Book Recommendation

I've been meaning to share this book recommendation with you all, and when it was featured in House Beautiful, it reminded me again what a great one it is. 

I received The Life of a Bowerbird as a birthday present, and immediately fell in love with the images of collections and ways to make your own little collections a part of your home. The giver obviously knows me well. :)

Bower birds are:

: any of a family of passerine birds of Australia and New Guinea in which the male builds a chamber or passage arched over with twigs and grasses, often adorned with bright-colored objects, and used especially to attract the female.

The book is filled with photos of any and every kind of collection. I particularly love this egg photo.

When I would ask my mom in the aisles of an antique mall "do I need another plate?", she's responded several times with "baby, we come from a family of collectors". So, the plate was taken to the counter. :) Obviously, it doesn't take much to convince me.

 Much like the bowerbird, I too love my little collections of objects gathered along the way. My grandmothers and mother all had/have collections of beautiful things picked up along the way or passed down over the years. Whether its nature or nurture, there was no escaping that trait with this girl. 

The first thing that comes to mind is china. China, plates, dishes. Of all kinds. Old, new, fine, inexpensive. Blue and white, creamware, silver, silver plate, majolica, blanc de chine, pewter, wood, or modern stoneware. Plain, fancy, detailed, simple. While walking around my house, my love is evident - there is a plate display in every room of my home. 

The other collection that came to mind for me was my love/obsession with any and all books on design. Modern design, classic style, or transitional. I love them all. Really, I just love books. And again, they're piled on many surfaces in our home. 

Other objects I've got en masse are boxes. I love a pretty box. They don't have to be fancy or fine, but just a nice rectangular or square box looks lovely to me, and they hide a multitude of things - remotes, matches, coasters, nails, and my many note pads and pens I've got hidden all over the place.

And lastly, my mother in law started me a small collection of antique brushes and mirrors. She found them along the way when she spotted a unique piece with an M. I love these displayed on a chest in our bedroom. 

What collections to you have in your home?