It's been a very busy week, nearly all the birthdays in my family fall within a 3 week space. An awful lot of cake gets eaten and not a lot of housework gets done. This is my living room before it descended in to a mess of tape, wrapping paper and glitter. This is about the tidiest it gets, my trick has always been to distract the eye as much as possible with plenty of paintings, cushions, colour and nick nackery! I hope it works. Not pictured is my desk which lives under a nook beneath the stairs. It's not looking too tidy right now and come to think of it I'm not sure it ever does?! I will take some pictures of it when it's a little clearer (there are lots of paintings piled on it).
Our living room is perhaps my favourite room in our home, it's perfect for lounging and reading. The daybed is particularly good for lazily flicking through art books and sipping g&ts! We have a lot of books, far more than are pictured.
One very important part of our living room is the drinks cabinet. It houses a host of glasses from champagne boats to whisky tumblers as well as whole menagerie. I have used the bottom (and some of the top) shelf to house my collection of weird and wonderful creatures and a variety of objects that I treasure dearly. I am, by own omission, a bit of a hoarder. I have over recent months got a little better, moving to Cornwall forced me to really consider what was needed. The trouble I have always had is I attach memories and emotions to objects, each one contained within my drinks cabinet has a particularly special meaning.
They are mainly things I've been given by loved family members who have since passed. I find it very comforting to have small objects to hold, I've always liked the idea of Netsuke. My assortment of Buddha's have always come in handy during in exams or difficult essays, I choose one and hold it in my hand, the soft cold texture is very comforting. Other objects are less easily transportable, due to size and delicacy. They however are no less treasured. The white owl is one of my oldest belongings, my dad gave it to me as a baby. It originally tweeted and fluttered it's eyes, it sadly has since stopped doing so but it's been with me through every home and I couldn't really imagine not owning it.
I like to display them all because they help remind me of the people I've lost but also to always appreciate the people that are here.
Featured below are a few of my favourite objects:
The owl that my dad gave me, a marionette made by an auntie (I think!) in the 1930s, the lid of a long lost box featuring 3 carol singers originally belonging to my great-granny.
A knitted llama a friend gave me for my 23rd birthday, my dad's business card illustrated by my mum and a cheeky little eggcup that was my granny's!
Steiff owl that belonged to my grandma, another marionette and the Bogart of Bohermore*
*Bohermore was the name of the area of Galway I lived in when I was small. My mum made this friendly little Bogart, he caused much mischief around our house.
A whole collection of Buddha's.
Melon teeth the lion a recent purchase from Oxfam and a little Japanese bonsai scene from the
Japanese Gardens.
A selection of glasses and a little cardboard figure that belong to my Great Aunt.
Do you have any objects you carry with you? I'm always so interested to hear about people's attachment (or not!) to objects. My brother is very different from me and has barely more than a handful of possessions! He is always very bemused by my nostalgia for childhood objects.
I hope you all have glorious weekends and treasure all your loved ones.
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