Favorite Things

Hi everyone!
Hope your weekend was a lovely one!
As for me, if you're following in instagram
(sandy_m_of_oohlafroufrou),
you've seen that our first water toy for the
backyard lake has been purchased ...
it's a paddleboat and we've been out on it several times
and are so loving it, especially on beautiful summer evenings
 (even our pug Lily thinks it's pretty cool).
(that's Lily and my husband in his rolled-up-jeans
... because he'd been walking in the water ...
in the photo below)


Projects are still ongoing on the new house, of course,
before the real fun of decorating begins ...
it's a slow process when my husband is the major overseer
and doer of construction projects and he also works 9-5!
The floors aren't finished yet, but are looking pretty!


If you're a reader of the blog,
you know that usually my posts feature my illustrations
and that this summer on the blog is what I call
"Ooh La Frou Frou light,"
as I'm just stopping by to touch base with you
and sit and chat as if you were right here,
while I get settled in my new home
and the new site is being designed.

So, since we're chatting,
I thought it might be fun to talk about
Favorite Things.
You've probably heard me mention that I keep
a handwritten journal that I add to constantly
that contains an ongoing list of things that I love.
It makes me feel good just to pick it up and read it.
Sometimes we'd never guess
some of the things that another classifies as a
"favorite thing."
In my book, you'll find some very simple things, such as
"the smell of baby powder"
and more expensive things like
"luxe hotels that leave mints on my pillow."

Since we're chatting as if you were with me,
I thought it might be fun to share
a small handfull of my favorite things
and I'd love to hear some of yours!
The following are images
I've saved to my Pinterest boards ...

Favorite #1:
My favorite berry is raspberry ...
in fact I make a very wicked raspberry pie
that melts in your mouth with vanilla ice cream!
The crust is topped with coarse sugar
(the cookie decorating kind)
before it goes into the oven,
which gives it a fabulous crunch and sparkle.
I never fail to come away with raspberries from a
fruit stand or farmer's market ...


Favorite #2:
I adore hot air balloons.
I had the pleasure of taking an evening ride in one
 only once in my life.
The guide took the basket right down and touched the water
and went back up again, soaring over trees.
It was magical to say the least.
 The shape of a hot air balloon
will forever be engraved in my heart.




Favorite #3:
Did you know that in another life
I was a horsewoman?
Yes, it's true.
From as early as I can remember as a child,
I've loved horses.
I used to dream of horses as a little girl,
even pretended to be one on the playground,
and had horse pictures all over the walls
 of my childhood bedroom.
I begged my parents for one every day.
 No, seriously.


When I was in ninth grade, we moved to acreage
and my parents bought me a Tennessee Walker named Prince.
I was in horse heaven.  I'd fly like the wind and
soar over jumps with a fellow horse-lover friends in the pasture.
We'd climb up to the hayloft in the barn for
"girl chats" .. usually about boys.
These days, I settle for going horseback riding
at stables every autumn,
running on trails of golden leaves.


Favorite #4:
Often, we stop doing things that made us happy
as a child, don't you think?
I have never stopped loving swinging
and the joy of feeling like I'm flying
can still make me giggle.


Favorite #5:
What is your favorite tree?
Mine is a weeping willow.
There was one in our backyard
when we lived on a lake as a small child
and its long strands of leaves would touch the water ...
the memory still lingers.
And now that I live on water once more,
I adore the romantic weeping willows that are all around me.


Favorite #6:
My Nikon.
I've always been a photo maniac.
And new lenses are always on my
wish list.


I think I just may have to buy a
Bloom Theory Camera Strap
one of these days soon ...


Those are just a drop in a bucket

of the many, many things on
the pages of my list of
"Favorite Things"  ...
what are some of yours?
I'd LOVE to hear ...
and I encourage you to
start a Favorite Things book too ...
it makes you feel good just to write in it.
In fact,
 I think FAVORITE THINGS books
are so wonderful
that I'm creating an illustration to grace the cover
of a "Favorite Things" journal to be available
later this year on the site.

Have a wonderful week, wonderfuls!