My Favorite Things

I shared a version of the items below on Facebook a few years ago, long before Pinterest.

I plan to add on from time to time.

Sparty cat laying on my bed. Too cute!

The top shelf of my bookshelf. It contains my Jane Austen collection, which is complete with the exception of her last novel. It is also home to my Laura Ingalls Wilder collection, as well as my collection of Larry McMurtry books.

My Jane Austen books were well-read during my semester spent in Spain. I happened across Larry McMurtry as a result of a library sale. He captures Texas as no other writer. My Laura Ingalls Wilder books remind me of my childhood. They were a present from Brian, and I reread them all as an adult. Amazing. I also have books containing her writings to young women. With the exception of a few words, they could have been written today. The advice is timeless.

This clock once belonged to Brian’s Busia (Grandma for those who don’t know Polish). It hung in her kitchen and now hangs in my living room. Once we buy a house, it will once again hang in the kitchen. I love the hourly chime.

Where to begin with this teddy bear? My Mom had it made after her Grandma died. One of my Great-Grandma’s fur coats ended up being turned into teddy bears. I have one and my sister has one that matches. It will always remind me of family.

I bought this on the street in Mexico. They had all kinds of great art, but this really caught my eye. I love the color, the style, everything about it. It was quite a feat getting it back to Michigan from Merida, Mexico unscathed. It is now in my bedroom.

This bust was a present from one of my aunts. I love the style. It dates from the 30s or 40s.

I actually painted this picture (at age 13). My Mom loved it so much that she had it professionally framed. It hung in my parents’ basement for years. When I graduated from college, she gave it to me for my first apartment. It is now in my bedroom. It is so funky that it is ridiculous. I tried doing a landscape meant for oil paints using something completely different. I love it .

This picture was picked up on an infamous garage sale expedition. When I moved to Texas, I then had it re-matted and framed.

This was the other picture in the set. They both hang in my living room.

This shows the pattern of my favorite quilt. My Mom found an unbacked quilt at an auction back in 1996. She then had a family friend back it and hand-tie it. It was a present for my 16th birthday! I love it, and it sits at the end of my bed to this day.

This shows the scalloped edge of the quilt.

I love collecting magnets. The tiles on top are from Spain. The more colorful, the better.

A couple of magnets from Ireland. My roommate freshman year at MSU was obsessed with Guinness and Ireland. I spent the summer after my freshman year in London. One weekend I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel to Ireland. Absolutely LOVED it.

I just bought this sewing basket not too long ago with a gift card to JoAnn fabrics that I received from my future Mother-in-Law for Christmas. There is a story behind it. I had another sewing basket that was similar. It dated from my childhood and was a gift from a very dear family friend. Unfortunately, the fabric was damaged as a result of moving repeatedly. It took me forever to find one that I love as much. I love the red/pink apple pattern.