French Mirror Doubles as Tray

I love finding things already the color and patina I want.

This vintage mirror is one of those.

Already chippy and white.

Laying it horizontal it made the perfect tray dining alfresco.

Today the weather was beautiful again.

A few of my favorite things were gathered

up and set on the tray. 

The lighting was awesome and I had

so much fun with my camera.

Light was bouncing everywhere.

A sweet spoon from the 1800's

The white hydrangeas are about

the size of a snowman!

They call them Florist Hydrangeas

but they do well to zone 5. Yay!

I had to add flowers everywhere I could. 

The lavender makes me want to iron my clothes

 with lavender water like the French do. 

It might be easier to dry my clothes on the

lavender bushes...like the French do as well!

Mercury glass. Love.

Happy White Wednesday.

Joining up with these friends,

 Faded Charm Cottage,

 French Country Cottage,

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday

Cottage Garden Party

Vintage Farmhouse

Vintage Inspiration

Dreamy White Diningroom

Simplify and beautify with whites.  This buffet table usually looks like a flea market table in my diningroom, but I took everything off and only put back on the silver tea set and a tureen. I like it so much better as it looks dansk/norsk and so calming because it's uncluttered. I am trying to simplify. I have a burlap tablecloth on for now. The texture adds some rustic texture. The vintage silver tea set makes it my Downton Abby corner.

About this time an idea came to change it around every week and photograph this wall. What do you think? Am I crazy? It would be a good design challenge. Shabby chic whites!

Connecting up with Faded Charm Cottage
 French Country Cottage
 Romantic Home

 Ivy and Elephants

Spring Whites All Year Long

I am fine and still in love with chippy and vintage whites! Spring, family and farming keep a person lively and busy. I will try to get on more often. Big word here is "try." Everything is bursting in the yard and more trimming is needed.

Aren't these whites lovely? The birdbath has rust and charm and room for water or use it as a shallow planter. The love seat is so pretty without arms. Vintage typewriters have such charm...especially when they work. And this sweet petticoat is unique in the way it's made. I would love to wear this under a slightly shorter skirt with cowboy boots! A girl would feel and look feminine whatever the setting. These beauties are from Luckett's Store which is always filled to the brim with tantalizing things.

I am connecting up with White Wednesday. Hop on over and take a look at lots of lovely whites on Faded Charm Cottage blog. You won't be disappointed. Also linking up with Wow Us Wednesday and What's It Wednesday

Pink Rose and Flower Petals

Pink is still fresh here. This rose I took to photographing.

It looks so lovely.

As I moved it around on the vintage silver platter the

most amazing coincidence happened.

I saw it's gorgeous inner reflection on the silver rim.

The learning process is beautiful too.

I should list the new things I learn everyday.

I wanted to toss these fragrant petals into the bath.

Who has time for leisurely baths?

Their aromatherapy on my fingers was enough for me today.

We are scattering petals about like sugar and spice.

It is quite nice!

This vintage silver spoon's design is elaborate.

Little details speak directly to the heart through the eye.

Fragrance speaks to the heart when you inhale it.

To be alert to these things...

The calm it brings to a busy life.

Pretty soon we will have peonies the same soft sweet pink color!

I will have to look for a silver ladle

to photograph the pom pom's with.

Connecting up with these friends:

Feathered Nest Friday

Common Ground

Pink Saturday



My Romantic Home

Saturday Show Off

My White Interiors

The sun shines in bright on the south side

of the house and that is the side where we spend

most of our time.

I remember reading about the Scandinavian

homes being bright white,

a warm white

that is inviting, calming and comfortable.

Nothing stark or cold about it.

You do not have to live next to the beach

to have white interiors

whether it's the mountains, the prairies

or the woods, home is as bright and cherry

as you make it.

I slipped a tiny little nest up high among the

orchid flowers making them a little magical

especially to the little folk.

Valentine Tokens of Affection

Sweet Valentine candy hearts.

How lovely to arrange a heart on each spoon.

A little extra pretty at the table.

They have a vintage Victorian look.

Drop a candied heart into your tea cup!

Our sweet teacups from Anthropologie.

Connecting with:

French Country Cottage

Common Ground

The Charm of Home

The Romantic Home

The Picket Fence

Stuff and Nonsense

White and Rhubarb Raspberry Valentine Hearts

Any excuse to whip cream.

My favorite Lenox bowl to whip it in. Got out my heart cookie tin.

Played a bit. I spooned some whipped cream into the heart cookie cutter and lifted it up. So pretty. Would anyone like a little whipped cream on the side of their dessert?

Here is the treat! Rhubarb raspberry crisp. It's so good. It makes you pucker up your mouth and squint your eyes because of the tartness, then the sweetness kicks in and it's oh, so good.

A little mini heart on top.

The little whipped heart grew. Not only are the heart cut outs very Valentine like, they also make for smaller servings which is just what I need.

Connecting up with White Wednesday
A Beach Cottage

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.

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

White Chair Farm

I'm looking at some very pretty whites.

These hydrangeas are gorgeous and came

from Safeway. There are about six-to-eight-rooted,

blooming stalks in each pot!

Martha Stewart planted some "florist hydrangeas"

in her yard years back (she tells about it in one of

her first gardening books)

and they came back beautifully every year.

That was way up north so I think we can have the

same luck down here in Maryland.

The blossom heads are huge and I feel like I am

looking at lots of frilly, flouncy dresses

whose collars and hems are trimmed with pinking sheers.

Two cane chairs are going through the refinishing

process and I'm really liking them. Soon we might

have to change the farm's name to White Chair Farm.

I do love the White Flower Farm nursery so it has a

nice ring to it. Or White Hydrangea Farm? Hmm.

Connecting with White Wednesday.

A Country Farmhouse - yippee

Libraries are for learning and gathering information. I had to take my son to the library last night and after I gathered up a few things I plunked down in a chair next to the magazines. I picked up Country Living because I love white decorating and the cover pulled me in.

I was thrilled to find out it was the Burke's aka www.acountryfarmhouse.blogspot.com living room on the cover and the most delicious photographs of their home inside. (All of you probably know about their blog, but if you don't head on over.) Trina has the most beautiful country home and I should have "followed" it when I first found it. There isn't any clutter to be seen. Today I went right over and with friend connect linked up. (Hoping the decluttering thing rubs off on me.) Why are we so slow to link up sometimes? It's the best way to find someone again and to keep in touch. Of all the supermarket trips I have made I hadn't seen this new Country Living magazine.

I devoured each picture in the magazine and wondered (quietly) how people keep their kitchens so sparkling white and scrubbed?

Christmas Vintage Glass Ball Vases

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Where to put those little sprigs and twigs I keep bringing in the house? The fresh scent of evergreens... I took the tops (the metal hanger part) off of some vintage, silver glass balls. They immediately rolled over. So I added some grain. Just a 1/2 tablespoon to each and they stood upright at attention. Then in went my fragrant clippings. The sweetest Christmas decorations. I feel a bit like a kid again.









There is so much sparkle going here when I put them in a silver dish. The lip of the dish is tarnished but the inside is polished. I kind of prefer this two tone look.









I had thought about setting them in snow or large crystalized sugar, but I'm sticking to silver and the bright light this reflects. Instant mercury glass vases for 5 cents each.



I am connecting up with these friends:


Romantic Home
White Wednesday
Wow us Wednesday