These are a few of my favorite things. Not only a song, but a saying I use often.

While I was preparing my house to go on the market, I took a moment and looked around at the things I have collected and really cherished.  I have literally visually placed them in rooms, in my mind, during my weekly house hunting jaunts with our broker.   Some of the items have no monetary value, some might be worth a little something. and some of my treasures are even called ugly by others, but I find beauty in many things.  I truly value childhood memories, family history, and the preservation of enjoyable times.

This photo is a glimpse into the past of my grandmother Daisy May, from Nova Scotia, Canada.  She collected trinkets and baubles during her childhood and adult years.  Hmmm I wonder where I got my crafty passion from :-)  You should have seen this woman's craft room.  I was in heaven!  One year she created this (stunning???) collection of her finds by adhering them to a Clorox Bleach bottle.   I remember staring at it as a child and asking her questions over and over about each item. I was fascinated with it and finding new treasures each and every time I looked at it.  When she passed, one of the few things that came to our house was this bottle and when I moved into my own home, I asked my parents if I could have it.  I really don't think they hated to see it go since it really does stand out in a room :-) .

This is what we call the Butter Ball Chest.  For a second home, my parents purchased an old farmhouse in Maine to remodel, and this I believe was found in the loft of the barn.  My mother told me that she found wrapped balls of butter in it that were still intact.  It has traveled with us for over 46 years (without the butter balls of course) and I now use it as a coffee table that holds either blankets or items I need to hide really fast when a guests says they are stopping by.   

I am not 100% sure what this was used for, but at my childhood home, a 1760 farmhouse colonial (one of the first rooms was dated more so 1680's), there were several out buildings. One was an old saw mill, a barn, root cellar, and then a very old cobbler shop full of all of the tools and benches.  Before being lovingly restored to museum quality by my parents, I claimed it as my childhood playhouse/office.  This small chest of drawers was on the work bench.  It's claim to fame was being a home to a nest of baby mice I found in one of the drawers.  I also used it to hold very important items like crayons, markers, and paper where I drafted some of my first newsletters and magazines for the neighbors (I was always an entrepreneur).  Did you know mice love to eat crayons?  Me neither.  

This small oil paining is of the oldest tree in Middleton, MA.  A grand 300+ year old oak.  Behind it you will see a glimpse of my childhood New England home with the old root cellar underground to the right which could fit three cars deep.

This photo shows the custom New England style farm table that I designed for my design studio. There is also a matching hutch around the corner in another room.  This farm table is 7' long by 4' wide and one solid piece.  Seeing people move it for me several times made me wince with guilt for them.  I am guessing it has to be at least 200lbs and awkward to carry.  I gauge the weight only by the veins popping and grunts made by huge grown men when they lifted and turned it through doorways.  With this next move, I am considering asking my furniture repair guy if he can somehow saw the legs off and then add steel rods inside so that it will be more mobile.   He has done some amazing things for my design clients, so I think he could tackle this.   When we look at houses, I am always looking to see if my table will fit.  I will be broken hearted if I can't take it with me.  With 5 kids between us, I envision some fun holiday family gatherings around it.   I have another 7' by 3' farm table in storage if this one is too wide to fit somewhere.

Silly I know, but I love my little perfume tray. I just noticed that one of my crystal vintage powder containers is missing from the photo.  It was used by my daughter as a container for her brothers cinnamon and sugar.  They are 22 and 20.  I guess they like to have their sugar in style!  You gotta love that!  Tucked behind it is a vintage clock that I found at an estate sale.  The clock was once used in a model home I designed and sat proudly in the master bedroom until all of the homes were sold.

This is one of my favorite paintings and I think it has to do with the colors used.  Vintage maybe?  I'm not sure.  I found it in the seaside town of Portsmouth, NH in a resale shop for $75 and it hung proudly in a model home for almost 2 years.  I could not wait to get it back!  I watched it like a hawk.  Unfortunately it is too large to hang in any of the rooms in my current home which is a 100 year old bungalow.   It once hung behind the farmhouse table in the above photo, but it was replaced with even a larger print that came from my previous home.  I have been tempted to have an appraiser look at it.  It measures about 42" x 42" so the next house must have a wall for it.

Ugly and worn?  Yes, but I adored these two old suitcases.  They were used in a Ralph Lauren vignette I created at Lord & Taylor, a high end department store that is now out of business.   Will these travel with me to the next home?  That I am not sure of yet.  The jury is still out on that one.

This little silver container holds match books from restaurants or places I have visited.  I enjoy opening it up now and then or when I am going to light a fire and remember my dining experiences and the loved ones I was with.

Well I can't take my porch with me, but a New England style porch is on my wish list.  We have enjoyed many mornings out here with our coffee and evening with a glass of wine, soft music, and lit candles.  The wicker furniture was a $20 find for all four pieces that I found at a yard sale. They were all white and flaking, so after taking a wire brush to them, I spray painted them and added some off-the-shelf cushions.   Once again, not sure if the wicker will travel with me, but if not, they will be outside at my own yard sale.

Well I hope you enjoyed my little travel back in time with a few of my favorite things.  Bet I surprised some of you that my home was not all sparkles and glitter. Well I do have crystal bedside lamps and I have glittering items on my office desk, but that's about it.  I save the glitter and glam for the parties I create.  What are some of your favorite things?    So many of you visit my blog and web site (finally reached over 1 million visitors), but you are all so shy.  I would love to hear from you!



Linda Calder Smith, owner of http://www.newenglandfineliving.com is an Allied ASID Interior Designer in Middleton MA, Westford MA, New England, owner of New England Fine Living, and Party Planner North of Boston. Classic New England Style or Glam Interior Design and parties have been most recently completed in Middleton, Carlisle, Andover, North Andover, Marblehead, Boston, Salem, Newburyport, Newbury, Ipswich, Westford, Boxford, Topsfield, and so many more surrounding towns!