We'll miss you Oprah!

On Wednesday this week I witnessed the final curtain call of the Oprah show. And it truly was a very bittersweet experience for me. I mean no more Oprah shows?  That's a hard pill to swallow.  Though I am not a person who watched every day, I cannot even recall how many of these shows I've watched and fondly remember.  Too many to count. I've had Aha moments, Oh No! moments and all the other moments in between.  Most of all though, I have learned many lessons and was challenged by someone bold enough to shine a spotlight on the good, the bad and the ugly.  Am sure it was hard but Oprah did what she felt was her mission.  She just wanted to make a positive difference in people's lives.  I couldn't hold back the tears when I saw the millions of people whose lives she has touched in some way, many of them coming back to say thank you. Some she will never meet or know about.

From the mega stars to the heart beat of the Oprah show, the house wives, they all came forward to say thank you.  I say thank you too Oprah.  Thank you for showing us that the greatest gift we have to give the world is ourselves.  Thank you for showing us that we can love ourselves and others, idiosyncrasies and all!  You showed us that achieving greatness simply means fulfilling one's purpose, whatever it is.  And you showed us by example. Though you came from such humble beginnings you believed that God had a purpose for your life and you thrived......and thrived....and achieved the unimaginable. God speed and I know that you will continue to shine. As for us....we say goodbye to your show but we will keep you close to our hearts.

And These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things....

I don't know if any of you caught the "Oprah Favotite Things" show that aired recently.  If you did then you're probably still in traction from laughing so hard.  It was absolute madness!!!  People were screaming hysterically, jumping up and down, gasping for air, clutching their chest, I am pretty sure a few of them even passed out.  Oprah is hard core folks!

Well, after watching this I was inspired to share some of my favorite things as well.  I cannot give you cars like Oprah yet but what I can give you is really nice gift ideas that will save you time and money.  So, lets do this!

First up these gorgeous emerald green earrings inspired by one of Angelina Jolie's red carpet looks.  These earrings are incredible looking and they are under $80.00.  Not bad at all for something that you can wear for years to come.

Next is one of my absolute favorite gifs to give, holiday gift baskets. You can personalize these to meet every personality under the sun.  Just fill the basket with your friend or family member's favorite things and you have a gift that will not only be appreciated but remembered! (Tip: some the filler items can be very inexpensive, like a particular chocolate bar or a favorite book but together all of these things make a wonderful gift for the recipient) Also it does not have to be a basket, it could be any good looking container, be creative!

And what would Christmas be without some sparkle?  This bib necklace is perfect for the woman who is not afraid to shine......yes, the pun was intended.

If you have girl friends who likes fashion like I do, makeup is a great gift to buy.  Trust me she will love it!  There are so many trends in makeup right now and you certainly can be as tame or daring as you want to be.  The best discovery for me however is the fact that I can now buy organic makeup that was made with my health in mind. How fabulous is that. Here is a great brand called Afterglow whose pieces range between $16.00 and $18.00 per piece.

Tip: Nail polish, eye shadows, neutral lipsticks, eye pencils and bronzers are a good choice since they work with lots of skin tones and are not as specific as face powders. If you are not too confident stick with neutral palettes.

This list would not be complete or realistic without something technological, after all technology is now a vital part of our daily lives. So here is a little beauty that stole my heart.  The Canon IXUS 105 digital camera, as advanced in function as it is stylish. The question is, who wouldn't love this digital camera?  (Retails for around $165.00) 

These dinner plates from Delfina Dinnerware really caught my eyes in more ways than one.  I just love the pop of color!  Imagine how marvelous this would look on a table. Of course you can mix and match  with other pieces or buy the whole set, whatever you do, its bound to look spectacular!  A great gift for mom. (Retails for $51.80 for 4 dinner plates) 

Now this is not something you should do on a whim, however if you have a child or special love one who adores animals, wants one and could take proper care of it, you cannot go wrong with a pet.  Its common knowledge thats a pet loves its owner unconditionally and thats something we could never have too much of.

Tip: visit your local animal shelter first before buying a pet.  There are many animals waiting to be loved and given a good home.  Also, in most cases it will cost a fraction of the cost to adopt than it would to purchase a pet.