a few of my favorite things

In the few months that our house has been completely decorated--it didn't all come together until May--I've come to cherish a few things. They are all mostly gifts that people have given us, but seeing them displayed in our home, each with its own spot, makes them seem much more special...

My best friend, Martha, gave this to me as a birthday/housewarming present. It says "May this home be filled with love and laughter." It hangs right by our door to greet us and our guests and we enter. Martha is living overseas for the next year, and I miss her a lot -- I love having this little reminder of her friendship.

There are two very cool things here. The two books are recipe books that belonged to Andrew's Great Great Grandma Wilson and Great Grandma Castrodale. His Aunt Anne bound them as our wedding gift. What a treasure! The wooden cross came from Jerusalem - my grandparents brought it back from their trip to the Holy Land in February. Both of these gifts have such sentimental value and I love having them displayed on the table in our living room.

Here sits the best conversation peace in our house! A friend from Andrew's church, Lee, who has been living in South Korea, sent these as our wedding gift. It is the culture there to have wooden ducks like these displayed prominently in a couple's home. If the ducks are facing each other, it means the couple is getting along. If they are turned away, it means they are fighting and it serves as a warning to any guests. So far, there have only been threats of "turning the ducks." We love our ducks!

Go Heels! This is the front page of the UNC student newspaper from the day after we won the National Championship in 2005. I had it framed for Andrew as his graduation gift and this is what inspired our Carolina room. We love it!

This recipe box came from my sweet mother who had everyone in our family and Andrew's handwrite some of their favorite recipes. Not only do I have a stack full of awesome meals ready to be made, but I have them in my precious family's handwriting. This, I know, I will treasure forever.

This precious piece came from my Aunt Rita when Andrew and I got engaged. It's called "Promise" and the tag attached to it said, "Hold dear the promise of love." It sits on my dresser in our bedroom and it's a sweet reminder of how much I adore my husband!

Isn't this beautiful? My Nanny Johnson has cross stitched one of these for everyone in our family who has ever gotten married. I always admired my parents' and am now blessed with my own. This is absolutely priceless and I love having it in our home!

So there you have it...a few of my favorite things! I wonder how many little treasures will find their way into our home over the years. I love being sentimental :)