Sometimes the things we like best aren't high tech, glamorous, or valuable by anyone else's standards. That's definitely the case with these favorite things of mine:

Chairman Mao in his tomb: Mao Tse Tung led the Chinese Revolution and paved the way for China's comeback as a major player in the global scene. By the time I got to China in 1978, he was a mummified corpse. I cherish this postcard as a souvenir of the day I walked past his glass coffin with hundreds of other tourists. This is probably as close as I'll ever get to such a world class mover and shaker.

Sculpey: This polymer clay is one of the great inventions of the 20th century. You can make jewelry, Christmas ornaments, and all kinds of other cool things with it, bake them in your oven, and paint them. It comes in colors, too. Sculpey is not only a wonderful creative medium; it's therapy for frazzled nerves.

Daddy's Girl: My husband Marty bought a bird shaped ceramic music box for me, and a doll's T shirt that says "Daddy's Girl" for our cat (who was way too big to fit into it). Neither gift was of much use on its own, so he combined them into a truly unique art object.