{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.}
Toni says
Wow Rhoda, now that I think about it I have many collections, such as , cookbooks, crosses, nutcrackers, Santas and small clocks. I also want a plate wall but don’t know exactly where or how to start. I have not been able to find ironstone plates anywhere.
cayce says
My favorite collection is really only for me right now. The year I got married i started a recipe journal. I’ve written all the recipes of our favorite meals and also added ones I wanted to try. I try to write little things like “Pa loves this fudge because it reminds him of his mothers.’ I try to send it to him on his birthday every year. He was born 12/18/29.”
I like the idea that one day my children will be able to look at all the recipes of foods they grew up on and read little things I have to say in my own writing.
Elphie says
My books for sure, unless a collection of pets counts! Thanks!
Dawn says
I get so much joy out of my collection of bird’s nests. I live on a farm and every so often find an empty nest on the ground completely created with the woven cream and black and chestnut hairs of my horses tails. I love that they are made of something so personal to me and that the birds are so practical. Tail hair makes a very sturdy and water-resistant nest! I display them around the house and they never fail to elicit comment from my guests. Thanks for the blog!
scott schluter says
We have antique lanterns on each side of our windows, hung on iron hangers. Nice looking and useful in power outages!
Sue says
A favorite? Lots of favorites especially now that mom has moved in and we are merging households. Would have to say dishes and cookbooks and family photos are the top 3! Sounds like a great book.
Janice says
A few of my favorites are family photos, books, and antique creamers.
HLS says
I collect dolls,books,magizines,tv’s and much more.
Krista says
hmmm.. Books. Love books. They are so comfroting. If three or are concidered a collection I guess it is looms. And photos ’cause I am a photographer.
Blessings!
June says
Being an anglophile,, I have items from my trip to England on display,,,,and a few teapots in the breakfast nook on display. I also noticed while looking to see what I have collections of,, Longaberger baskets here and there, and they are being used for storage.
Caren says
Hi Rhoda! Just recently started following your blog and I LOVE it! I too am from the south and just recently bought my first home. I don’t have very many heirlooms but anything Blue and White, especially china pieces catch my eye. I even have a guest room with a blue and white spread. I added antique blue and white plates to the wall in the attached bathroom!
Christy says
My favorite thing to collect is dishes. All kinds, I just love ’em. I have a little addiction. 😉
Jane says
So glad I found your blog! (I’m also in your “decade” although have only been a Midwest and Northwest girl.) The book sounds great! My favorites are white pitchers, family photos, and books (adult & children).
Vickie H. says
This is such a great post and a very welcome giveaway! I have a collection of very old family photos from when my mother and her siblings were children and I intersperse pictures of my siblings and myself when we were children in the 50’s and 60’s….everyone who visits loves to see the old pictures and always comments on how wonderful it is to “see everyone”!!!
Jenny says
I’m not sure what collections I have, but I really treasure some pieces handed down to me from my grandparents. My grandfather enjoys woodworking and stained glass as a hobby and I have a spice cabinet that he made for me for my wedding, a cradle he made for me when I was born, and a couple of his stained glass pieces that I always loved as a kid. My grandmother gave me a set of her wedgewood dishes when I got married that I always enjoyed looking at when we were eating Thanksgiving dinner. Most recently, at my baby shower, my grandparents gave me my grandmother’s rocking chair that she got for Christmas when she was two-years-old in 1930 that my grandfather had refinished. Those are the kinds of pieces that I love to decorate around and enjoy seeing every day in my home.
Regina Williams says
One of my favorite things a hutch that my father made. It resides at my parents house still but I want it in my home so badly. We also have other handmade pieces from grandparents and great grandparents. Also a very old Singer sewing machine that still works (foot pedal) in the drawers are old car keys that belonged to my great grandfather, who I never met, he was a car salesman. It makes me feel like I knew him.
Andrea says
I have a collection of a certain brand of Santas that I collect and love to display. I also have a set of dishes that my grandmother gave me that I have added pretty much all of the serving pieces to and really cherish these. I have recently found your blog from another blog that I follow and I look forward to reading it everyday!
Debbie Ridgeway says
Until I starting following the bloggers, I never experienced such beauty that some of your bloggers have brought into their homes. I was in this same “box” that I had always been in and things never changed. I sometimes rerarranged things from time to time, but never experimented with new ideas and really freshened things up. I am slowly moving out of that box and with the help of a lot of you, like Rhoda@SouthernHospitality, I hope that I can change my style of decorating and begin to live with things that I love!! I would love to win the book you are giving away this week!
Thank you all for all of your wonderful ideas and for sharing them.
Laura Jones says
I certainly treasure a single vintage Christmas ball from 1951 (the first Christmas my grandparents were married). Since receiving that one ball, I have collected others. I yank them out as soon as I possibly can and often keep them displayed until I switch to spring because they are so warm, beautiful and treasured!
Golie says
Books, seashells, fabric, cups and saucers…to include a few. But I have to edit them and try and find a way to use them all in our house. Also, my tastes are changing a bit. I’m getting to be more in the uncluttered yet classic look. How does one incorporate Chintz into that?! Very carefully. But it can be done!