Photo of the month: What makes me happy

It is June now, and the photo for last month is a table I set up near my bed – something I see as I wake. Nothing spectacular, just an old chip-board table with a small cloth on it. I suppose I am trying to highlight the simple pleasure of making our homes attractive. Not with big expensive items either.

It might be a lamp to light a special painting, photos of the grand children, or a holiday you had once. However ordinary they are, if they give us pleasure they’re worth it. As we both paint, the house is littered with paintings. For some people minimal is more attractive, they like to keep it simple, but we hate bare walls. So we have too many items I think!

Some objects have been around for a long time, a beautiful Roman head with a story attached to it, we call him ‘Fred the head’. Then there is a statue of a Greek goddess we found on an abandoned site. Sadly, having moved so many times and changed countries a few times, we have lost treasured items as we travelled. But even when we have very little I like to arrange the items we have to look pleasing.

This table has a lovely, old jug that belonged to husband’s great aunt, a doll I bought for no particular reason, a photo of my mother, and a painting I did of native flowers.

What do you have that makes you happy, and it doesn’t need to cost a fortune, it might be a piece of art made by a child, a photo, or a china cup you love…or simply some flowers you found in the garden.