Orchid fever and a blizzard have struck and a winner!

Good morning, well here in NY we got socked by a blizzard of epic proportions! We are covered in  white everywhere you look!  Guess be careful what you wish for....I was moaning and groaning about the lack of snow, well mother nature certainly delivered and showed me whose boss!  I had to share some pictures because we all know everything looks prettier in snow! We were supposed to leave for Boston today but clearly we are not going, bummer but better to be safe. Hope if the snow has impacted you, you are safe and staying inside!



This batch was taken as the storm was cranking up.....

 And then this is what we woke up to this morning........22 inches later!

Forgot to show you my new lantern for the front door.....from Arte de Mexico, love it!

Next order of business I have a winner for the beautiful blue and white flower pot!
Congrats goes to......

Result:

44  Amy @MaisonDecorFebruary 6, 2013 at 11:45 AM
Wow so much to love~I loved the wallpaper or mural in that dining room (the chinoiserie one). And your breakfast table setting was amazing too Tina! You continue to inspire in such a dedicated way on this blog! Nice going!

This was my original post.....so it turned into a 2 for 1!

If you have been following me for a few weeks or  for an entire year, by now you  know I do  love my orchids. They bring elegance and grace to any space they enter. Then you add a beautiful planter and the effect is dazzling. Every few months I go on an orchid binge and buy a dozen or so. Truth is even though they are pricier than a lot of other flowers,they actually end up being one of the best flower bargains because they last so long. Most cut flowers or flower plants last 2-4 weeks.

On average my orchids last I would say about 3 months, sometimes even more. So its a great investment that requires little upkeep except for water and a good amount of sun and a lot of love. I adore  them in every room and my love for orchids is one reason why I buy so many planters! I don't think you can ever have enough:) Any fellow orchid lovers out there? I buy them from a local florist but have also picked them up at the Home Depot greenhouse. And you know what, they are really nice looking, good quality plants.  So here is  a little recap of my orchid buying day.....

It all starts with an island (a messy one) filled with all my containers. I would do this outside if it wasn't 10 degrees!

 More containers and unloading the orchids........

 First pair ready to go to powder room.....

 Love this planter..this is a new one in my online shop

 Orchids and classic silver planters go together like blue and white:)

 

 I know these are not orchids but I had to how you my gardenais in bloom!

I know these are not orchids but just moved my oversized blue and white jar with cherry blossoms to front foyer and kind of liking it!

Love orchids in silver...so classic!

Another one of my silver crested planters from my online shop

Love this tole crown planter filled with orchids.....

  So what about you? Do you love orchids too and use them in your home?  What is your favorite way to plant/pot them? I just can't get enough and when you consider how long they last...they actually are might I even suggest economical! Hope wherever you are, you are safe and warm. Wishing you a wonderful weekend! 

Building a blue and white collection.....and a blue and white giveaway!

Forewarning you are entering a serious blue and white zone...don't say I didn't warn you!

I am so flattered that some consider me a blue and white expert:) Thanks for your confidence and faith in my blue and white abilities. One thing is to be sure, I do love it and am in constant awe of its transformative abilities:) One thing I get asked a lot is tips on how to curate or build a blue and white collection. So, as I prepared to answer several of these emails I figured there are probably a bunch of other blue and white enthusiasts out there who might be wanting to know the same thing, hence this post. Lets delve right in..... Blue and white giveaway details on bottom  Buy what you love. Yes, I know cliche that it is..it is true! When we really buy what we truly love, we enjoy it more, make more of an effort to find just the right spot, tend to think of more creative ways to reinvent the said item even when we have had it a long time. and because the initial emotion you felt when buying what you love is typically one of admiration and love, chances are high you will always love what you create, take it from me! 

 Could it get any prettier! I Love the idea of a pair of ginger jars on either end and a bunch of small decorative objects in the center. Then a basket was added on the bottom with another pair of jars, it works! Lonny

 

Case in point, nothing "matches" here but oh how beautiful it is!

 Proof that there is no such thing as too much blue and white! I love the idea of the blue and white on brackets, a big bowl in center of console, and two large lidded ginger jars on floor, gorgeous! John Bossard

 

This arrangement is one of my personal faves, a pretty jar or vase that can use for flower display and a pair of ginger jars on the bottom of the console, Ashely Whittaker

 Love this large scaled console filled with blue and white beauties! Oscar de la Renta

I really like this arrangement for a console on a stair landing. I also love the idea of adding the cherry blossoms and am fact doing this myself, Lonny

 This stunning vignette is a picture sent in by a reader who used my small blue and white ormolu box alongside other pretty blue and white and a pretty cherub statue

Displaying blue and whites on brackets is a wonderful way to show off your collection! Elle Decor

 My own table set for a very small luncheon, I mixed the styles, sizes and shades of blue, and just added lots of beautiful spring flowers!

 I also like seeing jars and blue and whites displayed  on a console in different shapes, and think a display plate on an easel is always a nice way to change things up 

Love the way William Eubanks used an elegant pair of chunky ginger jars on a dining room console which I think always works beautifully

 Shannon Bowers kept a theme going here, a grouping of different shapes and sizes but all with the Chinese letter motif

Rinfret chose a cluster of blue and whites for this elegant center hall table

Nancy Corzine chose to use a cluster of blue and whites on this center table in this beautiful room

 Love the idea of various plates being used on this coffee table and a jar collection being displayed on brackets, Vogue

I love the way Leta Austin Foster used ginger jars in the upper portion of these gorgeous French doors and used a large plate as the top for a small end table

 

A perfect  way to show you the versatility of a beautiful tureen!

 

Absolutely love the garden seat and large ginger jars displayed as a beautiful arrangement on the floor paired near the sofa, HB

A console vignette in my own home......

 

 Another favorite look, a big cluster of different shaped jars and containers of varying heights and colors.....very eye catching and makes for such an interesting vignette atop an armoire

The idea of three different shapes/colors on a center table is always very effective and so easy to do. J Tribble

Bunny Williams got it right when she decorated a mantle with a batch of handsome large scaled ginger jars, in varying patterns and shades of blue

 Here is my own kitchen island, an example of mixing new and old. The big bowl is antique blue and white and the planters are from my online shop....yet they work beautifully together! 

 Fabulous collection of assorted shapes and sizes, love the idea of lamps too! 

 Love blue and white with a pop of color mixed in....so beautiful! Lonny 

 I always have lots of blue and white on my island...constantly mixing and matching

Adore this room. William Eubanks used a blue and white collection to perfection, different objects, from plates and small jars to large lidded ginger jars, and planters......they are used randomly through the room and the effect is spectacular!   Some of my own reflections on building a collection- Start with a pair of good sized (18' and up) chunky ginger jars. Ideally ones that have an antique finish.  Do not be afraid to change it up. One thing I am not a fan of is a cluster or collection of blue and whites where everything is the same color, shade variation, shape and/or style. Make it interesting and uniquely yours by changing up shapes, colors and depths of blues, styles and heights.  Do not focus on only ginger jars, add a big bowl,  a pair of candlesticks,  a pair of lamps, maybe a blue and white bracket, a pair of blue and white porcelain brackets Do not think a tureen is only for a dining table! This actually is quite a versatile piece that can double as a planter as I used above. It is like a two for one!

A pair of blue and white Staffordshire dogs is a fun way to bring in animals without it being "cutesy", they are actually very sophisticated Anchoring a vignette with a chunky pair of ginger jars is a no brainer way to starting a great setup. Then you fill in, in the middle with various odds and ends, different shapes, colors and sizes Ginger jars are also wonderful under a console table and atop a large armoire or perched on top  of kitchen cabinetry   Do not buy a piece ONLY because its on sale and a good deal (actually this applies to everything) buy it first and foremost because you love it!  Clusters are a very effective way to instantly creating an elegant vignette. Sometimes you get it right the first go around, other times you need to experiment several times, switch things out, don't be afraid to play around until you absolutely love it! 
I have helped many create blue and white vignettes as well as help others their own collection. Below are some great starting pieces.....

 

    And for a more transitional space, you could even take a more modern bookcase/curio cabinet and convert it to a virtual blue and white shrine!

  And a recap on some of the many blue and white pieces in my own online store collection....click here to visit my porcelain shop online. Please note a price increase will be taking effect by this weekend on many but not all. (mostly ginger jars and decorative containers). My vendor(s) have raised their prices so I unfortunately need to as well, but its a moderate price increase.

  

Well if this doesn't  have you dreaming in blue and white...don't know what will! For blue and white lovers like myself, its a deliberate "affliction"  and I am rather relieved there's no cure in sight! What are your thoughts and tips on collection blue and white? Do you? Have you used blue and white? Are you already a member of the BAWA club (come on you know....blue and white anonymous club)! Do tell......  And finally to launch your own blue and white collection, I am going to give away this beautiful blue and white flower vase/container. Perfect alone or filled with your favorite flowers, this is a beautiful way to start your own blue and white vignette. Just visit my online porcelains here and come back here to tell me your favorite blue and white piece, that's it! 

  I will announce a lucky winner on Saturday! Good luck. Wishing everyone a fabulous day!

Can we talk?

Hi there! I am so happy to be presenting another installment of my new series,  Can we talk? Last week it was all about makeup (and boy did I get some incredible information)  and  today's post is for all you book lovers and I know there's lots of you out there! I feel pretty certain this is a subject that a lot of us love to talk about and have definite opinions on. Sadly, I do not read like I used to. I used to be what some might call a voracious reader, as in the minute I was finishing a book,  I was already starting another. Those days (at least for now) are behind me. Now its one book at a time, and not quite as often as I would like.......

 Just too much going on and by the time my weary body hits the pillow at night, I am asleep faster than you can say "turn the page". That said, I still do love to read and get excited when I find a new book to delve into. I have read many great books over my lifetime and a few not so great and I thought this would make a fun topic for all of us to gab about and share! So here are some top picks from the last year or so, and I definitely want to hear your ideas!! I am looking for a few great new suggestions.

 Have you read any of these? A few are older, and a few brand new reads. All I thoroughly enjoyed for different reasons. How about you? Whats your favorite genre? Book? Author? Your turn...cannot wait to hear what's on your nightstand! Enjoy your day and until tomorrow.....