A Few of My Favorite Things

It wouldn’t be the end of a year without some lists.

In honor of my favorite movie, which is The Sound of Music (has been since I was in fourth grade) and was on tv last night, here are a few of my favorite things from 2009:

A video of my friends band, Fools & Horses, at a bar in Baltimore this past spring.  Just found these gems while digging through my computer’s old files.  They are singing to me specifically, and they are performing my favorite Beatles song, which happens to be “Here Comes The Sun.”  F&H were a big part of my life since my very first September in college and I miss them tremendously.  These four fellas are some of the sweetest, most talented (not to mention some of the most handsome) guys I have met in my life, so give them a listen.

Keurig Platinum Coffee Maker

Second, I am IN LOVE with the Keurig Coffee Maker I got for Christmas from “Santa” this year.  Now, you’re probably wondering, “Why does she need that- she still lives at home?”

…this is true.

However, my family and I just consider it an early “you have your own place!” gift.  For now, it’s being used by the family until the wonderful day where I will move out of my home and start a new life on my own.

For those of you who don’t know what this wonderful machine is, and can’t tell from the picture, it is a coffee/tea/hot chocolate machine that brews individual, perfect cups every time.   There are about 10 different brands to make “K-Cups” that can be used in the machine, each with dozens of different varieties.  You can chose different cup sizes as well.   It even tells you when it’s ready to brew!! It’s amazing.

Courtesy of ladygaga.com

Third, another one of my favorite things is Lady Gaga (as she comes on my iTunes right now).  I love everything about her- her weirdness, her voice, her song writing, her costumes, EVERYTHING.  As a drop out of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, she has made quite the name for herself.  And while some people may call her weird now, I feel that she won’t be appreciate until later, like Andy Warhol.  Try and name someone else who has come into fame as quickly as she has in the last few years…tough, right?

Lady Gaga’s career an inspirational story of someone who became a success on their own terms, and not anyone else’s.  Her versatility as a performer is demonstrated through her most recent album release called ‘The Fame Monster” AKA the ‘B’ side of “The Fame.”  Listen to Bad Romance and Speechless- she pulls off dance music and ballads so well, I don’t know which one she does better. Lady Gaga doesn’t go with the flow, which, in addition to her talent, has helped herlaunch her empire and brand.  If anything, just through her fashion alone.  The Kermit dress, her “hair bow”, the red lace dress she wore at the VMAs, the 10 inch heels in the “Bad Romance” video?  All created by high end designers.  Alexander McQueen (creator of those 10 inch heels, among other things) is basically her best friend, and not a shabby friend to have either.

So there you go, there are a few of my favorite things.  Honorable mentions include, but aren’t limited to: my iPhone, Harry Potter, graduating from Loyola College in Maryland, New York City, and Trader Joe’s.

It has been a great year, but I am ready to see what 2010 has in store for us.  Most importantly, increased use of social media and bringing my non-profit into Facebook, Twitter and blogging.

What are some of your favorite things from this year?  What are you looking forward to in 2010?

What are you Tweeting for #Tweetsgiving?

#Tweetsgiving has to be the coolest topic on Twitter I have seen to date.

With the celebration of Thanksgiving (the start of the kick-ass food season, as I like to call it…) mere days away, the trending topics of Thanksgiving and #Tweetsgiving show me just how grateful and gracious the Twitter world is- through Twibbons, Tweetups, and more.

#Tweetsgiving doesn’t start until 12 today, but it got me thinking about things for which I am thankful.  Of course, I can list the very obvious: my health, my job, my family + friends, my diploma, the long weekend, etc.  But what’s the fun in being obvious?

A beautiful tree in my town

So let’s try to dig a little deeper.  What else am I thankful for?  Trader Joe’s curry chicken salad and all of its goodies, the beautiful piano intro of “Backstreets” and all [good] music in general, the radiant colors of nature in the fall, social media and all of its daily entertainment [what would I do without status updates and trending topics?], my best friend’s bachelorette party in Atlantic City a few weekends away [hey, I need a get-away!] and her fiancé and her brother [both in our military, her brother stationed at Ft. Hood and her fiancé in Iraq] both serving our country, both safe and sound.  I am thankful for wonderful coworkers and all the food they bring into the office.  I am thankful for Macy’s and their Turkey Day Parade- the musical performances, the Rockettes, and the floats.  See which ones have been especially memorable over the past 80 years here.  If this doesn’t get you in the mood for Thanksgiving, I don’t know what will…

Mostly, I am thankful for the opportunity to have secured a job 4 months after graduating, in this economy, and actually be doing what I studied in college.  And all of this while working for a non-profit, using the compassion and commitment to social justice taught at Loyola.  Woohoo Jesuits.

Ok, so most of those were sappy and expected.  My bad.

In the wise words of Sally Brown, Charlie Brown’s blonde little sister, “Anyway, why should I give thanks on Thanksgiving? What have I got to be thankful for? All it does is make more work for us at school.”

While it does make for more work in school, it’s still something to think about.  In this time of economic turmoil (among other things), what are you thankful for this season?