6 Whimsical Items In My Home

Whimsical coffee mug with mouse bought from op shop       Image:Marie Vonow

I like the word whimsy. Whimsy can mean something which is playfully quaint, fanciful, unusual or unexpected. I find it fun to have something whimsical here and there around the house to add a touch of light heartedness. Because I did pottery as a hobby for a time, a number of the whimsical items in my home are made of clay. I didn't make all of them but I am drawn to clay when I purchase items too.

1.  Mug with mouse

I bought this mug with a cute mouse on the handle at an op shop. I have never used it as a mug for two reasons. Firstly, I don't like to drink my coffee from pottery, somehow it seems to taste 'funny' to me. When I think about it, I only like to drink a hot drink from a china cup or mug. No pottery, plastic or enamel (okay I will if I am camping but that's because it's just not practical to use china mugs). I am not even keen on drinking from a glass mug although there are some elegant ones manufactured specifically for Irish coffee.

Although I referred to the decorative mouse as 'cute', I don't like real mice. I certainly wouldn't want a real one perched on the handle of my coffee mug and couldn't bring myself to drink from a mug which featured a mouse brushing against my face. No thank you.

I use this mug as a vase for a few flowers. The mouse peeking out from some pink daisies or other flowers adds a touch of fun, that bit of whimsy.

The owl is three dimensional     Image:Marie Vonow

2.  Owl mug

I don't use this mug for my coffee, see number 1 relating to drinking from pottery. It was a present from a friend many years ago and I just love looking at it, but don't want to drink from it. At the moment I am using it as a teaspoon holder but in the past I have stored pens and pencils in it.

Earring display    Image:Marie Vonow

 3.  Jewellery tree

Two Christmases ago I bought this tree. The lights/flowers are battery powered and I really like it. After Christmas this year I decided it was too pretty to pack away. It works well as a place to hang earrings. I can always find a pair of earrings when I am in a hurry to get out the door to catch a train. Another plus is that they don't get tangled the way they would in a jewellery box.

Functional with a bit of fun   Image:Marie Vonow

4.  Pot with lizard 

Back in the eighties when I did pottery classes I made a couple of flower pots using the coil technique. I added a lizard to one of the pots. Originally the lizard was a dark brown colour. It faded over the years so I repainted it grey with a bit of outdoor paint I already had in the shed.

Pigs may fly     Image:Marie Vonow

5.  Flying Pig

I didn't plan to make a pig with wings. I wanted a sheep but the piece of clay didn't want to be a sheep. For a while I tried to make it a sheep but it wouldn't be a sheep. So I made it into a pig with wings. It was happy and so was I.

Scrap metal lizard            Image:Marie Vonow

6. Scrap metal lizard

I came across this fanciful lizard in a craft shop one Saturday afternoon. My friend and I were out for a drive and stopped in a small country town. We enjoyed browsing in the craft shop where most of the items had been made by members of the local community. One of the items I bought was this lizard, made from recycled tin. My lizard is a reminder of a fun day out

Regardless of whether a whimsical item is purely decorative or functional, I do think it adds a bit of fun to my home. It also acts as a reminder that I shouldn't take life too seriously.