Inspired by a recent and very beautiful post by Encore Petite I would like to share some things that make me happy. First, I must honor the real essence of life that makes me happy- my husband, my kitty (and the presence of all animals for that matter), creating art, tea and time spent with friends, sunbeams and being outside, music…these make me the happiest. But these are not things. So here are the things that make me happy. Just little bits kept in my studio that I can hold in my hand and be inspired by~
♥Fabric and pretty blouses that pick up the sheer beauty of sunbeams through a rain-soaked, foggy (and now open) windows that has not seen the sun in days.
♥ A teeny-tiny bit of my old frame collection (my favorite is the wooden black forest frame):
♥ Blue Jay feathers from my collection (although Blue Jays are not the kindest of birds their blue-striped feathers are so beautiful)
♥ Vintage brooches from my collection:
♥ And this one is my favorite (although it might tie with the little faux-scrimshaw ship)
♥ Oh, and ruffles!
♥ Old books with birds printed on the covers
♥ This one is my favorite!
♥ And, finally, the table (a shrine-of-sorts) where I set up found, vintage, and nature things that inspire.
♥Especially the bits of wasp comb that I found this winter during a snowy storm.
♥ And outside the studio, abandoned cottages on rainy days in the back woods (this one I am particularly fascinated with.)
♥Which leaves me with a favorite promise of spring…snowdrops covered in raindrops peaking out from decayed leaves.
Tell me, what are some of your favorite things?
♥♥♥
These, my dear Sarah, are some of the prettiest “happy things” I’ve ever seen !
I’m happy to know that I’m not the only one to collect frames, just for the sake of frames. I almost never get to use them to frame but oh, how I love them !
And these brooches ? I favourite the same ones as yours ! And the wee silver clogs, too !
Also, thank you for playing along, Sarah. And above all, thank you for your sweet words and your visits.
♥♥♥
___mathyld___
yes, i too love frames. i want to collect all sort of oval ones and hang them all up on a wall. i seen that in magazine somewhere and loved how it looked (just the frames, no glass, no picture).
and, i have a small brooch collection i hope to expand too 🙂
On 19 February you wrote: “♥ I can’t stop buying old sewing machines. I don’t even use them all. My most recent machine was a vintage baby blue singer. ” So, some of your other favourite things, I bet. Me too. I wanted to share this with you :http://ietextiles0manninghamilton.wordpress.com/tag/sewing-paraphanalia/ — the first two posts in a series about my sewing machines.
Oh my! This list is really inspiring me this morning–so many gorgeous things to tantalize my imagination! 🙂 I’m really loving the old cottage and filmy lace garment; those are two of my “forever favorites”. 🙂
Right now I’m also enjoying sunshine, old tablecloths hung as curtains, stacks of fabric waiting to be cut into garments, and old buttons. I have lately taken to hanging vintage button cards up on my studio wall because I can’t seem to get enough of them! 😉
Hope you’re having a lovely Thursday!
♥ Casey
blog | elegantmusings.com
Hi Sarah, good to hear from you!!! Such a beautiful post! And what lovely things from your collections! I can’t even begin to narrow down my favorites – I think I have way too many! LOL So, for now, I shall savor yours. 🙂
Have a lovely day!
Theresa
Your blog is lovely. I hope you don’t mind if I add it to my blog list. I have two blogs. One is typically where I post art and challenge entries and explain how I do things… The other (a new one) is for sharing inspiration and discussing life and such.
Ah, these are all so lovely and dreamy….I agree with each and every one! I am even brewing a fresh cuppa tea at this moment!~
Happy spring to you!~
H
Ahh, Sarah, I think you and I are kindred spirits. Many of your favourite things are also on my list of favourite things. First, that wasp comb is a terrific outdoor find…and next to that gorgeous brooche…you have a great eye for connecting unrelated objects and making them “work”. The frames are a great find. So are ALL your vintage finds. And you look good in ruffles. Like a romantic heroine – like one of the women in your paintings!
Some of my favourite things: sketchbooks with rough paper, notecards and a black ink pen to write with (must be black), ribbons around the neck, red shoes, pretty spring cardigans.
oh, i love love love this post!! i want everything here 🙂
Your blog ….. it’s amazing and soooo inspiring. Nice to find you!
A small footprint from Agneta & Sweden
Ps. I have an ongoing jewelry contest on my blog. Welcome! Ds
I collect frames, feathers and brooches too!
I`ve small ornament frames in metal (my favourites), plastic frames, wooden frames, old embroidery hoops etc. Lately I`ve started to use them and I`ve been framing a lot of newly bought prints and drawings/paintings from my collection. We are moving to a larger flat/house later this year, so I`m getting ready to fill the walls there with art 🙂
My feather collection rest in a large wooden box with glass lid. I`ve crow, magpie, seagull and heron feathers (among others) from Norway, and lots of beautiful colored feathers from many different birds that a nice woman in USA collected for me during one summer. Even though the multicolored feathers are beautiful my favourite is crow and magpie feathers. I find them so incredible wonderful.
My collection of brooches includes both new and vintage brooches. My favourite must be the cherry brooch that I found last year in a second hand store. After a little research I discovered that the brooch I first thought was made of plastic was really made of amber, were from the 1920 and was worth many hundred dollars. That was a really nice surprise (but I would have loved it anyway).
So beautiful! I love that wasp comb (such a great size of one, too!).
My favorite things are quite similar to yours as well: natural tidbits and findings, beach specimens, vintage sheer flowery dresses, old tattered quilts, antique colored prints, brand new art supplies (yummy!). 🙂
So many things make me happy. Spring flowers and robins and a baby’s laughter. I am also happy that I found your artwork. It is wonderful and inspiring. It also found it’s way in a copy of Artful Blogging that I purchased. I am grateful that you make art because it makes me happy to look at it.
your favourite things have almost become my favourite things also, so beautifully presented to us as they are!
How do you make such beautiful collections? I should like a book full of these images – interspersed with your artworks and handmade curios of course!
x
Thank you so much for sharing all the beauty of your artistic, dreamlike and magical sensibility! I saw your work in Artful Blogging, which I promptly bought so I could keep the pictures. Your pages were my favorites. I love the ship, the birds, the worlds in the woods, the foxes and the little bits of vintage that make me feel at home even I embark on a surreal adventure. You have inspired me to look into creating a blog. If I do, I will send you the address.
Hello Sarah..
i don’t know where i else should say this. so, i just say it here..
I love your work, it is like another world, a dream. Wonderful.
I smile when i look at your paintings, there a just… lovely.
Just comtinue with the good work. Make the world happy with your work.
// Livia