Here are a few random things that bring a smile to my face...
1. Those hot little towels and bowls of hot/roasted nuts they serve you in First Class. I truly hope with all the budget cuts American doesn't get rid of those two things. They seem frivolous, but those nuts are SO yummy - and there's a great mix of hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.
2. I don't need another throw, comforter, or whatever... 
And I'm sure I'll get one for Christmas, so if you are buying me a gift and considering that gift to be a throw, Pottery Barn has this fabulous "chunky hand-knit throw" for $89, it is so soft and cozy.
3. Great post-it notes, folders and little cards! I admit, I could be a paper addict. Aren't these adorable? I just bought folders to organize my life for 2009; and a funky little kit of notes, flags and list cards... as well as this amazing "to-do" list card. Just makes getting organized feel much better and not so much like a chore.
4. Those that know me well; know that I absolutely LOVE great food and eating out... especially non-chain restaurants. However, this past year, my love of Carrabba's and Bonefish Grille has changed my Stalin-like tendencies when it comes to dining in chains. (Mostly because of th
e lack of choices in some of the cities we go to...) So, this next favorite is a tie between the amazing Asian Pear Mojito from PF Chang's and the Pomengranate Martini from Bonefish (which the name is totally misleading, since it also has mango in there). WOW. (As a side note, I just saw that Bonefish has a Black Cherry Guava Mojito - that looks like it could be another contender; we'll have to try that next time.)
5. While we on the subject of drinks, Panera makes a lot of money off of me each week with their Iced Green Tea. I wish I could buy this by the gallon; there's probably a ton of sugar in that drink! Just don't tell me.
6. My heating pad. (Enough said.)
7. The absolute BEST tour gift that I've EVER EVER received in 17 years of being in the music industry were the Bose QuietComfort 2 Noise Cancelling Headphones.
Not only was this gift a complete surprise because it was so expensive (at $299 per pair x 100 people, that's a lot of money for a tour to spend), but also they are really quiet. And the upside is that when I'm loading in, it's obvious that I'm busy and sends the perfect "do not disturb" signal to those that want to bother me with crazy questions.
8. Sleep.
9. Good Design and Branding. Bad design - fonts, colors, lack of attention to detail drive me nutty. Why people who aren't designers try to design is beyond me. HIRE A PROFESSIONAL. Would you trust someone to cut your hair that works as a landscaper? Or a cashier? Or a mechanic? NO. So don't trust your art to just anyone.
My favorite ad campaign - the one that always grabs my attention - is for Absolut Vodka. I'd love to have a coffee table book of all these ads. (Well, and I love Absolut Vodka too! So that helps.)
10. My final, but probably MOST FAVORITE THING EVER is the cast from Sesame Street and the Muppets; they always put a smile on my face. I love watching Ker
mit, Grover, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and the rest of the gang.
My favorite clip is when Cookie Monster made a guest appearnce on Martha Stewart Living. She was getting so frustrated because Cookie was making a mess of their cookie-making! It was the funniest thing I've ever seen... and it was obvious the puppetter just kept poking at Martha to see how far he could push her! It was great.
And I'm really sad that I missed the Muppets taking over the Today show a few weeks ago. That would have been amazing to see.
When I started this, I wasn't sure if I would be able to think of 10 things... but this might warrant a version 2...
And I'm sure I'll get one for Christmas, so if you are buying me a gift and considering that gift to be a throw, Pottery Barn has this fabulous "chunky hand-knit throw" for $89, it is so soft and cozy. 
3. Great post-it notes, folders and little cards! I admit, I could be a paper addict. Aren't these adorable? I just bought folders to organize my life for 2009; and a funky little kit of notes, flags and list cards... as well as this amazing "to-do" list card. Just makes getting organized feel much better and not so much like a chore. 4. Those that know me well; know that I absolutely LOVE great food and eating out... especially non-chain restaurants. However, this past year, my love of Carrabba's and Bonefish Grille has changed my Stalin-like tendencies when it comes to dining in chains. (Mostly because of th
e lack of choices in some of the cities we go to...) So, this next favorite is a tie between the amazing Asian Pear Mojito from PF Chang's and the Pomengranate Martini from Bonefish (which the name is totally misleading, since it also has mango in there). WOW. (As a side note, I just saw that Bonefish has a Black Cherry Guava Mojito - that looks like it could be another contender; we'll have to try that next time.) 5. While we on the subject of drinks, Panera makes a lot of money off of me each week with their Iced Green Tea. I wish I could buy this by the gallon; there's probably a ton of sugar in that drink! Just don't tell me.
6. My heating pad. (Enough said.)
7. The absolute BEST tour gift that I've EVER EVER received in 17 years of being in the music industry were the Bose QuietComfort 2 Noise Cancelling Headphones.
Not only was this gift a complete surprise because it was so expensive (at $299 per pair x 100 people, that's a lot of money for a tour to spend), but also they are really quiet. And the upside is that when I'm loading in, it's obvious that I'm busy and sends the perfect "do not disturb" signal to those that want to bother me with crazy questions. 8. Sleep.
9. Good Design and Branding. Bad design - fonts, colors, lack of attention to detail drive me nutty. Why people who aren't designers try to design is beyond me. HIRE A PROFESSIONAL. Would you trust someone to cut your hair that works as a landscaper? Or a cashier? Or a mechanic? NO. So don't trust your art to just anyone.
My favorite ad campaign - the one that always grabs my attention - is for Absolut Vodka. I'd love to have a coffee table book of all these ads. (Well, and I love Absolut Vodka too! So that helps.)
10. My final, but probably MOST FAVORITE THING EVER is the cast from Sesame Street and the Muppets; they always put a smile on my face. I love watching Ker
mit, Grover, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and the rest of the gang.My favorite clip is when Cookie Monster made a guest appearnce on Martha Stewart Living. She was getting so frustrated because Cookie was making a mess of their cookie-making! It was the funniest thing I've ever seen... and it was obvious the puppetter just kept poking at Martha to see how far he could push her! It was great.
And I'm really sad that I missed the Muppets taking over the Today show a few weeks ago. That would have been amazing to see.
When I started this, I wasn't sure if I would be able to think of 10 things... but this might warrant a version 2...
