Around the house

Little things can truly bring great joy.

This Arabic calligraphy for example. It says "Othman and Claudia" and we got it from a Libyan-Saudi Arabian man, who spoke perfect French, on the streets of Toulouse. The ink is natural henna. Gorgeous.

Or these magnetic spice pots that Othman's cousin Jessika gave us for Christmas. They make me feel so chic as I sprinkle ginger into my soups.

And my winter windowsill plants are beginning to bloom! They suffer a bit in the summer, but they're happy as can be now. 

Othman brought them home as a surprise, one last year and the other the year before. I'm hardly a gardener, and very allergic to soil, but these guys are pretty low maintenance.

I love these two bridal shower gifts that made an appearance at our wedding.

This homemade wedding gift helps break up the dark color of the bedroom walls (our landlady painted right before we rented). 

This beautiful, hand-carved gift was one of the best we received at the wedding. A true labor of love which we appreciate so much. I still haven't found the perfect place to showcase it, but it floats around the house and is always within eyesight.

This little project makes me happy! Real vanilla extract is made with alcohol, so I have yet to find it here in Morocco. Imitation is difficult to find but does exist, but has so many horrible ingredients that I stay away from it. (Here people use little packets of vanilla-infused sugar in their recipes, but since I don't eat sugar it presents an problem.) 

Organic vanilla beans from my mom and vodka from our duty-free layover in Spain, plus a couple of months, will make one happy me. 

Pay attention to the little things, revel in them, appreciate them, and your days will be filled with joy. =]