I’m 42. Middle age can take you by surprise and reveal things. After a few root canals and a couple crowns, I have a lot of regrets related to Twizzlers and gummy bears. I’d like to think genetics aren’t on my side when it comes to my teeth, but I also know the compounded effect of not flossing, and eating too much sugar consistently (i.e. sneaking the Halloween candy upstairs and eating most of the World’s Finest chocolate bars I was supposed to be selling) landed me a seat in the dentist chair that cost roughly the amount of a mid-range sofa.

It’s true in almost every area of life, the little things become the big things. The small details, like flossing, are important. In our homes, like everything else, they work to have a compounded effect on the overall room and space. If you look closely at any room you love, you will always find an attention to detail.

There is a lot of debate surrounding trends and style, and a lot of different ways to define those words.  A trend particularly in the fashion and design world, usually starts with an influential pocket of culture  - maybe someone influential or a group of people do or wear something that catches on and through a process that social scientists still consider somewhat mysterious, it spreads and makes its way down to be manufactured and reproduced on a wide scale. Before you know it, everyone is wearing Hush Puppies, and look alike Hush Puppies are being sold at Wal-Mart and Target and basically everywhere. (This is a reference to a story Malcolm Gladwell tells in his book “The Tipping Point” about the resurgence of Hush Puppies in the 90’s”)    I mean, really, who decided fanny packs were a good idea again? 

I’m not sure what compels us to certain things, but home has always been my thing. I was the kid who asked for a blue gingham comforter set for Christmas.

I didn’t come to interior design because of exposure. I didn’t travel to exotic places and observe exquisite architecture. I barely even knew the interior design industry existed. Growing up, we had hand me down couches and out of date light fixtures, but our house felt safe and warm and beautiful because of the people who were home to me and although our home wouldn’t have been photographed for a magazine, it had it’s own sense of beauty. 

For the fourth and final installment of this series, I thought I would link some of my favorite places to source art for the home. I listed a few in Part II on selecting art, but I thought a more comprehensive and organized list might be helpful.

I’ll organize according to price point - starting from low to high.

It’s a great time of year to shop many of the sites listed below because of the sales they offer through the Christmas season. Although art is very taste specific, you can always give a gift certificate to an art site where they can pick something that resonates with them. And don’t forget to check out my shop, botanical art (in my opinion;)), is a good fit for every home. So here we go…..

In the third installment of this series, I wanted to talk about the most common mistakes that people make when they hang art in their home and a few rules of thumb to guide you as you pick up the hammer.

Instead of writing a longer explanation, I decided to just upload a quick video. It’s unedited so don’t mind the sound of my boys coming in and out of the back door, and me giving myself a pep talk not to be too long winded about a minute in. (My Dad is a Baptist pastor, long windedness is in my genes.)

Taking a quick break from the art series….

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It feels simpler - like an invitation to reflect on all that the year has brought - not just the good, but the difficult and maybe for some the tragic. G.K. Chesterton said, “The greatest of poems is an inventory”

Don’t mind the cup and camo pj’s on the table, or the Lego instruction book on the chair and the dog kennel in the background -sometimes the light feels just perfect and I snap a pic without taking the time to stage anything.

The piece over the mantle is a favorite find of mine. It’s a vintage Van Gogh print, probably circa 1960ish.

The word art can denote lots of different things. Lots of us go straight to the historical meaning when we hear the word. We think of pedigreed pieces that are widely appreciated but most of us could never afford - Picasso, Matisse, Rembrandt, Homer to name a few. Or maybe you think of the canvas pieces you see on the left side of World Market or in the middle of Hobby Lobby.

I started making botanical art for myself as a way to simultaneously preserve a memory of a place I had visited, and display something meaningful and beautiful in my home.