Blue & White Tabletops

Blue and white china just makes me happy!

My mother has an extensive collection she purchased while living in Japan and from her travels overseas.

When she downsized she gave me about half of her collection which I was pleased to accept.

She  purchased a set of 'Liberty' Staffordshire while living in Hawaii...she actually found them in a thrift store in Honolulu!

I had a Spring tea for my neighbors several years ago using her pieces mixed with some of the teapots she purchased in Japan.  Each teapot held a different flavor of tea.  Everyone loved sampling new tea flavors as well as the standard fare. 

Yellow flowers or accessories are the perfect compliment to blue and white tables and add a pop of color.   I found this pear topiary on clearance and  knew it would be perfect with my dishes.   I have used it on a breakfast and dinner table. 

I love blue, white and yellow together in this french

 inspired style.  Actually the yellow/blue desert plates are from Italy.

These placemats are some of my favorites
 purchased from an antique store in 

Wimberly, Texas.   

I set another blue and white table on a cold winter's day.  Gloomy days make me realize I need some sunshine at my breakfast table. 

I found an adorable English transferware  teapot on sale and can't wait to create another tablescape around it.  I don't have time to play with dishes today but thought I'd share some 
sunshine from my previous tables. 


I'm linking with


Smiling Sally's Blue Monday 
and 
 Marty's "100th" Tabletop Tuesday

Garden Wish List

Do you ever make wish lists?  I don't actually write out a list but I do keep a mental wish list.  Spring is still a couple months away and I find myself wishing it was already here.   I've been looking at garden magazines, Pinterest and my own travel pictures for garden inspiration.   

Blue Bird Cottage, Carmel

We are excited as our annual "escape" from winter is just a few weeks away to our favorite places along 

the California coast.

 Pacific Highlands near Carmel

  This trip is always a source of inspiration for my garden.  I enjoy seeing the plant combinations and designs that gardeners create in their spaces and usually find a few things that go on my wish list! 

A visit to Carmel-by- the Sea is always on my 

wish list and I find so much inspiration there! 

Cyclamen in pots can be easily changed 

with the seasons. 

Half Moon Bay is another of

 our  favorite stops along the way. 

   

  Last fall we strolled along Half Moon Bay's historic district with it's quaint shops.  Flowers edged the buildings and store fronts along Main Street.  The town was preparing for their annual Pumpkin Festival so pumpkins were everywhere!

The prettiest potted containers lined the streets and these  favorites and went straight to the top of my wish list!  

Precious bunny topiaries sit as greeters to the entrance of a children's store.  I love the mosaic tile containers and the cute little blue bunny feet! 

Gorgeous hydrangeas at the base of this small tree.

These were outside our hotel entrances. 

I put this on my list too because I love it's simplicity with just  pumpkins at the base.  This was actually taken in Yountville last fall outside of  Napa Style..one of my favorite places to shop in the Napa Valley.  

What's on your garden wish list??  We have plenty of time to dream and plan 

and maybe make a few of our wishes a reality!

I'm joining Susan's Outdoor Wednesday 

 Tootsie's Flaunt Your Flowers  
and 
The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays

Flowers & Lake Tahoe

On our fall  trip to Lake Tahoe I tagged along with my husband to the golf course.  I'm not a golfer but I do enjoy being out in nature and photographing flowers, trees and wildlife.  The Edgewood golf course is truly beautiful and is on the shores of Lake Tahoe.  

I'll hush and let you just enjoy the flowers!

We love spending time at Lake Tahoe...the water is gorgeous...

I'm joining Susan's Outdoor Wednesday this week.

Undecking the Halls

I can't believe the 2011 holidays are over and it's time to put everything away for another year.  I am forever on a re-organization kick and as I am packing things away I try to re-organize them a little neater than they were last year and hopefully put away a little less.  

I do however,  I have a weakness for dishes and beautiful table linens and as my collection seems to grow  I want them to be organized so I can 

find them easily.  I found this link on the Southern Living website with great ideas for linen storage!

http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/kitchen-organization-00417000070203/page23.html 

In in effort to be more organized I decided to go on the hunt for a small piece that would fit neatly into a space in my foyer under the staircase to hold part of my collection.  This area is next to the formal dining room and I wanted something to hold Christmas linens and flatware.  One trip to my favorite antique/craft mall and I found this wonderful refinished piece.  Best of all it was on sale!

The colors are perfect with the oriental rug and my old 90's wallpaper!  LOL..someday we are going to get it all stripped and repaint...although I have been seeing wallpaper make a comeback.  

I love the skinny  drawers and how neatly

 my placemats fit!

Well this is just a quick post as I still have much
 to organize and put away!  If you already have all your decorations down then I applaud you.
  I'm almost there!

Happy New Year!

I'm joining Cindy's Romantic Home
Show and Tell Friday
The Tablescapers's Seasonal Sunday