still life 99-- debut

Growing up with an artist mother, I liked to study the still lifes (is it still-lives ??)  and interesting objects that she set up to paint or sketch on the dining room table or on the wobbly planks of our wrap around porch. Today, I still find myself stopping to admire the little "moments" placed around homes. Even my own. Actually I think that is what I like best about home, the simplicity of haphazard (and let's be honest, many times intentional) collections and the ordinary, sometimes imperfect objects that make me pause and appreciate the privilege of actually having a home.

So, although I've never been particularly awesome at sticking with a series, I'm going to try. The premise is that we don't need a lot of things at home, but what we do need should be beautiful. They should be worthy of being noticed. And so, here. it. goes...

I delight in little containers. Functional ones, even better. It struck me the other day as I cleaned these magnetic spice jars (first time ever I think) what an unexpected pleasure it is to be able to take pleasure in something mundane and ordinary. Sometimes I think it sounds extreme when I say it to the people I'm working with, but I really do think there's something to William Morris's advice: "have nothing in your home that you don't know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." When I decided to try to follow that, it was truly transformative. Life is short, and there really isn't any reason we have to live with ugly things. If you're as visual as me, it makes a difference when you surround yourself with beauty even in the things that you think don't really count.