the lives of others.

i’m so excited about today’s post because it’s so personal. about a week ago, i sent out an e-mail asking some friends to send me a photo of their favorite item in their house and a sentence about why they love it so much. the response was exactly what i’d hoped for – some people sent one photo, some people sent four, but every single piece seemed to exemplify the sender. (my friends are the best.)

getting little peeks into other people’s lives always interests me (the look into people’s homes is my favorite feature of sites like apartment therapy and design*sponge), and i often get inspiration for my own apartment through those peeks. so i thought, why not do my own version?

i hope that you enjoy these photos as much as i’ve enjoyed compiling them. and kisses to bethany, susan, hayley, crystal and mel – thanks for sharing a little glimpse of your home (and yourself) with us.

bethany – a.k.a. one-half of the genius team that is roniroli and who i miss every single day of my life – sent me these three pictures from her kitchen. i couldn’t pick just one, so i’m including them all. her descriptions and explanations, in her own words, follow each photo.

“my box shelf and mini beach centerpiece (both of which I did myself!). first, the shelf is one of four shelves i put up on my kitchen wall all by myself. i painted my kitchen and hung shelves to make the place feel more like my own. this was the first thing i did without anyone's help – i feel accomplishment when I look at those shelves. second, the mini beach centerpiece – i love it because it reminds me of my wedding. every time I look at that little replica of our wedding centerpieces, i am brought back to one of the most joyous days of my life. i feel the warmth and love of all our friends and family when I look at that centerpiece.”

“my rachael ray pot set. i love to cook, and these pots make me feel like a little chef. i received these for christmas and love-love-love to use them. one of the best gifts ever.”

“my standing mixer. this mixer kicks heiny! i like to pretend I have my own bakery or baking show when i use this mixer. this mixer makes me want to quit my job and become a baker. and now I want to bake....”

my dear friend susan – dancer, dance teacher and actress extraordinaire – sent me the above photo of posters that hang in her bedroom. her simple, succinct reason? “i love these posters because broadway makes me happy!” [clockwise from top left, that's thoroughly modern millie, wicked, 42nd street and chicago.]

hayley was my first college roommate – the first person i met in college, in fact – and she’s one of the most creative people i know. her entire house is fantastic, and this deer planter is extra-awesome. why does she love it? in her own words: “i love this little antique deer planter...mostly because my cat hissed at it when I first brought it home and put it on the table. is it alive?” [check out hayley's fantastic etsy shop, h loves r, for beautiful doll clothing and accessories.]

crystal and i went to high school and college (undergrad) together, and a few months ago she wrote a fantastic guest blog on the 2008 presidential election. she sent me this photo of her grandmother’s 40-year-old quilt, which she loves because “every time you wash it, it gets softer and the colors become more beautiful. also, because it was my grandmother's, it’s my comfort zone. it took me till college to get a ‘blankie,’ but it’s like there's a piece of her and a piece of home here amid the sterile environment of the dorms. i photographed it like it was hugging me because that's what i feel it does—gives me a hug and encouragement through its presence as a family heirloom.” [click over to crystal's blog, an eye-opening account of life with a disability and how she, as an activist, is striving to make a difference.]

mel, college roomie and forever friend, is an amazing artist and one of the most loyal people i know. she sent me this photo of her favorite picture frame because, “i saw this in a catalog and mentioned to joe [her boyfriend] that i thought it was really cool. next thing i know i am opening it at christmas. it's awesome because it's a picture frame that holds a ton of pictures and it also opens up into a great big jewelry box. i wish i had a picture of it with all the pictures i've put in it, it looks so good, and the i love to look at the pictures.”

what are your favorite household items? why do you love them so much?

ps: for good measure, here’s the cutest picture of bethany’s chihuahua, oliver, who, like oscar for me, is above all else her favorite thing in her house.

[i’ll post my own favorite item(s) later, since i don’t want to take away from my friends’ great stuff. thanks again to everyone who contributed. xo.]