by Sarah Mayberry
I love a bit of quirk. Clothes with interesting angles, pleats and hemlines, homewares that are whimsical as well as practical, pieces of art that make me smile - my house is full of the stuff. Hopefully in a good way!
I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite bits of quirk with you today.
First up is my new dog vase. I have hankered after one of these since seeing it in a magazine. By the time I got around to trying to buy one, the retailer had sold out. I looked around all over, but had no joy. Then I was visiting a relative recently and I saw a dog vase in the window. There were two, which was just as well as my relative has also been hankering for a dog vase! The shop was closed, so she very kind volunteered to be on the shop's doorstep the moment it opened on Monday. I know, it's a bit bizarre to have a headless porcelain dog on my coffee table, maybe even a little surreal, but is makes me smile...
This projector clock belongs my my man. He also had a hankering after seeing one in a clothing store. I searched high and low for him, and finally tracked one down and surprised him with it for his birthday a few years ago. It's very cool - you can project it onto a close or far wall, and the clock changes size. Obviously, it comes into it's own at night time.
This one never fails to make me smile. In fact, this little guy makes everyone who sees him smile. He was bought separately from the vase/jug that is his current home, and is designed to hang on the side of a cup or pot plant or whatever he can get his little paws on. He transforms a perfectly ordinary piece of pottery into a little piece of art, in my opinion.
These Babushka dolls were hand painted by a friend of mine as a commission for a present for my man. They represent five aspects of his personality - The writer, the martial artist, the meditator/spiritualist, the man, and, last but not least, an homage to his great love of chocolate. Again, these make me smile. My friend who painstakingly and beautifully painted them is living in Iceland now, having married a local. She's a clever, creative soul and I love having a piece of her artwork in our home.
Enough of my quirk. What about you? I wish there was a way for us to share pictures on the blog, but in lieu of that, tell me if you are a fan of quirk or are you more traditional? Are you a collector of tea pots or coffee mugs or cement dwarves for the garden? What's your favorite piece of whimsy?
I'll be giving away a $20 Amazon voucher to a random commenter, so come play with us!
55 comments:
I am a devotee of the whimsical! I seem to find my daily dose on etsy.com and Pinterest!
One bit of whimsy at home is church banks used to collect children's Sunday school offerings. I have many that are homemade rather than manufactured including one that is "tramp art" made by hobos out of cigar boxes during the Depression.
But I am BIG fan of "Outsider art." No, it is not outside (though it can be) but art created by persons who others might define as "folk artists" but even more primitive or wacky! I include the "Rebel" man up the road who has bottle trees and tire altars and great colorful signs memorializing soldiers and protesting the city's ordinances (he was there first, by golly!) Oh, and he has a cannon he shoots off in his backyard.
This is going to be a fun post. I can already tell. I am also thinking of stealing the Babuska doll idea...so great.
Hi Julie. I wish you could attach a picture of a church bank!!! I want to see one so badly!! I know exactly what you mean by "outsider art", however - what a great term! I think my friend was able to source Babushka blanks, but sometimes when she couldn't she bought commercial ones and stripped them before painting them herself.
I love whimsical art. We go to craft shows and find family Christmas gifts there. One year we found slightly misshapen mugs--they looked like a dragon squeezed the mug and there were dragon claws "piercing" the side of the mug. Hard to describe them, but they were adorable--we bought two for my BIL & SIL (hubby's brother who deals in sci-fi books).
I also collect oddball Christmas recordings. Many come from the folk music world with traditional carols done in non-traditional ways, or unique tunes and words--some very old and no longer heard, and some newly created music.
I love your mouse that hangs on the side of cups/pitchers/mugs. I once had a miniature ceramic Siamese cat that hung on the side of a cut glass toothpick holder, but the poor thing fell off and broke. :( What a great blog!
My oddball collection ~~ well I guess you could say that it is all things frogs (no not real ones!). This collection includes frog figures residing all over the house even in some unusual places like parachuting down from the ceiling AC vent. As well as many pictures. The collection began in collage when a new friend gave me my first one.
I'm a fan of whimsy, as well. All of the items you described made me smile. If I owned the dog vase, I'm sure I'd enjoy the double-takes when people noticed it.
We have lots of personal or handmade pieces of art at our house. (Kind of stretching the definition of "art," here.) When my husband and I got married, we had an artist friend design custom t-shirts and we framed his original drawing. It's a caricature of us surrounded by elements of our life at that time. My kids love asking questions about the details...right down to the bumper stickers on the car.
Our boys, like lots of kids, spent hours making pretend worlds with small toys around our house. They've grown out of that stage, but a few of the toys are holding their poses. There are several army guys in the fern in our living room, a bird with wire feet clutching the edge of a lampshade, a snake coiled in a bookcase, and a family of cats in the drawer with the napkins.
I like having these reminders of the surprising ways my kids' imaginations interacted with our home. I smile when I catch an unexpected glimpse of them.
Cool post, Sarah!
We have a really great metal chicken on our back deck and an ibis out the front. I don’t have heaps of whimsical things around the house, but love having something special in every room.
Being Ukrainian, I have a fairly decent collection of matryoshka (babushka) dolls. Over in Ukraine and Russia you can get sets with everyone from George Bush to superheroes painted on them.
The dog vase definitely gets a second look! How cute. I also like the Babushka dolls - especially the 'man' one.
I like a bit of whimsy too. I think we all need a bit in our lives.
The only thing I collect now is books and bookmarks, but I used to collect cow figures and sunflowers. I have a small selection on a shelf in my kitchen.
I like the clock on the wall. Since we are getting older, a bigger clock caught my eye.
I don't collect anything. When we moved, I cleaned out all the knickknacks around the house.
Nothing wrong with a little whimsy :) Atop my computer is a froggy bean bag used for dusting the screen. To my left is a bright yellow, pink and orange--my favorite color combo--floral arrangement of pens that I made. Also, red rose for my kitchen and daises for my mom.
My desk top accessories are metallic pink. I have a waste basket shaped like a flower with matching pen holder (for my normal pens--of which I have quite the collection), paper clip holder and party lights.
The bottom half of my office is painted in a pinkish/orangeish with a huge floral border.
I have a print of a young girl dressed like a princess pouting next to a frog--the caption reads PRINCE CHARMING.
There is so much more over my shoulder and behind me. But to my right is a framed inspirational quote from Tinkerbell "All you need is Faith, Trust and a little bit of Fairy Dust."
I don't collect anything either.
I love to see what people collect in their homes. The headless dog is delightful. I love whimsical stuff. In my Kitchen is a block of Tibetan Tea Money, in my bathroom is a pottery Schmoo (from Little Abner Fame). In my bedroom I have a carved Ethiopian headrest-pillow... Love Kitsch. My current craving is for a monkey pot (jar)! It's like a terra cotta kettle and it keeps the water inside very cool even on hot days. I think I have to go to Barbados. lol
I use to collect pigs until I had the everywhere. The top of my kitchens cabinets are covered with pigs of all kinds. I got so many I had to quite collecting them so I started collecting thimble from different places. I only have a few of them and they are small. I love to get them from different places in the world. I do have one for Italy that I am very proud of.
I collect mostly books, but I do have a small collection of sports memorabillia. I have a Willie Mays bobblehead but just missed out on the Tim Lincecum recently given away by the San Francisco Giants. We decided we'd rather watch the game than stand in line with 20,000 others. My oddest collectors item would be the 2010 World Series Champions SF Giants Door Knocker.
Yes, I know I have a problem.
The quirkiest thing I own would probably be a little troll doll wearing my favorite hockey team's uniform. I bring out the troll every time my team is on TV as if it will somehow bring them luck, but sadly it rarely does.
Hi Sheandeen. My goodness, I LOVE the sound of that dragon claw mug. I can think of lots of people who need one of those in their lives - including me! What a very cool idea. People are so clever, aren't they?
Hi Ellentoo. I have a teapot collection, mostly Asiatic in theme, and when I started collecting I made it clear to family members that it wasn't a matter of numbers but of individual pots that caught my eye - I dreaded being stuck with a teapot that looked like a cabbage, for example, since it just wouldn't fit with the style of the other pieces. Fortunately they listened, since I long ago ran out of room to display my small collection. A frog parachuting from a vent sounds like a must have for every home.
Hi Ellen. How cute to have little soldiers in the fern and cats in the napkin drawer. I love a house that looks lived in, with lots of stories to tell (just as well, c'oz I am not the world's most assiduous housekeeper!).
Hi Sonya. I have been resisting the urge to collect Babushka dolls. I have always been fascinated with them, ever since I was a kid and my Grandmother had a set. I have seen the set with the Russian politicians, and the one with the Beatles, but not the super hero ones. They sound awesome!
Hi Marcie. There's an Australian television show on air here at the moment called The Collectors and it documents collectors and their collections. It's truly astounding when you see people with whole rooms devoted to display cases for things like yo-yos or bottle caps. That's the danger, though, isn't it, when you start collecting!
Hi Runner10. When I moved out of home, I was determined to never have knickknacks. One of my grandmothers had little porcelain thingies everywhere - sitting on window sills in big clusters, etc - and they were always getting in the way and collecting dust. I wanted clean lines and no clutter. Cut to my home 20 years later, and it is full of my own version of knick knacks. Maybe it runs in the family!
Rogenna, you have got it all going on. I'm jealous of your study - it sounds like a magical place. Mine is the room we plan on turning into a walk in wardrobe one day. My one bit of whimsy in there is my little wooden monkey that I bought from a shop in Paris last time we visited. I need a princess poster and a pen bouquet!!!
Hi Jcp. It's so very easy to start. All it takes is one. And then another. And then another dozen or so! Seriously, I admire your restraint. I'm at the point where if something new comes into the house something old needs to go.
Hi Linda S. I have never heard of Tibetan Tea Money, but I have just looked it up on Google. How cool! My man and I were just talking the other day about how old tea was and how they used to keep it under lock and key in London because it was so valuable. Now I learn it was so valuable they used it as currency!!
Hi Virginia. Thimbles are an excellent collector item - nice and small and easy to display. Although I love the idea of you having lots of little piggies watching you cook. Do you get a twinge of guilt if you're having bacon or a pork roast? : )
Hi Kristina. So, is the door knock on the front door? Because that would be showing your colors right up front, wouldn't it? I have a fondness for bobble-heads. I once saw a car with about twenty of them all clustered together on the back parcel shelf.
Hi Summer. Ah, the "lucky" troll. I can remember when the tiny versions of those were all the rage. Interesting that he's not fulfilling his duties in regard to making your team win each week. What's up with that? I think you should give him a stern performance review!
I don't have any cool collections. I do collect keychains. My cousin's neighbor collects M&M dispensers/figurines.
My favorite bit of quirk is a Nyamin-yami walking stick which I bought at Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe twenty years ago. Nyamin-yami is the Zambezi River God, with the head of a fish and a body of a serpent (the handle). Carved from one piece of wood, the stick then includes a carving of a Mopani tree, the waves of the Zambezi River, fish, carved figures of the local Tonga tribesman, bangles to represent their women, a bubble pipe, a hand holding a Magical Ball, used to guard against evil spirits and the local dagga they smoke.
An incredible piece of art which I carted all the way back to NZ as a backpacker. It's been damaged and split over the years by kids but still recalls one of my best travel experiences.
Karina
Hi Jane. I have always had a soft spot for Pez dispensers. Remember them? And I got a plastic reindeer one year who dispensed Jelly Belly jelly beans through his ...ahem.... rear end. A fun desk accessory!
Hi Karina. That walking stick sounds amazing. It must have taken someone hours and hours to carve. It sounds like it tells an epic story, all on its own.
Fun post, Sarah. I love the babushka doll idea. And the headless dog vase. It's almost as if the dog is smelling the flowers. In my office I have a two foot high doll without a face which is kind of creepy except that she's meant to be a coy/shy little girl who's facing a corner. I bought her for a niece's birthday but liked her so much I kept her for myself. She's my muse. She's kind of kitschy but something about her speaks to me. I imagine her whispering stories to herself that somehow make their way into my head and emerge as books.
Hi Joan. I know those "corner dolls". They are cute. But I get how a talented horror movie director could turn them into the stuff of nightmares, too. I'm glad she whispers good story ideas to you - but keep an eye on her, just in case!
When we downsized 3 yrs. ago, I got rid of lots of knickknacks. Guess I only collect books now! I do love hearing about what others collect. Enjoyed your post, Sarah!
jackie.smith[at]dishmail[dot]net
I have a lot of knickknacks and at one point collected vases.
I think my greatest piece of whimsy is a framed birch bark picture. The Native American who did it used to go out into the woods and try to gather unblemished bark. Then she would fold the pieces of bark and literally bite a pattern into the bark. Think cutting paper snowflakes to make a pattern but this is done with teeth not scissors. If you Google birch bark biting you can see some examples of this
Just glanced at my wall and saw another piece that is quite interesting. A howling coyote Native American rattle made from hide and wood and leather with something inside to make it rattle.
By my bedside is a one inch yellow plastic hand so I will always have a spare hand.
H Jackie. Yes, moving house does lend itself to the cull, doesn't it? We have moved a lot in the past 15 years or so, and I am known for being ruthless at times with getting rid of books, old CDs, papers, clothes. But I have trouble throwing out my quirky bits and bobs! Which is why they're still peppered about the house, I guess.
Hi Kaelee. I did google, and those artworks are gorgeous! I love the way the grain of the wood is very present, and that fantastic symmetrical "snowflake" effect. Having a spare hand always at hand is an excellent idea!!
That dog vase through me for a loop. I kept looking at the picture to see if I could see a head in the flowers until I read your blog :)I love the little hanging mouse (or whatever animal it is). Don't have a lot of whimsical things around here. Have too much junk and a rather rowdy son. My mom has cows everywhere though. All kinds of cows :)
I do tend to be more traditional, but at different times my 'inner child' bursts out and takes over.
It's the quirky things in our lives that tend to be loved by many generations.
Hi Snookie. I hold my breath every time my neighbour's two year old comes over to our place. He's into everything, and it's inevitable that something will break one day. Fortunately for him, he is the cutest thing on two legs and I am putty in his chubby little hand, so we should all survive the inevitable crisis, but I totally get the rowdy household thing. Cows are a very popular collectable. I can imagine your mum has quite the collection!
Hi Marybelle. I have to say, I quite like the idea of my two nephews and niece battling it out to see who gets to keep the dog vase once I'm gone! The thought of them loving something from my house enough to make it their own is a lovely one. I shall have to start massaging them in this direction...but perhaps not for a few years yet! I'll let me get a bit older and them into double figures age wise first!
Hi Sarah! I am so late getting here today. My Mom is visiting and I am barely on the computer these days. I have many collections. I collect dolphins and orcas, Precious Moments figurines, Marine Corps things (since my hubby is a Marine), eagles(the hubby), dolls, elephants, pigs and I have a clown collection that while it creeps me out they were my Moms and I keep them for that reason. I have also inherited a Coca Cola collection that was my father in laws.
Yeah I have way to much stuff, but each piece has a special meaning to go with it and I cant get rid of stuff. I know its bad, lol! Ok I am off to bed now. Have a wonderful day!!!
Alina
Hi Alina. You've officially won the Collectors Championship with that run down! I'm almost afraid to ask where you keep them all. Hope you're having a great visit with your mom. You have a great day, too.
I can get into a bit of whimsy, too. In fact, I have a facial tissue dispenser in our master bathroom that I saw in a catalog eons ago and just had to have. It's shaped for the boutique tissue boxes. On the front is a face with eyes scrunched shut, finger under the nose, and mouth in "achoo!" shape. In other words, it looks like a man who desperately needs a tissue!
I'm not so sure about headless dogs, though. As a major dog-lover, that might be a bit alarming to look at on a daily basis!
Well, I don't collect anything except books. :) Oh, and postcards. I still own every postcard someone ever has ever sent to me. It's like traveling around the world miniature style. Honestly, the dog vase would freak me out. lol I love the other things, though, especially the little mouse.
I love the pitcher mouse, the dolls, and I even like the clock on the wall. It's cool, in a different way, of course. I'd have that sucker broadcasting an enormous clock on the wall all the time. Then again, my cat might just chase the second hand... and drive me crazier.
I feel a little egotistic to say my favorite thing is something I made. I bought a cheap lamp at the dollar store, and then ripped all the fabric off the shade, and covered the wire frame with tons of different colored big bows made from 2" sheer wire-edged ribbon. The ribbon doesnt match anything, but it's so fru-fru girly that it makes me happy just to have it glowing ;)
Hi JV. You're tissue box sounds fun. I am also a dog lover, and I assure you that in person, the dog with a bouquet for a head does not look distressed!! I believe no animals suffered during the making of this vase ; )
But seriously, I get that it's a little kooky. Definitely makes you look twice!
Claudia, every time my grandparents went anywhere when I was a kid they used to send me postcards. I loved getting them, and to this day I still get a huge kick when someone I know is on holidays and they think of me from afar. Or even from a-near - I just love those postcards!
Hi Amalie. Nothing egotistical about loving something that you made your own. Your lamp sounds very cool. I so wish we could post piccies! My SIL recently recovered a big drum shade with the birch forest designer wallpaper she'd bought for a feature wall in her bedroom. She did a perfect job and now has a wonderful designer drum shade.
Sorry I missed this, Sarah. I'm no fan of the projector clock, but the clever, personalized nesting dolls was amazing. Your friend is very talented. As for the headless dog...still grinning about that one. Really. Too funny. I have absolutely nothing as quirky. I may have to start looking.
Thanks for the fun post.
Deb
Hi Deb. There was a guy in NZ who had a projector clock and he used to shine it out his window onto the wall of the opposite building. Was huge! But I can understand, like the dog, how it might not be everybody's cup of tea. I love those babushka dolls. My friend Megan is very clever and talented.
I have to admit that I've never purchased anything from Etsy, but I'm the annoyed owner of a broken Kindle because I didn't like any of the covers for sale on Amazon and therefore didn't have one to protect it! I've heard there are some cute (and yes, hopefully whimsical!) ones for sale on Etsy, so I might be about to dip my toe in the water for the first time...
Being obsessed with tea I have a lot of different teacups. It's not really a collection that's on display on a shelf. There are no odd shapes or weird patterns. They look ordinairy at first glance, some a single color. I use them for drinking tea obviously.
But I also like to have them as a small vase for daisies, other little flowers or to keep herbs from my garden fresh till dinner. I think a small bouquet looks cute in a teacup. I serve cupcakes or chocolates in the wider teacups. I fill them with nuts and dried fruit for nibbles at movie night. I use colored sand, glitter and a candle for the holidays. I think it's just adorable to have them on the dinner table for a different use. Some hold colorful beads or shells. Others are stacked together as a tower of beauty. Just because I like the look.
Although the teacups are just teacups, they hold special, nice or slightly unusual things and that makes it fun for me. Other than that I'm not a particularly whimsical person. But I like to think I'm still creative in the "home decorating business" ;)
Hi Emmie. Now, you are the one that told me about Regretsy, so be careful over there! Don't go crazy with some felt and button and found object Kindle cover!
Hi Jo's Daughter, your tea cups sound adorable. I have a set of four very colorful - almost gypsy-ish - tea cups that were a gift from my MIL for my last birthday. I love them, and when we get our kitchen renovated I plan on displaying them on a dresser or shelves so everyone can admire them. But I love your idea of putting them down the centre of the table with things in them for dinner parties. My mother fusses for hours over table settings for dinner parties/lunches - she likes scene setting much more than actual cooking! - and I must admit I do like making a table look attractive myself. Thanks for the inspiration.
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