Joy Junket

All my life, I have collected things… not priceless antiques (although I do love an old oil painting), but things I find on walks, or in the woods surrounding my home. When I was little, they were the things found around our farmyard or in the barn. Tiny nests formed from horsehair, a tortise or clam shell…. all primitive homes in one shape or another. All were added to a growing pile of stones, antlers, feathers and various flora or fauna that topped my dresser and generally cluttered up my room.

Time moved on, and the things of my past often seemed childish or immature in my view when placed in my now adult space. They were regulated to old boxes or just thrown back to nature, where they originated from. At some point however, I just looked around and thought, “wow, I’ve BOUGHT a lot of stuff”, and really, what is so special about that? ANYONE can do that. I started to reminisce about my childhood, and the things that really brought me joy. I put a twist on those things to fit the design aesthetic I have now.

Antlers now lie jumbled amongst hurricaine enclosed candles on my fireplace mantle. Nests are perched on silver compotes and stuck everywhere. An old hornet’s nest rests on some books in my dining room. What a great equalizer nature is!   It brings me back to some joyous times in my past, is a reminder of a beautiful walk in the woods, is one of a kind and best of all, it’s free and available to everyone.