Some favorite things and a mild addiction

Been super busy lately with the family so I haven't had a lot of time to put together a post but this morning I got up early and the teen is gone for the day and the spouse is still in bed, so I thought I take a few minutes and post something.......

Have I told you that I'm a candle freak?  well, candles and wax tarts/cubes.....lately it's been more wax tarts/cubes and I have to admit that I have a LOT....it's my mild addiction.....lol.....I've also found that the Better Homes & Gardens wax cubes you can purchase at Walmart are just as good as the expensive ones from Yankee Candle and Scentsy, or at least to my nose they are.   I'm partial to fruit and nature smells and I can't seem to pass them up when I see them.  Here's just a part of my current stash.

 A few weeks ago, I made a stop at Ulta to use a coupon and my reward points before they expired and I scored on these two things........cheap.....

I've been eyeing that butterLONDON polish for some time...it's called "Artful Dodger" and that Stila powder was something that I came upon at the store....it's a great finishing powder with just a bit of sparkle to it!

One of my favorite stores in Des Moines is eden in the East Village.  I've been buying from Jennifer for years and it's this store that turned me on to Kiehl's.  She was the first brick and mortar to carry Kiehl's west of the Mississippi for a long time.  It's very close to where I work, but I don't get in there as often as I would like and that's probably a good thing in regards to my pocketbook, BUT I was going right past the store on one of my days off and had some time, so I stopped to browse and came home with another one of my favorite things......Caldrea

Beside the fact that the company is owned by a mother/daughter duo originally from West Des Moines (gotta love hometown girls), the products are heavenly, but a bit pricey so I always consider it a spurge to buy.  I love this laundry wash for delicate clothing I wash.

Back in August I was in Baltimore for a work conference and my hotel was right across the street from an anthropologie and anyone that knows me knows I can stop from peeking my head in the store.  I wish I was 25 years younger so I could wear their clothes....alas I'm not young enough or skinny enough any more, but I ADORE their home collection.  I had been wanting a new butter dish, but I wanted one with some flair, when I saw this one.......I knew it was the one....it's blue...my favorite color and it's got yellow in it and all good swedish people have blue and yellow in their homes.  :)

Last, but not least and of course, it's in the food category of favorite things.....I can't leave without mentioning food.....but caprese salad.  LOVE it!  If I'm out to dinner and either these for bruschetta is on the menu, it's mine......all mine.  The one below is the last one I made with our own homegrown heirloom tomatoes and basil, fresh mozzarella drizzled with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Have a great weekend!  I'm spending mine trying to get organized for the upcoming holiday season.....making my lists and checking them twice.