Blue and White Love!

      I was shopping for groceries yesterday and spotted these beautiful lilies in the garden section. This supermarket usually doesn't have nice flowers. These lilies seemed to stand out ! They were not the usual ordinary half dead flowers I usually find.They were so pretty! I just couldn't resist!!
I decided to put these magnificent flowers on the dining room table in the blue and white ginger jar I always use for large flowers. The beauty of this simplistic arrangement inspired this post...you just never know where the idea of a post will come from.
      Blue and white Chinese porcelain has been a part of decorating for a long time. It began as vessels used by the Chinese to store spices and herbs. Their vivid cobalt blue and white patterns and  unique shapes brought them into homes as decorations. They have never lost their popularity because of the beauty they add to any room. Blue and white Chinese porcelains come in many different patterns, shapes and sizes.
I have found that no matter what your color scheme, using the blue and white porcelains as an accent brings a bit of elegance and style to any room. The cobalt blue seems to make all the other colors in the room "pop". I have used this blue with red, apple green, and yellow. It's amazing how beautiful it looks with almost any color. Just yesterday I saw a display of blue and white plates against an orange wall on nancysdailydish.blogspot.com. Just Stunning!!!
                              You can never have enough blue and white....

Blue and White Centerpiece

Foyer

Large Ginger Jar and Happiness Jar on Table

                                                       

Blue and White Planter

This is the piece that started it all for me. I found this planter in Chinatown in San Francisco many years ago. I fell in love! In fact I carried it on the plane and it sat on my all the way back to New York.

Blue and White Planter

Blue and White Garden Stool in Bedroom

Happy 4th of July! Have a Great weekend!


Sue

Making The Most of a Small Yard

         So glad the summer has finally arrived! We have had a week or so of beautiful summer weather.
The plants in the garden are flourishing. I guess they needed the sunshine, just as we all did. Did you ever notice how much better your mood is on a sunny day?
         Townhouse living doesn't give you a lot of garden space. I have tried to make the most of the little space I have. There isn't too much space for a lot of gardens, but I tried to use ever inch of space I could find.

Annuals in planters on the deck railings

Small Deck Garden

                         Using large pots throughout the garden makes up for limited space.

The Deck

            Decorating is always a challenge. It doesn't matter if it's inside or out. We have to learn to make the most of what we have. Well,what fun would it be if everything was easy?
                                              Have a great weekend!!!


                                     xo
                                         Sue            

Changing the Style of the Living Room

              We can finally say the outside is finished for this season. Hopefully it's time to sit and enjoy!!
So now my mind is turning to the inside projects that have been put on hold. I want to change the dining room and living room. When I say change, what I would like to do is change to a more neutral color scheme. I would like to try and create rooms that are warm and inviting. More of an "Old World" look rather then the formal look I have now.
               Wow!! I'm feeling overwhelmed already! Sometimes I'm so overwhelmed I do nothing.
Through the years I have learned a few tricks that can help as you take on any remodeling project big or small.
                      1.  Take pictures of the rooms to be re-modeled
                              A picture doesn't lie. It shows you exactly what your working with.

                      2.  Set a budget

                      3.  Make a list of what isn't working in the room
                              It is very hard for me to let go of things that aren't working. The more sentimental an item is the harder it is to move it or get rid of it all together.

                      4. Create a Pinterest Board
                               
                      5.  Begin to change one thing at a time

                  

Magazines and decorating books help in the planning

Design from your heart not your head! Then your home will be a reflection of what's inside you.

xoxo

           Sue

                          

Blue and White Transferware

           The thing I love best about the summer is eating outside. It reminds me of our trip to Italy when we ate every meal outside. The Italians know how to slow down and enjoy their food. Every meal was leisurely and enjoyable. When I move our meals to our deck in the summer I am brought right back to Northern Italy. The world seems to slow down. The air smells cleaner and the sun warms your soul. Sharing a meal becomes more than eating it becomes a special time. A sharing of ourselves, a scared time. It is truly a time we break bread with one another.
              Today I decided to set the mood for a special breakfast on the deck by setting the table with
Blue and White English Transferware. The  pattern is Old Britain Castle by Johnson Brothers. I just love this china!

                                                                        Sue
                                    

           
       
           

The Fairy Garden

            I wanted to create a Fairy Garden last year but never got around to it. This year I made sure I took the time to plant one. It was so much fun and so easy! Every craft store and garden center has  fairy gardens on display and they sell all the material needed.
           You are only limited by your imagination! Great project with your children or grandchildren.
I decided to start small, but you can use any size container you want. I've seen Fairy Gardens made in anything from a wheel barrel to a large coffee cup. Once again the skies the limit!!!!

I used a tin planter I purchased at Home Goods. I bought the Fairy house and accessories at Michaels,.
The plants I used I bought at the supermarket,  I told you it was easy!!
            My "inner child" had so much fun I want to create another one. Only this time I think I will make it larger!!!!!

Happy Thursday!

Sue

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