Raindrops on roses and Whiskers on kittens...

These are a few of my favorite things ...

Caldrea Herbs of Provence
I loooooove Caldrea scents-- I've been a fan of the citron ginger dish liquid and kitchen counterspray for awhile. And I recently got the Herbs of Provence hand soap and lotion for the bathroom. It's a bit flowery with natural oils from rosemary, thyme and sage, but it's not overly-feminine.

Tar-jay sells the very affordable line for $5.99-$19.99. Not bad for something that feels so luxurious. If you're looking for an online source, Drugstore.com also sells Caldrea products (...unfortunately not Herbs of Provence though) including candles, laundry detergent and all purpose cleaner. AND they offer two day free shipping. 

Mint Cookie Crumble Ice Cream

If you're from Upstate New York, you're familiar with Stewart's Shops. They're simply THE convenience stores here. Based in Saratoga Springs, Stewart's is 2/3 family-owned, 1/3 employee-owned, encouraging great customer service. Although Stewart's started as a dairy business, they've expanded from milk and ice cream to hot coffee, lottery tickets, gas and quick to-go-food, all available 24-7. 

Stewart's is also synonymous with ice cream around here. I'm not the only one who loves it for being  fresh, creamy and delicious-- It consistently wins awards at the World Dairy Expo. 

Stewart's has earned rave reviews for its vanilla flavor, but I think that the Mint Cookie Crumble is most deserving. Mint Chocolate Chip had long been my favorite until the Cookie Crumble touched my taste buds. It's mint ice cream with fudge swirls and Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. Sooooo delish! Has to be a special treat though, because, unlike the mint chip, there's no such thing as "Light" Mint Cookie Crumble. 

Joss and Main

So many "invite only" websites have popped up recently. From One Kings Lane to the Foundary to OverSky to Gilt Group and JetSetter, there are sites for discounted everything! Joss and Main is one of those sites that I find myself drawn to every day (Sailor- just so you know I don't BUY something every day). I especially love their Curator's Collections, and today the site featured Emily Clarke. Emily's collection has the most incredible textures and patterns-- what an eye for design! 

A few weeks ago, another one of my favorite designers, Erin Gates of Elements of Style, had a Curator's Collection on Joss and Main. Erin actually has heavily influenced my preferred style of decor, which used to be strictly traditional/classic. She does a fabulous job of combining both classic and contemporary elements to create gorgeous rooms.

(Hello again, zebra print rug! swoon)

Spoiler Alert...Master Bedroom Decor

For the past couple of years while we've been apartment dwellers, I've really tried to refrain from buying any housewares or home decorating items. Mostly it was because I didn't want to waste money on something that would temporarily fit in with the decor of our apartment, but also because The Sailor doesn't like all of the cutesy, holiday decorations (i.e. Snowbabies, shamrock wreaths, orange glitter pumpkins)and knick-knacks that make a house a home.

Tick Tock... Deadline Coming Up Soon!

I love it when blogs that I read feature products-- Reading out about other people's favorite stuff is what so often drives me to find clothing, make-up and jewelry that I otherwise wouldn't have stumbled upon. It's even better when the products that bloggers feature are giveaways!

Here are two giveaways with fast-approaching deadlines on UNLUCKY Friday, the 13th:

Happy Easter!

Hope the bunny brought you some goodies! 

xoxo

Trend-ster

Okay, so I confess. The Fashion Gods (and my quest to remain forever young and trendy) got the best of me. I bought skinny colored jeans. The Sailor and I were shopping in Vermont, and JCrew had them on sale for HALF (you read that right, HALF) the price they are in the catalog or online.

Crazy for Coconut Cupcakes

Yesterday, a friend mentioned that she's getting cupcakes for her daughter to bring to school on her birthday later this week -- And ever since that conversation I can't stop thinking about cupcakes!

Hopes, dreams and possibilities on the pages

You'd never know it from the quality of writing on this blog, but few things are more fulfilling to me than reading an excellent book. So I really related to a couple of articles or features in last weekend's New York Times. The first one, "Draft," is a feature focusing on the art of writing.

In the first article of the series, "My Life's Sentences," Jumpha Lahiri writes: "We encounter books at different times in life, often appreciating them, apprehending them, in different ways. But their language is constant. The best sentences orient us, like stars in the sky, like landmarks on a trail."