Living With the Things You Love

I never intended to collect things.
When you buy things you like to look at,
somehow duplicates and triplicates
are nice to look at too.
And thus a collection is born.

Vintage Ladies' Handkerchiefs Displayed as a Bouquet

If you bought those things because you like to look at them, 

then you need to display those things 

so you can actually look at them. 

Ain't that the kicker? 

That's where this book comes in:

Collected: Living With the Things You Love.

My goodness, 

there are collections in this book 

you would have never even thought of. 

But they sure are fun to look at...

Danger, Danger! 

{Sirens are going off in my head.}

The last thing I need 

is more things I like to look at.

How about you?
Do you collect?
What do you like to look at?

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Discovering Wabi-Sabi

Something clicked.
After 50+ years of living, I've discovered it.
Now I feel defined, emboldened and free.

What is it?
wabi-sabi 
Not to be confused with wasabi 
which I also love.  :)


Be Still My Heart: Cobalt Blue Glass 
iso 1000, 50mm, f 2.8 1/80 sec

It's been there all my life,

but my life had never met wabi-sabi before.

And now, I know what I have loved,

and my love is justified.

What is wabi-sabi?

It is a Japanese world view of 

finding beauty in the imperfect 

and embracing the humble. 

A life where old and battered objects

are preferred over the new and pristine.

Teapot by Hall (USA) Teacup by Copeland-Spode (England) 

iso 1000, 62mm, f 2.8 1/30 sec

This explains why,

when you come to my house for dinner,

I won't have a new, matching dinner set on the table.

Rather,

each place setting will have a unique piece

of {mostly} vintage ironstone transferware

that I searched for and found

one at a time.

(And do you know,

no one has ever commented on this.

Ever.

It is unnoticed. )

Maybe that is why I felt so alone in my wabi-sabi-ing.

Keys to Unknown Doors

iso 500, 70mm, f 2.8 1/4 sec

I have collected my dinner glassware,

French, red, retro,

the same way - although this is a matching set.

A few pieces here,

a few pieces there.

And now, I have enough for a party.

Each glass is special.

I found it and

 it became part of my life.

Vintage Red French Glassware {Luminarc}

iso 1000, 55mm, f 2.8 1/15 sec

I haunt thrift stores, flea markets and the like.

I bring home the old, battered, unloved

and give it a home.

Why?

I like to look at it.

Something about it is special in my eye.

It stimulates my imagination.

How about you?

Do you wabi-sabi?

Good Riddance Martha Stewart

(or More Reading on Wabi-Sabi)

iso 500, 63mm, f 2.8 1/20 sec

Until next time,

wabi-sabi on.

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They offer 30 day trials. 
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