For Art's Sake

We are finally getting round to banging a few more nails in walls and hanging up some pictures. And it makes such a difference. I'm quite taken aback each time I walk past one of the spaces which is now adorned with a a piece of "art" (used in the loosest sense of the word.) It makes the house feel much more homely and lived in.

Firstly, in the hallway we have this wonderful personalised print from Betsey Benn at Not on the High Street. This was a 40th birthday gift (even though I'm actually only 34...) from my fabulous friends L & B. I'll admit to shedding a couple of tears when I unwrapped it, because it is just so brilliant and thoughtful and sums up our friendship in a few sentences. And now I can admire it everyday and it brings a little smile to my face when I remember the occasions/places/times to which the words refer. If you're looking for a special gift for someone, I would thoroughly recommend one of these.

Round the corner and into the dining area we have this handsome chap who was originally hanging in the snug til he was displaced by the bookcase. Hubby & I brought the poster back from a trip to Copenhagen for New Year in 2003/04 and he has hung in all of our houses ever since. On into the living area and we have this lovely painting that we brought back from Morocco in 2006 (I think?), having watched the artist at work in the main sqaure (Jemaa al-Fnaa) in Marrakech. The photo doesn't really do it justice, especially with the reflection. And on the opposite wall is a painting by a friend (and former lodger) of ours (again, apologies for the poor photo due to reflection.)He was living in New Zealand at the time and when hubby and I were over there travelling in 2005 we stayed with him and his then girlfriend in Wellington for a few nights. This particular painting was going to be in an exhibition so hubby and I secretly arranged with the girlfriend to buy it so that on the opening night it could have one of those little red dots stuck on it and our friend would, hopefully, be very chuffed. However, the tables were turned on us when our friend instead sent us the picture as a wedding gift.

A little further along the wall is a limited edition print by Mackenzie Thorpe which I bought for hubby back in 2004 as an engagement gift. One, two, three, ahhhhhh!
I love how all of our pictures remind us of places that we have visited and things we have done.

Last but not least, let us not forget DC; I decided to pin up some flash cards on his wall since they were just sitting in box in his toy cupboard not being looked at. We bought these Lisa DeJohn cards from the fabulous shop at the Victoria and Albert museum when hubby and I had a child-free trip to London last April for a friend's wedding. Even though we were child-free, we still thought about the little blighter and couldn't come home without a gift for him. Sopsters, aren't we?

I love the colours and the simplicity of the pictures.However, there are a few creatures that I'm slightly puzzled by. Apparently there are for age 3+, but I'm wondering just how old he will have to be before DC starts saying "A is for Ant, B is for Blackbird... and N is quite obviously for Narwhal, Mummy!"Not to mention V...And X...Still, at least they are generating more interest than when they were left in the box inside the toy cupboard. F is for Fox has already been taken off the wall by DC and is currently missing in action; and last night when I went to tuck the little chap into bed he was snuggled up clutching A is for Ant which he must have leant out of his cot to grab hold of.