A few of my favorite things...

I have made many purchases in my life, but a very small number of them are things that I truly love and appreciate. These days, I find myself gravitating toward things that are versatile and can be used in more than one situation or function. Below is a partial list of a few of my favorite things:

Storage ottomans. Not only do they make our couch more comfortable to sit on, they also store our miscellaneous items and my work-in-progress projects. Put a tray on top and they can also be used in place of a coffee table.

Toaster oven: For just the two of us, using the full sized oven is an overkill and a waste of energy. I use my toaster oven extensively as a toaster as well as a mini-oven. It's great for browning bagels, baking small batches of cookies and cupcakes and especially nice for warming up leftovers and individual casseroles. It is one of our most-used items in the kitchen.

ScottEVest trench coat. Another favorite item is my new trench coat from www.scottevest.com. First of all, it is not a "fashion" trench because it actually is waterproof and functional. I've always found it annoying that so many women's trench coats only look like a trench coat but doesn't do anything that functions like a trench coat. It's a pet peeve of mine how utterly useless women's clothing tend to be compared to men's clothes. I mean, how hard is it to add pockets to a circle skirt or dress? How hard is it to add inside pockets to a coat or jacket? All men's clothing have nice, easily accessible pockets so why not women's? Which is why my new trench coat is soooooo great! It has 18 pockets! That's right, 18 pockets! It may not be the most stylish of trench coats, but it's absolutely functional. A couple of things to note, however. It does get weird bumps and angles when you put stuff in the pockets. The iPad pocket, for instance, does not keep you looking sleek if you put an actual iPad in there. The camera pocket will give you a slight bump in your midriff. It also makes you look bulky and deformed if you stuff all 18 pockets. In an experiment, I did stuff all 18 pockets and was carrying a camera, umbrella, 2 folded up shopping bags, sunglasses, wallet, 2 sets of keys, phone, pen, ipad, ipad stylus, pad of paper, pocket tissues, card case, lipstick and lotion. Even if it was a magical coat and didn't end up looking bulky and misshapen, it weighed a LOT! Despite the fact that I had to pare down the amount of things I carry in this coat, it is the most useful coat I own. The features that I love best in this coat are the headphone wiring system, the fact that it's waterproof, the very deep front pockets, a stretchy key fob attached to the inside of one pocket so you can access your keys really fast, and the fact that my entire life is no longer concentrated in one bag when I go out. This is now my every day coat!

Convertible clothing. I love clothes that can be worn many different ways. My first taste of a convertible dress was when I bought one at a street fair. It is made from old saris and it is basically two long rectangles of silk cloth attached at the waistband. You can see an example of what I'm talking about here:
http://www.magicwrapskirts.com/Magic_Wrap_Skirts_Home.html
Another great convertible dress is the one-seam convertible dress:
http://rowena.typepad.com/rostitchery/infinity-dress.html
I have made this dress myself, and I am planning to make another with some modifications. I believe you can also buy versions of this from Victoria's Secret.
Other than the above, DKNY now also sells a convertible sweater. See videos of the different ways you can wear it here:
http://www.dkny.com/press/ways-to-wear-a-cozy-videos/
If you're into making your own convertible sweaters/wraps, you can head to Stitch Diva Studios and download the pattern for the Endless Cardi in crochet or knit.
The key to most of these convertible clothing is lightweight material such as silk. Creating folds, wraps and knots can become bulky unless you have a fabric that is very light, sturdy and airy. As much as I am trying to stay away from silk, I must admit that there is nothing out there like real silk. Hence, the reason why so many convertible clothing are made from silk.

iPhone.. This is an expensive item, but in my estimation, well worth the cost! Ever since I got one, it has never left my side. I use it to work from home, check email, browse the web and play games. I also use it as an e-reader and I read books and magazines off it. I even carry it with me to the kitchen to use the cookbook application I installed on it. I've been inputting my recipes into the application and cooking off my phone. At work, it keeps track of my appointments and my to-do lists. I use it for many things and whatever it can't do out of the box, there is probably an app for it in the app store. Even without all the apps, the fact that I use it extensively every day to text hubby or listen to music makes it a worthwhile investment.

So that's a short list of things that I am currently in love with. I find myself, these days, often battling with myself in regards to purchases. There are many things that I want, but don't need. There are also probably many things I could get rid of, but find it hard to let go. Such is life - a constant work in progress!