Memory Corner
Here’s a little corner in my home.
It’s full of memories and meaningful little pieces of my life. At first glance it might look a little cluttered, and every space in my home certainly doesn’t, but in this corner there’s a lot of love. When I say that I like to create homes that tell your story, I mean that I want to create a home that is meaningful to you, instead of simply being well decorated. I love art and the look of a big statement piece on an otherwise open wall, but I love little nooks that show the smiling faces of our loved ones and the places we have been.
So I’m sharing a few of those moments here, from this one corner.
This is my mom. Sitting on the hood of a friend of my grandpa’s car, all dolled up. I can imagine my grandma Bachan, who was a first generation Japanese immigrant, dressing her in that fancy dress, and styling her like a little doll on that car for a rare photo. If my house caught fire while I was in it, I’d grab this on my way out the door.
This is a quirky little painting by the person who’s typing right now. I’m no painter, but some crazy stuff happened during lockdown last year, and I got out an easel and started painting away. That time I spent, quarantined and alone in my house, painting for sometimes 14 hours a day changed my life. Being creative and learning something new caused me to make the decision to go back to school, in my forties, for Interior Design. And to end my long career in the wine industry, which had once meant so much to me. This painting reminds me of that.
My baby. We lived in Croatia for a few years, and this brave little girl marched up a multi-level platform, past a bunch of Croatian teenage boys whose jaws dropped to see a seven year old girl head straight to the top level and jump off, into the glorious Adriatic Sea. She then swam to the platform and did it over and over again. They did not. She’s going away to college this year, and I am more than a little sad about that, but more so, am at the edge of my seat waiting to see what she creates in this world.
This is a line drawing of my son, done so beautifully by my eldest daughter. She gifted me a drawing of each of my kids one year, and they are amongst my dearest treasures. Next to that (and not in the original photo) is a cherished photo of my dad and me, when I was about 3 years old. I’m checking out a little frog, ever curious.
If you’re still reading this, thank you. These are my memories, and my moments. And when I create spaces for others, I hope that some of them will be as meaningful as this, to them.
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