I love these things...

Although I have been very careful with money this year, from time to time I see something I cannot live without. A few of my favorite 2009 purchases:
Please ignore the color of my walls in this photo. They aren't really this lilac. I found this piece at a thrift shop right down the road from me for $45. A steal! It's made by the British company Beaver & Tapley, is in amazing condition, and the quality if construction is outstanding. I can't help but wonder if there was a companion piece at some time, as the tag reads "multi-width", and the company makes modular furniture. The "legs" are actually one of the speaker stands that my grandfather made for the 1950's JBL speakers that my grandparents passed down to me (one of my most prized possessions!). When the cabinet is on the floor, the fold down desk is too low. So there must have been a base for it that was separated from the unit at some point. I like the speaker stand as a base though. What do you think?
Oh, that wood grain, the dovetail joinery, the attention to details such as the bakelite handle (my close-up pics of the handle weren't good, darn it). The desk/storage area is perfect for my partially completed little wooden animals that are components of mixed media pieces I'm making for my will-it-ever-be-opened (?) Etsy handmade shop.
I love these cards by the amazingly talented Tina Tarnoff. Tina is one of my most absolute favorite people that I have met through blogging and Etsy! I bought this lovely set of cards to use as wedding thank-you's. Tina's papercuts and original paintings are just divine!
When I saw this little gold tree from Hello Victory, I had to have it! The tiny leaves move with any little breeze. I kept it in front of an open window so that I could watch the leaves "dance" (until it got too hot for open windows - summer came early!).
The Boy and I found this pristine fleur-de-lis chenille bedspread at an estate sale, and had planned on putting it up for sale in the Etsy shop. However, when I made the guest bed for pictures, we fell in love with it! It works beautifully with The Boy's grandparents' bedroom suite, the Eames-style storage unit that my talented boy made, the Conant Ball side table, The Boy's Kerouac collection...
Sorry these photos are a little dark. I really wouldn't have thought this to be my style, but when it all came together, I just loved it.
"Happiest Day of my Life" mixed media work by Lisa Bartlett. Lisa's story behind the painting goes: 'I went to a jumble sale where lo and behold the girls there were throwing away a bunch of stuff. One thing was a box of old photos. The photos date from the late 1800's to the 1960's. In the box there is a photo of a young girl in a very drab setting but on the back of the photo in pencil it is written "to Uncle Smith- Feb. 9 - - this is one of the happiest days of my life."
Soooo, I have been obsessed with piecing the lives of the "Smith Family" back together. Through my art I am able to create new reasons for it being "the happiest day of her life".'
Lisa's painting is currently displayed in a grouping with the 1930's GE fan that The Boy bought years ago for $5 and restored, and an early 1960's Polaroid camera that is supposed to be in the shop but The Boy can't bring himself to part with.