tommey girl: Careless Obsessions

It all started in Rome, Georgia. While walking through a local high-end clothing and gifts boutique (gift card in hand!), admiring the beautiful clothing and hoping there would be something on the sale rack that would fit and be in my budget, I happened upon a treasure that became and immediate obsession. CatStudio. Specifically, I love their hand-embroidered pillows! Each one is a work of art, not only because of the intricate design and rainbow of colors, but also because each pillow is crafted by hand, taking over one week to produce a single one. Beauty. Design. Skill. LOVE. Most likely, (unless by generous donation!) I will never own one of those pillows, coming in at $150 a piece, however...I do cling to the hope of one day owning a dish towel. "Sigh"...one day.

Almost one year later, post-discovery, I happened upon the July 2010 edition of Martha Stewart Living titled Amazing America. First of all, I love Martha Stewart. Another obsession for another day. The articles divulge different dishes and goodies from all fifty states and are accompanied by gorgeous photos of the meals/items and their processes. After page 103, the direction and "draw" of my CatStudio obsession became clear. Very clear. It wasn't the CatStudio branding, honestly I don't appreciate most of their product line...the dish towels and glasses are cool, and of course the pillows...but that's about it. What I love are the MAPS! In the magazine, there is an article detailing a souvenir trend that began mid-20th century. People began screen-printing maps of each of the fifty states on different textiles; scarves, tablecloths, dish towels, etc. and selling them in souvenir shops all across the nation.

There are so many ways to display these vintage souvenirs.

Hang them on the wall.