My own little piece of the trend...

I found some great fabric a few weeks ago and had put it aside for a quilt I was going to make. However... when inspiration hits you you sometimes have to run with it. So, this afternoon I made these (try to look past the hideous wallpaper that has yet to be removed from my walls):

They adorn my kitchen wall above my breakfast nook/table and they were made by simply finding a picture of a pitcher (hee hee!) online and printing it as an 8x10 photo. I then cut out the image and traced it onto black cardstock, placed the cardstock onto a piece of fabric (could also have used pretty paper) and matted and framed it in an 11x14 frame.

Now I have my own little silhouette art that I can admire every morning while eating my cereal and sipping o.j.!

Lately I have been drooling over silhouettes as part of a room's decor. Although the trend seems to be fading a bit in popularity since the earlier half of 2007, it continues to make its way into several trade/home decor magazines, like Domino

Cutarts.com is a fabulous resource for silhoutte art. Artist Karl Johnson is INCREDIBLE and I urge you to check out his site if you haven't already. I can't wait to get my hands on his "crowns" collection for my new home!

I have also seen the silhouette take its place on canvas too. I know allpopart.com will paint your loved ones silhouette on canvas in an array of colors, as will Simply Silhouettes. This is a more modern take, if you will, on the paper cut version. See here:

So whether you choose paper, canvas, or create your own, check out silhouette art and make it part of your home decor too.

Snapshots of my home...

Thanks to kat for your kind comment on my last post and - in the pseudo-spirit of playing fair - since you have tagged me and asked me to share 10 things about myself I thought I would take this time to share 10 (or so) snapshots from my home instead. These are all "shiny objects" that make me happy to be home.

A basket of kindling, firewood, and rolled newspapers sits at our hearth.

My newest, and current favorite, artwork adorns the wall above my sofa. The shadow box is yet to be completed (waiting for a picture of hubby when he was a baby to join mine.)

Glass apothocary jars, a painting by hubby's aunt, and a framed monogram I made myself sit upon our mantel. On either side of the mirror hanging above are oil lamps that I found at Hannafords grocery store for 10 dollars. Sometimes the best things in life are not free... but pretty darn close.

A small assortment of dessert plates serves as decor - and functionable if I need them - in my dining room.

I love this pitcher. It's color, patina, and shape are all part of what makes me smile every time I see it sitting on my kitchen counter.

Open shelving in my kitchen. Finally completed with the top shelf and all my Fiestaware and polka-dot glasses in the right place. Sigh.

Another 10 dollar find that tickles my fancy. This hanging lamp lights up my childrens' play room. Where there was no overhead lighting before, there is now an Ikea Melodi lamp.

This blue bird and his companions decorate the opposite end of my mantel.

A table of favorites: A favorite picture of my daughter taken on the beach in Florida at sunset, a favorite lamp (one of a pair found at my place of worship - Target - for $6.97 on clearance...no joke), and a stack of favorite magazines.

Window muntins and vintage crocheted shade pulls.

And finally, some funky throw pillows that don't necessarily match everything, but they make me smile - and are stuffed with down feathers to boot.

Hope you have enjoyed a little glance into my home and hope you had a wonderful holiday season surrounded by loved ones and - of course - your "shiny objects".