Let Me Tell You a Story of Stones and Shells and Seed Pods...

This is a chest we have in our living room. It is against a wall that you see when you walk into the home from the front door, and because the floor plan of this part of the house is open, you can see it from everywhere.

I have to thank Seth for his challenge on his blog, "Living With Art" for these photographs to happen." Seth made me look at this arrangement with new eyes. To find my own connections and make me wonder why different things have found a place here.

This arrangement is featured on his new post, as well as many other corners and walls and displays from amazing artists that will inspire you and make you want you to visit again and again.

After I took my first photograph that you will see on his blog I had to take more, to give you a closer look.

Before, I used to put my collections in my studio on shelves to inspire me when I worked.

But my studio had become more and more crowded and soon I wanted to spread out to the rest of the house.

This is where my love for science and art are entwined.

Here there are things from the ocean and the desert...

from my own findings or gifts from friends or family.

Things from far far away and objects from my own gardens.

Some made from my own hands.

Each object begs for examination, each carved or molded surface, each smooth stone and piece of rough wood. They all call to be noticed. Some things here are very simple and some have intricate patterns.