My Favorite Things | Nicole from Live Laugh Decorate

 
To celebrate a very happy Thursday I am thrilled to present to you a fabulous lady to you today!  Nicole is one half of the interior design duo behind the blog Live Laugh Decorate.  She is sweet, spunky, and oh so funny.  I am loving reading about their decorating projects and entertaining posts about life's happenings.  This bombshell mama (did you see the pink dress!!) has some wonderful favorite things she wants to share with us.  Let's see:


1 | My Favorite People.  My lil man, aka Xavier. For obvious reasons! I was a career chasing girl for years and didn’t think much about having a kid. Then this lil man came into the world and wow, I never knew I could love like this. He is the happiest, coolest kid ever and he makes me smile all day long.  Ok, so before there was the lil man, there was a big man aka, the hubby Patrick. He is as silly as it gets. Makes me laugh all day long and is a true friend. We can talk about anything, warts and all. This is the poem he wrote to me on the day he proposed. I keep it in my wallet and read it at random moments. 

2 | My Favorite Books.  I was a literature major in high school, and a journalist by training, so I love to read. No Kindle or IPAD reading for moi. I need to curl up with a book, to mark the ears of a page that had some stunning revelation so I can go back and read it over and over again. Among my favorite authors - Maya Angelou, Edwidge Dandicat, Chinua Achebe and Shakespeare. In fact Angelou's, "I Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now" got me through some very dark days when I lived in New York. A story I co-authored on racial profiling of hip-hop artists was included in Da Capo's Best Music Writing for 2005 so I guess I'm sorta published? lol. I also must have my monthly dose of Florida Design and Essence magazines.

3 | My Favorite Gift.  When I left Jamaica for New York in 1992, a good friend gave me that can of Jamaican sunshine. Man, did I need that sun in those winter days. It was one of the best gifts I've ever received. A simple yet powerful gift that I can look at anytime and remember the joys of growing up on that little island.

4 | My Favorite Bag.  What island girl doesn’t have an oversized straw bag or three? I carry a lot of stuff around so I always need a large tote. I also rock a scarf around my hair whenever the mood strikes or more likely, when my hair is looking a hot mess!

5 | My Favorite Accomplishment.  My college degree. My cousins and I are the first generation in our family to have gone to college so it’s a favorite because it reminds me of how much things can change within a family. Thanks to those degrees, none of us have had to work for minimum wage or settle for jobs we hated. Our family now includes a journalist/designer, lawyer and two engineers.

6 | My favorite Furniture Piece.What design junkie doesn’t have a favorite piece of furniture or two? I rescued this wing back chair from the trash a few years ago and had it reupholstered in fabric I purchased for just $2 a yard. This West Elm bench has been a trooper over the years serving as bench, foyer/coffee table. A true multi-purpose piece.

Xavier is too cute.  I think he has had modeling lessons already- I mean how perfect is his smile?  I love Nicole's drive and positive energy.  She is definitely doing her family proud.  Visit her blog, you'll be happy you did!  Oh and I want some Jamaican sunshine too please!   Thanks Nicole for sharing with us your fave things and for these wonderful photos!