Displaying Your Collections

             One of the most important details in a room is our personal collections. They are the items that give a room personality...Your personality! No one else can have the same room because our collections are as unique as we are. Any one can fill a room with furniture and accessories, but it is when we add a bit of ourselves to a room that the room comes alive and interesting. The items we collect are those things we can't seem to live without. Sometimes we don't even know why we are attracted to a specific item. There is something about it that catches our eye. The only way to describe it is that we fall in love!!

              Rule number one in collecting.... If you love it Buy it !!!!
              Rule number two.... Don't try to create a collection overnight.
               Collecting takes time. It is the hunt that makes a collection so important. Those memories of where each item came from sometimes becomes more important then the item itself.
               Rule number three...A collection doesn't have to be expensive.
It is whatever is important to you. It could be$1.00 or $1000.00 it doesn't matter. It's those items that make your heart sing!
               Rule number four....Display your collection!!!

Red Transferware

Transferware in the Chinoiserie Secretary

                   The transferware is one of my favorite collections. I've collected it for years. I am always on the lookout for a new piece. Collections never seem to be complete. It wasn't until we moved into our townhouse that I decided to give this collection the importance it deserves. It is now displayed in our Chinoiserie secretary that sits between our living room and dining room. It is the first thing you see as you walk into our home. I love how it looks! I love how it makes me feel! It truly makes my heart sing!!!!

Happy Thursday!

Sue

Perennial Garden

       Well all the planting is FINALLY finished!! The planting season is shorter in NEPA than on Long Island. This has been the first week of warm weather so we worked  all week to plant the flowers and clean the deck and patio furniture. What a good feeling when it is all finished! The flowers look beautiful!!!
       The most beautiful part of our yard is the new perennial garden. In the last post I shared the perennial garden was to be my Mother's Day gift from Phil. Well the garden is in and it is more beautiful than I expected. Thank you George Burger and Sons for the magnificent job.

Perennial Garden

  As you can see we didn't repaint the bench. Once the plants were in place the color seemed just right. I guess I learned a valuable lesson....to trust your first decision...don't doubt yourself. Once the garden was completed it all seemed to go together the way I had envisioned. I just love it!!!!

Pink Foxgloves

        

Potted Annuals

                                                                        Sue

                                                                                                                   

                             

                                                      

An Early Mother's Day Gift

          Mother's Day is this weekend. Now I know my family believes that it is hard to find me a gift. Phil especially says he never knows what to get me.  I don't understand how this happens. I start hinting months in advance. Maybe I start hinting too early....maybe he forgets by the time Mother's Day rolls around...maybe he doesn't hear me.
         This year we decided to have a garden made in our backyard. We brought a garden bench from our other house. The bench sat alone in the yard last year. Even though I added some large flower pots along side of the bench it still looked out of place. I thought it would be nice to have a garden planted around the bench. We hired our local gardener George to create the garden. Last week I saw the plans for the garden. It was just what I had imagined...Hydrangeas and other perennials flanking the bench. A small patio created out of stones for the bench to sit on. George would  also leave some space for me to work in some annuals. To say I was excited would be an understatement!!  I was sure that this design would be more money than we expected to spend. I was sure it would be way too expensive. Phil told George the price was fine. When could he start? The date was set for this week.
           In anticipation of the new garden I decided to have Phil paint the bench. I chose this bright pink. I thought it was pink...I wanted a bright pink. As Phil stirred the paint in the can I told myself it would look much different on the bench. Well maybe it would look better with a second coat. Phil didn't say he didn't like it because he thought I had a vision that he just couldn't see yet. I decided to have Phil bring the bench into the yard thinking that the color might look better in the sunlight. Well it didn't!!!  We both agreed that it looks awful! I never seem to have much luck choosing colors that are usually out of my comfort zone!!
           Phil is my photographer for my blog. He refused to take a picture of the bench for this post. That says it all!!!! We will repaint!
          The garden is my Mother's Day Gift. I guess Phil does listens to me more than I know,. He knows what makes me happy!!!  
          I will post pictures of the garden when completed.
          Thank you Phil for the beautiful gift!! I love you!!

Spring in the Kitchen

          Today I have been trying to "feel" spring! Hard to do when it's cold and nasty outside and you still have to turn on the heat. So I decided to add some Spring to the kitchen. Nothing says Spring more than yellow tulips!! It was an instant transformation!!

                 I decided to change the corner cabinet to all white china. I think it brings a cooler look to the kitchen for the spring and summer months. Sometimes it just takes a small change to change the feel of a room. White makes everything look and feel cool. 

                      
                                Well it may not be Spring outside but it is Spring in my kitchen!!

                                                                       Sue xo

                                                     

Spring Pansies

     
Happy Monday!

                 Hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday. We had a very busy weekend!
          We were able to visit with our children and grandchildren. What a Wonderful weekend!!!
          

                  I planted the first pansies of the season. This is the first  flower I plant every spring.
         I plant pansies in honor of my Grandfather Frank. They were his favorite flower. I remember him planting them every spring. Grandpa planted all different color pansies in the front yard of our home. My grandfather was an avid gardener. He began in the spring with his pansies. It was the beginning of his favorite time of the year...the beginning of the gardening season. He may have began with pansies but I remember all the beautiful flower gardens at our home. Grandpa spent ever minute of his days off in the garden. It was his great love....To this day each member of my family plant pansies in their garden in honor or Grandpa Frank. I know my love of flowers comes from my grandfather. I think of him often especially when I'm working in the garden!!

Spring Pansies

                    

                                                                      Welcome Spring

Hello Spring!!

The last few days have been absolutely perfect!!! Spring has finally arrived in North Eastern PA.
                 The forsythia is blooming, the birds are singing and the air smells heavenly.
I opened all the windows for the first time after a long winter. The house smelled like spring, fresh
                     and clean!!
My thoughts turned to making the house feel more spring-like....
                     I decided to begin with the Master Bedroom
             
The first thing I decided to do was to change the bedding to a lighter look. I loved the bedding I was using,but I decided the duvet and shams in the heavy linen toile print looked too heavy for the summer. I was looking for a change....
I began by ordering a new dust ruffle from Country Curtains.. The dust ruffle is a toile print in a color called Lagoon. Now I had no idea what the color Lagoon was. I couldn't tell if the color was blue or green in the catalogue And I was way too impatient to wait for a sample. When it arrived I was so pleased not only with the color but also with the quality of the fabric and the workmanship. The color was actually a bluish green on a white background. It is a soft pastel. I am in love with it!!! I couldn't be happier!!

I decided not to use shams to match the dust ruffle. I thought the white shams continued that summer look that I wanted. I used three layers of pillows for a full elegant effect. The room now has a light airy look. I am so pleased with the way the bedroom turned out! Now on to the rest of the house!!
              

                                                                                             Sue

Easter Table

    


                                                 Hope you all had a great weekend!
                 We finally had some sunshine today. Hopefully spring is just around the corner!
         Today I'd like to share a table set for Easter Brunch. I purchased the cabbage placemats,cabbage napkin rings and the pink flower salad/dessert dishes in Pier 1.They were so cute I just couldn't resist!! Pier1 had the nicest decorations. I used many of my own dishes to complete the table. Pink tulips was the finishing touch! Believe it or not I found them in the supermarket. Sometimes I get lucky!!

Table set for Easter Brunch

Nest with Easter eggs hangs on the back of the chair

 

Bunny napkin fold.

You can find instructions on betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

Rabbit Egg in a nest

                                               
                                 Have a Blessed Easter!!                                                    

                                                                xo
                                             Sue