Holiday

[Oznell]

I realized there are 3 types of objects that form the backbone of my decor-- 

1)  containers (everything from bowls, vases, to boxes, pitchers, etc.) 

2) candlesticks

3) 'critters', including birds, of course!

I do swap mine out, somewhat, according to season. Pretty much year round, I have some plump, patchwork ceramic quail (or partridges or pheasants?) that Valerie did years ago.  Remember these?  They're colorful and cutely complacent:

But in summer, I sometime like to put out a pair of verdigris birds instead-- they have a lighter feeling.  Can't find exact duplicate images on line to show you, but this verdigris bird finial is somewhat similar:

I still have my vintage ceramic crouching bunny box on coffee table.  He's similar to this little guy I found online, but mine has ivy vines twining all over on him:

I've also put a miniature crocheted bear my mother made, in a tiny, cylindrical basket.  He's peeking over the edge.

Brown owl is gone till fall, but I love elephants, especially in the summer.  Makes me think of the great outdoors, and old fashioned summer circuses, etc.  So I have the QVC "Wicker Park" elephant planter (M65131) with faux succulents out:

Oh, I see that the elephant is sold out now.  The ram and the owl are adorable, and still available in case you are interested.  On sale too.  (The succulents are extremely realistic, and the "concrete-look" pots are just so cute.  My only complaint is they are slightly smaller than I pictured.)

I have another elephant out in my living room, which truthfully, is a retro-looking toothbrush holder that I got for a song!  But it looks like a planter, something like this one:

For summer, I've stuffed him with some wild, "raffia-looking" fibers in a wheat color, and some dark twigs for contrast.  He has a tiny companion in a retro Dansk silverplate elephant paperweight I got over 20 years ago. Here's an online image of an identical one.  Those Dansk animals they made are cute, but I'm tired of polishing my one little guy!

Finally, in summer, I pull out my midcentury brass swan planter with bent neck.  Couldn't find an identical one online, but this one is very, very similar.  I fill mine with blue and clear sea glass, a few shells, and white pebbles..    He's also a pain to polish, but sweet.

Are you still with me? (Ha.). Are you an animal person in your decor?  If so, what?  Do you do any swapping out for seasons?

[pietook]

I was afraid I was the only Critter Lover!  You have described my house perfectly!  I only have white critters--- I have a thing about white.  But, I can't quite get the grouping right.  I would love to have someone who has good taste---not a real designer---come in and help me with my decor.  My friends don't have my same style---they mostly have antiques etc.  

[Spurt]

@Oznell 

I love your collections of critters........

I also decorate with animals and do rotate them....  I have a lot of cats and birds... (a lot of Jim Shore and VPH )....

I have these in my bathroom...(this photo is from Valeries Facebook---too lazy to take a photo, but the other photos are mine--I try to take photos of my decor so I remember how I displayed them for different seasons...)

In my kitchen.....

[Oznell]

A white theme with animals is beautiful, @pietook !   I love my antiqued white birds with green wreaths from Valerie that I got to use all winter...

Oh, @Spurt ,  darling sweet birds and kitty!  Those mercury glass blue birds tempted me mightily, more than any of her other recent creatures-- they are so pretty and truly seem the "bluebirds of happiness"!

[on the bay]

@Oznell -

Well, as we all know here it is easy to be an animal, bird, wild thing lover all the time!

I have 2 dolphins, a pottery one that has colors of the ocean and a wooden one. then a large poster of a wolf covered in snow which I love framed over my bed.

and  2 pictures of birds, a chicadee and a female robin.

And a pretty one of birds in a tree with white flowers.

Then a winter owl, a sweet ceramic donkey, 2 little bunnies,  a stuffed bear (my first and only Boyd's bear

and 2 stuffed rabbits.

A beautiful sandstone dolphin sculpture my son gave me and a Jim Shore  little angel with animals.

At Christmas I bring out Valeries cute white snow birds with words-love, joy, etc. They are so cute.

That is my novel of animals lol!

[1Snickers]

  I just put out china white swans in the living room with white flower arrangements. Elsewhere my frogs have hopped out. They are mostly in the foyer with oriental furniture.Some old ones from QVC have lights. 
  Wooden boxes with frog inlay are there and in the den. Nantucket baskets for keys, etc on the mantle and wildflower arrangements and candles. 
  

[mousiegirl]

@Oznell   I have more birds than I can count, and some are always out, different birds for different seasons/holidays, also bunnies, every natural color, have to look real, stance, etc., for different seasons.  As DH once said when we were newly married, "guess this house will be an animal house," LOL, and it is.

Stuffed animals mostly in the red room, but also bedroom, and living room, and some in a kitchen chair according to season.

I have my eye on a giraffe planter to use faux flowers in, have to figure out where it would be stored when not in use, BIG problem here.

Critters make me smile, faux or real, and one can't smile often enough.

[on the bay]

@1Snickers -

I forgot to say about my frog in my fountain. He is really a toad

I used to have a real wild toad that would visit me every day.

[ECBG]

@Oznell You might want to check out the wood carved birds (which are realistic) on the Southern Highland Folk Art Center site.

One year they put a small branch in a pottery vase in blue and red drip ware.  They put about 5 of the hand carved painted birds on the branch. Absolutely breathtaking!

[Regal Bee]

Yes, I love the seasonal animals......rabbits and birds are my favorites.