Tiny Joys
Little objects bringing me happiness in my new home
If you know me, you know I love tiny things. I take a magpie approach: As long as it’s pretty, small, and maybe shiny, it’ll slip into my collection. For the tiniest tiny things, I gather them in my special antique letterpress box for full display: a pair of bright toy cars, itty-bitty soda bottles, shark teeth and whale bones, smoothed shards of sea glass, rubbery animals, Calico Critters, shells, fortunate cookie notes from friends.
I seek out the small wherever I go, especially when I travel to new places. Besides being easy to pack into an already-puffy suitcase and making great gifts, there’s something about a little joyful object that sparks wonder. I feel like a bird collecting things I love to bring back to my nest. There’s not much rhyme or reason to picking up a little something—it reminds me of feeling like a kid again and making a pile of rocks, leaves, and flowers that were so beautiful that I felt the urge to share the delight with someone else.
Here’s a mini roundup of things in my home that I’ve collected over the years:
Cowry Shell Lip Balm
This shiny, gold-rimmed cowry shell from Soleil stopped me in my tracks when I was exploring Portland, Maine. There are plenty of gorgeous and vibrant shells in our Charleston home (thanks to the tireless collecting of my friend Sadie), but the clasp on this one transformed it into a utilitarian object with a touch of Something Special™. The lip balm inside smells heavenly and herby, a natural blend of lavender and mint that stays solid so I never have to worry about it turning goopy. I can’t say I use the lip balm very much, because I think the shell looks perfectly pretty sitting on my fireplace mantle in my room. I nestle it beside a big chunk of purple amethyst and my lovely “Nest” print from Raven Roxanne, one of my favorite artists.
Initial Ribbon
I grew up visiting my mom’s family in Boston, so the big city has a special place in my heart. I’ve been back a handful of times in the last year to visit Anna, one of my best friends from W&L who is now attending law school, and she has a knack for finding the most special places to eat, shop, and play. When Anna brought me this gleaming silver fish clip from the Boston General Store during a visit to Charleston, I knew I had to go in person. BGS is one of the coolest pint-sized shops I’ve been in; there’s something for everyone, the goods are smartly categorized, all of the packaging is gorgeous, and the prices range from $1 to $700. I never wanted to leave. Can we please get a store like this in Charleston?!
There was an entire table dedicated to sewing supplies with scissors, thread, thimbles, and other handheld items. The whole display made my heart sing. But these $5 Japanese ribbons, embroidered in bright lettering, were begging to come home with me. I mean, come on! The dainty, curly letters! The saturated cherry red color! The beautiful package design! It felt so tailor-made and distinctive. I gathered a couple to bring home for friends, but I had to get my own sweeping “G” ribbon.
Carolina Creamware Cappuccino Cup
Everything Janette Wall touches is stunning. Her alabaster and cornflower blue ceramics take note of historic pottery found in the Lowcountry known as Carolina Creamware. I love how her work nods to a rich artistic tradition while blending her own adoration for the marsh, coastal flora and fauna, and whimsical illustrations. I bought my first piece, a minnow-dotted rice bowl, to hold shark teeth, and it’s a prized possession. But when I saw this palm-sized cappuccino cup with a bent-leg heron on the front (and a palm frond on the back), I immediately messaged her to buy it. I’m horribly clumsy and terrified of using it in the kitchen and breaking it, so I prefer to have it stand on my living room fireplace or coffee table on a stack of books to hold lighters, lip balm, and matches. It’s just perfect.
Domed Bird Nest
When I went to Tybee Island, Georgia, with my family one summer, we stayed in the most beautiful cottage beach house. It was all dark wood, old fixtures, and big rickety windows. I remember being captured by a bird nest that the homeowner preserved in a glass cloche dome.
This summer, a great crested flycatcher nested in a tree outside my parents’ window in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Months after the eggs had hatched and fledglings flew off, I snipped the nest off from the branches and took it back to my new house in Charleston. It felt special to have something from my parents’ garden. It makes a nice tablescape pairing with my green cloth-bound vintage bird field guide. I got a glass cloche online, but I wish it weren’t as tall. Oh well, the search is on.
House Matches
Now…talk about a tiny joy! I discovered the colorful and playful Savannah-based studio State the Label from G&G’s 2023 Made in the South Awards, where their painterly clothing grabbed my attention. Since then, I’ve collected a few things from the brand, including striped swayer pants, a fun cushion seat, and these dreamy matches. I love objects modeled after other objects—in this case, a matchbox inspired by a paper house—and, at $16, I had to add to cart. I love the heavy-handed strokes and imperfections in the painted print, and it brings a pop of color to my living room. The pattern play is magical. I think I may need to fashion my own.
They also just released this new colorway, which makes me wonder if I need to build a small neighborhood. Both boxes are sold out, but I have a feeling they’ll make a comeback for the holidays.
Provence Thistle Crystal
I found Dauphinette in 2021. Their resin-preserved veggies, fruits, and flowers made the inner gardener and naturalist in me feel very seen, and I have a couple of their rosebud and pansy earrings and fruity jewels. My new house has two fireplace mantles, and I wanted something I could place on the top alongside my other goodies. In Hampton Park, globe amaranth has become my favorite flower in bloom. The little pale purple and deep berry heads bob in the breeze on spindly green stems, and I’ve been dying to plant my own next summer. I’m 99% this crystal holds a pink globe amaranth flower, not a thistle, which has skinnier and wispier petals, but who knows. It brings a little touch of fairy energy to the house.
Double Rainbow Maker
I’ve had this Kikkerland toy for years, but since living in Charleston, I haven’t had a light-filled bedroom where I felt like it would work very well. Now, it calls my new house home, and it fills my bedroom with shards of rainbow light every sunny afternoon. The solar-powered device spins two prisms that transform light into colorful patches that dance across the walls and floor. It feels like it would be right at place in a kindergarten classroom, which is maybe why I love it.
Seeds and Nuts
I love the organic architecture of seedpods. I follow this amazing Instagram account from naturalist Jonas Frei, and he shares impressive assemblages of different seed heads, kernels, and beans. Even the same species have such stunning variety. These itty-bitty pieces of nature have surprising complexity in their form and lines. He showcases the beauty of taking a closer look.
I found both of my seeds in Boston while visiting Anna. The walnut half is from Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, the oldest American arboretum with 400 different species of trees, which I visited last fall. I kept the walnut half as a momento, and then, this year, ended up pocketing this smooth acorn from Mount Auburn Cemetery, another beautiful green space in the city. I love how they look just sitting on the mantle. My friends, Schuyler and Hampton, have a beautiful collection of rocks and seeds tucked away on a kitchen ledge, so I felt like a mantle would be a great place to showcase my two-part collection. I also think it would be cool to display them in a sectioned box like this wood and glass one from Etsy.
Thank you for reading! <3