A Few of my Favorite Things...

This is something I'd intended to do a number of months ago...I'm calling it "Friday's Favorites"! I don't know why...but I am, so there! My hubby is off working "Estrogen Fest", otherwise known as the JBC annual Women's Retreat! He is pleased as punch I assure you! So, in my effort to continue to avoid the housework that needs to be done and COULD get done with the time I have, I am now going to finally post this blog! Outside of my nearest and dearest, friends and family...there are a few speical items that I possess that were given to me, or that I have collected in my years of living that are favorites. Now, this isn't a blog to point out "look what I have!!! Be jealous!!!"...I'm not a material person really. Sure, there's a lotta stuff in our house, but I could scrap it all and be totally fine! It'd probably do us some good!!! These are things that are rather sentimental to me, and I'd like to pass them on to my kids and hope that they will be sentimental to them!

My collection of butterflies:
My senior year of high school I went on a retreat called 'Chrysalis'. The whole concept came from the passage in II Cor. 5:17 "In Christ we are a new creation, behold the old has gone, the new has come." Before we are Christians we are like caterpillars, looking for something to 'fill' us, and as we learn about a life with Christ, and hopefully follow him, we transform as a beautiful butterfly does! The experiences on this retreat were ones that changed my life! To this day I remember people and events that happend that weekend. It was a HUGE pivtal turning point in my life. Ever since then, butterflies have become kind of a 'signature' thing for me. Abbie has kind of picked up on that as well and points butterflies out to me all the time. My friends and family have helped add to my collection over the years. The top picture is a wall hanging that Laura brought back from Ecuador for me 2 Christmases ago...yes, they are real, I love it and I'm still (ashamedly!) looking for the right place to hang it! I am trying to form a special 'niche' to place my butterfly things! The next picture down shows 2 of the butterfly ornaments that my mom found somewhere...they are SO pretty, the picture doesn't do them justice! The pitcher on top of the hutch in the background was another Christmas gift! Katrina found that several years ago, and I adore it! That is the kind of "real" looking butterfly item that I like to collect....in my head, it's the true essence of a butterfly.

Next, my lighthouse collection:
I think my mom got me into collecting lighthouses! Not sure, but I just find them cool! Several of these I have seen live and in person! The picture on the wal I think my in laws purchased for us...the light just under it actually lights up and has a Kincade picture on it. on the bottom...left to right: Alcatraz...haven't been there, would like to, think it's cool....Next is Thomas Pointe in MD, another I haven't been to, but hope to....next is one in Chicago that I have been to...the bigger one next to it is one that Jeff got me several years ago for my birthday, it's a Harbour Lights...they are awesome!! There is a bell there with North Carolina Lighthouses painted on it...and the one I'm NOT seeing is Concord Pointe which is in Haver de Grace, MD and I've been to it several times. It's quite close to where my family lives, outside of Baltimore. There are alos a couple of Nativities on here....another thing which I collect. (Pattern much Ann????? Yikes!!!)

Sunflowers:
I love them!!! My favorite flower!!! And a sort of central theme in my kitchen...or at least that was my original intention :) This picture goes way back! It was probably the first picture I bought with the intenion of gracing our walls when we got married. Jeff sent me the picture in an e-card when we were dating, then later I found it on a coffee mug, which I also have. Some time later I was staying in the home of a host family to a friend of mine that I was traveling back to school with after a holiday break (ironically....the friend was Jeff's ex girlfriend!!!). The bedroom that I slept in had a smaller print of this picture hanging over the bed! Fate....I don't know! It was then that I knew that I had to have a copy of this in my house if Jeff and I ever got married! When I worked at an art museum one summer, I managed to find and order the print..yay!!!

Heirlooms to be (I hope!):
My wedding ring set! We picked it out together, and Jeff's wedding band matches! I love it!!!
My wedding dress! I don't have a good picture of it loaded on here....this is the best one. Mom and I went to a bunch of stores....I tried on DOZENS of dresses it felt like, but I always came back to this one! I don't have it here in Tennessee, it's still at mom and dad's. I vowed to hang on to it in case I had a daughter that would one day like to use it. Who knows what our Abbie will do with her future, but it's there if she wants to wear it in her wedding.Our quilt. Made by my Gram (pictured above to the the right of Jeff *your left*) for our wedding. Blue is one of my favorite colors, and I was just thrilled to have a hand made quilt for our home. She's made a quilt or quillow for all of the grandchildre and great grandchildren now...each of my kids have quillows and they love them! The picture below is the message Gram wrote on the back for us:

It reads: "One who sleeps under a quilt is blanketed in love! Made by: Gram Kustanbauter; For: Ann & Jeffrey, June 26, 1999, State of Pennsylvania"
This final picture is the headboard of our bed. No one made it specifically for us, but it was the first piece of furniture we bought together once we were married. It matches our dresser and night stand. Over the years I've been tempted to try signing up for Trading Spaces, but I was always afraid we'd get one of the designers that would take out that furniture or mar it for LIFE! I would NOT be happy!!!! We love very natural looking things like this, so if it were to get painted or covered by fabric or something.....somebody'd be PAYIN'!!! But alas....I've never gone on the show, and I'm OK with that :)

Anyway, that's a little "behind the mind of Ann" for your weekend! I've now killed some time and it's about time to think about supper!