Thursday 3 August 2017

My Favourite Things . . .

 

These are a few of my favourite things.  Maybe some of them are your favourites too!  


Cicely Mary Barker, Fairies of Summer

I love fairies.  In the house. In the garden. I love painting them, making them,  looking at them, collecting them, reading about them. I love everything about them.  Always have. Always will.  I love tucking them here and there in surprise places that delight the soul when you happen upon them.  Fairies are whimisical little smile makers.  I adore them.  I would love to create a fairy hole in one of my walls and I would have done it already if this was my house and not rented.  One that you could peer inside and see a whole other world  . . .  having said that  . . .  


This would do quite nicely, thank you very much!

  

I love traditions.  I am a great traditionalist at heart.  I love religious ones, family ones, cultural ones, holiday ones, community ones . . .  I just am a tradition lover.  Family traditions are my favourite ones. with religious and holiday ones following close behind.  Traditions can oftimes be the glue that holds a family together.   


I love pasta.  I adore pasta.  I could eat pasta until it comes out my ears. Plain with just butter, salt, pepper and cheese, with a tomato sauce and cheese, in a noodle bowl, whatever.  Pasta sings the song of my heart.  I never buy it when we are out to eat however.  I never have and probably never will. Restaurant pasta does not appeal to me, although I did used to love to go to the Spaghetti Factory eons ago but that was probably because you could get simple, non fussy spaghetti with red sauce and it was cooked perfectly.  Oh, and the bread  . . . 


They always had great bread, and I LOVE bread.

  

Community Recipe Books.  You know the kind.  Collections of people's favourite tried and true recipes put out by organizations, clubs, communities, as fund raisers.  They are filled with gems.  I bought my very first one way back in the 1980's when I was living in Nova Scotia. Our Ladies Guild at the Base Protestant Chapel put one together for sale.  I contributed to it and I  bought several, some as gifts.  It is full of lovely recipes and also sweet memories of the ladies who partipated in its creation.  I also love Junior League Cookbooks.  I think they are some of the best cookbooks out there! 


Nicely done fingernails. Not too long, simply rounded like this. I  think they are so pretty. I do my own.  Can you believe I have never had a professional manicure, or pedicure for that matter. I almost went and had my nails done before my daughter's wedding.  I was going to get acrylic nails, but then I chickened out after all I had read about them.  I did not want my own nails ruined, and so I just keep doing my own. I am happy with that.


I quite simply adore hotdogs, but not just any hotdog . . . I like all beef ones, or good quality frankfurters.  I always HATED Larsens.  I am not sure why . . . . there was something about them. They had a funny smell that made me feel a bit queasy.  I like a simple hotdog, grilled until golden, in a simple white bun, steamed with onions, sweet pickle relish and mustard.  French's mustard.  I do NOT like catsup on them in a bun.  That's because I can't stand catsup and bread together.  I love to dip a fried hotdog in catsup so it's the bun and catsup together that I don't like.  Fried onions or raw onions.  I like them both.  Chili dogs.   Hotdogs with bacon wrapped around them, with cheese, they are also very good, but the plain hotdog in a bun with just onions, relish and mustard please me the most of all. 


BBQ Chicken, and it isn't something I get to eat very often because for some reason Todd never likes getting out the BBQ.  I always start it in the house first and then finish it off on the BBQ.  That charred skin . . .  the succulent chicken . . .  the sauce.  It's all good.  I still remember and drool in that memory of BBQ Chicken that I had to eat at a restaurant in Ottawa, Canada, called The Cascade Restaurant back in the early 1970's.  I was there on a school trip and we had supper at this same restaurant every night we were there and I had the BBQ Chicken every single night, it was that good and I still think about it today  . . . the restaurant is no longer in business I believe. Sad that  . . . 


Painted wooden floors.  I just adore them. If I could afford to do it, I would rip up all the carpeting in this house and just put down pine wood flooring and paint it all, and just have scatter rugs.  Its not my house however and so I can't do that.  

 

And it does't have to be fancy in the least.  Plain suits me very well. To me, there is something very cosy about a painted wooden floor and in my dream home I always have painted wooden floors.
  
 
 
Traditional Light Fixtures. Nothing too fancy or ornate.  Easty to keep clean.  Simplistic lines. Go with everything.  No spectacular colours, plain and simple.   


As soon as I can afford to do it, I am replacing all of our dishes with plain white china dishes.  I love plain white dishes, but have never had plain white dishes.  I do have some plain white pasta bowls and they are my favourite thing to use.  They make everything look tasty.  Accent pieces in colour are okay, but for the basic china, I want plain white.


I love this cutlery.  It is Robert Welch Arden.  You can get it at John Lewis.  I love the simplicity of the lines.  It looks heavy.  I hate flimsy cutlery.  I want to hold something in my hand which has some weight to it.  I don't like ridges. They don't feel right in my mouth and I want rounded edges.  We have some cheap teaspoons that I hate, hate, hate.  The edges are sharp and they feel terrible in my mouth.  I think I need to win the lottery, lol.


 Plain white bed linens.  All cotton.  Starched and ironed.  No wrinkles.  You can put all sorts of colours with them as bedspreads, quilts, etc. . . .  but the bed linens themselves, I like to be white.  Perhaps one set of coloured pillow cases on the bed . . .  


Hand embroidered of course  . . .  love embroidered pillow cases. These are from Posie Gets Cosie.  A free pattern, which I have done before.  I love everything Posie Cosie. Her felt ornament patterns are the best. 


I have fallen in love with these sideway cross rings.  I told Todd that is what I want for my Birthday.  I found a shop on Etsy that does them and not too expensive either, from Greece.  But then this morning I discovered this . . .

  

Now I am faced with a conundrum . . .  a Princess Crown Ring.  Sigh  . . . . 

And those are my favourite things for this week.  A girl can dream.

A thought to carry with you through today  . . . 

.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★

 *.˛.° ˛°. .Everything that one turns in the direction 
of God . . . is prayer. ~Ignatius of Loyola .° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •


  

In the English Kitchen today  . . .  a delicious Chicken Fricassee.  Comfort food at its best.

Have a great Thursday.  I think we are going to make some time today to visit Audrey in the Carehome. We don't do it near often enough.  Don't forget . . .

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And I do too!








8 comments:

  1. Hello Marie. I have enjoyed your post today. It has been a long time since I dreamed off white on white. I have a 12 piece set of white Royal Albert. It doesn't have gold bands etc and is no longer available. When I was single I used to use it just for me. Pip bought a dozen white nappies today. More baby wipes to hang on the line.

    God bless your day and enjoy your visit. I am feeling guilty that I am getting to dad once a week. Mum has not been for three weeks and the kids even longer.

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  2. Hi Marie, I could have written this blog hahahaha!! I love traditions, especially Christmas ones! Although I realise that they do obviously change over the years when circumstances change.

    Pasta is my favourite, but I definitely DO have it in restaurants. Although we rarely go to an Italian restaurant as George isn't fussed on pasta.

    I love nice nails. Mine are always painted, usually neutral colours or occasionally a French manicure. I love painted toe nails in the summer.

    My favourite hot dogs are from Costco, they're all beef and delicious!

    I love wooden floors but I also love thick deep carpets. Decisions decisions!!

    And believe it or not I only have plain white dishes and plain white bedding!!! I'm sure we must have been twins in a previous life!!!

    I love both the rings but my favourite is the cross one, not that I'm trying to influence you at all! Its just so delicate.

    We had a fabulous night at the Celine Dion concert. She was amazing. The only problem was getting home. We didnt get in till 3 this morning. They were doing so much overnight work on the motorways we couldnt get off at any of the junctions we wanted and had to follow diversions! Still it was worth it.

    Enjoy your visit with Audrey, lots of love xxx

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  3. I bought MN a bracelet like that for her First Communion....and yes you can pretend to be Italian Marie, just talk with your hands!
    Have a great day! Di🌻🍝🌻

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  4. I love traditions too. They do tend to hold families together. But I know that my family is making new traditions for their own children too. What is meaningful for one is sometimes not as much so for others. I guess the important thing is to have them. Hope your Thursday is a great one !

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  5. I know you well I think..many of these are not surprises..and so you for certain:)
    I love many of the same things..the ring reminds me of a claddagh a bit..I know which I would pick:)

    So..for your bday..

    magically..
    ..your floors would be painted,you would ask your guests,which would be your whole family and friends and Susan Branch.. to pick their fave white china and you would have Mr T BBQ chcken and serve pasta and bread on the side..MCB would have arranged w/ someone on earth to build you a fairy door..and it would not lead into Coraline's secret door..
    this would become a tradition..

    one room would be filled w/ gifts from your loved ones..Mitzi would be standing guard.

    SB tea cups..all of them..Cath Kidston things..dolls and buttons..and felted things..some Emma Bridgestone dishes(Is that her name)? another book contract w/ more to follow guaranteed..
    maybe a picnic would be dinner w/ vintage linenns..and vintage books would be read..
    Little Women would then join you..at night..you would be whisked to the destination of your choice to return to watch old movies.
    And then you would sleep on a high bed w/ crisp white linens..some frills..Priscilla curtains in the windows..the bed impeccably made..
    during your sleep a fairy would sprinkle fairy dust guaranteeing great health for you and all your loved ones for..forever and a day.

    I forgot..in the morning a big Kitchen Aid Pro mixmaster would be on your counter..beside the farmhouse sink..your ring would sparkle in the light coming from huge windows where your built in nook is..
    your gardens would have had some fresh rain and the scent would be heavenly.
    Have a Happy Birthday:)
    Make a wish~

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  6. Evening Marie...before I forget I like the cross ring best...it is more wearable I think, I always enjoy reading your favourite things we share so many much....hope you have had a good day, I have had my usual Thursday busy day, coffee morning from 8.15 it was quiet to start but got a bit busier as the morning went on. Next week will be worse as I have to open up etc myself. Well I have a lady called Kim who volunteered to help she arrived this morning around 8.30 to start she got the kettle on then went into church to have a seat, till we got busier....I left around 10.30 and she was still sitting there...now on her second coffee.....by then two other helpers had come in so I went through and said to Kim.....right Kim I'm going now, I leave you in charge with the others ok ?....Mary tells me when she came home that when she left at 11.30 Kim was still sitting chatting !!! It's quite hard really what do you say ? But next week she won't be with us as she has her grandchildren to look after....maybe it is just as well then I won't rely on her to help..Hope you have had a good day, hope also that Todd is feeling a bit better....night night. God bless. Xxx

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  7. Thanks Suzan, I am betting your royal albert is beautiful. USE it! What is the point of having things we don't use. For the rest of my life I am using what I have! Life is too short! xoxo

    Kate, I am so pleased you enjoyed Celine! I cannot imagine otherwise. Yes, we must be twins! haha. So much alike are we! Sorry it took you so long to get home. Motorworks are a pain! xoxo

    I already talk with my hands Di! It must be the French in me, lol xoxo

    You are so right Pam, old traditions are great, but it is essential to make new ones also! Happy Friday. xoxo

    Oh boy Monique, you sure know how to make me smile. I am grinning ear to ear after that one! Thanks! I am now in lala land! xoxo

    Oh dear Sybil. I know a few people like that. I think when you get into a position of authority like that, you need to surround yourself with people you know will jump in and do what is required. Obviously her skills don't lean to that, but perhaps she is good at making peole feel welcome?? God bless! xoxo

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  8. What a delight to read of your favorite things today. Again, many of them are some of my favorite things too. I especially loved traditions. I do think they are very important to have. We have several family traditions that are very important to us. Lately, my favorite dishes are different kinds of salads with different dressings. Regretfully, bread is my downfall. I love all sorts of breads. There is nothing better than homemade bread or rolls with butter and jam. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
    I do love a good hotdog but my favorite is probably cheeseburgers with fries and a chocolate shake. It's been a very long time since I have had one. I love fried and or baked chicken. My mother used to make the best fried chicken ever. Here again, we don't have fried very often. Why is it that everything I like; isn't good for me. Rats!!
    I too love wood floors and would like our home to have wood floors at least in the great room and kitchen.
    Ok, sweet friend; do you iron your sheets? I remember always ironing our pillowcases but gave that up years ago.
    I am ring girl; and I loved these two designs. I hope you get one.
    Sending loving thoughts and hugs our way!

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Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!