These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

With the winter blahs setting in, there isn't much to do around here and even less to photograph. So I decided to shoot some of my favorite things from around the house, maybe sharing a couple stories in the meantime. (Of course my family members are my most favorite things. But this project is for inanimate objects only.)

My mother bought us this picture for Christmas and I think it's one of the best presents I've ever received.  The photos spell out our last name, which I must admit is a really unique name.  I love how it's personalized just for me.  I haven't found a place to hang it yet because I am The Procrastinator of Procrastinators.  But I look at and admire it every day.

My dad is the King of Woodworking.  He doesn't just build things like cabinets and shelves.  He is an artist.  Here is a sample of some of my favorite pieces of his, from turned bowls to flower pots.  Some of them were gifts to me and others were rightly stolen from by me.  (Hey, I'm his only daughter and I still have him wrapped around my little finger!)  I display these pieces proudly throughout my home.

I feel so blessed to have a piano in my home.  I took lessons for years as a child.  Unfortunately, I don't have much to show for it today.  So I'm going to make sure that I influence my children to become accomplished musicians.  Son #1 shows the most potential...he is taking piano, guitar, and tuba lessons.  Son #2 and Big Sis have both recently started taking piano.  The "noise" they make sounds like beautiful music to me.

This is Hubby's Teddy Bear from when he was a little boy!  How precious is that?  His mom didn't save many of his things so this is really special to me.  Notice how one of the eyes was replaced with a button.  This heirloom has been a part of my home decor since I discovered it in a box right after we were married.

This isn't so much of a favorite thing as it is a favorite place.  The best place for me to unwind and let the day's stress melt away is in a nice hot bath.  My father remodeled our old bathroom a few years ago and it has been one of my favorite places ever since.

I went a little overboard with Christmas decorations last year.  I bought three miniature trees several years ago when we couldn't put up a full sized tree due to remodeling.  Since then, I have tried to find a place for them somewhere around the house.  I usually just leave them bare, no lights, no decorations.  But last year, I decided to add some holiday spirit to our bedroom.  I draped the trees in clear lights and placed them on top of an old blanket chest.  We have enjoyed them so much that I just left them there.  Baby Girl asks for them to be plugged in each morning as her brothers and sister get ready for school.

This is the ginormous, red stockpot Hubby picked out as a Christmas gift for me.  I usually hint pretty strongly about what I want so I was touched that he personally chose this for me.  He is smart for buying me kitchen things because I immediately start using them.  I've already cooked up a small storm in this pot.  I think it will be one of those heirlooms my daughters fight over one day:  the big red pot that Mama cooked many a soup or stew in. 

Family pictures that surround the house are my most favorite things of all!  I love to reminisce about the days when my kids were tiny and how sweet and precious they were.  My walls are covered in family photos.  If my house were to catch on fire, I would make sure all the kids were safely out of the house.  Then I would run back in and grab as many pictures and photo albums as possible. 

What are some of your most favorite things???