Owltastic!

I am not sure whoooo determined owls would be en vogue this year (and hopefully indefinitely), but they deserve a doff of my cap (if I was wearing one). I love animals and decor with animals or jewelry with animals. I'm not sure what it is: a woodsy appeal, or something warm-and-fuzzy from childhood, or the lure of nature, or maybe just the need in many people to cling onto something that is popular and 'in'. I may have a little of all those things, but mostly, I love owls!

In 'real life' (there are many versions of life that I have 'going' at the same time: dreams, imagination, work, home and then the mysterious 'real' life ... it's a lot to juggle, I won't lie) owls are just a tiny bit scary. This doesn't really endear me:




Disturbing!




Beautiful, but slightly creepy.


But the following examples of owl themed collectibles definitely endear me! I am currently working on my personal collection ... I love the eclectic, cheerful vibe these little owls can bring to a room or an outfit.

This great owl statue from my cousin - so green and handsome!

This orange owl cookie jar. I have previously blogged about my desire for said owl, for obvious reasons:

This presh Betsey Johnson owl ring, which I just purchased from Macy's:

This past weekend, I scored this darling owl oven mitt by Kitch'n Glam at Paper Source in North Park Mall. TOO cute:

Not to mention this great sparkly ornament and cotton rug at Urban Outfitters:

Also, Conan likes owls ... 'nuf said. ;)

What about you? Are you an animal lover? Let me know what your favorite animal is and if you have decor or jewelry with an animal theme.

A Random Conglomeration: Today's Good Things

So I have decided to go out on a limb today and blog about things pretty much not at all related to my kitchen. Which calls into question the very identity of my blog: Should I rename it and focus my blogging energies in a more generalized direction? hmm ... food for thought.

Anyway, there are few things today that I'm simply mulling over because they make me happy so ... I thought I would share.

Item #1: My trench coat. It's FOG by London Fog. It's tan. It has lots of bottons, pockets, and a belt. I love it. And thanks to this stunning Fall weather (Thank you, Dallas, for finally getting with the program!), I am able to wear it now. And thanks to this weather, our windows have remained open for the last four delicious days ... ahhh.

Item #2: If you are craving a moisturizing, fast-absorbing (for real this time! Not one of those false gimmicks used to get us to buy and then, psyc! Your hands are tacky for like, an hour), and absolutely delicious smelling hand creme, look no further than FREEMAN brand GoodStuff Organics Moisture Whipped Hand Creme. I die. This stuff is hand cream heaven on earth (is it 'creme' or 'cream'? The bottle says 'creme' but I usually say 'cream' ... *shrugs*). Going into the cool/dry months and seeing the reasonable price, I stocked up. Go here to buy it, or get it at WalMart for $1 cheaper and no shipping. The savings add up!

Item #3: This darling owl cookie jar at Anthropologie (pictured below)! Now I am not in the habit of keeping cookies around my house, let alone storing them in jars specifically crafted for holding cookies -- what a waste of space and money. pfftt However, the moment I clapped eyes on this owl, I decided it was high time to add a cookie jar to my kitchen counter! (Hey, my kitchen is back in the picture - I haven't completely digressed.) But wait! Is that the real price? It's not April Fool's Day and someone forgot to send me the memo? $128 for a ceramic owl, people ... so true and yet so tragic because it means unfortunately my kitchen will not be sporting this wise (and yet not so wise! lol) addition anytime soon. But I can admire, can't I? Yet that can lead me down a slippery slope of mad Googling and eBaying for a more economical alternative. I have yet to find one but I will keep you (my 2 faithful blog followers) posted. Maybe this means I need to hit some more garage sales, maybe a thrift shop or two ... *strokes chin*



what a great owl!!


And lastly but not leastly ...

Item #4: In my online quest for the perfect, darling owl at the right price, I happened on a lovely blog called Smorgasbite and a recipe for Earl Grey cookies. (Now if only I was so creative as to name my blog something like that!) Anyway, considering my love of both Earl Grey tea and cookies in general (despite my lack of cookie jar), I decided I'll be giving them a whirl. I have baked Earl Grey Shortbread in the past but they weren't a raging success and the little flecks of EG leaves weren't the most appetizing (maybe I should spend more time pulverizing, as the recipe suggests). We'll see if I can do better this time ... and of course blog about it. What else? ;)


OK. That's all for now. Just thought I'd share a few good things that I'm enjoying today.

Happy Hump Day!