Favorite Things

I'll admit when we moved from Nashville to Birmingham, we basically placed some of our furniture/art objects where the previous owners had theirs.  Not real creative, not original, but baby boy was just shy of one, hubs had to get back to work immediately and life just didn't slow down long enough for us to do anything except live it!  SO, move forward we did! 

Coming up on three years - our decor is much the same! blah-blah-lottie-da!  

I do have some lovely pieces collected over the years - not all are creatively or prominently arranged, displayed or even given the love & respect deserved, in my opinion.  And I still collect - just not like I once did... 

Browsing at all the great blogs and magazines, seeing beautiful arrangements of art and furniture, I started missing things I haven't seen, ummmm, since we moved.  So I dug through a few boxes - spoke sweetly to some of my favorite items, and promised them that one day soon I would get my mojo back, and they would come to live with me again!  They are not so happy in the dungeon basement. Here a a few of my favs that I DO get to see here & there around the house.  Hope you enjoy looking at them!  And I am curious about some of your favs - share them & the stories with me/us...

artisan made mirror 'Vain Aroma' picked up in a gallery in Knoxville, TN (I can't read the artists name, sorry)

funky tin art purchased in a tiny store off the beaten path somewhere between Huntsville, AL & Franklin, TN

a metal frame that my brother made for me!  I saw one in a store with a price tag that didn't speak to me (like over $200). I explained this over the phone and in less than a week he brought it to me!!  {LOVE IT} oh the 'art' inside the frame is from a magazine - I just cut it out and placed it there with a tiny dab of tape - I did this out of sheer excitement the moment my brother handed it to me! The mag just happened to be on the chair beside me!

antique dress form, still in pretty good condition, and the watercolor behind it both picked up at fleas

the bottom of the dress form

tiny Etsy art - when Etsy first came to be (sorry I can't remember the artist).  It reminded me of art by Lynn Whipple whom I met several years ago at a show in Nashville, TN

this tea pot is by artists that I love, Jennifer & Mark Hatfield. I have a few pieces, this one was picked up at an arts & crafts show - can't remember where...

Scott E. Hill - wow! what an artist!!  I have a few of his paintings and can I just say I {LOVE} his work?! This is titled "Reflections" and is two little birds in a boat at dusk...

another arts & crafts show find - great little vase - unknown artist

"be where you are"  this is what made me buy it...

frames are a weakness of mine, I spend waaay too much on frames (issues?!) This is by an artist that I love and have had the pleasure of meeting.  Jill is so talented, and I am lucky to have many of her pieces of art (jewelry, frames, paperweights - see, issues!)  The actual pic is my Mom and one of her (5) sisters

I

I can't help it, I remember such non-important things!  You don't 'have' to read all the captions, but it was neat for me to remember people, places, etc... and I am good with sharing.  I have fun collecting, ok, I have fun doing just about anything!!

this is driftwood - yes, driftwood!  look at the detail the artist had to work with and the detail she put into it!  I {love} this piece of sculpture - there is such character to it!  Got it in NY on a buying trip (gotta love wholesale!) many years ago...

the artist is Lynn Muir, I think she is in the UK

boobs, she even put on boobs...

she stands alone, and the hair is always blowing :)

the wording - something else I love about art..

my tea set - hand made in Brazil. the handles are wrapped in leather

cuteness!  garage sale!

this hangs in my little guys room near his bed.  a solid wood, hand carved and painted piece by an artisan with the team of Sticks

my funky little angel that watches over me at the kitchen window!

Droll cake stand and a few fav cookbooks (I love Droll items, and have a few of these fun pieces)

ahhh, Cat & Mouse!  my cheese board that I think is so whimsical!

this is awesome art by the very talented Michael Aram

love the details on all the pieces!

cat, mouse, cheese - I laughed then, I laugh now!

pretty & heavy solid wood HEART - flea mkt, I think...

detail of a silver (real, not plated) tray that I picked up in my neighborhood -- at a sale I didn't even know was happening -- until I was driving to the grocery store!!

so heavy and in excellent condition! I almost feel like a thief, it was so cheap, such a good deal!

hand stitched green truck - this is in my little guy's room (from a previous post)

I love art!  There is so much! And so many artist!  Art is a great fabric, a wonderful line on a pieces of furniture or a wonderful chip in the wood on another piece.  Art is soft, metal, quirky, sophisticated, funky, wood, fiber,, you know what I am saying, right?  And for me, more than anything else I think, it is a matter of 'feelings'.  Whether from a deep heart moving emotion, a piece that makes you laugh, one that takes you 'there', or the little 'high' we get from the find!  I am never offended if someone doesn't particularly care for something I have in my collection - it's like elbows and eyelashes - everyone has 'em and they are all different!  I am secure enough in my whimsical, elegant, kooky, expensive, bargain taste, thankyouverymuch!

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http://thehillsarelivin.blogspot.com/

http://www.findingfabulousblog.com/2011/02/frugalicious-friday_17.html 

http://www.thethriftyhome.com/