We all have our FAVORITES - right? One of my favorite t.v. shows to watch every year was Oprah's Favorite Things give-away show where all 250+ audience members received some of the most beautiful; unique and sought-after items of the season. Everything from Breville Panini Makers to Judith Ripka 'Eclipse' earrings to trendy pink Ugh boots. It was so exciting to watch and over the top for sure! The best part was that audience members had no idea they were there for THAT SHOW so it was a huge and thrilling surprise if you got to hold one of those coveted seats!
Well as everyone knows, Oprah has moved on with her OWN Network so the Favorite Things shows are now a thing of the past and we will miss them dearly. However, today I want to share my top favorites of the season and give you some great gift ideas for Products & Services that you might not have seen or heard of. We all want to be clever and unique in our gift giving right? Some of these items I have listed are very special and custom made and well worth the effort to find! I have also found many of these fantastic products from San Diego based companies. Happy Holiday Shopping!!!
HEATHER'S FAVORITE THINGS #1
Shea Chic's "Holiday Bliss" Candle
http://www.sheachic.com/category_34/Shea-Chic-Candles.htm
I love these candles that come in a tin - great for travel so you can always light a candle wherever you go!
Hand Painted Ornaments by: Artist Jacqueline Myers-Cho
Available at Monet's Gardens Studio & Gallery in N. Hollywood, CA & Other Locations
Contact the Artist Directly on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/myerscho
I ordered several of these ornaments from Jacqueline and they are so adorable - each one is hand painted and customized with different textures, fabrics, ribbons, jewelry embellisments, etc. Extremely personal and one-of-a-kind!
HEATHER'S FAVORITE THINGS #3
John Hardy Men's Woven Leather Bracelet with Bamboo Clutch
http://www.johnhardy.com/men/bracelets/bm5161bl?back=/product_grid_lazy/27%3Fpage%3D3
I am a huge fan of jewelry designer John Hardy. As I costume jewelry designer myself, I have great respect for the beauty and simplicity of his designs and since I don't make men's jewelry - I especially love his bracelet's from the Bamboo Collection. Simple yet sophisticated.
HEATHER'S FAVORITE THINGS #4
Sweet Butter Kitchen, Cafe & Marketplace, Sherman Oaks, CA
http://sweetbutterkitchen.com/photos.asp
"Enter through Sweet Butter's wrought iron gates and the patio herb garden into the rustic marketplace and discover a delectable array of housemade muffins, scones, cookies and layer cakes. Enjoy Sweet Butter's signature soups, salads and sandwiches made from the freshest seasonal ingredients -- and don't forget to come back in the afternoon for our chalkboard take-away dinner specials. Sweet Butter Kitchen, Café and Market proudly offers an extensive selection of hand-picked artisan retail items, many of which we use in the Sweet Butter kitchen."
HEATHER'S FAVORITE THINGS #5
BURLAP Restaurant in Del Mar
http://www.burlapeats.com/
Okay, here's my new favorite "go-to" restaurant with girlfriends. I recently purchased a couple of coupons from Bloomspot.com for $20 (good for $40 worth of food). Well worth every penny! I've had lunch there 3 times now in the past two months and dinner once. The Red Chile Rock Shrimp dish was the bomb and the Short Rib appetizer - OMG. I ordered the shrimp and grits for brunch and unfortunately, it arrived to my table luke-warm, however, the server immediately rectified the problem - a new dish was fired; they gave me a complimentary glass of house Chardonnay, and, comped my carrot cake dessert. Now that's great business!
HEATHER'S FAVORITE THINGS #6
Make Meaning, New York
http://www.makemeaning.com/create/cake-decorating
If you live in New York - this is the happenning place to be with your kids! Whether your kids are young or old; crafty or not, there will be something that will inspire them to create the minute they walk in the door! I recommend purchasing a Family Membership Card for the year because trust me, you will want to go there regularly with your family, or even with your spouse for a date night. Make Meaning offers people of all ages the opportunity to make their own Soap, Candles, Paper Crafts, Ceramics, Fused Glass, Jewelry, and now even Cake Decorating. You can also purchase Make Meaning Gift Cards for family and friends directly from their website. They just opened a 2nd location on the Upper West Side that is even BIGGER than the first and have plans to open more locations Nationwide.
HEATHER'S FAVORITE THINGS #7
Barlean's 100% Organic Coconut Oil
http://www.barleans.com/coconut_oil.asp
Those of you who know me, know that I LOVE TO COOK! This is probably my favorite oil to cook with. Many people do not realize the amazing health benefits of this wonderful product. I was introduced to it several years ago when I had pro volleyball players staying with me while they trained for the Canadian Olympics. They were using coconut oil in everything! Even melting tablespoonfuls of it and putting it in their orange juice. It is wonderful for athletes and I think Barlean's is the BEST of the BEST. I stir fry all of my veggies in it as it adds wonderful flavor. I also use it in baking and substitute it for butter. Try it melted on popcorn! If you have health conscious friends - here's a gift idea for them - put together a gift basket of Barlean's products i.e. Coconut Oil, Flax Oil, Omega Swirl, etc., with one of the healthy cookbooks from their website.
HEATHER'S FAVORITE THINGS #8
Glass Beaded Pendants by Artist Dolly Libby
http://www.starcandydesigns.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=1489
I can not say enough about the amazing glass work of my talented friend Dolly Libby. She makes these gorgeous marble sized glass beads by hand - they are formed on a torch and then fired in a kiln. A sterling silver bail and end cap are then fused on. Each pendant comes on a black silk cord finished with lobster claw or magnetic clasp. What a beautiful, unique gift for someone special!
HEATHER'S FAVORITE THINGS #9
Briolette Crystal Earring Set by Star Candy Designs
Can you believe this set of 4 pairs of genuine Swarovski crystal briolette earrings is only $119! Four gorgeous colors: Crystal Silver Shade, Lt. Rose, Crystal Golden Shade, Lt. Sapphire. All with sterling silver shepherd's hook earwires. Any woman would love these and she will be set for all of those Holiday parties!
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST....
HEATHER'S FAVORITE THINGS #10
Garret's "Chicago Mix" Popcorn
Okay, not necessarily the most healthy gift to give someone but if I'm going to buy a decadant treat - this is the thing I'm going to buy over and over. The 2lb size tin of "Chicago Mix" was featured on Oprah's Favorite Things show last year and guess who ordered it? It is 1lb of cheese popcorn combined with 1lb of caramel popcorn OMG!!! Yes, that salty and sweet mix is highly addictive. I had to hide the tin from myself just to stop eating it.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT - MY TOP FAVORITE THINGS OF THE SEASON!
Have a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season
TREAT YOURSELF!!!
Best Wishes,
Heather Short
Artist / Designer / Consultant
Star Candy Designs Jewelry
BUY a $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE today from Star Candy Designs and I will
DOUBLE THE VALUE!!! (Valid until 12/20/11)
Heather's Favorite Things for 2011 & 2012
Reviewed by pada mama
Published :
Rating : 4.5
Published :
Rating : 4.5
