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

Faded Tonal Shabby Chic Colors

Brown, beige and creams are such soothing colors. They are also shabby chic to me. Your accents don't have to be the sweet kiss of candy pink to be shabby. Colors of the prairie. Aren't these two above nice companions? Both brown and beige which makes a happy marriage. Johnson Brothers brown transfer ware china is, man enough for men, and lady enough for women even though it's not pink.




Ballard Designs sells some wonderful fabrics and the one on my wish list is this linen stripe above! Isn't it a classic? You can always add colors for the holidays for the color lover in us. I am working on keeping neutral colors. I have to keep editing.



These faded hydrangea flowers are beige brown and a hint of pink. This is branching out a bit on the color chart, but keeping with the same base colors and adding hints of other colors. Totally awesome combination and especially against the old barn that is almost a mirror to those same colors. My bucket is a bit too blue for me. (Hopefully you don't get vertigo from looking at this picture.)

Other news here. Some folks in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia had their power off for 4 days from our little snow storm. Here in Maryland there were also several small areas without power for 3 and 4 days! It was neat to see all of the electrical trucks from other states and power companies in their own parades going down the highways. Thank you! Thank you! I know some came from Kentucky. (I would not know how to hook up a computer to a generator. ;-/ nor would I attempt it.)

Romantic White Shabby Kitchen

A gorgeous hydrangea project I am working on.
Thank you Karen at Graphics Fairy!




I've noticed since trying to go mostly all white in our home
that the soft colors that got lost before are now shining.
I love pink and soft brown and beige. And plants! I love plants.




Such a heavenly combination even if the beige is from eggs just gathered.





Another favorite is soft green and pink with white.







Even the green herbs look so juicy against white and the gray tin!
We all spend a lot of time here because it is so bright.

This is the only westie who can get up on the counter.
A figurine that my daughter got for me at a thrift shop
because it looks exactly like our westie. I am linking up with
Show off your cottage Monday.
This is just one little piece of mine.
Now to make a fritata or quiche? Or sponge cake?

French Shabby Chic Roses ACEO Painting

Our pink peonies and roses will soon be jolting to life again and making their magical 'parfum!' The bare-leg roses have some swelling leaf buds now. Gardens that overflow with fragrant peonies and roses transform us. They take us to Versailles, France. We feel like we are princesses out for a walk, even if we're muddied up standing with a shovel in hand, clothed in white victorian/edwardian lacy dresses. We feel elegant and light headed...all because of the natural beauty around us. Gardens are magical and enchanting and ours is just starting to wake up.

I painted this oil aceo above titled Blossoming French. The softest colors and brushstrokes were used to portray the romance that gardens make. It is for sale on ebay.