Decorating Demerit

A friend gave me a decorating magazine a while back. Despite what I am about to say about it, I really enjoyed flipping through it - even got a few ideas. But one "tip" they had confused me. They said when you are hanging things on the walls, don't just do it willy nilly (my word, not theirs). There should be a theme in every room. The things you hang should be connected, not random. The example they gave was of a wall that had a huge roughed up white wooden frame hanging on it. Inside that frame was about 12 or so black roughed up frames of different shapes and sizes. NOTHING was actually in any of these frames. I can appreciate it I guess. I go into Pottery Barn and kind of like looking at stuff like that. It doesn't mean anything to me (or anyone else really), but it is fun to look at. I read the magazine about the time we were getting all of our things up on the wall. Sadly, our house will not be making it into House Beautiful. (Oh, but our St. Louis house is going to be on HG t.v. House Hunter - more on that later.) The three pictures over Mike's desks are some incredible shots he got while living in Ireland a few years ago - a meaningful time for him. The picture to the left is one he bought from Accenture (for my birthday while we were engaged!) when they were moving offices in Atlanta. It is a pencil and water color of the intersection at Marietta Street in Downtown Atlanta where the Henry Grady Monument stands. An intersection that is almost a literal intersection of the rich and the poor in that area - something that means a lot to us.

The picture above the fire place is an Andrew Wyeth - one of my favorites. He typical paints multiple portraits of the same subject over time - allowing his knowledge of them as he gets to know them better and better to inform his art. The quilt piece was a gift from New England from a couple in Jackson, MS who themselves influenced me and represent many others who influenced me while I lived there. My dad gave me the clock on the left for Christmas.

My Tootsie painted that one...and that is her mom's china on the tray...and that blue plate belonged to the mother of my mother's best friend when she was little who I ended up being close to when I was older.

In contrast. Our kind landlords left this. It ain't bad, but it don't mean nothin'. Just a Bed, Bath and Beyond print I am sure. I guess it means a little...we think of our landlords every time we look at it and our thankful for them - they are great. Mike might get to play a little golf with them next week.

My point: Our stuff may be random, but it sure means a lot to us. I would rather have a house full of meaning.