The Pillow Post:

It's nearly 4th of July, a time that leaves me (Kari) feeling particularly grateful for the beautiful country I live in. I won't completely get on my soapbox here, but I will say that the 4th of July should remind each and every one of us to stay informed, interested, and involved in what is happening in our country's government (locally and nationally). We are so, so, so blessed to live in the United States and our freedom came at great cost and it is worth continually fighting for.

I have lived in California my entire life but I have always loved to travel. Usually, though, that travel happened from the West Coast to the East Coast (skipping that big part of U.S.A. in the middle where all that corn grows...) or to a different country. Being married to my midwestern-bred hubby, though, has afforded me experiences in much of the Midwest, too. I've been to fabulous places that I never gave much thought (for instance, I have fallen in love with Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Stillwater, OK) and it has reinforced strongly that our country is uh-amazing. The U.S.A. isn't perfect, but it's pretty darn great.

This summer, I am loving these pillows from StatePillows.com that celebrate the different parts of the ol' U. S. of A. There are pillows for each state, pillows for major cities, and pillows for regions...The only problem is choosing which one or two to purchase!

California---my home state and where our current address resides

Indiana---the hubby's home state

New York City---because it's my favorite city ever and both the hubby and I enjoy every second we spend here. Wishing we could get our NYC apartment from the summer of '08 back...

Oklahoma---my husband is an Oklahoma State University Alum. (Do NOT call him a Sooner!) He spend a lot of time in this state and loves it dearly.

Paris. Yeah, I know. This isn't an American city. Sorry---I couldn't help it! I love Paris! It is a city that embraces weird creative people, so I always feel at ease here. Plus, any city where it's easier to get a glass of wine than a glass of water is alright by me! Last summer, I spent two weeks in Paris with a friend taking a class. For two weeks, we tromped all over Paris and drew. It was pretty darn great.

There appears to be no pillow for Philadelphia, so I had to choose the Pennsylvania one. My hubby spent a couple of blissful years in Philly at Wharton, getting an MBA. He has a lot of good memories that go along with Philly. Plus, have any of you ever been to Le Bec Fin for dinner? The hubby took me here a couple summers ago and it was a truly memorable meal---enough to have me love Philly almost as much as he does!

San Francisco---a very Californian city. I'm not a Southern California fan as much as I am a Northern California fan, so San Francisco has always been a special place to me.

Telluride---the hubby and I had a favorite vacation here and we are always scheming on how we can get back to duplicate it! Telluride is great in the winter for the snow, but we are actually summer Telluride fans! The hiking, clean air, Telluride festivals, great food, and gorgeous scenery...it's perfect. (By the way, if you are going to Telluride, we can't recommend staying at the Capella Telluride enough. The beds are made of clouds and the service is amazing!)

What pillows would you choose and why?