White tulips for White Wednesday!

My wonderful DH surprised me with these lovely tulips. White tulips are one of my favvie favs!

Aren't they gorgeous? I think I love them most because they just simply match my world, which is neutral everywhere. I love color but cannot live with it, if that makes any sense. I have a few rooms with green and some greige and light purple, but it is done sparingly and not where I much live (laundry, guest baths, guest rooms.) I need like the calm of the whites and the cousins of whites in my world.

The throw pillows my daughter made me.  The coffee trunk table was my father's mother's. Burlap runner from Etsy.  The custom-made pinstriped sofa is a million years old but I still love it, it still has life left in it, Romeo the kitty loves it - so I haven't had the heart to replace it.  The fun vintage ironstone pitcher is an estate sale find.

This wool carpet is my very favorite one in the whole house.

The little metal end table in the forefront right has a glass and metal tray that lifts off, perfect for serving drinks. 

The Umbrella Tree in the background I bought ten years ago and it has grown like crazy.  It was only around 3 feet tall when first brought home - now it is really tall!

You can kinda see a glimpse of one of the architectural columns that "hold up" the loft area in the mantle mirror's reflection. I wish now I would have turned the light on upstairs to show it a little better, but as Winnie the Pooh Bear would say "Ah, bother!" 

I just love these lovely white tulips that just brighten up this room!  Thank you, love!

Popping on over to A Faded Charm for White Wednesday!

Heading on over to A Delightsome Life for Home and Garden Thursday!

Thrifty Blue Tablescape

Been playin' with dishes again. Tablescaping outside my color wheel, as it were. Having fun showing off my thrifty finds. It's amazing, really what one finds out there when one is specifically looking for something ELSE.

Blue is very new to me on a table.

I kinda like it.  It is growing on me.....something a little different.

These plates are very whimsical - and I'm not very whimsical; again, something new for me.

I have 8 of everything shown, including flatwear but was feeling too lazy to iron the extra long tablecloth required for the dining table. I have those kinds of days much too often.

I like to play wish my dishes, not work for them!

I am quite fond of this heavy Gibson flatwear that I have had for years and seldom use.

And what tablescape of mine is complete without something tea related being on it?

So how about a simple & fun blue and white teapot on a blue plate as the centerpiece?

She's a fun hand-painted modern one,  but gets along well enough with the others.

Joining the fun with Sally at Blue Monday!

Link Party for Your Cozy Homes Scenes! 

Heading to A Coastal Charm for Thrifty Tuesday!

Linking to Table Top Tuesday!


Joining a second post for Tea Time Tuesday!

Winner!

I am so excited to announce that I was the very lucky winner of a really awesome tea-related gift that I just LOVE from Angela McCrae from the wonderful blog Tea with Friends. Her blog is filled with amazing facts of history and books and has such lovely photos, I know if you don't know her already you will fast become her newest follower!

This awesome tea journal I won was really needed! I love it!

Thank you very much, Angela!

I like the lined interior too!

This journal was so fun and colorful I decided to pic it along with a whimsical spring silk teacup floral and one of my fav daily use tea mugs. It makes me happy and isn't valuable should it get chipped or broken from everyday use. Having tea completely worry free is always a good thing.

Here's the back of the mug.  I don't normally invite insects to my tea, but these cuties are permitted. : = )

I also wanted to let everyone know Angela currently has another giveaway (she is the QUEEN of giveaways!) The lucky winner will receive this awesome book about china:










Linking up to Tea Time Tuesday!

Joining Teacup Tuesday!

Romeo, Lumbar Kitty!

Oh, how I just love my kitty, Romeo! 

You may have met him on this earlier post.

This is pretty much how we roll most days. I am so short I have to sit up in my office chair when on my computer. And as soon as I do he jumps up, gets comfy cosy and acts as my Lumbar Back Support Kitty. He keeps me good company, is so toasty warm, and he almost always sits with his arms hanging like this.  Unfortunately he closed his eyes when flash was used taking this picture.

I so love his sweet white mittens and long super soft fur.

Yep, he's a sweetie!

He just wanted me to tell you all what an important part of Finch Rest blogging he truly is!



And since he is such a "masterpiece" to me I am heading over to Masterpiece Monday to show him off to the world!

A Fun Pink Teapot!

Another Saturday has arrived and I haven't much time today to share - so making it a simple one sharing this fun pink girl-in-a-dress teapot! She has a very strange poem in Olde English font. I have read it many times and still can't figure it out, but she's adorable just the same, even if she must do many dishes, haha.

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY, EVERYONE!

Skipping on over to How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday!

Books, bird & clock vignette...

Sometimes it is just fun to switch things around. To many most of us it is a certain kind of therapy - shopping around our nests and coming up with new ways to refresh and bring beauty & joy into our worlds. Today was one of those days for me.

I knew I wanted to use a little bit of green - but not too much.....as it isn't quite March yet or even Spring, or anything much shy of NOT red and pink anymore..............

Oh how I just kept fussing and changing things around....and that's not like me at all, either. Usually I know exactly what I want and execute it in very expedient fashion. But not this time, not today!

I brought new things in, I opened the blinds to bring in more light. I even took a tea break. No matter how I placed things, nothing I was doing felt like it was quite working for me...............

Until I moved something and arranged it "just so," and could finally read the title of one of my particularly favorite old books.........and then I knew I had it perfect.  At least to me.

I guess it just appeased my Irish side!

Flying on over to Feathered Nest Friday!

Heading on over to Show and Tell Friday!

Green & Brown transitional tablescape

A few pieces here and there of neutral winter still hangs about The Nest. Spring fever is starting really early for me, possibly because it has been a mild winter.  Regardless, I was playing with dishes and came up with a somewhat transitional tablescape. It is spring-like, but I tried to tone it down  with deep brown placemats and golden water goblets. It came out Earthy, warm and early Spring-like.

Here it is without the brown placemats. I think I like it better, but may be too early for it. What are your thoughts? I am usually a "more layers win me over" kinda gal, but I do like both.

I love the way the embossment plays well with one another.....old and new, friends at last.

Speaking of old, these lovely vintage embroidered napkins were a gift from a dear friend and true "Southern Lady," Suzette. How well the green leaves in the basket of flowers go with these stoneware plates and how well the brown cross trim ties in with the brown of the placemats!  The (daily) flatware is wrapped up and hiding inside the napkins.

The centerpiece is bird-themed (big surprise there) and sits on my very favorite antique cream lace doilie....making another blend of old-meets-new and new-that-wantstabe-old.

Matching bowls are waiting on the baker's rack nearby - ready to be filled with some hot & yummy comfort!

And we can't forget the teacups..............the best part of any tablescape! These creamy lovelies and matching bread plates were an estate sale score and have been waiting to come out and play!

Heading on over to BNOTP for Tablescape Thursday!

Joining the party at Teacup Thursday!

Poppin in to say hello over at 2805 Potpourri Friday!

Tea Cart Silver & Birch..............

 I know it won't be long before I will be changing my tea cart "decor" yet again, since Spring is just around the corner.

This one is all about winter....................it's cool, natural, colorless and stark - just like the trees in the great outdoors in wintertime.

The Eucalyptus I purchase freshly cut every year. It makes the whole room smell naturally fresh as it dries out, making a perfect air freshner. I especially love the golden color Eucalyptus, which isn't always easy to find. I simply stuff the bouquet inside a birch log vase. The birch is wrapped around a stick, and sewn up.

I have had this birch piece for over 20 years. It always works no matter what design mood or season I happen to be in at the time. It's rustic but hopefully not too "hunting cabin in the woodsish." (Certainly not when making an odd pairing with vintage silver on a teacart with candelabra, haha.) For me it works. Not sure why. Just does.

I was sincerely all set to shine this group up before sharing with Blogville.....but after snapping some test shots first I just loved that tarnished pantina shabby goodness. So I didn't end up polishing a single thing. It has absolutely nothing to do with my recent salon manicure or my laziness.

Sometimes ornate scrollwork or fancy feet just make me smile.

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Dancin' on over to join Shannon for her Cozy Home Party!

Takin' my tea things for Sandi's Tea Time Tuesday!

Joining Kathy for her Return to Loveliness!

Going over to Faded Charm for White Wednesday!

Poppin over to No Minimalist Here for Open House Party!

Dreaming of Spring............

Many of you are sharing wonderful pictures of gardens and showing excitement about Spring's welcome approach -  whilst the rest of us are under grey winter skies with no sign of spring showing its lovely self quite yet.  So I have decided to join the "garden party," as it were, and share some pics I dug up.

A rusty old welcome sign hidden down in the basket

We really love purple in our gardens, like Iris.

 

Phlox is one of the earliest beauties that arrive in the garden!

A sweet little stone cherub is quite sleepy

Later comes the hydrangea!

Summer is here when the roses are in full bloom!

And we know summer will be here before we can even say "Be Gone, thee Jack Frost!"