Nanny and the living room

My grandmother on my father's side, Nanny, is an incredibly talented artist.  Now she mostly puts her artistry into quilting, but back in the day she used to paint.  Not paint-by-number velvet Elvis', but the real deal . . . canvas, paint, imagination and what have you.  John and I are fortunate to have not just one, not two, but three of her paintings, all of which you will get to see in this post!

This first picture has been hanging in our house for a year or so.  It is a painting of the oldest house on Swan's Island, off the coast of Bass Harbor.  The house has since been fixed up and is derelict no more, but I think this version has a certain charm the now refurbished house never can.

My parents graciously let John and I have the next two paintings some time ago, and ever since I have been looking for just the right spot to hang them.  Nowhere ever seemed quite right, until today.  I finally took down the nativity, and wanted to bring some more color into the living room to drive away winter doldrums.  Down to the basement I went, in search of the perfect art . . . aha!

Those of you who saw my previously purple living room and green dining room know that I'm not a white living room kind of gal.  Now that the walls are toned down to a more gentle color, however, I feel like I can amp it up a bit with my art and accessories.  I played around with lots of different arrangements, and for now this is where I settled.  One trip to Walmart for some pillar candles later, and voila!





I confess, the lemons are not the real deal.  And many interior decorators may find fault with fake fruit, but I say go with the budget.  I wanted color, had these on hand, and don't have the bucks to pay for replacing fruit.  They are good fakes I found on clearance at TJ Maxx (where else?!), so I say go for it.  That is not to say that you should cover your house with fake flowers and fruit!  Moderation as in all things.  One more caution, don't go pilfering from your kid's play kitchen, that won't fly.

The blue mason jars are from ebay, and I have plans to eventually turn them into soap dispensers for the bathroom and kitchen.  My pillar candle holders were a steal of a deal from Goodwill for $3 or so apiece.  I picked up the Reader's Digest condensed books from a flea market for $1 total . . . again, a project I am planning to get to, making the covers into a neat box.  (An idea from This Old House magazine.)

This arrangement goes so far in warming up our living room . . . a little new life mid-January.  Thank you, Nanny, for making such beautiful art.  These paintings will always have a place of honor in our home.