These are a few of my (current) favorite things...

Rose Absolute.
I first heard of this perfume about six years ago. I'm very picky when it comes to scent, but I fell in love with this perfume from the get-go. It smells just like the heart of a rose -- it's that intense, that pure. And it was designed by Stella McCartney, Paul McCartney's daughter. So that ups the perfume's coolness factor by like a bajillion or so. This is the only perfume that has come close to being called my signature scent. Unfortunately, it seems to be out of production at the moment, so for now I am treasuring the bottle that my parents gave me for my birthday.

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freshly laundered sheets.
There are few things better in life than snuggling into bed after you've dressed it with freshly laundered sheets. Ahhhh...

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"everything" bagels.
Bagels are always yummy, but I think "everything" bagels are especially yummy. It's the bagel equivalent of "everything but the kitchen sink." It tastes amazing with virtually any flavor cream cheese. And it's pretty much amazing.

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flannel shirts.
Thanks to this lovely lady, I have recently been inspired to give flannel a chance. Given the fact that I haven't respected flannel since my grunge stage in the 1990's, this is a pretty big deal. The good news is that brands like Old Navy and Modcloth have updated the flannel look, bringing it in a bit at the waist and adding clever little details to help pretty it up. I won't say how many flannel shirts I've purchased in the past few months, but let's just say I'd give Paul Bunyan a run for his money. ;)

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jackets.
When I worked in Miami International Airport all those years ago (it seriously feels like another lifetime), I used to wear a uniform on a daily basis which basically consisted of a shirt, skirt, jacket, and heels. After I finally completed my undergraduate work in English Literature and started teaching, it was a relief to give the uniform a rest. Gone were the skirts, jackets, and heels. Which is not to say I began dressing like crap -- I understood that I had to reflect a professional demeanor in my dress, but I learned how to do that in button-down shirts, slacks, and cute flats or kitten heels. This became my uniform of sorts, and I stuck to it for the next 7 years or so of teaching. Until this year. Lately I've been dressing up a bit more, adding jackets to my ensembles and venturing into shoes with a wee bit of a higher heel. I like how this makes me feel like a professor, especially the jackets, and while I haven't gone so far as to wear a skirt or a dress, I appreciate looking more professional in my attire. And I have a feeling that reflects somehow in my teaching, too -- I think it allows my students to take me a bit more seriously.
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The Age of Adz.
I first fell in love with Sufjan Stevens after his Illinois album, and I've been catching up with his music ever since. I love his music because his voice is so soothing and his musical compositions are uniquely stirring, and his lyrics are also thought-provoking. His latest album, The Age of Adz, is no exception. It may prove difficult to listen to at first, but that's only because it's so different from anything you've ever heard before, even from him. But after two listens, I was hooked.

You can give The Age of Adz a listen here:

What are your favorites this month?

{all pictures credit of we heart it.}