Everyday Living

January Blues In The Sunshine Cottage

~ Everyday Living, Faith, Monday Morning Blooms, Sunshine Cottage

Happy Monday sweet friends. I hope you all are enjoying the long holiday weekend! Many of you received snow, we only received a cold rain. It is a good day to stay inside and enjoy my snickerdoodle coffee.

β€œHe has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭6:8‬ ‭

It is Monday Morning Blooms with my friends Lidy, Mary, and Shirley!

Our common theme for this edition of Monday Morning Blooms is January Blues. Many people, including my husband, say their least favorite month is January. I don’t have a least favorite month. Once all of the Christmas decor is put away and my house gets a thorough cleaning, January is the perfect time to just be still.

The beautiful images and links for Mary, Shirley, and Lidy are at the bottom of this post.

The Sunshine Cottage provides the perfect place for me to play with blue and white dishes! However, I must admit that January presents quite the challenge to find β€œpretty” flowers. After visiting grocery stores and finding no flowers, I realized that I would have to go with plan B. A dear friend had given me a beautiful cyclamen for my birthday back in October and I thought it would be perfect. I had not watered it properly since Christmas, it looked a little tired…no problem it always perked up after a drink. I placed it in the blue and white bowl, watered it, and covered it with preserved moss. By the next afternoon, it was puny and more than tired! Enter plan C. I had seen a pretty kalanchoe at a grocery store. It was my last resort. Renaissance Man (now retired) was at the gym and I texted him to please run by and pick it up on his way home. As you can see, plan C worked. I added a few pine cones and some dried orange slices that worked well with the orange blooms and called it finished. Why the long story? As we all know, things don’t always go as planned and sometimes we just have to go with it and it is ok. I am still learning not to sweat the small stuff!

January is a perfect bird watching month! The cardinals love our Lady Banks rose arbor and I enjoy watching them from my kitchen window. I remembered a set of four bird salad plates that were packed away and thought they would would look great with the blue and white. Have you noticed every color looks great with blue and white? Two of the bird plates were placed on easels and two were stacked on top of Spode Blue Room, β€œTraditions Series”, dinner plates. I have the complete set of six plates that I regularly enjoy using.

Navy place mats and denim napkins were added for more January blues! A Spode “traditions” plate was placed on the riser.

The blue and white miniature tea set was a long-ago gift from a dear friend! EM has first dibs on it.

I love the Cardinal plate best of all. The plates called β€œwinter fauna” depict vibrant birds and pine branches against a white background. They were sold by Pottery Barn and are no longer available.

The bamboo shade prevents an unwelcome glare on the vignette plus adds texture and color. Noritake dark blue (midnight) β€œsweet swirl” glasses and twig flatware complete the two place settings.

For a different look, I removed the place settings and added two of my favorite books on the subject of blue and white!

From the editors of Victoria, β€œLiving With Blue & White” introduces readers to myriad possibilities for enfolding this timeless palette into one’s home and lifestyle.

In β€œA Passion For Blue & White” the dazzling homes of legendary style-maker, Carolyne Roehm, showcases her favorite color combination.

If you love blue and white, I recommend adding these two books to your collection.

Joining the blue and white display are dried pussy willow stems placed in a vase and a tall candle stand!

The blue and white vignette will stay in the cottage for a few days before I transition into Valentines!

As always, Mary, Shirley, and Lidy have created beauty for you to enjoy. Be sure to visit them!

Mary ~ Home Is Where The Boat Is

Shirley ~ Housepitality Designs

Lidy ~ FrenchGardenHouse

Thank you so much for your visit and gracious comments. I leave you with this quote:

β€œI have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
~Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Linking with:
 Pieced Pastimes,  Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
 Imparting Grace,Life and Linda

 

Comments

  1. Good Morning Pam! I love your pretty blue and white vignette and table in the Sunshine Cottage. Your kalanchoe is beautiful paired with your preserved orange slices, moss and pine cones in your pretty blue and white bowl! Your β€˜Winter Fauna’ plates are some of my favorites too and love how you mixed them with your Spode blue and white. What a sweet miniature tea set that EM has dibs on . πŸ™‚ As always, it’s a treat to join you for some flower therapy, especially on a cold, winter morning. Happy Monday β™₯

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  3. Pam….your Plan C is fabulous!….I love how you added the dried oranges and pine cones to the kalanchoe…such a most beautiful winter arrangement!…definitely will beat the January Blues!…Oh how I love it when you post in your Sunshine Cottage….your tablescape presentation is inspiring….love those Winter Fauna plates…great choice to celebrate the beautiful birds of winter!….I have the same miniature tea set! I found it in an antique/gift shop about 40 years ago (when I was 2 years old!)….It is in my secretary now and now you have inspired me to bring it out!….Kudos to Mr. RM to save the day and congrats on his retirement!….Enjoy our retirement days together!….Again, thank you for taking us into the Sunshine Cottage today and putting a smile on our faces!….Always so happy to join you for some great flower inspiration! 🌷

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  4. Well, the Sunshine Cottage delivers on this cold and blustery morning for me, Pam! We have about 6″ of very heavy snow atop a thin layer of ice this morning, amd I’m dreading getting bundled up to go out with Mr P and attempt to remove some of it off of transplanted bushes and our paths. Your kalanchoe among all the blue & white, along with the orange slices really makes a bright statement. I love the shade down too, it’s very complementary to the orange/blue! Of course, the place settings always draw me in. I love those bird plates. While I’m with RM on liking January the least, I must agree with you that it’s perfect for bird-watching.A very pleasant MMB!

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  5. This is lovely, Pam! I don’t know what it is about blue — it seems to be the best of neutrals and goes with just about anything. The blue and yellow/oranges with your plant; the reds of summer blues; soft browns and aquas; blue-and-white — it’s so versatile. I’m loving the china and the brightness of your space. What a fun little haven in which to enjoy decorating and playing! Indeed, it’s the grown up playhouse and I just love seeing every detail you do!

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  6. Oh Pam…what a “pick-me-up” to see your beautiful blue and white setting this morning as I sip my hot tea in my blue tea cup. AND the lovely bird plates….all my family and friends know what a bird watching fan I have always been, so much so…. I have been gifted many bird books over the years to add to my collection. Thank you for your talents of presenting such a pretty table in the Sunshine Cottage. Love Love Love it!
    Hugs and Blessings my dear friend.
    Kari

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  7. I love blue and white and I have one of those books! Your cottage looks wonderful decorated in January Blues.

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  8. Good morning Pam, your charming blue and white vignette is just what I needed with my coffee this morning! I love peaches and corals with blue&white (along with just about every other color!). Carolyne Roehm’s book is one of my favorites too. We put out extra birdseed in big clay saucers for the birds yesterday under the porch overhang…so many beautiful cardinals visited us in the snow, along with one pesky squirrel! I personally love January – the house seems clean and fresh, and I just enjoy being cozy without a lot of obligations.

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  9. No January blues in the Sunshine Cottage Pam, just January beautifuls!
    I love the way you styled your Plan C plant, and the bird plates are wonderful. My favorite thing is the miniature tea set, so adorable! I hope you can stay warm and cozy this week πŸ₯Ά
    Jenna

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  10. I love the idea of the kalanchoe plant. I bought one years back and was pleasantly surprised with how long it lasted. Love your blue and white vignette. Gives my inspiration!

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  11. Pam, Your arrangement is lovely. Love the color with the blue and white. January is a tough month for me as it’s usually so cold and dreary. The cheery colors help so much with lightening the mood. I love the bamboo shade backdrop. Your Sunshine Cottage is always so pretty and welcoming. Thanks for brightening my day! Enjoy your week! Clara ❀️

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  13. Good morning, Pam. I love the blue and white – my favorite. And does Spode make anything that is not gorgeous? I don’t think so. This post is so cherry on our cold and snowy morning. We have about 8 inches so far and it is still snowing.
    Thanks for letting us enjoy your cottage, it is always so warm and welcoming! Have a beautiful week, sweet friend.

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  14. Good morning, Pam. What a beautiful share of blue and white. I smile at the miniature set. I have pieces of one left from my childhood, that was actually a gift from my dad to my mom. It has a sweet story. Your vignette inspires. I’m pinning it! Happy Monday!
    Oh, and I’m a fan of January. It’s my birthday month and a favorite month for me! I get to celebrate snowmen!

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  16. So beautiful Pam! I love your pretty kalanchoes with the moss and the dried orange slice in your bowl. Your Sunshine Cottage is serving up plenty of inspiring beauty today! The blue and white Spode is stunning. I bought my Spode in red & white, but if I had any more room…that blue and white would be next! xo Lidy

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  17. Oh Pam, everything is absolutely stunning! Your bird plates are perfect for your whole vignette. I am liking the idea of shades for the window… for my she shed. I may look into that. Your bamboo ones are fabulous.
    Thank you for a lovely visit… the snickerdoodle coffee was delightful.
    Enjoy your Monday!

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  20. Hi Pam! Oh, I do love seeing your pretty blues and whites! You really have a way with putting together a florals an vignettes.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia πŸ™‚

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  21. Wonderful and inspiring vignettes! How many treasures…Such beauty. I do love your gorgeous arrangement with orange and blue.

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  22. Pam, I agree with you….everything seems to go with the beloved blue and white collection. You have created such a gorgeous vignette in your Sunshine Cottage. Everything looks just beautiful, and I adore those sweet bird plates. The plant you found looks so pretty and adds the perfect touch to your display. My dear friend, enjoy your week ahead!

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  24. Thanks for the lovely vignette of blue and white in the Sunshine cottage. I’m also very fond of blue and white in a room to lift it from its doldrums. And after Christmas lights and red and green my rooms would look depressing if not having a pleasing arrangement of flowers to brighten them. We have such long Winters here and so I leave some of the lights up through Valentines Day. Yes, after taking down the tree and greenery the house has a through cleaning. I love the tiny tea set too. There is one in one of my bedrooms set aside for visiting children. If I haven’t said so I wish you and Butch a Happy and healthy New year!

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  26. Gorgeous blue and white decor. Love your vase with the orange flowers are perfect to brighten everything. Sunshine cottage is so pretty and special. Thanks for sharing your Monday Blooms.

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  27. Lovely vignette of blue and white,Pam! Appropriate for any and all seasons! January is an okay month, but it would be so much better if I could have the snows of Ohio instead of the dreary rains of Georgia.

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  28. Such a pretty post. Love your miniature tea set. It is so sweet.
    The bird plates are cheery and perfect for January.
    Your blue and white vignette is very attractive. Your styling is always top notch.
    I am so behind having been gone so long.

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  29. Pam, your vignette of blue and white is beautiful and timeless – and you’re right – it goes with everything! The orange with the moss is the perfect pop of color and those bird plates – oh my! I’m kind of with Butch on the January thing (I cannot tell a lie) as its usually our coldest month here with really really low temps. But your bird plates make me look forward to spring – yay – so thank you for that!

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  34. So beautiful, sweet friend! You always improvise and come up with something so lovely, in spite of whatever is lacking! God uses you in so many wonderful ways, and your posts are such bright spots to my day. May He continue to bless you.

    Reply

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