Sunday, February 20, 2011

Mother Nature as Artist ...

Since my first post on creating vignettes and tablescapes around the home, I've had numerous requests to come and style bookshelves in different homes.  In grouping various objects together, I always like to incorporate something natural ... bringing a little bit of the outside in.  Flowers or plants are an obvious choice, but I also like interesting or colorful pieces of coral, rock or shells.  I have been wanting a large piece of coral for my own bookshelves for quite sometime.

My parents were in southern California last week, a favorite vacation spot of ours since my grandparents lived just north of San Diego when I was growing up and we would spend 2 weeks with them out there every year. There's a little home store in Laguna Beach that we love called Tuvalu. It's got a great beachy yet elegant vibe.  I told my parents to see if they had any nice pieces of coral.  My Dad emailed me a couple pictures of coral he took with his phone when they were in the store.




Each piece cost $34. Hmmm ... they looked awfully similar to this coral I saw on Ruzetti and Gow for $150 and $200 respectively. I asked them to snatch up the first one for me! 

One week and lots of bubble wrap later, it is sitting on my bookshelves and makes me swoon!



I love it's sculptural qualities and amazing texture.  It also brings another nice pop of creamy white to a dark bookshelf. I think something like this would look great in any style of home. It doesn't have to be a beach house or be relegated to a bathroom. By just using a single standout piece, it becomes a piece of sculpture ... one that just happens to be created by Mother Nature herself.


(As much as I love it, however, the little boy in the picture next to it makes me swoon even more.)


Are you going on Spring Break anytime soon?  Are your parents?  Would they be willing to bring a large bubble wrapped piece of coral on the plane as one of their carry-ons?  I am awfully grateful that my parents were so gracious.  Thanks, Mom and Dad!

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