The Loot (Part 2).

Earlier I mentioned we went to an antique pavilion place in Michigan where I got the frames and mirror for the bathroom. My Mom got me this pottery. A couple weeks ago at Dinner Club, Sara brought Michelle these neat green pots for her collection of McCoy pottery. Turns out, my Mom has a similar collection of about 30 or so pieces I never knew about. We picked up one for Michelle and I got these three white ones. These aren't all McCoy, but they are very similar in style. The round pedestal in back is a Haeger and the scalloped one is a Redwing.

What's cool about all three of these types of pottery is that it seems relatively inexpensive ($15-55 was the range I saw) and there are a ton of styles, colors, glazes and designs. So it's fun to look for them when you're otherwise just browsing. They are not all signed or stamped, but many are, so while you're picking them up you can start to learn more about a particular set (is it called a brand?). There is so much variety actually, I think they can work perfectly in any home, on display or in use, no matter what your style is. I haven't really dug too deeply into all this yet, but I find it interesting, so when I do I will share what I learn.

Kyle got me that paint-chipping-off-it perfectly frame behind them. This is it's temporary home. I will reshoot it once it's found it's companion and is settled in the right spot. It's great.

After I put that little jade plant from HD ($3) in one, I planted basil seeds in the McCoy planter. I don't know if these will grow or not. I feel like they need more sun. Only it hasn't been sunny so I can't tell if it will get some or how much. It's in a South-facing window? This is why it's called Attempts at Gardening instead of Gardening.

This third shot is actually a pretty true capture of the photograph my Mom picked up recently on a trip to DC. She was trying to tell me how from certain angles and in certain lighting, the fisherman disappears. I never really got what she was talking about. What looks like a black smudge at the bottom is actually a Vietnamese fisherman on water fog and sun that all runs together into one barely differentiated background. When you do get close, you can make out certain details and fine features on the fisherman and ripples in the water that are really cool. Unfortunately I can't make out the signature and I don't have any other way to credit the artist. I wasn't sure about this piece but it's growing on me quite quickly.

I haven't found the right light switch cover yet, so ignore that gross mess.

Sorry for the crappy flash photos too. The weather has been terrible.

My Mom Does It.

Click any image to enlarge.

Just before I went down to my parent's for Easter, Lisa over at A Bloomsbury Life did a post on A Well-Layered Room. My Mom totally does this. So while I was there, I snapped shots of a couple rooms. She does it outside too, as you can see above (dang those redbuds are pretty!). I regret not getting the family of stone rabbits on the shelf under the grill. Oh well... here's her sun porch. Note the collection of McCoy pottery in the shadows on the shelf above the windows.


And next a kind of overall shot of the living room, kitchen table, and hints of the kitchen. There are endless things to look at everywhere you glance. This style is not for everyone I know, but she has a definite knack for putting a room, full of little vignettes, together. (I'm not sure if you can see it – click to enlarge – but the wall to the right in the kitchen? She even hand painted a plaid pattern on it).

Here she is playing solitaire... with original, beautiful and personal stuff all around her.

I mean, this is her LAUNDRY room, where I'm pretty sure she pretends to "work" but doesn't really.


I swear this stuff is basically in storage, waiting to be rotated into the main living areas when their time comes, but still, it's set up like this in this little room no one even sees.

Not to be outdone, my Dad actually even does this in the garage. This is in case he, or anyone he knows, doesn't have time to make it to the local Wal-Mart and finds themselves in a fishing "emergency". The other side of this wall is likewise full, and there is another whole wall like it I didn't photograph. Behind it you might notice meticulously organized tools underneath a valance of fishing lures, and it's surrounded by collections of maps, baseball hats, and stacks of outdoor/fishing/golf magazines – all at your disposal in case you "need" them.

These 'collections' are ways I find that make a house a home. Rotating them around your living areas to look at every day is a wonderful way to express yourself, your passions, and to keep life interesting. At least, I think so.

So, tomorrow morning...

I will really go take those pictures. It's pouring down rain. Instead I am treating myself to some coffee and long overdue posts. Then I will transfer the studio from the spare room to the garage for the summer, in preparation for the post-photo portion of the idea, which I can't wait to get started on.

For now I'm digging out some of my home improvement and decorating ideas. This top image I have saved for a while, it's from the apartment of artist and photographer Jennie Lee via SF Girl by Bay. I love that blue chair. It's the original inspiration behind adding blue velvet to my navy blue-walled bedroom, which I'd love to do on a chair or drapes. The design of this chair would also fit perfectly. I love her studio, too.

Speaking of drapes, these caught my eye, also for my navy bedroom. I like the ceiling to gathering on the floor oversize of them. They may be a bit too much for my space, but in the right fabric, that navy room could pull them off. I also like those little disappearing ring attachments, and I like the noise I imagine they make against the metal rod when you pull them open or closed. I don't know though, because my windows don't go to the ceiling? Regardless I like the way they look. This image and the one below are from The Rug Company catalog found on A Bloomsbury Life.

I also really like the design and color of these chairs. They look so comfortable. Maybe living room? Man, I just had a radical living/dining room redesign flash.

Here's A Bloomsbury Life's actual living room. It's amazing. Her blog is so great because she lets you in to watch as she continues to play with her home and she's got incredible taste, style and personality. I kept this pic for the curtains, but my god, look at everything else going on in the room. It is spaces like this that make me really want to attempt to combine colors and patterns in surprising unity. These exact curtains could work in my living room if I had the courage and budget to go for it. I would have never considered that type of treatment, but I think that it could be nice in the room. The fabric was designed by Peter Dunham. Here's a close-up of the pattern from his store Hollywood at Home.

I love successful examples of groups of different sizes and colors of artwork and frames hanging together in unison. This is a great one. I also love those chairs. Sometimes I think I want them as my dining room set. Sometimes I want just one as an accent chair. They are beautiful and surprisingly comfortable. These two look like they are in incredible condition. I don't know where I grabbed this image, but it looks like a Domino. Ok, and I also am struck by the portrait of the twin girls by Diane Arbus every time I see it. See it in the back ground? See it up close. It gives me the chills for some reason.

This is a Domino shot on Storage from Automatism. When I tell people I'm looking for beveled-edge mirrors, this is a gorgeous, pretty elaborate version what I mean. They are on the small side. Sometimes they hang on chains. You can see a group example of them here. These are basically the opposite of easy to find? Right? That's been my experience anyway. For example I did not see even one mirror without a frame at the entire Kane County Flea Market last weekend. I'd say that's hard to find? As Michelle pointed out, while it can be disappointing, it also makes the challenge of searching for it the thrill of finding it that much more exciting. What I guess is a good idea is to have collections that are also a little easier to come across, so you're not wasting hours and hours searching with no reward. That pot up there with the mirror is pretty McCoy-esque if not the real thing. Pottery obviously can range from affordable to highly collectable, so it's something flexible that I'm having a bit of fun with lately. It's nice to always have something great to return home with... then dang! when you find that perfect sought-after piece. Below are some more botanicals with thin frames I'd like for the bathroom, and an amazing, totally impractical sofa. I think it's another room from Domino.

I'll wrap this up with a final Domino shot. I love this kitchen. Especially the color and style combinations. I love the table. I'd love to have a place to put such a table. It could work in the spare room as a workstation or desk, but what I like so much about it is that it's used here as table, when in fact, I think it's maybe even a drafting table? The lines and weight of the legs are fantastic.

It's still raining, Mozart's still playing, and the coffee pot just turned itself off.