{Giveaway is Closed}
What makes a house truly a home?
It’s not always buying the latest trend or popular things of the moment, decorating a home merely to make it beautiful. But more so, it’s surrounding yourself with the things that make you and your family feel comfortable, loved and special. We all have those fond memories and family treasures that we want to surround ourselves with.
If you enjoy family photographs, heirlooms, and having special things around your home that express who you and your family are, you’ll enjoy this book.
Written by Monica Rich Kosann, it’s a beautiful book filled with treasured memories of her spaces, as well as many of her clients. Monica is a nationally recognized fine-art portrait photographer who has worked with many prestigious families and celebrities, as well as a designer of jewelry and home accessories. Her work has been profiled extensively in national print, such as Town & Country and Elle Decor, as well as television media.
Photos from Monica’s website, Fine Art of Family. Monica believes that we should all live with what we love and find ways to incorporate those things into our daily fabric of life. I couldn’t agree more. 
{Photo: Monica Rich Kosann}
Instead of hiding away the family photos, Monica has clever ideas for displaying them stylishly and showing them off to visitors, without having them in the way. I love her ideas on grouping silver frames with cherished family photos. 
I too, love to display family photos. We have them sprinkled around the house, from the master bedroom, to the living room, my office and my husband’s office, with our family members displayed and enjoyed every day.
Monica also believes in living with and loving collections by displaying them in an artful manner to enjoy every single day. I couldn’t agree more. I enjoy my plate and dish collection grouped on a wall or on the sideboard. That’s living with what you love. 
Insulators grouped together make a collection in that beautiful shade of turquoise.
Did you know that 3 or more of something is a collection? Begin with a few and build from there. So what is it that catches your eye? Collect it and have fun displaying that collection. 
Pretty books grouped together can be enjoyed as beauty or literature. 
A basket of shells and driftwood captures memories from our visit to the beach one summer. Priceless and sweet memories of walking on the beach, picking up every one of these salty treasures.
Monica sent me my very own copy to treasure and she has generously offered to give a book to my readers too ($30 value), so if you’d like a copy for yourself, just leave a comment on this post, telling me what your favorite treasured collection for your home might be.
What is that special thing that you love and are living with too? Cherished family heirlooms, family photos, or pieces that you have collected yourself?
Are you living with what you love? I hope you are!
{Giveaway will be open until Saturday evening.}
I have several old green rutile pottery Rebekah pitchers…love them…move them around the house, but always keep them together for the impact they make with all their varied sizes.
My collection is holiday specific. I collect the German Nutcrackers. They are a important part of my home decor for the holidays. They actually go up before other items do for the holidays and they stay up for a bit longer. I started this collection when I was in my teens and it just flourished.
I love my vintage family photos, my quilts, and my vintage kitchen utensils and gadgets! I have a pretty nice collection of all of these things.
This will sound weird, but bear with me. Both my husband and I love all things creepy and Halloween-y, so we’ve decorated our house over the years with goodies from the Halloween sales. That means we’ve got bats and skulls and vampires galore. Most everyone in our lives finds this weird and thinks we live in a crazy fun house, but it’s what makes us happy.
I’d say my family photographs. I have pictures of my family everywhere and I’d like to find creative ways to display and arrange them in collections on the wall.
I love displaying my family photos and collection of shells and things found at the beach.
I’m in love w/ my slipper chairs that have been stuck in storage for years and are about to get recovered.
I don’t have much that my family has given me. I’m newly married but I do have a lot of baskets from longaberger that my grandma gives me every year for Christmas. I love green and red and decorate my house like that, but keep it from being too Christmas-y!
I have a growing collection of transferware that I just love!
I’ve recieved lots of beautiful, mismatched stemwear from my grandmother, aunt and mother. Most of it is tucked away in a cabinet, but I try to find wears to use some pieces around the house. I keep make-up brushes in one in the bathroom, for example. If you have other ideas, please let me know.
OK…this is weird. At this moment, I have shelving, plates and pictures all over my floor trying to decide what to do with them…so I went to your blog to see how you used your plates, shelving etc… AND I FIND THIS. WOW!
I love to have things around that remind me of family and days gone by. They may not always be my decorating style but I have found if I combine them with newer items It works!! I am a firm believer in surrounding your self with things you love!!
Sentimental favorites are definitely my way of decorating. Family photographs are, of course, a favorite – displayed in various thrift store frames. But my very favorite collection would be wooden Santas handcarved by my dad….not just for Christmas by any means!
Hi Rhonda! I love living with what I love and that is my family. I have family photos through out my home.
Thank you for sharing your ideas and a portion of your life through your blog. I would be thrilled to have Monica’s book too!
Thanks,
Glenda
I want this book!!
I just finished typing a blog post (out tomorrow) where I just typed the very same thoughts you wrote about … A collection is 3 or more…
great minds think alike 🙂 … LOL!!
Loved this post!
Rhoda, It has to be my blue and white transferware. I started collecting at age 17 and the transferware has been with me through twelve moves. When Hurricane Ivan was headed toward our home I carefully packed every piece and took it with me. Our home was hit hard by the hurricane but luckily my transferware was saved. I would love to win this book!
Hugs, Sherry
My favorite is anything sunflower.
I collect many things but one collection I truly enjoy and display throughout my house is vintage postcards for different holidays, etc. I keep them in an old sewing drawer and go through them to choose what I want to display next! It is ever changing.
Wow…it’s hard to narrow it down to just one collection. Right now, I think I’m hung up on my vintage pottery planters in blues, greens, (beach colors). Also quite fond of vintage santas and vintage glass. Love the blue transferware and wallpaper, even though I’m more of a green person. The blue in those insulators is pretty awesome too. It’s all in the thrill of the hunt/find though.
I love any blue and white dishes, pitchers, bowls, etc. They just seem to fit in anywhere. I also collect roosters and Santas. It’s amazing how quickly a collection can grow when family knows what you want.
Love your blog, would love to own this book.