Monday, January 4, 2016

The Best Housewarming Gift. Ever.



My parents saw (and stayed in) our house for the first time over Christmas, which was so, so lovely. "Wow!" my dad said, as he sat down at our dinner table and took it all in. "I've seen this place so many times on FaceTime, but it's the first time I can really feel what it's like to be in it!" My mom quickly acquainted herself with the kitchen and, before I knew it, had tidied up all our drawers and descaled the kettle. Go, mom.

As a housewarming present, my parents had offered to buy us a new set of dinnerware, which we needed since our previous set consisted of a bunch of mismatched Habitat/IKEA/John Lewis plates and bowls leftover from our shared housing/university days. So, we went to Heal's, picked out a set and carried it all home together.

But.

The best gift? The best gift we received was this selection of six sketches, which my dad had made during previous trips to England. He reproduced them in the States using high-quality printing (and paper) to resemble the original works in his sketchbook, before bringing them over during their visit last week. When my parents arrived, we took them to a framing shop in Walthamstow and picked out the frames and mount board together (apparently, the shop assistant was so impressed by the sketches, he asked who the artist was when John went to pick them up!).


My dad carries his sketchbook with him whenever he travels. I like to think of it as keeping an illustrated diary! Sometimes, in order to get the "right" angle, he'll stand and sketch for two hours straight, leaning against a building (which he did in Bruges)!

For our home, I'd chosen his sketches of popular London landmarks, as well as two scenes that were special to me: a flock of sheep grazing in the Cotswolds, where we'd taken a family vacation a few years ago, plus Blenheim Palace, where I'd taken my dad to during his first visit to England.




Before my family left last week, my dad drew up a plan for how the framed sketches should sit on the wall, before he and John measured and mounted them in our entryway. I couldn't believe how amazing they looked! When the sun shines, the glass picks up the reflection from the stained glass on our front door and casts a beautiful, twinkling light on the artwork. We placed the set in our entryway, so that visitors walk past them on their way into the kitchen and living room and can admire the sketches at eye-level.

Every time I walk past the sketches on my way up or down the stairs, it's like my dad saying "hello" to me. They are such a beautiful and personal reminder of the wonderful times we've all shared in England, and a true testament to my dad's talent and artistry.

AND ... now I'm crying, so I'm going to stop! When you moved into your house/flat, were you given a personal gift to make your home uniquely yours? What was it? Please share!

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32 comments

  1. Gorgeous Jaime! What a talented dad! My dad also has the knack of drawing and I wish I had inherited such talent!

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  2. Amazing! Your dad is so talented, what a gorgeous and personal gift.

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    1. It is so wonderful to walk by and see them every day, Angie! <3 xx

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  3. Jaime, your dad is SO talented! Those skeches are beautiful, truly exquisite. What a lovely personal touch to your home - and the perfect way of melding your two lives - your family in the States and your life in the UK!

    Sophie :-)

    October's Girl Blog

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    1. Thank you for saying so, Sophie!!! I love the sketches and yes - you managed to articulate what I was too emotional to express in my post - the melding of our two lives! Love that sentiment; thank you!

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  4. Jaime, your Dad is so incredibly talented!! I would have asked who the artist was too! Especially love the Little Venice one... that's practically my street ;) I can't get over how lovely your family is and even though you are so often apart, you guys are better than anyone else I know at trying to make the pond a little bit smaller xx

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    1. Thank you, Jess! I will pass your words on to him - he is so modest! I thought of you when I posted this because I know you live near Little Venice - that sketch was done when John and I lived in Maida Vale! We are a really tight-knit family unit and the distance has never changed that :) xxx

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  5. Beautiful sketches and what a special gift to receive!

    I'd like to think that when I could give my own children a gift like this when I'm older (although I'm hoping my talent will be photography!).

    xx

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    1. What a lovely idea, Laura! It is so special to be able to pass on a talent to a future generation :) I know I'll always treasure my dad's sketches. :)

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  6. Your dad's sketches are absolutely gorgeous!! They sound like he perfect housewarming/Christmas gifts!

    http://thecourtneydiaries.com

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    1. Thanks so much for saying so, Courtney! He will be pleased to hear that :) It was such a special gift! I'm glad we could pick out the frame together :)

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  7. What a beautiful gift! And it's sweet that he took the time to plan how the sketches should be arranged on your wall. I'm glad you got to enjoy your family over the holidays :) Happy New Year to you!

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    1. Hello and Happy New Year!! Yes, he sat in John's study for about 20 minutes sketching out the plan and writing down the measurements haha! I miss my dad :(

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  8. Oh wow they really are beautiful! Your dad is very talented.

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    1. Thanks, Frankie - I'll pass your compliments on to him! I love having these sketches in our home.

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  9. Oh my gosh these are STUNNING! What an amazing and thoughtful gift!

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  10. They are beautiful! I love the deckle edge and the frames -- and of course the sketches are amazing. What a sweet gift! I hosted Christmas at our home for the first time too -- isn't it nice to be the hostess for your parents? :)

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    1. I love the edge too, Alix! It adds a lot of character to the sketches and makes them a little more "alive" in the frame. I loved hosting my parents! Total role reversal.

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  11. Absolutely gorgeous!
    I have framed photographs of home on our walls - the best thing was taking my husband to one of the lookouts in NZ and watching recognition dawn!

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    1. Aw, so lovely, Emma! It's so nice to bring a bit of "home" into your home - you know? :)

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  12. I seriously can't get over these – I saw your Instagram post this morning, and found myself thinking about these later in the day. What an incredible, special gift – not to mention the fact that they look stunning and super classy hanging on your wall. Go dad!

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    1. You're so sweet. I can't quite get over them myself! I keep catching myself smiling or looking at them whenever I walk past! I'm really pleased with the framing shop we used. It was so hard to choose the frame and the color of the mount board, but in the end, I think we chose well, and I loved that my dad could be there to see them in our home!

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  13. They are amazing! Your dad is very talented. What a thoughtful gift! :)

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    1. They are really lovely to have in our home, Charlotte! I'm trying to convince him to open an Etsy shop ... ;)

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  14. WOW! These are utterly gorgeous and how wonderful that they're from your Dad as well.

    Does he sell any work? I'm sure they would go down a storm!

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    1. So sweet of you to say, Sorcha! I'm trying to convince him to set up an Etsy store (which I would manage and help him with!) - he could sell prints and also do bespoke sketches of peoples' houses! Thanks for the encouragement!

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  15. I was just about to type, "How did I miss this fabulous post?", and then I knew ... it was when my mum was ill. But enough of that ... how talented is your dad?? He's FANTASTIC! My favourite sketch is the one of the canal at Little Venice, probably because it's one of my favourite places in London. Want to know how I found this post? I was looking for details about your pineapple ... is it from TKMaxx? It is, as you might say, growing on me!

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    1. :( Thank you, Ruth! I love my dad's sketches dearly. He makes a birthday card for me every year as well! I'll have to share those sometime.

      The pineapple is from Oliver Bonas ... they may still have it online!

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  16. I'm not crying. You're crying. So beautiful! <3

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