Alison's delightful lists

Subject: Alison's delightful lists Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:08 pm

Don't know if everyone saw it today or not but Alison has posted another of her tremendously fabulous lists on Brocante Home again. I just love those lists. The little puttery things we love about our days and our lives.

Thought it would be fun to start an ongoing puttery list of things we find and love - we can sort of make it perpetual. Maybe it will help us remember to look for the lovely in every day.

Anyone else game?

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:33 pm

Fun! I'm game.

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Fri Mar 09, 2007 2:20 pm

Okay then, I guess I'll start.

1. Waking to a quiet morning all to yourself to enjoy a cup of tea outdoors where it's warm enough to not freeze to death.

2. Finding little stashes of my favorite chocolate I had forgotten about and being completely and utterly delighted by finding them.

3. Toast with tea - anytime of the day.

4. Quotes that hit home and stay with me forever, often popping up in my mind at the perfect moment such as this one by Oliver Wendell Holmes: "Silence, like a poultice, comes to heal the blows of sound."

5. Feeling pretty as I look at myself in the elevator mirrors.

6. The pink and white polka dot borders of the Brocante pages.

7. Realizing flower season is just about to break through the winter doldrums.

8. Crusty french bread slathered with Nutella.

9. Finding Shabby Chic fabrics like sheets and tablecloths and curtains at my favorite thrift stores.

10. Reading lists where people tell all the little silly things that brighten their day.

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:27 pm

Fun...I love these lists!

Ok, here's some of mine:

1. The time between finishing a book and picking a new one to start...I love trying to decide what to read next.

2. Hot chocolate or tea at night.

3. The stack of folded vintage blankets in my guest room.

4. A bright blue sky without a cloud in sight.

5. My favorite homemade soup with lots of bread.

6. The sound of my guitar.

7. The smell of a bookstore.

8. Spending at least five hours at the antique flea market. Not to mention the best butter-dipped corn on the cob I get every time I'm there.

9. Fresh flowers in the house, just because.

10. Pale pink.

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:35 pm

Wonderful list Amy - how did I fail to add pink to my list?

I love flowers just because but due to several allergy and asthma sufferers, it's a rare treat around here.

And the smell of a bookstore is so wonderful! Especially those that have coffee shops as well. They should bottle that scent - books you love - a new scent from Glade. LOL

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:37 pm

Oh I would SO buy that!! Really, I would!

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:39 pm

I wonder how many books a house would have to hold before it starts smelling that way? I have lots of books (not nearly enough though), but my house doesn't smell like books. Too many other competing scents outdo that wonderful wafting aroma.

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:42 pm

Yes, I know I've posted pics of my "book corner" of the living room...way too many, and no smell. I don't think it would be possible for a house to smell like that. I was picturing sitting in Borders when I posted that in my list. Best smell ever, lol. (My second favorite smell is probably a brand new box of crayolas). That scent never gets old to me.

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:44 pm

Oh, I love the smell of crayolas but forgot about liking that!

A very popular scent at our house is ink and paper - like printed items. It's because husband and I have always worked around ink and paper since the girls were little. We managed a print shop for about 2 years, he worked in newspaper for about 5 years, and now we do graphic design so we're still around ink and paper a lot.

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:33 pm

Oh fun, I want to add some of my favorite things too, I agree with loving the smell of book stores, I have tons of books too but my house doesn't smell like that. I also love the smell of fresh brewed coffee, the top of a newborns head, the outdoors right before it rains and the ocean. Holly

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Sun Mar 11, 2007 12:12 am

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:25 pm

I have been away for a while, mostly overwhelmed and slightly depressed

I just found her lovely list and one especially spoke to me:
56. Wandering about wafting homemade air freshener into the air as I go.

[color=black]When this first started ( the salon, not the wafting) someone asked about houseplants. In the discussion I learned that my favorite, the prayer plant, loved to be misted and got dried out too easily. I filled a spray bottle with water and some essential oils (lavender, lemon verbena, eucalyptus).
I have been spraying them regularly and you wouldn't believe how healthy they are. I have two large ones. [/color]

[color=black]So this morning, before the kids and I settled in the CLEAN living room to read Bible and Johnny Tremain, I walked around spraying the scented water into the air, teasing them all about the "lovely scent". My kids think I'm wacky about this stuff. [/color]

[color=black]Imagine our laughter when we find that on her list. Son-13 tried to hide my water but I assured him I have backup bottles, which would smell oh so lovely on his pillow! It was returned safely:)[/color]

[color=black]I've missed you all...[/color]

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:27 pm

Now here is a question for you all that use homemade scents.

I have a terrible time with my bottles clogging or not being able to use the trigger! IT's infuriating. I only use the ingredients per the instructions - as far as how many drops of oil to the water.

What type of bottles are you all using for your scents?

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:32 pm

i just have a cheap little bottle from the beauty supply. it holds about 1 c. water and i use 10-15 drops total of oils. my shift button is sticking so i'm too lazy to use the other one. my typing is so much faster this way...

Subject: Re: Alison's delightful lists Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:34 pm

Those are the same type bottles I use as well. Doesn't matter if I have the big "you fill it type" cleaning bottles with the measure on the side, or the cheap little bottle like you're talking about - both kinds and everyone doesn't work right after a few uses. I have only one conclusion - user error. LOL I'm the common denominator so that has to be the answer. LOL

I'm trying to find an atomizer to use. I need to check gardening stores for one.

Thanks!