magnets

I think the stuff on a refrigerator tells an interesting story…

Let me explain mine…

I do like Elvis, but not as much as the fridge lets on. I got a couple of the magnets when I went to Graceland and then people tend to buy me “retro” magnets with Elvis. People usually associate me with retro, so when they get me gifts it is in the Anne Taintor/Elvis style. I don’t mind. After all, I did cry when I stood at his tomb at Graceland. And I do love me some “In the Ghetto”.

I have 3 owl magnets on my fridge. These belonged to my grandmother and I got them when she passed away. They were always something I loved and remembered from her refrigerator. She collected owls (had like 100 in her home) so I always associate owls with her. They make me smile.

I also love kid drawings and art. My friend Silvia’s son Joshua made this one. He is a super creative kid and I loved his blocks of color and watercolor style.

I like putting colorful photos and postcards on there. I’ve had this photo of my friend Steven on my fridge for like 12 years. He was snuggled up in my New Kids sleeping bag at a yearbook retreat. I always thought it was funny and it has been on every fridge since then. I don’t really want to take it down.

As for the Japanese girl, I just like postcards. I find that I always buy them and they sit in a box. My refrigerator is the only place that I really have a chance to show them off. I bought this one several years back at Third Street Stuff in Lexington. I liked how jumbo and oversized it was.

Other things to note:
– I have an Andy Warhol influence in my kitchen, so the magnets kinda match my bowls , glasses, plates, and mugs.
– I need to desperately update my niece and nephew pics. But they are all representin’!
– Any chance I can find a way to add some silly kitsch, I’m all about it.
– Magnets are the best marketing tools out there! I have some more on the side of my fridge that I got at a Craft Sale. One’s for scarves. Now if I was wanting to look up a scarf maker, I would remember her and maybe give her a call. So I think they are great way to promote yourself.

And, I cleaned out my fridge tonight in preparation for some good food to go in there. I was listening to a NPR bit that said if you want to eat healthier, you need to have a cleaner home (it’s keeps you from distractions) and fridge (it encourages good eating habits). So, I guess I gotta start somewhere!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

Yep, getting settled in! And I’ve had a lot of people asking me, “What does your place look like?” or saying, “Send me some pics of your place!!”, so I thought I would do it in installments. I would love to show you all at once, but I’m not that good at cleaning. A little tidbit about me that you may not have known…I am very good at propping and photo styling. So if you see a beautiful picture on my blog, chances are there is something sitting right next to it that I cropped or moved out of the way to get the shot. For me, it’s all about making something look good, even if it’s not great. Oh, well, my secret is out…Anyway, here’s a little peek into my kitchen. I have had the cherry theme for 4 years and I was thinking I needed a change, but I have sooooo much stuff to decorate with and it’s still super cute and fun, so I am keeping it for a while longer. I would say my style is cute and kitschy and colorful. It’s unfortunate that I can’t paint, but I don’t think I would want to do that anyway…ugh, I had an unfortunate experience painting back a room on the day I was supposed to move out. I had to be out by 8 and I was there till 4 in the morning painstakingly painting my bedroom back eggshell! Yikes. Never again until I move into my own place I say!

If you hadn’t already noticed, I have a hard time just sticking to the story (yes, I’m one of those that says they have to go on the phone, but ends up talking 30 minutes more).

So onto the good stuff!

My impromptu charger for my counter made from a cake stand!

A detail of a flour sack towel my mom digitally embroidered for me.

Here’s one corner of my kitchen.

And a detail of my favorite Anne Taintor postcard along with a mini cherry plate filled with faux cherries I purchased from an artist at the Woodland Art Fair in Lexington a few years back.

And here’s my pretty cookbooks. Too bad I rarely use them.

Here’s a closeup of some embroidered prints my mom made me. She painted the frames to match just for my cherry-themed kitchen.

And here’s a look into my fridge décor. I love Elvis, but many of these were actually gifted to me. I don’t make a point of collecting them or anything, but I still like them.