A few of my favorite things...
I've decided, from time to time, I'm going to post some of my favorite things and write about them. Sometimes briefly and sometimes not...
Bath & Body Works is one of my favorite things. I'm on the mailing list and I get coupons all the time. They're usually for a free product with a 10 or 15 dollar purchase. A good deal because the product is worth anywhere from 5 to 10 bucks! Just go to www.bathandbodyworks.com to sign up. They also send printable coupons to your email. I love almost everything in the store but my favorite things are the Aromatherapy line of products and the Wallflowers. Select Wallflowers are $6.00 right now - until June 3. (Doesn't include all of the fragrances).
I used to buy the Antibacterial Handsoap until I learned that it's not good to use antibacterial all the time. (It kills too much of the good bacteria. And some studies have shown it's really not necessary to use it. But you hear something new everyday... Don't you?) I've always liked the Aromatherapy handsoap but now especially because it's not antibacterial. And it smells so good! And it's made with essential oils. (Another favorite discovery of mine - Essential Oils. One that I've learned about from my in-laws - Shirley and Suzy).
My favorite scents are the Lavendar and Vanilla and the Jasmine and Vanilla. I've always loved Lavendar. It often reminds me of visiting Mary & Pete's Farmington house as a little girl. (Kiilunen - my dad's sister). It used to smell like lavendar and I loved it!
I loved that house. The coziness of it and all of the great stuff that decorated the walls and shelves. I've gained so much inspiration from those walls! I always loved all of the neat toys they had too - another source of inspiration for me. Funny, because I bet my aunts don't realize how much they've inspired me to this day. Although my style is different from theirs, of all of my aunts, I've gained the most inspiration for decorating from Marilyn (Heinonen) and Mary (Kiilunen).
And you know I love to collect. Yes. Junk. But that includes many things! I'm not a knick-knack, statue-type person. I collect anything that catches my interest from vintage buttons to wire baskets to blue Ball Mason jars to vintage sewing notions and vintage windows. Just about anything old.
Often my collections are accidental ones. They merely come about when I find one thing that catches my interest and in my junk-hunting stumble upon another of the same thing. And pretty soon I've got a little collection going.
An example would be my Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing jars. I found one at a junk store. Saw two more at an antique store. Found one at yet another and another...and I've got a collection! I've got 5 or 6. I just found another one at Rich's Antiques in Park Rapids. I'm thinking of lining them up on a window in my laundry room. I like them because of their round shape and blue color. [I love pale blue or pale green glass bottles & jars].
When decorating, I love to group things together for effect. Recently, I learned when you group things together it's best to group an odd number (of like objects) rather than an even. That was interesting (I'm sounding so nerdy here. LOL). I know most people could care less about decorating but it's a fun little hobby for me...maybe it's all part of the art-thing. My favorite "subject" in school was art. So I love being surrounded by fun things to look at. I guess to me it's inspiration.
Monday, May 21, 2007
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4 comments:
I loved that Farmington house too. I cannot begin to tell you how many nights I stayed there. I can remember laying down on the couch for a rest and just listening to her clocks tick and tock. I still love that sound, and it is still loke that in their new house.
On an other note, do you realize how much stuff that she had stashed away in that house? When they moved her whole family found out. We took a good 10 vehicle (mostly large in size) + 2 trailer full loads out on the first night of moving weekend. I went back that night to spend my very last night in that house (and to take her plants to Brighton the next morning), and it did not look like we had taken ANYTHING out of there. But Grandpa's shop was even worse in the basement. They just do not throw anything away, so we'll have treasures to go through someday.
As I was saying...that's where I get my inspiration. LOL!
Mark has told me, each time that we move, that we're NEVER moving again - or I have to start throwing things away! Yet, I keep finding more stuff. :)
I must have some of your Grandma's blood in me. I've heard that Ann (Niemi) has lots of goodies too. Guess a lot of us just have *collecting* in our blood.
I'm looking forward to organizing it in our new house. (I'm a neat freak! You wouldn't know it by the looks of this little house though). At least that way, when I'm gone someday and my kids have to go through it, it'll be easier for them... Maybe. :)
And BTW I loved the cuckoo clocks at their house too!
I always loved going to there house! They had so many cool kids stuff, I always thought it was so awesome. I mostly remember playing with their kitchen set (with sliding doors), reading tons of Berenstein Bears books, and wanting to swing from the rope into the pool (I don't think I ever did).
And don't forget the playhouse! Because of that cute little playhouse, Mark will be making one for our kids...someday. First things first. (Our house).
I liked the patio with all of the plants by the side-door to go into the (main) house. And the metal bench-swing and the hammock. Every house needs a hammock!
I always liked the shutter doors on the pantry/laundry in her kitchen. They've inspired me my whole life. Planning to put some on closets in our house.
(So yeah, I'd say I've been pretty inspired by my aunts! I love just as many things about Gordon & Marilyn's house).
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