A Few of My Favorite Things

Beautiful Living Friday  ~ Ambience

. Over at The Inspired Home, Kim is doing Beautiful Living Fridays. This month the focus in on “ambience”.  What is ambience anyway? The dictionary says: “a particular environment or surrounding”.  For me, one thing that creates ambience is surrounding myself with my favorite things…things I love. Things, that when I look at them, I get this… feeling…

Yes, I decorate with my feelings. 

I don’t decorate with the latest trends in mind. Nothing against them, it’s just that when I’ve done that in a room it doesn’t take me long to get tired of it. I enjoy taking my time and treasure hunting. I’ll usually come across something at an antique store or flea market (or even TJ Max !) and my heart skips a beat. I know immediately that “this or that” has potential to become: one of my favorite things~

~Here are a few things that create an ambience of nostalgia and joy in my little world~

 This is one of the old Norman Rockwell pictures I have. They live in my guest room which is pretty girly. I found the pictures at an antique store. When I saw them they transported me back to my childhood. I spent lots of time curled up on the sofa pouring over a big coffee table book my parents had of Norman Rockwell’s paintings.

Also in the guest room, my milk glass lamp with the smoky violet globe. I looked at this lamp for months before I took the plunge.  I wonder if I’ve ever turned it on without smiling.

 I have books in every single room in my house. They make me happy. The older the better~ This one is from 1930, The Husband got it for me because he knew it was one of my favorites as a child~ 

This is a shelf that goes all around the room in our master bath. I love putting up things we love and switching them out from time to time.

I found the bird picture in an antique store, I was drawn to it because it reminded me of my Gramma, who adored her feather friends~ The 3 lanterns were ones used by The Husband’s father when he worked for the railroad…he loves them~

This was an old cabinet door Stephie and I found at a flea market. I love the paint, or lack thereof and use it as a magnet board next to the kitchen phone, the old pictures are my mom as a little girl and her mom, my Nanny~

 I fell in mad love with this old lamp when I saw it at an antique store off the Marietta Square…I’m not sure what I love most, the beautiful shape or the soft pink globe, I use it as a reading light in my little library room. No other pink in the library room, but I don’t care, I love the lamp~

There aren’t words enough to tell you how much I love my books…some of these belonged to my Gramma, she loved her books too. The really old ones were given to me by The Husband over the years. He’s been to lots of estate sales and used book stores to surprise me with some of my favorite titles…

I found this old mirror when we were redecorating the downstairs bath. It still gives me joy butterflies when I think of all the things this mirror must have seen~

The sign speaks for itself

So there you have it, some of the things that make my life more beautiful. What are a few of your favorite things? 

Tagged as: Antiques, Beautiful living Friday, decorating, decorating with books, decorating with things you love, old lamps