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When I was growing up, my mama was a big Oprah fan. She had the VCR set to record every day at 4pm and would hound the mailbox at the end of each month, checking for the next magazine. She looked forward to November each year for 2 reasons: Oprah’s Favorite Things episode and “Birthday Month”. My mother doesn’t just have a birth DAY she has an entire month of celebration. She always dreamed of combining the two and getting to be there in the studio when Oprah filmed her favorite things.
I guess you could say that she loved Oprah then like I love Chip & Jo now!
We all have our happy, don’t we?

In the last few years several of my favorite bloggers have posted their versions of Oprah’s once beloved Favorite Things and since I’m always on the lookout for fun presents, I’ve really looked forward to those posts. This year I thought I’d join them!
Hopefully you will find some fun ideas here that will get you inspired as you search for the perfect presents for your loved ones.

In no particular order, here are my favorites for this year…

HomeRight Paint Sprayer

I do love to hand-paint certain pieces like those pretty tables I showed you last week, but when I want a smooth clean finish I always use a paint sprayer. I dread applying finish by hand, I’m too much of a perfectionist.
My go-to sprayer is the HomeRight Finish Max because it’s affordable for the average DIYer, is easy to clean, and gives great results. My favorite thing about this sprayer is that I don’t have to haul around a heavy compressor! Just plug it in to an extension cord and you are good to go. I have had mine for 5 years and still love it.
HomeRight has awesome customer service and even sent me pictures to show me what to clean when my sprayer stopped working last month. It turns out there are two little holes that I didn’t know I needed to clean and they told me exactly how to do it. My sprayer is working like a charm. They are awesome and so is this sprayer.

Poldark

via PBS

Did you watch the first season of Poldark on PBS’ Masterpiece Theater this summer? Oh my goodness I was so in to it! I’m telling you, if you love period dramas then you NEED to watch this one!

Aiden Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson are wonderful together. Dare I say that I love this PBS series even more than Downton? Eek! I still love Downton but this one just really captivated me. If I had to choose between the two, I’d pick Poldark. Don’t hang me for treason, ok? It’s based on the novels by Winston Graham, that were published in the 1940’s. I am missing the show and may just have to read the books to have a little more Captain Poldark and Demelza in my life until the next season comes out next summer.

If you are wrapping presents and up for some binge watching, you can find the first season HERE.
You’re welcome.

Sharpie Pens

I know that everything is supposed to be paperless these days but I am still a handwritten kind of girl.
Like I told you in THIS post, I love the new Sharpie Pens! They are smooth, easy to write with, come in all sorts of fun colors, and there is no bleed through. I use them for everything that I would use a regular pen for but I especially love to use them with my planner and journals.

These would make a great stocking stuffer with a cute new notebook or some darling note cards.

Joey + Rory Feek

Remember how I told you HERE how much Rory + Joey’s journey has touched my heart?
Well, I think they are my favorite couple of 2015.

As I have continued to follow their story and listen to their music, I have felt such a connection with my Savior which has meant the world to me. I love that even though we don’t belong to the same church we can still be united together in the same cause, sharing the light and word of God. I pray that they can have comfort as Joey faces these final days of mortality. You can read Rory’s blog HERE and visit their website HERE. On their website you can watch their show and listen to their music and buy their albums.

I am hoping that Santa puts a couple of their albums in my stocking. (Hint, hint!)
I have Album Number Two and absolutely love it.

To Kill a Mockingbird

I read several books this year and they were all great but when I reread this old classic back in August, I remembered why I love To Kill A Mockingbird so much. Scout, Gem, Boo, and Atticus will always be some of my favorite literary characters.

Honesty here… I bought the sequel, but I’ve been too scared to read it for fear that it just won’t be the same.
Have you read it yet?

Shiplap

via Magnolia Homes

Yep, I’m still obsessed with Chip and Jo from Magnolia Homes and Fixer Upper. I drool over the items in their store, follow them on Instagram and DVR all their episodes. By the way, only 14 days until the new season starts!

I love Joanna’s style and the way she makes things feel so lived in and homey. I love the texture she uses in her design and have fallen head over heels for shiplap. My house is only 11 years old and there is no beautiful rustic wood hidden under my drywall but that doesn’t mean I can’t incorporate the look in my home. Come January my main floor is getting a face-lift and the shiplap look will definitely be making an appearance. I love color too much to live in an all white world so it won’t be covering all my walls. I’m thinking I’ll use it in my entry way, half bath, and down the hall into the kitchen. So. Many. Plans. Happy dance!

I guess what I’m saying here is wood would be a fabulous gift this Christmas, babe. 😉

Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 72% Dark Chocolate Bar

This picture sums up how much I love the Pound Plus bars at Trader Joes! I live an hour from a store so I don’t get them very often but when I do I am a happy woman! So much for my No Sugar September and that round of 21 Day Fix! Oopsies. These bars are huge, so I hit them against the edge of the counter to break apart the squares then I put the whole thing in a zip-top bag to keep it fresh. I grab a piece out here and there depending on how emotional or stressed I am. Because stressed spelled backwards is desserts, am I right?

If only we could get a Trader Joe’s on the Wasatch Back… sigh.

French Rolling Pin

I don’t know if you know this about me, but I love to bake.

I started making cookies when I was a little girl and I’ve had the itch ever since. It’s one of those skills that bring me joy. Quite honestly, it has turned into a talent and a detriment at the same time. If only I loved to bake and not eat it! Haha!
One of my favorite baking tools is my french rolling pin. I use it to roll out pie crust, make sugar cookies, crush graham crackers and corn flakes, and sometimes even to threaten my children… just kidding… sorta. My mama got mine at a lunch lady sale in Idaho (Much love to Auntie Kim and all you lunch ladies out there!) but you can find similar ones HERE.

I have big hands so regular rolling pins usually leave me with sore flour covered knuckles. When I use my french pin I feel all fancy and old school which for some strange reason makes it all fun for me. I have issues, I know.

In my opinion, every baker needs a nice french rolling pin.

Savannah, Georgia

If you follow along on Instagram you might remember our short vacation to Georgia this past February. I have wanted to go to Savannah for years and getting to tag along on my hubby’s business trip was a dream come true! I am a huge history buff, so to get to walk the cobblestone streets and take in all the antebellum architecture made me smile for days.

There was so much to see and do.

We visited Tybee Island, spent hours exploring Fort Pulaski, ate lots of delicious food (Hey Miss Paula, your butter cake is fantastic but the serving is WAY too small!), and marveled at the huge old moss covered oak trees.
Just beautiful.

I spent a whole afternoon walking around historic downtown all by myself, checking out antique stores, people watching, and gawking at old buildings like the Lutheran church that this stunning red door belongs to.
I could have spent 2 weeks there and still found more to see.

I know the thing now is to take cruises, but man you really should go to Savannah at least once in your lifetime.
I have a feeling it will be a favorite trip for years and years to come.

Old Home Love

via Old Home Love

You have to be living under a rock if you are in Utah and haven’t heard of Old Home Love yet.
Andy and Candis Meredith have taken their passion for old homes and created a wonderful business, and now T.V. show, where they restore old homes back to their former glory. I love to follow their adventures on Instagram. Their show originally aired last month on the DIY Network but don’t stress, they air again TODAY on HGTV!

If you are into old houses you will enjoy watching this cute couple make these neglected buildings shine. I love that they are a blended family with lots of kids showing the world how to put passion and tools to work.
Old homes will always be my favorite and I love this couple for saving them.

Bonus!

Because I’m partial to odd numbers I’m going to throw in a bonus favorite.
What can I say, I’m cool like that.

I don’t know about you, but I love when I find a pinner on Pinterest that I really identify with.

If I could sum up my style it would be somewhere right in the middle of Junk Gypsies, a gal that I’ve met (only on the internet, haha! Social media is so weird.) through a local Facebook Group, named Andrea Duffy, Joanna Gaines, and darling blogger Natalie Noack of Natalie Creates. I love their pins and look forward to them whenever I need a creative boost. If you are wanting to go the handmade route for gift giving, check out their boards for inspiration!
Which reminds me, I’m hoping to have some simple handmade gifts up on the blog in the next couple weeks so stay tuned.

Well there you have it, my favorite things 2015!

I hope this post got your wheels turning and gave you some ideas for your gift giving or just satisfied your love of old houses, country music, 18th Century Cornwall, and chocolate. Whatever works.

So tell me, what is one of your favorite things from 2015?