Some of My Favorite Things

There are so many things that frustrate me about my house, but there are also things that make me smile every time I look at them.
Here are a few of the things I get to look at on a daily basis that just make me happy:

1. My prints from Farouche

Farouche is one of my very favorite shops on Etsy. I love how clean and bright their images are. I purchased these last year and have them hanging in my kitchen. The bottom print, "Crocodile Scales," is read regularly to my daughter. "How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail and pour the waters of the Nile on every golden scale." She will definitely grow up knowing Alice in Wonderland.

2. My shelves
It may seem strange that shelves in and of themselves would make me happy, but they do. It is no small feat hanging shelves on the walls of our 1949 brick and mortar. My husband grumbles every time I ask him to hang something and it inevitably takes weeks/months/years to get it done. I'd take up the drill myself, but the vision of a crack forming all of the way down the wall makes me think the better of it.

Our newest shelf was installed just before Christmas (I desperately needed a place to hang our stockings). Right now it holds our family photos, but I have grand plans in mind for a rotating display. I just haven't made up my mind yet.

These shelves have been in for a little while and I had a fun time finding/making some little things to go on them. The top shelf holds the leaves from a little baby Orangeola Japanese Maple tree that I planted the year we moved into our home. I love this little reminder of something beautiful that I helped to create. I'm so glad I saved these leaves. The tree was damaged last fall (I think by our rowdy neighbors during a party) and I don't think it will be the same after that.
The second shelf holds a print from Lisa Congdon. It reads, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising up everytime we fall." -Emerson
This shelf also holds the little, yellow porcelain heels that I inherited from my Great-Aunt Jo. I have wonderful memories of visiting her at her house and seeing these little shoes on her book shelf. I smile and think of her every time I see them.

3. Beautiful Photos of My Children

I'm sure this goes without saying, but seeing these beautiful photos of my children brightens my day, every day. My sweet neighbor took time out of her day to take them and my husband (with some grumbling) hung them for me. There's not much that is better than that.

4. An extra drawer

My husband and I share a chest of drawers in our bedroom. He uses the tiny closet in the bedroom and my tiny closet is in our little girl's room. For some time we have split the chest of drawers 50/50, but I guess he finally realized that I clearly didn't have enough room for my clothing. He gifted me one extra drawer. Probably the best gift I've received from him to date in our marriage. It is a wonderful reminder, too, of the sweet, funny guy that I had the fortune of marrying.

Just a few of my favorite things around the house. What are your favorite things?

Leisure Time

Typical 2.5 year old working his crossword.

Birds

I have a crazy idea about decorating my baby girl's room. The unfortunate part is that we are hoping to move this year and I just can't stand the thought of going to all of the time and effort to get it just the way I like it and then to go ahead and leave it. That really long sentence sounds crazy to me. Doesn't it sound crazy to you?
So, to appease my need for decoration I have started a few projects that can be moved from her room to a new room. My first project was inspired by this bird mobile project. I found some beautiful fabric at Purl Soho and started making bird after bird...after bird. I spent a lot of quality time with a needle and some thread in front of the television knocking back many of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes (a series that I would later finish for the second time in my life, I might add).

I love living in a tree lined neighborhood. After a few windy days in the fall, I collected a ton of beautiful branches. I painstakingly mounted each bird to the branches using my trusty glue gun. I'm sure there is a much more sophisticated way to do it, but I just couldn't figure that one out.
After stringing it up with some fishing line, here is the fruit of my labor. I dearly wish I were a better photographer.


I will say that I am pleased with the results. I like the way it looks and I LOVE the look on my little girl's face every morning when she sees it, points to it and smiles. She appears to enjoy her "birdies".