Living Room After

 I am flat-out tired! And happy! Just in the nick of time. Today is Christmas party day. I spent the day gift-shopping and just as I was driving out of the Akropolis the framers sent me a text to tell me my other artworks were ready! Great stuff because the living room was like a girl without mascara and lipstick. Now, she is all dressed-up and ready for a party.

The red-frame, above, with the Modigliani look-alikes, are from Paris. When the husband was courting we took fabulous trips and one such trip was a weekend in Paris and I bought these two paintings from the artist himself on a bridge. I had them stored in a basket under my desk in my office and promised myself that one day I would frame them. Well, one day came. I went with this red and very modern frame. I think it works.

I may have mentioned this rug before. These are made from recycled t-shirts. They are made in Spain. I got them in Brussels. Basically, Fred (my dog) will die a slow and painful death if he pees on this here rug. I am not the one! (Well, those of you who know me know I am a push-over for Fred...)

I have started collecting ebony bowls from Zimbabwe. This one on the coffee table has some really nice carvings around the outside.

 These two other paintings are from a road trip we took to Lake Garda from Geneva. Again, the paintings were stored in a basket under my desk. These frames I had from my days in Washington DC. I bought some wooden frames at a thrift shop and spray-painted them gold. They were also hanging about in my Brussels office. The big matt idea is a favourite of mine. And actually, whenever I buy large Ikea frames I usually get new matts for the frames and I always go for small pictures in extra large frames set in large matts.

I also love the curtains which have been re-purposed. They used to hang in my Brussels guest room. I had them shortened by 50 cm. The ceilings in Brussels were 3 m high. Here in Vilnius the ceilings only go up to 2m 40. WOuld you believe the throw pillow covers are from Ikea? Yup! I love them. Incredibly cheap too. 4.99 EURO each!!!

The giant head...my favourite lady needs a more comfortable position. We'll have to see about fixing her. I think I told you before that she is made of resin...not plaster so she is not heavy, though she looks it.

The sofas are new. They are the replacement of my old big navy blue Ethan Allen sofa that used to be in my Brussels living room. Do I miss old big blue? Yay and nay. You know, I swore that sofa would always be with me because I loved it so and paid so much for it. But I want not to cling to things and so old big blue was sent off to the consignment store. These new sofas are from a store called Balthazar in Brussels. They are huge. They are almost 3 m long and we needed 6 men to lift it and we had to lift it through the dining room windows as they could not come through the foyer.

The living room is open plan and flows into the dining room. These two last pictures above are a sneak peek into the dining room. I'll post the afters of the dining room next week if I don't get swallowed up by work.Basically, most of my artwork are of women. I love women. I love the sisterhood. And I do not set out to buy paintimgs with women but I seem to just gravitate to them. These are some watercolours of women at work in the home, done by a Dutch artist.  I have six of these watercolours and I have hung the matching frame to this one in the geust bedroom. The chair blocks the view of the third painting in the frame. I asked for the paintings to be framed off-center and zig-zag. Am a bit nuts, I know. But I love the outcome.

The before. So, do we love it or do we love it? I friggin love it! Now, am off to put my sweet potato pie in the oven. It ain't a Christmas party at my house unless there is sweet potato pie invlved! Merry Christmas my darlings!!!!!!!!!