and your tummy flat without, and I mean without, compromising comfort or fit. I like the straight leg, though I am planning on snagging a skinny black pair to wear all winter long tucked into boots.

I'm high-waisted (mine plays peekaboo under my bust), even so, these jeans don't squeeze into my non-existent waist and create spillover. Too much info, I know, but this is the kind of stuff women want to know.

They're available locally at Von Maur. Online try www.6pm.com. This site offers deep discounts -- up to 80% -- on name-brand items. I recently found a pair of Sofft leopard pumps for just $25.00!!
Standard ground shipping is free. Inventory doesn't generally include every size, but when you find yours, grab it. Things sell out rather quickly.

FREE FALL DECORATING

I flank our fireplace mantle with two metal French flower buckets, changing out the greenery seasonally. For fall, I like "stalkish," non-flowery filler. The ornamental grass (Miscanthus Sinensis) in our front yard flower bed is perfect. It looks like this when I cut it and bring it indoors:

Twenty-four hours after it's placed into the buckets it morphs into this:

 



While I wish this ornamental grass retained its original vibrant color and feathery form indoors, I like its fall "outfit." Now I just need to go outside and cut more to fill out the buckets.

SALLY HANSEN TRIPLE STRONG

I bit my nails from the time I was four until the day I graduated from high school -- I kid you not! I have no idea why I suddenly had the willpower to quit the habit I'd tried to kick, unsuccessfully, for 13 years. Whatever the reason, I now have long, strong, beautiful nails; that is, until a few years ago when my nails became brittle and started to peel. Thank you, menopause. Nothing helped, even an expensive treatment from my favorite shopping channel. The answer to my nail issue was as close as my neighborhood Walgreens: Sally Hansen's Triple Strong. This stuff really works. Apply it once a week. I use it as a base coat under nail polish and as a top coat. Remove it every week and apply again.

See for yourself: my nails are strong yet flexible and healthy.

 

 

 

THE WOOD SHACK ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUE

 



Oh, the treasures you'll find at The Wood Shack Architectural Antique on Baker Street in Fort Wayne: weathered shutters just waiting to become room dividers...old metal register grates begging to be hung as art work. Or, my favorite, finials. I don't officially collect them, but I do own three that I display as a trio, or as individuals grouped with other treasures.

 



Whether you're looking for artwork, shelves, or any other home accessory, make any reclaimed store your first stop. Peruse with an open mind, asking yourself, "What could this become?"

 

BABY LIPS

 

I've never been a lip balm girl. I think they're too gloppy and heavy. But lips need moisture, especially during winter. What's a girl to do? Use Maybelline's Baby Lips. It has a light feel on the lips, provides a sweep of sheer color, and, best of all, it makes your lips feel soft and hydrated.

 



 

 

JUGHEAD

 

Okay, the supersize insulated mug, er, tankard sold at Speedway isn't called Jughead; that's my name for this 64-ounce money saver. I was spending a literal fortune at fast food restaurants, buying up to three (some days even more) iced teas every day. At $1.08 a pop that adds up to . . . a lot.

 

Enter Jughead.

 

Now I make my own iced tea every morning using Lipton's Cold Brew tea bags. That in and of itself is a true miracle. I NEVER thought a five-minute cold brew could taste as good as made-from-hot-water, fresh-brewed tea, but it does. .

 

Granted, Jughead isn't pretty, but he does his job. Who could ask for more?

 

 

YASSO BARS

OH. MY. GOODNESS. I could wax poetic about these delectable Greek yogurt bars. They're creamy, high in fiber and protein, and only 80 calories. Eat them for breakfast, as a morning snack, an afternoon pick-me-up, or a treat -- they're THAT delicious and good for you.



Okay, you know what I'm loving right now. What about you? Tell me about your faves. I'm listening!