We all seem to have a natural curiosity about one another. Have you
ever taken a walk through your neighborhood at night and walked past
a house where the curtains are open and you can get a peek at what is
inside? There always seems to be one or two houses in a neighborhood
that seem so fascinating. You want to snoop but know you cannot.
Sometimes we want to snoop to see the decorating. Sometimes it's
because the person who lives inside is so interesting. Have you ever
stopped and noticed what's on a person's desk? You don't have to open
a drawer and yet you can learn so much about it's owner. Are they neat
and organized or is everything in a jumble? Are there photos of family
and or friends? Are there intriguing items?
If you could would you want to peek into a home's nooks and crannies?
You can learn so much about a person by snooping through their book
shelves.
Have you ever read the Griffin and Sabine books by Nick Bantock?
It begins with a postcard from a woman living on a far off island to
an artist living in London. She requests one of his fish postcards.
Griffin does not know her, or if he once met her then where or when?
A correspondence begins between the two of them and the reader is
drawn into their lives as a third party observant.
Inside the book are postcards and letters tucked inside envelopes just
waiting to be read. Why is it that we are so fascinated reading other
people's mail? I think that is one of the reason that collecting old
postcards is so popular. It's not just for the graphic but it's so fascinating
to read into the lives of some unknown person writing to a friend or
family member.
So many of us love to travel. To delve into the culture of some exotic land.
To learn what's different and what is the same about us. We are just so
curious about each other. I suppose it's a form of snooping too.
Who among us has not wanted to snoop into another person's medicine
cabinet? We don't have a medicine cabinet in the master bedroom, just
cabinets with drawers. I'm letting you peek into mine. This will give you
a big insight into me. I don't take any drugs except a very occasional aspirin
or a Benadryl if I get stung by a bee or bit by a fire ant.
I use a retinol and a vitamin C cream and sunscreen. Sometimes a
moisturizer if I think I need it.
I like to do my workouts at home.
Be honest now ~ don't you like to snoop just a little bit?
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Oh yes - a little snoop is always great fun. I always figure that if someone has left the living room curtains open in the evening they mustn't mind me looking just a little longer........
ReplyDeleteSo true ~ when one leaves the curtains open they are going to have to expect a few onlookers.
DeleteI love to walk my daughters neighborhood just after dark. It is soothing to see the lamps in the windows and front porch lights. From time to time I take photos of my own drawers, etc. I guess when I am going through my da=ily routines, I don't SEE anything, it all becomes a habitual blurr. But when I see them in pictures, I want to clean/organize/redo! xx Dazee (aka Jackie)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you ~ I love to see soft glow from windows and porch lights glowing in the dark.
DeleteAt our last house in Oklahoma there was a home in the neighborhood just over from us that absolutely drew me in all the time. I could see toile, plates on the wall, pillows, and pretty things like that just from the windows when I was driving or walking by....yes very slowly. I wanted to walk through that house so badly!! It might have verged on stalking. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my ~ from your description I want to see the inside of that house too! We can stalk together ;-)
DeleteI love to look inside Windows when driving by. Just mostly to see the goodness going on inside.
ReplyDeleteI like your comment! It's always wonderful to see goodness going on inside a home.
DeleteI never snoop, seriously. Telling the truth. I snooped when I was a girl - when I stayed at my bff's grandmother's. I was actually not snooping as much as looking for aspirin - she was in bed (Grandma) and I got in sooooo much trouble. Grandma was scary and mean and I never EVER not once EVER did it again after that. It scared AND scarred me from doing it again.
ReplyDeleteBUT I daresay if I walk at night - not too often do I though - if a house's curtains are open I look in and always say to myself "How bad to have left your curtains open." My eyes don't work well at night so I usually can't see much.
There was a lady who lived in the area I grew up who had a beautiful piano and we could see her practicing it because she never closed her draperies on her huge picture windows overlooking the lake. (Can't blame her there with that view, though, eh?)
I enjoyed snooping here, though, today. And I guess blog reading is a bit like snooping, with permissions granted. : - )
I don't like to snoop for real either. Perhaps snoop is too strong a word. While I was working as an interior designer I was invited into many homes so I could plan a design for the owners. It amazing what you discover about someone by touring their home. Some homes were very sparsely decorated, so minimalistic that I knew the owners did not want too much visual distraction. Some homes were filled to the brim with collections, photos, books. Those homes were always fascinating to me. Then there were the owners who had no style of their own. No personal stamp. They were often the ones who were such slaves to the current trends. So afraid to make a decorating mistake. I always felt a little bit sad for them.
DeleteI don't consider it snooping, but I love to study the contents of bookshelves or desk tops. For me it's a study in vignettes. For instance, your desk is full of lovely vignettes. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe more I think of it, snooping is to intrusive a word. I like your "study in vignettes" better!
DeleteI don't look into other people's medicine chests or read their personal papers or mail, but I do very much find what they leave out for display ( or leave out because they're untidy ) fascinating and telling about the owners. I too have often wanted to peek into the interesting homes & cottages for the very reasons you mentioned. I think reading blogs actually allows us to do this and contributes to learning more about the many interesting people out there in the world. You're so right about reading old letters and postcards, they do give us a lot of insight not only into the writer, but the times, trials, and tribulations of the writer
ReplyDeleteI have been in many homes where there appears to be no personal stamp of those living there, just an accumulation of what the owner thinks SHOULD be . I found this interesting because often the people I know who actually PAY to decorate this way are forceful and successful individuals. Maybe they don't have time to be too concerned about decorating, but it is sad and very telling that they would actually pay someone to create a home interior. Usually the bathroom and office space of these people says more...( not snooping, invited to look )
I enjoyed this post !
Sometimes clients don't have time to decorate. That's often where designers have their most fun. I worked with a client once and they gave me free reign on everything. The only request they had was that I incorporate a painting the two of them purchased together in Provence. I happily did so. I drew everything up, told them what everything would cost and they said okay. It was a creative challenge and I enjoyed every moment of it.
ReplyDeleteI am not a snooper unless one says I can lol ! Thanks for letting us snoop and sharing , Have a good day !
ReplyDeleteSure. I've always been innately curious. And there was a time when I did go out at night, occasionally, and I got a warm feeling in my stomach when I passed a house with the lights on and the family at the dinner table. I knew something was right with this world.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
I think that is the ideal many of us strive for. Something simple yet priceless like a family around a dinner table.
DeleteSusan I enjoy snooping as much as the next person & I enjoyed "snooping" at a few of your items in this post. There were 2 items that were of particular interest to me. If you don't mind me asking could you tell me where you got the 2 carvings in this post. The reason I'm curious is because I had a very dear sister who carved beautiful figurines. I am blessed to have quite a few in my possession. One year when she was visiting us in Nevada she brought a work in progress. It was 2 little boys who were going fishing. One held a tackle box & the other a fishing pole. They were representative of my 2 sons. She was so talented. She passed away in 2005 & I miss her very much. Anyway, your pieces look very similar to her style of carving & I thought if there was the slimmest chance you had ever gone to Plymouth, Ma. you could have possibly bought some of her carvings. She sold precious few of her pieces because she didn't think she was good enough because she'd never had any formal training. She gave away most of her carvings to family members, very lucky family members! Well anyway, your pieces are very lovely & I thank you for sharing & for giving me an opening to talk about my dear sister.
ReplyDeleteThose carvings belonged to my Daddy. He loved them and so do I. I am not sure where he found them but I seem to believe he bought them on one of his many foreign travels.
DeleteYup...always check behind the shower curtain.
ReplyDeletexoxoxoxo