Thursday, December 20, 2012

All the small things

It's the little that make me happiest.

Don't get me wrong, all the big things, like my amazing family, wonderful friends, sweet, adorable pets, a steady job, generally good health, and having all of my needs and many of my wants met makes me incredibly happy and I am thankful for each and every one of them. But I'm going to touch on the small things which never fail to make me happy. Nine small things, in fact. Here they are:

Vintage Dishes. While it's true that I am a sucker for all things vintage, the vintage dishes are what got me started on my quest to fill my home with funky furniture and items from days gone by. This stack is just one of many different styles and patterns I have. The first few are of Homer Laughlin's "Priscilla." I'm not sure of the discontinue date, but the pattern debuted in 1941. I'd say these ladies are looking pretty good for their age:

Stack of Homer Laughlin dishes


Rain. I adore thunderstorms, too, but there is just something innately soothing about a gently falling rain:



No, this isn't another Instagram test....this was actually taken with one of my pre-Blackberry phones (and not cropped very well) in front of my sons' school, with Pixlr's "Greg" and "Morning" filters.

Road trips. I love them whether they're with my kids on the way to visit relatives

bibibug5


Or on the way to hear some amazing Music. (This wasn't a show I attended this year. Sadly, I do not have any pics from the ONE show I made it out to this year.)

30STM swag


Since I'm running out of appropriate photos, here are the rest, in list form:

TV shows. Most people frown upon excessive tv viewing, but I happen to LOVE tv. My favorite shows? American Horror Story. The Walking Dead. Project Runway (and PR All Stars). Junk Gypsies. Revolution. Grimm. Once Upon A Time. The Vampire Dairies. Beauty and the Beast. Parenthood. The New Normal. Justified. There are probably even some I'm forgetting.

My B&N Nook. A few years ago, I got myself a second generation Amazon Kindle and loved it so much that when it came time for me to purchase a tablet/reader, I tried three times unsuccessfully with a Kindle Fire. I finally gave up and got myself a B&N Nook color. My Mom has one, and she loved it. I don't do much on mine other than read books, shop for more books/magazines and view websites, but I sure have enjoyed having it. I know many people prefer the feel and smell of an actual book. And I love all those things, too. But I love the portability of my Nook, the fact that it can hold tons of books and take up less space than the average book, I can browse the web in bed without having to mess with my laptop, and the best part of all...the price. Due to some savvy shopping, I was able to snag my Nook Color for about $100 less than it was selling for, and also about $100 less than my Kindle Fire devices that I never could get to work.

Old houses. I love Victorians, Craftsmans, Bungalows, Spanish-style, and Mid-Century homes. Really, all old homes, as long as there is some character going on there. Oh, and at least one covered porch - so I can sit under it and listen to the rain fall :)

Cateye glasses. My eyesight is starting to need a bit of help, so when I have to get glasses, I am getting myself a funky pair of vintage cateye frames and having my prescription lenses put in.

The smell of fresh-cut grass. Other than sleeping in, there is really nothing I like better than the smell of fresh cut grass while lounging outside enjoying an al fresco drink or dinner in some of my favorite vintage dishes.

What are YOUR favorite things?

This post is part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. For more, go here.



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19 comments:

  1. Those dishes are gorgeous! Of course, they'd probably all break at our house.

    I will gladly admit that TV shows make me happy, too!

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    1. I'm surprised I haven't broken many here at my house. I don't use them all that often, but when we do, they're immediately washed and put back away.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Love your list - these are great! I'm a house-lover/gawker myself, and the covered porch is a MUST. :)

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    1. If it is the last thing I ever do, I am getting myself a house with a porch - or at the very least, building one onto whatever house I'm in!

      Thanks for coming by!

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  3. Great list! I love American Horror Story, too, and love Reality TV!!! The dishes are beautiful, but I could never collect anything like that. I break glasses all the time. haha! Hope you have a great holiday, Kim!

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    1. Yay, another AHS fan! I like some reality...such as the Project Runway shows and Ink Master and Design Star. Unfortunately, two of my favorites, Nashville Star and Rock of Love (and RoL Bus) are no longer on the air.

      Thanks for visiting me!

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    2. I LOVED RoL and RoL Bus!!! Anything with girl drama! (Isn't that all Reality TV) haha! I meant to mention that I liked Junk Gypsies too. I can't believe some of the stuff they transform. I wish I had to the time to just go around to different antique stores, etc., and find the things that they do. Amazing!

      A guy I went to high school with was on Project Runaway from Season 5. Suede.

      http://www.bravotv.com/project-runway/bio/stephen-suede-baum

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    3. I LOVED Suede! I didn't start watching Project Runway till about the 7th or 8th season, so I only know him from this year's PR All Stars. Props to him for staying true to himself throughout the competition!

      And how awesome that you went to school with him! Was he just as creative and fun back then?

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    4. He was a grade lower than I was and I was more of friends with his older brother, but yes, he seemed very popular back then too :)

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  4. Replies
    1. Thank you, Raine! I remember my Mom having one or two from that pattern; she said her grandmother gave them to her. I just love old, comfy, homey stuff.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Those are nice. I also love road trips and my B&N Nook Simple Touch w/Glowlight. Great post. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. The Simple Touch w/Glowlight is the new one, right? I don't think that one was out when I bought my Nook Tablet. Have you been using the Nook iPhone app? I have, but I'm still trying to get used to it. It's not syncing absolutely correctly, but I'm so happy if it gets me within a few pages of where I left off on the tablet :)

      Thanks for coming by, Carol!

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  6. Your post got me all excited, Justified is coming back on the air soon! WOOT! I really enjoyed reading all of the things you enjoy, it got me thinking about what I love as well! Happy Holidays!

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    1. LOL, I was just lamenting on Facebook the other day that I need more Raylan Givens in my life! I just started watching about a month ago when I rented the first two seasons. I thought I was all caught up, only to find out there is a season 3 and it won't be available for rent until Season 4 starts. This could be a problem.

      Thanks for visiting, Julie!

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  7. This is a great list. I found myself smiling at the thought of several things that I wouldn't have thought of on my own.

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  8. Wow - that is one great list! I can actually relate to a few of them. I swear I have the same vintage dish, but I would not label myself a vintage lover ;) Rain, love to hear and smell it. Roadtrips, alone or with my hubby - YEAH. Love old houses and I am hoping to get some kind of tablet for the very reasons you mention, too. Thanks for sharing your favs, I enjoyed reading through them :)

    And thank you for stopping by my WW: Instagram Images w/Linky @ ImagesByCW

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    1. Thank you for returning the favor, Claudia! Your Instagrams really were very pretty :)

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