Sculptures made out of legos
   
Just...so...cool...

Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze
This is, far and away, the best of the Turtles franchise, in my opinion. While the first Turtles Movie could be considered a "better" movie by some, it is much darker and therefore less fun. Why would we want to sit through an angsty plotline about the meaning of brotherly love in a movie about mutant turtles with crazy ninja skills? "Ooze," however, features such great lines as Shredder screaming, "Babies! They're BABIES!" an awesome (and, to my 13-year-old eyes, cute) Asian-American sidekick, as well as an honest-to-goodness appearance by Vanilla Ice. What's not to like?

Joss Whedon
Of all the television shows I have ever seen, none has had as much influence over my person-hood as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." I would – and have – followed its creator anywhere, to "Firefly," to "Angel," to the most excellent "Serenity," and beyond. I lurve him.

Southern Comfort
The perfect drink for the girl who wants to maintain her tough exterior while still satisfying her sweet tooth. SoCo, how I miss you.

Paper planners, not electronic ones
I have, on more than one occasion, had the opportunity to switch my organizational duties to a tiny handheld electronic device, and each time I've had to say nay. Though I'm completely modern when it comes to writing (I type. Never longhand.), I love the feel of writing lists and appointments down, on paper. It gives me a feeling of control in a chaotic world.

Artwork by Elizabeth
Jewelry, painting,  and photography by my sister, Elizabeth. You can find and buy her work at www.jhfgart.com. I particularly enjoy this necklace she makes with a film negative in it - each necklace is one-of-a-kind, and I have one with the Santa Monica Pier inside. I love it.

Little plastic animals that come in drinks
Umbrellas are so ten years ago. I love going into a bar and getting a complicated drink with a tiny plastic monkey or camel perched on the rim. It appeals to my poor attention span, creating the opportunity to stage battles, romantic escapades, and soapy drama-type scenes without leaving the comfort of my bar stool. How awesome is that?

Birthday Cards by Fresh Ink
This brand used to be carried in every Walgreen's, though I'm not sure if they're still around. At any rate, if you can find Fresh Ink, it's an offshoot of Hallmark that maintains a crazy, somewhat loopy sense of humor that truly speaks to me. Most of the cards I've given since college were Fresh Ink, or my attempt to find a Fresh Ink-like substitute when I couldn't find the real thing. This is the only brand I've ever encountered that causes me to plop down on the floor of a store and read through the entire collection at once. Please, Hallmark, keep making them.

 Cornbread muffins at
 Famous Dave's

If you've ever, ever been to a Famous Dave's, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If not, I pity you, as you're so missing out.

Shopping at 5 AM on Black Friday
Every year, I try to convince the people in my life that I'm only going shopping at 4:30 in the morning the very cold day after Thanksgiving to keep my sister company, as she's a crazy hardcore shopper. The truth of it is, though, I love it: I love the satisfied feeling of knowing you got the BEST POSSIBLE DEAL that you could get in the whole year, and I like knowing that I'm tough enough to shop for a full twelve hours on three hours of sleep. If you don't think that's an achievement, well, feel free to come along next year. Just don't tell anyone I'm having fun.

Grandma Harms' Hamloaf
Hamloaf is just like meatloaf, except its core ingredient is ham-based instead of cow-based. I don't fully understand how this is possible, or what goes into hamloaf, and I don't really want to know.  But my grandmother makes it delicious and moist, with a special honey glaze. Sigh. Awesome.

Blogs
Blogs by some of my favorite writers, including Jennifer Weiner, who has some really thoughtful things to say about the nature of women and the writing business, Rob Thurman, who I kind of want to be best friends with, and Charlaine Harris, who regularly reviews books on her blog.  I think writers in general are more accessible than most celebrities, so if there's a writer you love, see if they have a site.