Tag Archives: books

My Favorite Finds

Today I’m linking up over at Victoria Elizabeth Barnes and sharing my favorite find(s). Old, new, trash, treasure, bought, found, salvaged, or stolen. Whatever you love.

It was impossible to choose one favorite find. I find lots of things that I love and I find things a lot. I love finding whimsy, quirky, and eccentricity. I love finding color. I love finding pattern. I love finding characters (especially of the winged variety). So, here’s a sampler of some of my most favoritest finds, broken into categories.

Books

I have vast and vivid dreams of having my own library. Floor-to-ceiling. Crisp white shelving and trim. Soft grey walls. Pops of magenta and tangerine. And of course, books. Tons of books. I love all of my books, but my most treasured books are the turn-of-the-century copies of Jane Austen’s works that I salvaged from my dad’s uncle’s house. I cannot show you an actual photo of said books because they are packed in a box in my parents’ basement (until those glorious floor-to-ceiling shelves are built), and I was too busy/lazy to drive to their house, unpack the boxes, and photograph the books. But, imagine small chapbooks, bound in worn black leather, stamped in gold, with tissue-thin pages printed with the beloved conversations between Lizzy and Mr. Darcy. Kind of like these:

old books

Art

In the meantime, I can’t forget the other library necessities, like a map of the world and a bust of a famous author or two. I am still hunting for the bust, but I’ve got the map-o-the-world covered:

RightGrain map

purchased from RightGrain on Etsy

This, also, is waiting on shelving to be built before being hung in my office. Oh, one of these days…

I consider this next piece a ridiculously fabulous find because it was $3. At Ikea. Kari Herer is an awesome artist, whose work I’ve had my eye on for a while (visit her Etsy shop here). Her prints are so unique. They’re the kinds of things I wish I’d thought to do. Because they are genius in their simplicity and creativity. Her prints are by no means outrageously priced, but when I spotted this one at Ikea (again, for $3), how could I say no?

kari herer print

Lastly, but not leastly, I’ll leave you with my latest winged find. Not only is this little guy adorable (his name is Chip, by the way), but I painted him myself at the bachelorette party of one of my best friends. I got to customize my color palette, and have a great memory attached to it. Whooo, whooo can resist those eyes?!?

ceramic owl

I hope you’re sharing your favorite find too!

Weekly Wishlist: Booksi Book Docks

I discovered these book docks by Rich Neeley Designs on Etsy a few months ago. He takes new and vintage books and turns them into docks for your iPhone, iPad, etc. How cool is that!?

His selection is a proverbial candy store for English majors: Shakespeare, Austen, Wilde, Bronte… sooooo many great titles to choose from. Bonus: they do custom orders, too! Don’t you think they’d make a great holiday gift for the classic-literature-loving-and-technology-savvy person in your life? (hint, hint).

Check out the Rich Neeley Designs Etsy shop here.

A Little Light Reading

Came home from work the other day to find the Restoration Hardware Fall 2012 catalogue in my mailbox! I never requested one, so it was a happy surprise indeed. Some of their pieces aren’t my style, but some of them, including their 1920s Odeon Glass Fringe Chandeliers, are just incredible. I could easily spend the entire weekend poring through this tome of home furnishings!

I am an Austen fanatic. I have at least 3 copies apiece of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. Rereading these novels is like visiting with old friends.

Have a wonderful weekend! Do you have any new or favorite reads that you’re planning to curl up with?

(You can follow me on Instagram @ONUwriter06)