Favorite Things Friday

Its another “favorite things Friday”. Welcome! Any one else participating? If you want to join in, please do and leave a comment with a link so we can see what some of your favorite things are too. Here we go (in clockwise fashion):

Marie Claire Idees - Don't even get me started on this magazine. Reading it is like transporting me to a tiny Parisian apartment where I wake up listening to Carla Bruni each day, sip green tea (or espresso given the day) from the same mug with my love as we discuss which cafe to get lobster bisque and red wine from for lunch.  You think I'm kidding? This magazine is a miracle worker!

Parisian apartments aside, I love this magazine and when its in the budget, I buy one. The problem; even with two years of high school French under my belt, I can't read a word of it. But the photos are enough to get my creative juices flowing and send me on my crafty way humming Carla Bruni tunes.

Need your own transport to Paris today? This might help.

Fortune Cookie Fortunes - I don't save all of them, but there are always a few that stay with me. Some fortunes are so ridiculous...when I get one of those lame fortunes I immediately think of The Simpsons episode where Homer writes fortunes for a job. Did you see that one? Anyhow, occasionally I'll get a good one and I save it. This one reads, " You will always be surrounded by true friends." Now that's a good fortune, people.

Wooden Spoons - Hmmm...where to start with wooden spoons....Lets me just say this. I have many. Many, many, many. I have quite a fondness for wooden spoons and odd utensils. I would collect even more if I didn't get eye rolls from the Mr. every time a new one appears in the kitchen.

There are some that I use, some that I don't. The ones I use have very specific roles to play. Some are shaped perfectly for mixing doughs, others do a great job of scraping sauce off the bottom of the pan. The one on the left is a recent thrift store find and is my soft butter spreader. The one in the middle has an extra long handle. Perfect for stirring soup in a stockpot. And the one on the right has never been used. It was bought for me by Canaan last summer. Canaan is one of those rare birds that is very in tune with what people like (people being his mom) and likes to surprise them (me) with gifts often. The other day he was at the grocery with Mike and came in, handed me a Luna Bar and said, "here Mom, I bought this for you with my money. I know you like them." This boy is something else...

So last summer, knowing I have this love of wooden spoons, Canaan surprised me with a hand carved spoon from a craft fair he was at. I can't bear to use it. It is so gorgeous and smooth and without a blemish or food stain. I love it.

Metal Heart - A couple of years ago I signed Mike up for a metal working class at the University of Kentucky...just down the road (yes...the most recent National Championship Wildcats!). Each week he would go for a few hours to a warehouse on campus to pound, melt, solder, and grind all sorts of metal things. On his first night home from class he gave me this heart. It stands propped on a cedar shelf in our kitchen and is definitely one of my favorite things.

Salty Caramel & Smoked Almond Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches - I think Jeni's should start paying me for endorsing their products, don't you? Not to hit you over the head yet again with a Jeni's shout out but I just have to say that their handmade ice cream sandwiches are just absolutely out-of-this-world. Recently I was visiting a friend in Columbus and she treated me to a post brunch Jeni's treat....this ice cream sandwich. Wowzers. Sweet, salty, crunchy, smooth....yum.