A Few of My Favorite Things...

“Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens... Bright copper kettles, and warm woolen mittens…”  Okay, the things that made Maria all warm-and-fuzzy will probably not be the same for me (or you), but I have found that surrounding myself with the things I love does make any place happier! Here are a few of the things that make me happy (not necessarily in order of importance!):

1)      Books (the older the better!)

Yes, these are only a fraction of the books we own… and, yes, these bookshelves are in my dining room. :0 (Someday I hope to have an entire room dedicated to our library! J) My not-so-secret goal is to create the world’s most complete library of good books for my kiddos (okay, and myself, too)!

1)      Birds!

Birds, birdhouses, eggs, nests… if it’s avian-related, I love it! (This little distressed-white ceramic fella (above) was actually a Dollar Tree find!)

1)      Being a child of God!

“Can I get an ‘Amen’?” J

1)      My Beloved <3

AKA Mr. Superman—world’s best husband, daddy, and preacher! J  (Oh, and provider…  our church is still small, so he works a full-time job in order to pay the bills!) He also built our home! I firmly believe that if it can be built or fixed, he can do it!

1)      My Bambinos!

My three little munchkins! J I am sooooo blessed!!!

1)      gloBes and maps!

Okay, I couldn’t find a “B” word for this one (and seriously, I wasn't trying to alliterate when I started.. it just turned out that way!) —but I love maps, and globes.. oh, and signs, too! Same rule as the birds—if I see them, I snatch them! (If they’re a good enough bargain, of course J)

1)      BARGAINS!

Like this $0.50 garage-sale sunburst mirror (it was originally Southwesterny-pinkish, but I sprayed it chrome... this pic doesn't do justice to its new state of gloriousness!)…

Or my $1 media cabinet (it was missing one drawer, and one of the shelves needed a screw (nothing a thrift-store basket and a raid of hubby's hardware drawer can't fix!)...

Or this adorable $2 vintage kiddy chair I found at a garage sale last weekend…

These are just a sampling of the great finds I’ve snatched up while stalking local garage sales and thrift stores! I LOVE finding great deals—the cheaper the better!

Last but not least, I love…

1)      Beautifying my home (on a Budget, of course)!

 I’ve discovered that home décor is not about chasing the latest trends (unless it’s really something you love)… it’s about surrounding yourself with things that reflect YOUR (and your family’s) personality! And it doesn’t take a lot of money, or an interior designer (though both of these might make it easier J), to create a home you and your family will feel “at home in”! It just takes time, creativity, and lots of love!

So how about you? What are YOUR favorite things? What do you do to bring your family’s personality into your home?

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