…Yes, that would be me.  Since I started this blog I have mentioned my mother’s influence several times.  Is this a good thing?  Absolutely!  My mother is loving, kind and above all a strong woman of faith.   I admit, I haven’t always followed her advice as I should. Yet, as I get older I realize her knowledge and grace far surpass mine.  My mother also happens to have one heck of an eye for home decor and can see potential in pieces from a mile away.   She can also weave around and navigate miles and miles of vendors at Round Top Antique Week with her eyes closed.  It’s like she’s an antique superhero.   

Last week I had the pleasure of spending part of my 4th of July holiday at my parents’ house in deep East Texas.  While there, I thought I’d snap a few photos of their home so you can see how I acquired some of my obsessions hobbies.

Since my last post was about art, let’s start there..  One of my favorite paintings is this one hanging in a guest room.  It’s a painting my maternal grandmother completed years ago of my mother (far left) and her two sisters.  It’s campy and colorful and I adore it.

And here is another one my grandmother painted of my older sister fishing as a child.

My mother also still displays a watercolor painting I did in the 10th grade.  Not bad for a self-absorbed 15 year old.

Moving on to the good stuff, here is a photo of my mother’s dining room (please excuse my super awesome iPhone photography skills).  Crummy photo aside, you can still get the feel of the character of the space.

I love her reclaimed pine floors and corner cabinets.  I am also a huge fan of the monogrammed tea towels my mother draped over her upholstered dining chairs.  They add just the right touch of color and playfulness to update the antiques in the room.  If my last name still started with an S, I would confiscate them for myself.

Now, on to doors.  For those of you who don’t know, I am secretly obsessed with antique doors.  Here is why…

Just look at all of that history and fabulousness.   My mother found the green doors when she was 28 years old and carried them around with her through at least 5 moves before finally installing them when my parents built this house in 2000.  Don’t you know my Dad just loved lugging those around.  I bet he especially loved them on moving days.   What can I say?  My dad is a kind and understanding man.  And wasn’t my mother smart to hang on to them (both the doors and my dad)?

Speaking of doors, check out mother’s red closet door.

It goes perfectly with her sassy red clawfoot tub.

I think my favorite room in the house is my parents’ bedroom.   Again, my mother added the perfect combination of updated fabrics and colors to add a more modern feel to her gorgeous antiques.  Seriously, just look at that bed!

And just because it’s so pretty, here is a photo of my parents’ backyard.  It gives this city girl a place to relax.  It’s a place where I can literally stop to smell the roses.  It’s a place I still think of as home.