Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens...

I love magazines like Real Simple, Martha Stewart and Blueprint: they give me such inspiration (and only inspiration, never much follow through) to be a little more organized. Not that I'm completely disorganized--don't forget one of my new year's resolutions was to get more organized--but I always aim to aspire to their organizational levels (of course, Martha doesn't have 3 kids running around her house--which is probably why it looks the way it does).

This month, in Real Simple, they devote most the issue to products that don't disappoint: 218 of the "smartest, most useful products for home, fashion, cooking, beauty [and] health" (to quote the cover line). But in the editor's letter, the editor goes on to describe her list of "people and things that don't ever disappoint." It's really inspiring, so much so that I've come up with a list of my own (in no particular order):

--My KitchenAid mixer: Cookie dough, mashed potatoes, you name it: if it needs to be mixed, I gladly lug this heavyweight out of the pantry. It is my favorite kitchen appliance, and it always, always does me well.

--My leopard-print boots: They are my smart, sexy, go-with-anything boots, and I always get complimented on them.

--My husband: He's attentive, caring, and a great sounding board to bounce ideas off of. While I don't always listen to it, I value his opinion. We're very opposite, but the kind of opposite that compliments each other, which I think is what makes our relationship so great.

--My PowerBook: This baby is 3 years old, and (knock wood) I've never had a problem. Every project that I've worked on has come from this computer, and it will be a sad, sad day when I have to replace it (which hopefully won't be for a very long time!)

--Bliss Plum Plum Body Butter: This is the world's best lotion. And it's discontinued (the scent, anyway). I tried for months and months to find another lotion that smelled just as good, with no luck whatsoever. And then, lo and behold, I found some Plum Plum at a Saks outlet in Clinton. I bought every tube they had, and I hope by the day I use the last tube, Bliss will come to their senses and reintroduce it.

--Antonia's Flowers perfume: The best. perfume. ever. My friend turned me on to it years ago; and while I've bought and used other perfumes, I always come back to this one. It's classic.

That's just my partial list... I could go on and on and on. I encourage you all to come up with some sort of list of your own... it makes you feel good, and appreciate the items on your list that much more.