Friday's Favorite Corner

Today's corner is the guest bedroom. Since it's still in order from our last visitors, I can show it to you. This room always goes through so many transformations. I find something pretty and add it to my collection here. It is safe from gangly teenage boys and most of the time, I keep the door shut to keep the animals out. It's supposed to be "animal dander free" for those allergic to all our babies. At least I try to keep them out. As you can see, Ms. Bev likes to get in on all the Friday photo shoots--thinks she's a model, I guess.

Most of the furniture in here is from our Art Deco phase. The hub and my first date was antique shopping and we soon discovered we both loved art deco. This was in the mid 80s before deco got really hot, so everything was to be had at a bargain. (Of course, over the years, I got tired of it in our bedroom and had to switch out to a lighter wood there.) anyway, all of this was purchased before the hub and I were married. I kept all of it at my (as opposed to his) apartment since it was apparent that we would be together for the rest of our lives and it didn't really matter where it went--so I got it (get it?). It is so funny, because the pieces were purchased at different shops and shows around DC at totally different times--yet it looks to be a matching set, or pretty near close. What an exciting time in our lives.

(The hope chest has a wonderful story to it. I don't even know if the hub and I were engaged; but the inlaws had come to DC to visit us. We were driving around and ended up driving by Eastern Market. I spotted some pieces of deco and told the hub to pull over, I was going to just jump out and take a quick look. They could drive around the block. Of course, it was so cheap, I purchased it; and we came back later that day to pick it up. (This may have been my very first--now infamous--speed shopping round.) Oh to be young DINKs again {double income, no kids}. haha!)

The darling side chair by the dresser was given to me by my dear friend Kelly and her mother. This is a piece from her grandmother's set. I had just moved into my first apartment and had absolutely nothing but an old antique table and two chairs--not even a bed! They were so sweet to give it to me. The fabric on the chair was one I purchased from a French shop in DC at the time to wrap my thank you gifts for my wedding attendants (all two--Kelly and the hub's sister Ann). I wonder if they ever got it off, because I glued it! haha. Should have tacked it with thread, but I was young and naive then. I just wanted it to be pretty. And it was. I saved a yard for prosperity and have used it for various projects over the years.

My larger watercolors are from a favorite Ukrainian artist, Arkady Orekhov (not to be confused with Slim Shady Orekhov--the musician, hehe). I don't remember who stumbled upon him first, but the hub surprised me one Christmas when we were first starting out (quite a reach then). It is one of my all-time favorite surprise gifts from him. The first one he bought for me was the one on the left with the cablecar. I still admire it with all my heart to this day. It touches me somehow. The hub's grandmother came from the Ukraine and he remembers her saying the closest town to her growing up was Lvov. These are the things that make pieces so special to me. I believe most of his work is capturing Lvov. The studio the hub purchased them from is no longer there in Old Town Alexandria. I stayed in touch with the owner for a while, a sweet elderly Polish woman; but unfortunately I have lost touch with her. Her gallery was so amazing.

(If artwork comes with a write up, I tape it to the back of the work--or else I would lose it!)

The little French watercolors were purchased in Paris on our honeymoon. You know, the street artists on the Left Bank that sell their work? Yea yea, those are the ones. I've had these in so many places throughout our houses, it's amazing. They are so sweet and special.

And this little collection is my brother Jim's fault. He started me on these little perfume funnels years ago when he gave me several for my birthday. I've been hooked ever since. Think I have enough now, so I don't go looking for them. If they come and seek me out in a shop, well, that's another story. He also gave me the pretty little silver nail file at the bottom. It pulls open with the file inside. Love it!

The lace above the bed belonged to my grandmother. I have had it on tables over the years, but it was beginning to wear; so I thought I better put it up somewhere in order to keep it from unraveling. I didn't want to put it away because it is so pretty, and this is what I finally came up with.

I absolutely love doing these posts. It is so important that my kids one day know why I have all this stuff and where it all came from. This way, it is all written down for them. You know boys, as I've said before, couldn't care less.

The hub was in Texas for a day and he comes home tonight! Yahoo (or yeeehaw). Can't wait to see him. Why is it when they're here, it's so taken for granted but once they leave town, you miss them like crazy? I probably don't tell him enough.