Amanda's Favorite Things {that I get to keep!}

No sooner did I opened my Favorite Things Swap package, that I fell absolutely in love with my partner, Amanda. She wrote to me:

"So you must be getting ready for school now -- how exciting! College is such a fun way {and sometimes a little painful} way to explore who you are. And you've chosen the best field to study. I have degrees in English and Journalism and have been working in PR/Communication since I graduated. I truly believe you will be able to find all kinds of success when you can write and communicate well. But enough about work -- you're still at the fun stage. So here are a few of my favorite things-- with a few tailored to some of our shared interest: Fashion and things of the written nature. Hope you enjoy them. Cheers -- Amanda."

I found a pleasant little note with each item. Lucky me!

01. "Sure Kiehl's is great, but give me VanillaMint Chapstick any day. It's so tasty. I always have to search high and low for it and have to stock up when I actually find it!"

02. A wonderfully silky pashmina. "I wear pashmina type scarves all year round -- at work, traveling, as a winter scarf, at weddings, as a pillow, as a blanket - you name it, I've probably had one with me. They keep you warm and add a little bit of sophistication to any outfit."

03. "The best! MadLibs are just as fun now as they were when I was a little kid."

04. "I read this book on a dock on a lake in way northern Minnesota. I totally ignored my friends so I could finish it. For anyone who loves fashion, this book is a must. Seriously her life was so very, very elegant."

05. "I love pressed glass -- it reminds me of my grandma and great-grandma. I use pieces like this to hold jewelry at home. And staples, paperclips and erasers in my office."

06. "I got a lavender eye pillow as a birthday gift a few years ago. I wasn't sure I'd ever use it until one night when I couldn't fall asleep. It is the best cure for insomnia (or overactive imagination :). I made them for my wedding party when I asked them to stand up for me -- they're pretty easy to make and they smell so yummy. Enjoy it some night when you can't get your brain to calm down. Sweet dreams!"

07. "mmm -- these cookies (or digestives as they say in the UK) are so tasty. I had them in college when I visited friends studying in Galway, Ireland. We went through a package a day at tea time. I thought I'd have to wait until the next time I went to Europe to eat them again but I was so happy to find them at World Market."