Finding KeeperS
on display
Cultivate a fresh collection of artful, locally crafted vases to show off your spring and summer blooms.
Porcelain vases by Eileen Braun. Large red and black vase, $150; small bead vase, $60; small red and black stem vase, $100. Mariposa Gallery, 3500 Central Avenue SE, Albuquerque, NM, 505/268-6828, mariposa-gallery.com.
Vintage blown-glass vase, $32. Margaret Moore, Antiques & Things, 4710 Central Avenue SE, Albuquerque, NM, 505/268-1313.
Opalescent Japanese blown-glass vase, $69. Hey Jhonny—A Lifestyle Store, 3418 Central Avenue SE, Albuquerque, NM, 505/256-9244, heyjhonny.com.
Flower relief cast resin vases, $38. Available in white, pink, and black. Abode: The Store for Modern Living, 109 Amherst Drive SE, Albuquerque, NM, 505/255-1115, abodenobhill.com.
Hand-blown glass vases by New Mexico artist Richard Mole, from $130. R. Mole Sculpture, 28 Tango Road, Santa Fe, NM, 505/455-7593, rmolesculpture.com. Coleman Gallery Contemporary Art, 4115 Silver Avenue SE, Albuquerque, NM, 505/232-0224, colemancontemporary.com. La Mesa of Santa Fe, 225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM, 505/984-1688, lamesaofsantafe.com.
This article first appeared in Spring II 2008 Su Casa
I have often wondered about the concept of spring cleaning. Why would you labor long hours scrubbing your house just when the weather turns warmer and beckons you outside?
Then again, each spring when my house fills with sunlight, cobwebs appear, finger and paw prints emerge on window panes, and every speck on the floor reveals itself. But cleaning is a relative term. Straightening up and adding a splash of color can refocus the eye and leave time for other projects, including outdoor ventures. Save the scrubbing for fall. Vacuuming, washing the dishes, and adding a vase full of flowers are the way to transform your home now.
Think about the pleasure of reaching into your cupboard and finding the perfect vase for the daffodils, lilies, or tulips you’ve just bought. Perhaps the real spring cleaning should entail finding and keeping the truly great vases and weeding out your collection of bad florist containers.
These vases are so lovely you will want to display them even without flowers. They will capture everyone’s attention, especially yours. So let the spring and summer sunshine flood your home, and enjoy the view.