Souvenirs

The French term "se souvenir de" means "to remember."  This is where we get the English term "souvenir." 

I was randomly thinking the other day about my favorite things in my apartment. I must admit that my favorite things all have something in common: they are connected to great memories.  I'm a very sentimental person, so really this makes a lot of sense for me.  So, what are the stories behind some of my favorite things?

I think my absolute favorite thing in my apartment is the lamp above.  It belonged to my mom and I inherited it from her.  It was made (Yes! Made!) by her uncle.  Isn't that crazy? He made the stained glass shade!  I just love stained glass windows and this lamp is no exception to my love for stained glass. The fleur de lis is the flower of France, but also an important symbol for Louisiana.  It is also meant to represent the Iris, which was my mom's favorite flower and is the state flower of Tennessee.  Finally, the colors are very reminiscent of the Mardi Gras colors of purple, gold and green which I love. 

This piece of art is so unique! It is hard to tell from this picture, but it is a teeny-tiny pen and ink sketch of Paris.  The thing that makes this really unique is that the drawing is done on the back of a Parisian metro ticket.  I bought this at a little art market in Paris. I only wish I'd been able to afford some substantial art at that market because there was another artist selling fabulous paintings inspired by the Luxembourg Gardens! 

I've mentioned this before, but I love this print because it represents a great vacation I had in France.  (This post totally makes it sound like I summered in France growing up or something which is VERY far from the truth!! But I was a French major in college...)  The poster was also relatively difficult to track down, but the powers of the internet gave me some help! 

So, those are my favorite things in my home. I'm actually picking out my new bedding for my bed based on the lamp colors, so I'm excited and anxious to see how that all comes together. 

Ladylike

When I was on etsy the other day, I somehow stumbled upon the Janet Hill Studio shop. 

According to her website, Janet is an artist who lives in Canada and paints in her in-home studio.  Her work is so beautiful (and affordable!) and I really adore it.  In addition to an etsy shop that features prints of her work, her work can also be purchased in greeting-card form at her other shop, called Janet Hill INK.

Here are some of my favorites of hers.  I just want to live inside all of the rooms she paints!  They are so ladylike and calming to me.

I would like one of each, please! 

Starting Your Art Collection

There comes a time in life when posters tacked on the wall just don't seem "grown-up" enough anymore, but for a lot of people, the idea of buying "Art" (in the traditional sense of the word) can be overwhelming.  It is often very expensive and out of the budget of many younger people, in particular.  But it isn't all that hard to build an art collection if you keep your eye out and think outside the frame.  Here are some of my tips on finding inexpensive art for your home without sacrificing style and inspiration.

It is so important that you love your own art. Who cares what anyone else thinks?  Art is one of the most important parts of any room and it can express personality almost like nothing else.  It sometimes represents something sentimental or sometimes art represents a dream of yours.  And chances are, if you have decorated a space yourself, your art will naturally mesh well.  Don't worry too much about "matching" or "coordinating." 

Take a look at this room from the house in the movie Something's Got to Give.

Source: Hooked on Houses

The piece of art above the mantel really changes the personality of this room- in a really good way, in my opinion.  You wouldn't necessarily expect it, but it works.

My first piece of advice about art is that you should buy things you love.

Sorry for the weird shadows. Photographer, I am not.

I purchased this piece in Paris.  It is a Parisian scene done in ink on the back of a metro ticket.  I can't remember how much it cost, but it couldn't have been that expensive.  I love looking at it and I just think it is so cool and unique.

My second piece of advice has to do with framing.  Framing can be the most expensive part of art, especially if you go the custom route.  My advice is to hit-up Hobby Lobby when they have their half-off frames sales.  (They have this for their standard frames and for their custom framing.)  Don't be afraid to use a pre-made frame.

That is exactly what I did with this poster. I found the poster online and I bought it because it reminds me of a really special trip I took with friends when we were in France.  Cassis is a very small town so when I found this poster, I knew I had to buy it.

Instead of spending $100 (or likely more) to frame it, I bought a pre-made frame at Hobby Lobby.  I then had the people at Hobby Lobby cut a mat for the poster (this costs around $15, in my experience).  If you look, the top and bottom are thicker than the sides.  This doesn't bother me and I seriously doubt that most people notice it.  Framing this way saved me a lot of money and I think it looks as great as it would if I had spent triple the money to have a custom frame made.

Speaking of pre-made frames, try Target and Walmart.  A lot of times they have frames with great mats.

I think I got this frame for around $20, which is a bargain.

My third piece of advice is that you shouldn't be afraid to ask family members for old art from their houses or the house you grew up in. Sometimes, they may not have liked the piece or they might be tired of it.

This piece was in my dining room growing up.  I asked my dad if I could take it and he said yes.  Most of the time, people are happy to see their art go to the home of a young person who is just starting out.  Now, its not generally a good idea to ask for an incredibly valuable piece of art from someone or an incredibly sentimental piece, but in this case it worked out.

My last piece of advice is to look in unlikely places for art. When you go to an antique store or a quirky gift store, you are likely to find great art.  You might think that it is out of your price range, but it never hurts just to look!  Especially in antique stores, you can find some great deals! 

I bought this at a sort of upscale shop and I was sure it would be way too expensive, but it was only $30.  I'm so glad I looked at the price tag! 

Good luck with your own art collection! Remember to buy things you love- someone else's opinion doesn't matter! 

Keep Calm and...

I am really obsessed with the spoof "Keep Calm" posters that are out there, widely available on etsy.  If I had the wall space in my apartment, I would buy one.

This is one of my favorites:

From the Keep Calm Shop

But in honor of the ultimate college football weekend, I just have to share this one:

From Katie Company's Prints.

Happy football watching and GEAUX TIGERS!  BEAT THE RAZORBACKS!

Gulf Coast Art

Check out some of the work by a great artist I discovered yesterday, Ann Calagaz.

Jubilee Crab

Swamp Trees

If you like these, make sure to check her website (linked above).