Wednesday 7 November 2007

Something Special


In 1968 I wasn't even born but at this time my mother who was 13 years old was already collecting magazine tear sheets of her favourite rooms and houses. I was completely dumb founded recently when, in this month's anniversary edition of Australian Vogue Living a small picture of a room featured in 1968 triggered my memory. I was certain my mother had that exact same picture in her file of favourite tear sheets. I couldn't believe it!! I immediately called my mum and told her and she was just so excited. She pulled out the old picture she had stored away that night (torn edges and a bit yellow with age) but it was the one. How wonderful is that? These are the sorts of things which make life interesting.
It is just so lovely to have a passion for something and I know so many of you out there share the same love for design as I do and as my mum does. But I must say also that it is so wonderful to share an interest with your mum. I often think that she really has had such a huge impact on my style and my love for design and beautiful things. Thanks mum for sharing your creativity with me and for being such a huge and wonderful influence in my life. I know I wouldn't be what I am today without you!!


The above original tear sheet was taken from House & Garden Spring 1968 and was recently featured in Australian Vogue Living as an image which they had used in Vogue Living around the same time.

17 comments:

Maryam in Marrakesh said...

What an amazing coincidence!

Habitually Chic said...

What a great story! I don't think it's any coincidence that I ended up in the design world. My mother used to redecorate our house all the time. Our living room has had so many different wallpapers, I can't even remember them all. If you're around something long enough, it just becomes part of who you are and what you love.

Susan said...

Anna, my daughter is 20 something, and more and more, we appear to be "psychic sisters!" We can often finish one another's sentences, and her decorating has such style, I love to see her new ideas take shape. It's really a lot of fun to share a common love for enhancing one's home. It's a journey that never ends.

Enjoy your new home, it looks great (I especially love those white doors I caught a glimpse of!)

CMG said...

I have been tearing pages out of magazines since I can remember. I am 30 years old right now and I still have pages saved from when I was about 10 years old. (I also have a stack of 100+ magazines with tabbed pages that I dream of organizing!! but that is a different story)

Style Court said...

How fun! Doesn't this speak Pieces (the Atlanta shop) or a little Quadrile? Don't you love seeing how things come back in? And check out that little pool house or garden follie! Just love all the spring-green with white.

Anna, looks like your bent for keeping things comes from your mom :)

Unknown said...

What a wonderful connection you have with your Mother and what an amazing memory you have to remember seeing that tear sheet of hers.

MrsKatherineA said...

So wonderful! I'm obsessive about tears and save all my magazines and often wonder if I'm crazy of it'sit's completley in vain.....I hope my daughter loves design and style the way I do! What a gorgeous room!

Unknown said...

What a lovely story. Australian Vogue Living has become my favorite design magazine. It has such a fresh and vibrant point of view. Love your blog.

www.bibelotsdesign.com

cotedetexas said...

What's really scary about this story Anna - I feel like you are my contemporary - but I am a year older than your MOTHER!!!!!

Help me please~ I'm too old.

When you write about your mother I think of some old grandmother, retired, and here I am a year older than her!!!!!!

Are you trying to tortue me?

Melissa @ The Inspired Room said...

I love this post. It was my mom who influenced my love of houses! It is something we both share to this day and I can't imagine it any other way!

Lovely sentiments,
Melissa

Kristin Nicholas said...

What a wonderful story. Isn't great to have something in common with your mom when you get older and can appreciate like things. You're a lucky woman.

Conni said...

Hi! I can so relate to this post. I have stacks and stacks of torn out magazine sheets. I try to keep them organized around what topic I loved it for...home decor, fashion, something I'm dreaming of or that inspires me, or something I'm actually going to purchase...but the stacks just seem to grow and grow, and I'm always thinking I should throw them out...now, I think I'll hang on to them. Will be fun to look back on it someday! :)

Glamourshoes said...

My husband and I have been married for over 20 years and we have moved at least 8 or 9 times. Everytime we move he begs me to leave behind the milk crates full of magazines. Last Christmas I reached in randomly and pulled out a Met Home from 1988, and it looked identical to what is being shown now--bright pops of color, beautiful glass, a lot of white. It was so much fun to see how quickly things come back around. And my 21 yr old daughter has inherited my love for design, but not my style--I like crisp and modern, she loves muted and antique, so it can become quite interesting when we try to decorate something together. I love your blog and am trying to create one of my own but haven't figured how to get the pictures and tags right yet.
Thanks, Ann Payne

Melanie said...

Well, there is no one in my immediate family who shares my passion for design (they thought I was completely crazy until I started actually making real money after 10 years) but I think it is SO cool for you that you have that connection. Now I need to go and clear off the pile of tear sheets cluttering up my coffee table so I can move them to a pile in my office....

Melanie said...

Well, there is no one in my immediate family who shares my passion for design (they thought I was completely crazy until I started actually making real money after 10 years) but I think it is SO cool for you that you have that connection. Now I need to go and clear off the pile of tear sheets cluttering up my coffee table so I can move them to a pile in my office....

Rhondi said...

My goodness! I was a college student in 1968 an I remember cutting out that same picture for my decorating file. What a coincidence!

Sylvie said...

I love this story!!