Ohmystinkinheck

I have been asked, and asked myself, countless times how I would label the “style” in my home. Typically the request is made by someone who is trying to sell me something (just say no to wooden, baby blue geese), make me something (you have to truly know me to pull this off), interest me in something (send the URL, I shop alone.), or just figure me out (I’m so sorry - if I can’t do it, how can I help you?).

Now it seems to me there are about 6 different types of home decor styles:

Traditional
Colonial
Victorian
Country
Craftsman
Contemporary

Well, I know I’m not Traditional, Colonial, or Victorian.
In fact, of all the styles, Victorian is about as polar opposite of me as I can imagine.

Then, there’s Country - which tends to border on icky, but has some components that can be nice, if they would subtract all the sweet…ickyness (okay so fine, I don’t much care for country)

But the Craftsman’s simplicity and beautiful wood pieces, combined with the color, function and symmetry of the Contemporary style makes me smile. Now, if you’ll just add in a dab of funk, a dollop of random, a healthy helping of hand-me-downs and an unsatiable love for prints from Klee, Kandinsky, and the three mini-artists in my home, you’ve nearly captured me.

And that is why I am absolutely in love with Artsy and her junk art on Etsy. I want to move into her shop and create all the live long day. She’s got a few copycats over there, but she was the first. And she’s so clever - what an eye.

One of the pieces I purchased is Electra Lou. She hangs in the living room.

I believe she was a great opera singer in her day. She was obviously dedicated, as you can see, with her perfectly, and indefinitely, formed mouth. I know she still dreams of serenading crowds with her bold Arias, but alas, her voice has left her.

And then, there’s Ben.

Ben was named after Ben Stein, the “Dry Eye Guy”.

Ben keeps me on task; he’s a kind taskmaster, but I dare not slip into flickr when I’m on the clock because he leers at me with that one eye of his as if to say, “Just one more hour and you can take a break.”

I won’t lie, I like the accountability - oh, and the dominoe feet, I like those too.

One day, I expect to find him tapping his foot when I clock in late or have tarried too long in the restroom trying to finish another chapter in my new book (What? You don’t read on the pot? yea, whatever…you can lie to me, but don’t lie to yourself.)

Speaking of Ben Stein, anyone else seen Expelled? Anyone? Anyone?

12 Responses to “Which home decor style accessorizes the couch with laundry?”

1. Kim

   I’ve seen Expelled - there’s an interesting comment dialog in my blog.

2. Jill - GlossyVeneer

   Thanks for the introduction to Artsy’s shop, it’s awesome.

   Yeah… I’ve done the bathroom/reading/lingering thing in the past. Some days it’s the only way to get some peace! (Unless you’re visiting my grandmother, and then she will start looking for you the minute you enter the bathroom. Then you’ll hear her screaming your name repeatedly until you answer and all she wanted was for you to change the channel on the TV or something.)

   I can’t define my decor style… I think “paralyzed” might be a good term, since I start to think about decorating and then I stop and can’t move forward on any decisions. That’s why people still ask if we just moved in, even though we’ve lived here for nearly 3 years now.

3. Kate

   Yep. I hide in the bathroom whenever I can. I’ll stretch out my stay way past the point of needing to, just to keep reading.

4. Lee Ann

   OOoh! Etsy is the best! So glad you introduced us to Artsy. I love Draft Dodgers: http://tinyguide.typepad.com/home/2008/01/draft-dodgers-y.html

5. JackieW.

   I’m thinkin’ I’m shabby somethin’….maybe shabby apostrophe ?

   Saw Expelled….saw a church sign too…Evolutionists don’t know how life started, but we do…..

   Ben Stein rocks !

6. almost there

   Loved Expelled!!! Great movie. I never heard of life being created by crystals, or seeded by aliens before. It was quite comical.

7. Mr. OMSH

   After reading this, I am further convinced of the loneliness and isolation that goes hand in hand with web work.

   GEEK!

   They are cool pieces though…I WILL start to worry about you, however, when I come home to a story about how these works of art HAVE talked to you.

8. naomi

   our house is decorated in eclectic poverty with accents of university student loan make-dos.

   someday i’ll have something called decor.

9. ashpags

   I’m disappointed in the scientists that Stein chose to feature. Sure there are folks like them in science, but they don’t represent the majority of the field. I know many other scientists who are atheist, but they have not once said anything pejorative about my (Christian) faith, nor have they tried to convince me I’m wrong in any way. Including an interview with someone like Francisco Ayala would have provided a more balanced film:

   http://scienceblogs.com/framing-science/2008/04/francisco_ayala_on_the_confusi.php

   (If you can get to the NYT article linked to in that blog, it’s a good read. Right now it’s coming up as ‘you have to register’ so I didn’t link it, but that blog has an excerpt.)

   Also, if any of y’all are interested in the science in the film, you can check out the National Center for Science Education’s website about it:

   http://www.expelledexposed.com/

   They also have a good discussion of the ’science v. religion’ view, and why it doesn’t need to be like that. I’m living proof that they’re not mutually exclusive. =)

10. kerflop's momma

    We’ve seen Expelled. My husband was so excited he could hardly wait. Quick, get tickets online before they are sold out! Hurry, come here and pick your seat. Ha! The theater is totally empty! But it surely won’t be when we get there… Oh, but it was. We enjoyed our own private showing. We could have necked all the way through it, but alas… he was way too interested in the movie!

11. that lady from over there

    I look often at my decor, which I so geniously copied from a magazine… then I step back and find that…… it looks like crap!! ugh! nothing goes together like it does in the picture. So, do I have laundry decor for my couch? sure, I have a couch? WOW !!!

12. cat

    Thanks for liking my art and your kind words..

    cat