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I think it was William Morris (the arts and crafts movement guy) who said "Have nothing around your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful". I have always taken that to heart when deciding what I'm going to drag in the front door.
This is stuff from around my house that is useful or beautiful (or both!!!) that I think everyone should have.
1. Something from when your spouse was a child. Actually I got boxes and boxes of stuff from when my husband was a child--but most of it was neither useful nor beautiful, however there were some gems. This is a quilt his older sisters (much, much older) embroidered for him. I love it!
It has hung in all my baby's rooms at one time, and is now folded for display on a shelf. I still pull it off there frequently just to look at it though. It's nice to remember that my husband was once a baby as loved as all our kids are. And to think that maybe one day my future daughter-in-laws will appreciate that I saved some useful, beautiful stuff from when their husbands were little guys (I'm about to cry now.....better move on!)2. Stuff you like to look at on your wall. Please, please don't hang ugly stuff on your wall. If you don't like to look at it, take it down! And just because you liked it and hung it up at one time, doesn't mean you have to leave it up forever and ever.
I {heart} Dick and Jane!
These prints were from a calendar I had in 2005. I wanted to have them framed, but they wanted like $100 bucks each to do it. SO, I had Aaron Bros. do a custom cut of some mats for me (cost $30), then bought the frames seperately (cost $60. Total Cost: $90, savings of $210---and I did that without a calculator ;)!). Not only do I love to look at these, but their yummy, deep primary colors inspired the current color palette in my home... and they give my 3 year old something to practice reading (beautiful and useful!)
3. Buttermilk Powder. Disgusting, curtled, smelly milk is not something I generally have hanging around my house.... but I actually get a little panicky when I run out of this. It gives the perfect amount of tang to whatever you choose to use it in--and seriously makes the best pancakes in the world (follow the recipe on the back). Don't forget to store it in the fridge after it's opened. You should be able to find it in the baking aisle of your local grocery store--even Wal*Mart......if they're not all out.....because they're never out of anything.......ever.
4. Stress Candy. I know, I know you shouldn't use sugar to deal with stress, but a couple of these M&M's when I feel like I'm going to blow keep me from devouring the whole pint of Ben and Jerry's (useful). They also double as bribing candy for my little ones. (more useful!). Plus, they look so pretty in a jar (beautiful!)
5. Dinner Service for 12. Preferrably all white dishes because they're incredibly versatile and food just looks good on white. I think 12 is the perfect number of people to have over for a 'big' dinner--enough to keep things interesting-- but not so many as to overwhelm you.
You don't have to break the bank buying all the dishes though. My 12 dinner plates, 12 salad plates, and 12 bowls came to $36 (plus tax)-----I got them all at the dollar store. You heard me--THE DOLLAR STORE! It really is a wonderful place. When they're stacked up you can tell that some of them aren't perfectly flat-- I'm pretty sure that's the only reason they were cast aside. Other than that, they're genuine Italian ceramic (so says the printing on the back), and I don't have to cry if one gets broken (though it's been 6 years and I haven't lost one yet!). I didn't spend much on the glasses and water goblets either, but they weren't from the dollar store.....and I only have 8 of them.
See--they're not so bad! Once again---useful and beautiful! I'm just smiling all over :)! ***************************************************I would love to see 5 useful, beautiful things you guys have hanging around that you think every home should have. Take the challenge if you want--but let me know if you do. I want to see!!!
13 comments:
Oh, I am all excited and happy because I love this! What great ideas! I may have to think about doing this as well but, it will probably take me 3 weeks to do!
I love that you have something from when your husband was little and saying that it helped you remember how loved he was/is--sweet!
Love the framed calendars-dick and jane? Who would have thunk!
I have some mother goose/fairy tale pictures that I bought the book so I could frame but, I haven't had the heart to rip up the book--this was the push I needed, thank you!
I think your plates look very simular to a wedgewood pattern called nantucket. I had a next door neighbor who used this for her everyday. Little did she know could have gotten it at the dollar Store! I need to do your challenge maybe life will slow down this weekend.
I had no idea there was such a thing as powdered buttermilk. I'm going to have to try that. And I just might go dish shopping at the dollar store ... I had plans to go to ikea and get a set of cheap white dishes there, but you can't beat $1.00.
And to answer your question I saw at Chatting at the Sky (baby food and Deceptively Delicious), yes! I put baby food in my kids' food all the time. I also get cans of cooked carrot slices, pumpkin and sweet potato. It is so much faster than cooking and pureeing. I don't have a nice food processor, but I bought one of those cheap little ones at Target. Another thing from the grocery store that I sneak in their food is powdered protein and powdered fiber.
Nester,
I've bought books I couldn't rip apart too!--but somehow a calendar didn't seem so "sacred". Can't wait till you take the challenge--you'll have to include your tacks. You're the master of beautiful, useful tacks :)!
Paper Junk,
Thanks for giving me a fancy-schmancy name to call my plates by! "Nantcuket"--love it!
What a great list!
I also have white dishes (16 place settings, two boxes, Gibson from Target - $40 total six years ago. Use them every day, have only lost a few. Sooo much better than Corelle.)
And I have the buttermilk powder, too. But I never noticed the recipes on the back, and I make scratch pancakes all the time. Thanks for the tip!
And the candy? Mine is hidden or it would be GONE. But lots of it comes out today for St. Valentine's Day! Happy Day to you!
Love this! I've started taking a few pictures so I can post.
As for my Corelle I love it much more than my "expensive" old dishes. Love it! Lasts forever. Has pretty pink flowers. I do want white ones though as well. Will have to check out the dollar store. I would discourage people from buying dishes at Ikea. Love the store but the dishes chip way too easy.
My kids would buy me chocolate if I ever ran out. They know mommy needs it.
Thanks for the idea.
I gratefully accept the challenge...I've been hitting a wall lately with my blog and what to write about, so thanks for the inspiration!!
I love all your favourites!
Linda
Cute, cute, cute, cute new blog design! Way fun and SOOO you! This was a fun post too. I'm going to have to look around and see what I've got that serves both purposes.
I loved all these ideas too, especially the plates. I agree; food looks best on white. When I change my dinnerware out that is what I am going to do too! ;) I will get to thinking on the 5 most useful things in my house... ;)
i have to say that i love your dick and jane photo's i've got some norman rockwell postcards that i got years ago when i was up at his farm in NY and am just waiting for the day when i can have a place for them...the time will come, eventually.
i love your white plates as well. two years ago at the after christmas sale at target i got two sets of dinner plates, salad plates and flateward for like $20 bucks. they are each (sets of 6) in buffet servers. i LOVE them! now i'm searching for nice goblets...the greatest finds are ALWAYS in places people don't commonly look...more for us people!
Someone else just told me about buttermilk powder.
I am so excited because we make pancakes most weekends and last weekend my husband used 2 day old expired buttermilk and convinced me that it was spoiled anyway so what's the difference. Thankfully we didn't get sick, I said a big 'ol prayer over that food before eating it!
I am definitely going to keep this in my fridge from now on.
Ooh, I just stumbled onto your blog and I'm feeling at home! I have three boys of my own and I can relate to so many of your loves. I love our white dishes (Corelle) and up until last week I kept a mason jar of M&M's in my classroom. (My youngest was in my classroom and knocked it over. A student gave it to me 13 years ago. But, I can always get another mason jar, right?)
Did I mention I was off to take photos to post this on my blog?
(And I'll have to look for that buttermilk powder!)
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