A Collected Home

 I love nothing more than a good "Before and After." Seeing a room utterly transformed within the span of a scroll of the mouse or turn of the page is one of life's little thrills! But I'm a firm believer that a happy home is collected over time, not overnight, and for that reason, I don't have many "before and after" shots, but I'm always adding and subtracting. Here are some recent little adjustments made about the household.

You might remember the blue willow china napkin rings I spotted at the antique mall...well I bought a set for my friend Lauren and then couldn't help but go get a set for myself!

 I also recently splurged on something I've been wanting for years (seriously, a kind of nerdy obsession with this thing): a John Robshaw Gent's Stripe bedskirt that I bought through One Kings Lane. It's beautiful gold ink-stamped fabric that was a bit of a surprise; I expected a bedskirt, but what I pulled out of the package were three strips of hemmed fabric. It actually works great, and will make it easier to rearrange, wash and iron, but it definitely threw me for a loop.

 Check it. No one here works for a magazine, so this is a shot of unadulterated, unironed bedskirt action. Sometimes I just get too excited to do it up right.

 A while back I felt back that Sean's bathroom was too damn girly, so I hung up this reclaimed wood silhouette of Lincoln by John Birdsong, along with a simple navy-striped shower curtain from Target. I also added a framed photograph of our wedding anniversary that my maid-of-honor gave us, along with a little picture I've had since the 8th grade.

 The original Kennedys, on the campaign trail. I thought it was a nice, sly touch.

And because there are never enough pictures of the ever-evolving guest room silhouette wall, here's the most recent shot. I finally hung a couple ones I had lying around and popped up a little Federal-style mirror I bought ages ago and never hung. That's what it is to impulse-purchase mirrors and silhouettes!

What about you, reader? Have you been collecting your home over time? What's an object that will have a place of honor wherever you live?