Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Falling in Love with Red and White Again



I have, over the years, loved the look of red and white together, particularly at Christmas, but after loving the whites and the pastels and the neutrals, I thought I had kind of fallen out of love with good old red and white.  Low and behold, when I started pulling out things to decorate for Christmas this year (remember use what you have simple?), I decided to use my white ironstone more prominently than I usually do.  What better to punch up white ironstone than greens and candy canes?  Well, nothing, says I!  So I went out to the yard for some greenery and to my neighborhood KMart for some candy canes and ribbon candy and...voila!

Instant Christmas cute-ness on the cheap!  Pay no attention to the cord running across the wall.  Old house, inadequate electric plugs, extension cords are our reality...


I had a ball with this sideboard vignette and red seemed to enter into it as well, although in a much more subtle way.  The little stool is an old red and one of my favorite things from my New England days.  A touch of red berries add a little pop to the greenery in a new thrift store galvanized vase given my old zinc paint trick.


Fun chance to pull out my Christmas books and my adorable drawer I won in Mitzi's giveaway along with the awesome little black alarm clock, among other awesome treasures.  Thank you, Mitzi!


One of my favorite little doodads, a very cool flower frog topped this month with a bird Christmas ornament and some greenery.



My friend down the street is a talented calligraphy and watercolor artist.  She had an open house for Christmas and gave us all a pretty card of our choosing and I loved this quote from Rudyard Kipling, beseeching us to delight in simple things.  Obviously, meant for me.  I gave it a decorative clip around the edges and then put it in the center of the greenery with an old band instrument music holder.


OK, pure randomness...does anyone else decorate their necessary room?  Toilet, potty, bathroom, water closet, whatever you call it.  I do, I must admit.  I have the great blue and white dishes in there all the time (you mean everyone doesn't have dishes in their potty?  Hmmmmm, what's wrong with them????), so I thought a little touch of Christmas was in order in there as well.




Moving on to the dining room, I pulled out my Victorian red flash glass souvenir pieces for a little red love.


These fun little glass items were keepsakes from various tourist destinations.  Often, people would have them personalized like this glass with the initials E.S.H.  How can you not be charmed?


So, anyway, I also changed out the pastel quilts I display in my entryway (didn't photograph that) with my red and white and red, blue, and white ones for the first time in years and it is so nice to see my old friends.  I think red and white and I are going to be spending a little more time together this year.  How about you?  What did you think you were over that it turned out you still loved?

Linking up with Joy at Thrift'n on a Thursday

Until next time,

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19 comments:

  1. Love the decorations, the little draw with the doily and books and simple greenery, giving me ideas for my machine draw, also love the button tree in the loo, love it all, I used to decorate my old house in the loo, hubby thought I was nuts! Julie x

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  2. You are amazing!!! Every one of these pictures belongs in a magazine, I kid you not. INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL!! Great job and you do justice for red and white!

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  3. Beautiful photos Judy! I love your pops of red! Merry Christmas!!
    Blessings~
    PS We have the same thing in our old house...not enough outlets so bring out the extension cords! :)

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  4. Judy, love all of it... Merry Christmas

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  5. I love it all Judy! Christmas classics, to be sure. Your vintage treasures are displayed so well here. (love that New England stool of course!)
    Although I'm partial to the pastels & whites, too, I can't resist red in my kitchen and son's room. For what's Christmas without red?
    Thanks for these gorgeous glimpses into your home,
    Susan

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  6. Last year everyone was sticking with their neutrals and white for Christmas, this year I just wanted my red back! The red glass pieces are so interesting, I haven't seen these before! And Judy, I love the idea of blue transferware in the potty! who knew...? Have a wonderful Christmas! xoxo

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  7. Very pretty! I love your "curly cue" flower frog!

    ~Chris

    PS and I hear ya about the old house and extension cords.... we have exactly one outlet in each room except the kitchen which fortunately has 3!

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  8. Beautiful Christmas displays! I love all the greens you added.

    Dee

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  9. lol, it must take a decorators eye to put dishware in the potty. But yep, that is where my ironstone in baskets resides. LOL
    I too am in the red and white mood this year.
    the house looks like a candy cane and I love it :)
    Happy Holidays
    AMy

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  10. Just beautiful. Love the vintagey look combined with fresh red and white.

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  11. It's all so lovely! I adore red and white, especially at Christmastime!
    Michelle

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  12. "Oh what lovely things!" says your new follower! xx

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  13. Judy- It looks beautiful! I love all your little touches. The red highlights your ironstone beautifully and is the perfect compliment for your blue china pieces. I let red go for a few years, too, but brought it back a couple of years ago. I love the rich look it creates against the green. Merry Christmas- xo Diana

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  14. Love your vignette! The little bird scene is especially cute. I do decorate the bathroom! Just simply with touches of the holiday.

    ~Shanon

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  15. I, too added more red this year ... ya can't go wrong!

    I feel right at home in your little house

    thanks for tagging along

    I've been posting a linky every thursday ... hope you'll come back

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  16. Oh Judy...this post is just wonderful!
    I am in LOVE with that old frog and how you've decorated it for the season!
    Merry Christmas to you...I am off to pin and pin and pin!

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  17. LUV YOUR BLOG, STOP BY & SAY HI, WE HAVE A LOT IN COMMON :) GIO

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  18. I've been toying with the idea of using red again too.... Yours is fabulous!

    Merry Christmas,
    Spencer

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