Eileen Blue White Floral China England

The sweetest old china platter

It's old, but new for me and this blue

and white says SPRING.

Now I know why Mother's always

want their kids to eat everything...

because the plates are so beautiful!

Any food would look good on this platter.

W.H. Grindley made these dishes.

Do you see the cruise ship on top

of the globe?

It cost me only pennies and it dates

between 1891 and 1914.

This dish has been around!

I wish I knew alot more about

old pottery houses in England.

Some trade mark stamps

identified here at The Potteries

Connecting with:

Vintage Inspiration Friday

The Shabby Nest Frugal Friday

Feathered Nest Friday

My Romantic Home

The Charm of Home

Farmhouse Friday

Dollhouse Cottage Painted White

It's pretty amazing what white paint can accomplish! I got a little dollhouse and I wanted it to fit in with our decor. My two paper dolls live here now. They haven't spent their first night in it yet, but they are happy and going to plant a cottage garden around it.

A little moss from outside gives this dollhouse soft footings! (The little boy needed something to water.)

Furnishing are needed. Do they have a craiglist for dolls? Just kidding. They will have to be made by myself and it's going to be a fun challenge. Not that I need any more challenges...but this will be fun! And it will have a white decor, Scandinavian and French whites.

This is the before picture. It went from cute to ethereal! The spray paint I used was purchased from Kmart and it's Rust-oleum 2x. They advertise that in one can you get two can's worth of paint and you only need one coat to fully cover metal, wood or plastic. This was a plastic type of resin dollhouse and I love this paint worked! Wow did it ever cover it in one coat. I am so impressed with it and I still have lots of paint left in the spray can that cost 3.99 which is reasonable.

I am connecting with White Wednesday.

Show off your cottage Monday.

Romantic Home

Godinger Silver and Pomegranates

Vintage looks better when it looks well, vintage. I got this Godinger silver plate platter at the thrift store and I don't think it was ever used. It looks too shiny for me, but I know in just a month or two if left out it will start to tarnish beautifully. Plump red grapes, juicy blackberries and tart pomegranate seeds look sassy on the tray. The tray is a bit gawdy for me, but when it's filled up properly it looks just right! The last photo is a new modern tray from Godinger. Wouldn't this leaf handled hammered tray look great on a wall? On another note, I read that one of Godinger's best selling items is their flatware called "Old Country Roses" which was designed to go with Royal Albert's Old Country Roses China.

Grainy Sugar Snow

We got it last night. Snow sifted on us and then little balls of ice. They call it wintery mix. We call it Maryland snow. It gives such a fresh, bright look to the usual winter browns of trees. Then there is the boxwood with the leaves a deep green with the white icing. Nice contrast. I do love English boxwood. It always looks beautiful January through January! June through June. This garden is off of our porch or veranda.

The snow ought to make it easier for the birds to see the berries...

This thuga shrub turns the color of a brown paper bag. The snow covers enough branches so that the ones we see look lacy.

All of the little animal tracks decorate the fields and... roads. Last night I was out driving and there were kids doing donuts at intersections. They were hitting the brakes and doing all of the things you are taught not to if you want to stay on the road. I wonder what their cars look like this morning? Keep on the road and keep warm.

Girls Cotton and Linen Dresses with Lace

If there are pictures to inspire me

to sew and garden I believe these

are them from Vogue Magazine.

I love the country.

The fields of clover and wild flowers

the gentle breezes that fluff our hair

Cotton, linen, lace,

and family.......

L-O-V-E

Shabby Chic Rose Styling

My formula for styling.

Keep arranging until it sizzles.


Make it have a lived-in look.


The top is my finished vignette.


I started with some (still) gorgeous

dried white roses.

These were on long stems

from South America.


I couldn't believe how they


dried white/cream and not brown.

I love arranging them in a

heart shape but I also

didn't want them

handled too much by little fists,

so I put them in a vintage pitcher

probably from the 50's

thrift shop purchase 1.00

I like the see through look here.

Then I walked by my rusty

silver platter that I hadn't

put away yet and inspiration hit.

Romantic crystal, candles,

roses and diamonds.

Okay. The "diamonds"

are really glass on a keychain that

I slipped down on the candle.

It cost 2.00

Here is where I stopped.

Doesn't the cream,

silver and white

look charming?

Plus the shimmer even

without the candles lit

gives it a shabby chic style.

Connecting with these friends:

White Wednesday

The House in Roses

Wow Us Wednesdays

Ivy and Elephants

Limoge French Handpainted Tea Cup

I may not live at Versailles or any great castle, but my home is sweet. Sweet because of who lives here and the little things that brighten our routine. This limoge french tea cup and saucer have a shimmer like a pearl or an abalone shell. It is a handpainted set and I wonder about the painter. Did they have a lovely garden? A big family? Love? I guess I wonder about these things because that is what I have and that is what makes my home sweet.

Connecting to these friends:

French Country Cottage

Common Ground