June 2011
I was reading an article in a décor magazine the other day and the interviewee, the owner of a high end design shop (is there any other kind?) detailed 10 of her favorite things. I always laugh at these articles because the favorite things are always so arcane and frequently pretentious.
Such as:
“My favorite soap is made using the finest essential oils from flowers hand harvested by red haired maidens from an obscure Haitian village and using only the ash from the equally obscure Popu-Popu tree individually wrapped in banana leafs and made only 2 months of the year”
Or
“I just love snacking on artisanal bread made from wheat which was hand planted, hand watered, hand harvested and hand milled, spread with freshly churned butter from cows who have been fed organic grass and milked by a Brad Pitt look-alike who milks them while wearing tight jeans and a smile. I like it served on the mouth blown golden glass plate that I got on my sojourn to upper Mongolia where I stayed in 5 star tent hotels and feasted on Yak and other local delicacies…”
Like, really?
Then I thought, well, what are my favorite things? And I realized that it’s a tough question, and my responses are not nearly as glamorous, but here goes anyway:
My favorite movie is Moonstruck. It’s Cher before too much plastic surgery, Nicholas Cage at his youthful prime, and a whole bunch of crazy Italians who remind me of my crazy Greeks. I get a kick out of a mother who shouts at her daughter; “Your life is going down the toilet!” but will still cook her a full breakfast.
Favorite car: Ok so maybe I don’t actually have one and may never buy one but my favorite car since I was a kid was a Volkswagen Cabriolet convertible. They are just so darn cute!
Old School Volkswagen!
My favorite clothing is probably my Joe Fresh yoga pants. Yup, Joe; $19, 100% cotton, probably made at a Chinese sweat shop. A very close second would be the Ugg slippers my husband bought me on a business trip to Australia. They’re warm, fuzzy, and ugly as hell, and a very a thoughtful gift from a man who would rather see me in stilettos.
The Ugg slippers with the Joe Fresh yoga pants…
Favorite decorative piece; my “ugly” lamp. I found it abandoned in the laundry room of our condo when we first moved into student family residence at the U of C. The shade was ripped, it was dirty, the wiring was shot (hence the name) but it was chrome, curvy and unique, so for $20 I bought a rewiring kit and new shade and voila; funky new lamp. I later saw a similar one in a design magazine; when he saw the retail price for the designer lamp, my husband stopped mocking it …
My “Ugly” Lamp
My favorite fragrance is not a perfume; my husband is allergic to most and making him sneeze when he comes within two feet of me sort of defeats the purpose. And truthfully, I can’t pick just one scent, but I realize the running theme behind my favorite smells is spring/summer in Calgary. What smells do I love? My crab apple tree which is in glorious bloom right now. The smell of the poplar trees especially when sitting by the river in Sandy Beach. The smell of the air right before a big thunderstorm. The Stampede Grounds before the beer tents open… Sigh, I guess I’m a sucker for Calgary.
My favorite kids beneath our crab apple tree
Wow, that last one makes me sound very sappy about Calgary doesn’t it? Well, there is a reason that I am feeling warm towards Calgary these days and I guess this is as good a time as any to announce that I am moving to BC next month!
While I am sad to be leaving my hometown, I am excited about my family’s new adventure, and our new ventures! Melissa and I are expanding our ‘family’ and will launch www.familyfunvancouver.com in the fall.
