{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.}
Pictures, books, recipes… and I hope to start a collection of vintage aprons soon!
My favorite treasured collection would be all of the little glass animals my mom used to have on her shadowbox on the wall.
yarns, fabics, books, magazines… they are all collections not junk 🙂
Yes I surround myself with the things I love….sometimes just a glance at one of them puts a smile on my face. They always catch my eye. I have so many things…..roosters in the kitchen, a collection of old cameras, books, pictures.
Nice post….
Kathy 🙂
I have so many collections it’s hard to narrow them down to one! I love the collection of pictures of my family, both present and past. I also love my collection of all things avian…it makes me smile when I see all my little birdies. : )
I’d LOVE to win a copy of the book!
I collect rocks. I have baskets, vases, dishes and crocks, filled with rocks of all sizes, shapes and colors. I think my facination started when we would hunt agates as children. I decorate all over the house with them. Funny how, now my grandchildren even have an appreciation for rocks 🙂 I make a habit of picking up rocks from our journeys, a very affordable souvenier!
My favorite item is my antique wicker couch that was my great great grandmothers. I am in love with it.
faeriesmak at gmail dot com
My books are definitely my favorite collection!
I collect cookbooks from all the areas that we’ve lived in (Amish cookbooks from Ohio and cajun cookbooks from New Orleans, etc). I also collect little things that remind me of my home state of Ohio; a little cardinal here, a buckeye there, etc. Finally I collect Christmas ornaments. My entire tree is covered in ornaments that have been given to me or were crafted by myself or my kids. I also have a few that I purchased to commemorate a city that we’ve lived in (can you tell we’ve moved a lot?) or an event such as the birth of a child. It’s an eclectic tree, but I spend hours every holiday season admiring my tree and remembering.
I’ve had many collections through the years and still love them;
little hinged boxes, cookbooks, cookie cutters, snowmen….but my favorite things tend to be things handed down from generation to
generation.
Collections! I have too many:) I adore fabric. If I find a fabric I love but it is too pricey to do a lot with, I will buy a swatch and staple it to a canvas and display it behind a tablescape or vignette. I have fabric boards all over the house. I even do it with pretty tea towels. I also LOVE colored glass bottles, especially blues and greens. I’m looking for a vintage cabinet to display them in. Love your blog!!!!!
I love, love, love displaying photos! It’s so much fun, and friends and family enjoy seeing themselves when they come to our home. I like the wooden frams and the silver ones she used. Will have to garage sale for some of those!
I have a wonderful collection of books.
I have a collection of books, budha statues, and I Love displaying family Pictures 🙂
I have many collections of family photos around our home. I also enjoy displaying dishes many that were handed down to me. They are things that bring me joy as I see them in my home & share stories about their history with guests.
Quilts, antique books, dishes and more dishes, yellow creamware, silver and even nature gifts like tiny pine cones, empty cocoons, bird nests, driftwood, shells. Guess thats all my house is about….what I’ve picked up over the years.
My treasured collection are my old childrens books, Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, Happy Hollistors. I want one day to have complete sets. I’m close!!
I have a small collection of favorite family photos on my nightstand. All are in silver-toned frames. I enjoy having these treasured pictures nearby.
Now that I know the definition of “collection,” I have many collections. My all time favorites have to be my coffee cups…requirements….a handle large enough to slip four fingers through and thick enough to keep the coffee warm until it is gone. I too collect seashells and sea treasures. My husband kinda huffs and puffs ever summer as I haul them home. “More shells?” I just smile and push them into the van. Love them all!
Love this giveaway. I am obsessed with photos, especially ones of my parents and grandparents as children and young adults!!! They are some of my favorite things in my house 🙂
Mallory1031 at gmail dot com