I went for it!

I met with a photographer last week to plan to shoot my house.  (I know: my own photos are SO beautiful and not at all dark or blurry so why would I want to bring in a professional?).  The result is that:

a.  I am super excited and,
b.  Man, do I have a lot of work to do!

But you know what else?  Deadlines are awesome, and all of a sudden I am making long-considered, well-drawn out decisions lickety split.  The biggest one?

Art for the dining room.

I have been living with an 8x10 print out of this painting taped to my wall for weeks, nay, months, and I just bought it.  And now I wait...three weeks or more...while it takes the slow boat from Australia.

Yesterday on Design Sponge, Grace Bonney wrote about splurges and the benefits of "playing the long game."   The dining room wall is a huge focal point in my home--it is the first thing you see, in a way, when you come in the front door, and it is in the room where we probably spend most of our time as a family.  I've known for years that it needed a large canvas, and while my temporary solution lent a more finished air to the space, I am thrilled to have saved enough rewards points on my business card to, well, reward myself.

Right before biting the bullet, I read the artist's description of the work.

This is a portrait of my 107 year old neighbour in Nanning, Guangxi Province China. She was born the same year as Emperor Puyi, China's last emperor. She has lived through great social, political and economic upheavals. So much speaks for the lines on her face.

And you know what I realized?  This painting is a contemporary ancestor portrait, a fresh take on the kind I wrote about here.

Isn't it funny how we sometimes get an idea in mind, and won't let it go?