As I studied the photo I had taken, I realized that my house is comprised of layer upon layer of memories, and I am now adding another layer after the death of my mother. I’m incorporating artifacts from my parents’ marriage and from my childhood into my present life and home.
What
I display in our home depicts different segments of my life and that of my
husband’s. I add layers as I acquire
items from various sources. On our
dining room mantle, I have old books with gold lettering on the spines that I got
from my grandmother’s. My grandmother
and I often sat in her room that doubled as her office/library. While she had a kitchen table and a formal
dining table in other parts of her house, a table in her office was positioned in
front of a large picture window that looked out on the street in front of her
house.
After
Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, we assisted a family from New Orleans
who moved into our guest cottage. They became like family to us even after they
returned to New Orleans. For a recent
birthday, they presented me with a burgundy rose that had been preserved and lacquered,
the rose and leaves tipped with 24K gold, while the stem is gilded in gold. This unusual rose fits perfectly in one of
the tall gold bud vases on the mantle. Its
mate, a pink rose also gilded with gold, is in our friends’ home in New
Orleans.
The
most recent mantle additions include a blush-colored candy dish from my parents’
house. My parents received it as a
wedding gift in 1947. Next to the candy
dish, but elevated on a stack of books is another vase, similar in color, that
Ricky’s mother gave me one year for Christmas.
I stand back studying my tableau, and then add other meaningful items—several
birds from Mother’s bird figurine collection.
Nice - wish I were there to see it, but the pictures are lovely and surreal.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Free photo app is Fuzel, which is fun to play with.
Delete:) I love the way you have incorporated your memories, your family, and your friends into such a touching collage, Teresa!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenny. Just playing like you do in your studio.
DeleteI've enjoyed seeing your family photos on Facebook. So much fun to see the similarities of the way we were raised and dressed in the long-ago time! :)
DeleteI am not one to follow decorating trends very much. Instead, I prefer to use things that make me happy and have lots of sentiment. My house is filled with things from my parents and grandparents and they make me smile, too.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's fun to be surrounded by good memories of the people in your life that you have loved!
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