Chickadee Home Nest: September 2012

Saturday, September 29, 2012

I Admit It…I’ve Fallen in Love

I love houses…YOU love houses. I know all about you, because you wouldn’t be here visiting Chickadee Home Nest if you didn’t. So I’m admitting that I have fallen in love…AGAIN.

You see, we visited my sweet 91-year-old MIL in Orange County, and while there my husband and I took a few quick trips to our favorite haunts—Laguna Beach, Corona del Mar, and Newport Beach. The shops, the restaurants, the views…what views! Then we stumbled into it—the place that makes your heart beat a little faster than it was already beating: BALBOA ISLAND.

Let’s just take a quick little tour, and tell me what you think:

This picture is just to “set the scene.” You can see the houses lined up across from this little beach…

It gets better…

Remember the view above? Yes, that’s what these residents see, day in, and day out.

Another lovely. I really liked the taupe and white combination.

Aren’t these the coolest version of Adirondacks? The black might get a tiny bit warm in the California sun, but aren’t they lovely in contrast with the hot pink flowers?

And what about this row of white houses with flags? And the bougainvillea? I do believe flowers love the sea air.

And how about those porch lights? Are they not perfect? And the small flags at the very top (is that what they call a widow’s watch, or widow’s peak?)

This one…THIS ONE, with the precious front yard. I fell asleep that night imagining the table I would set out there…

…it was a long table with a long, flowing white table cloth, sterling candelabras with crystal bobeches (because of course there would be a gentle breeze), and perhaps candle shades… Can you picture it?

(But if I lived here, I think I would ask the community leaders to please move the trash bin, wouldn’t you?)

The Flowers of Balboa Island

Now that you’ve seen just a small sample of these charming homes in this charming community, I’m sure you understand why I fell in love. Have you ever stumbled upon something or someplace that you know you were meant to see?

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them! And if you like what you see a lot, maybe you’d like to +1 this post or pin it on Pinterest too! Thank you!

I invite you to follow me. If you’ll let me know that you’re following, I’ll be sure to follow you back.

Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Cozy Home Scenes Tuesdays at http://cozyhomescenes.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com

Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Cuisine Kathleen at http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

DIY by Design Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

What's It Wednesday at http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Thursdays at StoneGable http://www.stonegableblog.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at betweennapsontheporch.net

Open House Party Thursday at http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Share Your Cup Thursday at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Home Sweet Home Fridays at http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Fridays Unfolded at http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/

Saturday Nite Special at http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Friday, September 14, 2012

Sooo Versatile, Blue and White

Hi! Boy, I’ve been a way for most of July, all of August, and part of September…not too sure where the time went, but I do have great memories of summer—family vacation at the beach, time with babies, evening rides in our convertible. So as you can well imagine, I’m not…quite…ready for fall. Getting there, as I always do, but not there quite yet.

Earlier in the summer I did a blue and white table, then made minor changes to it with different color accents to explore the versatility of lovely, bright, serene, blue and white.

Today’s post is about, well, BLUE AND WHITE.

Isn’t it serene? The table was set for a romantic dinner for two.

Let’s take a closer look:

Blue, white, crystal, and silver.

Salad plates: Spode, The Blue Room Collection

Dinner plates: Spode Delamere

Chargers: Silverplate, a purchase years ago.

Sterling: Lunt Eloquence

Individual salt and pepper shakers: Sterling, purchased years ago.

Linen napkin: Pottery Barn

Napkin rings: Sterling, baptismal gift to our firstborn, from his godmother. One has his name engraved on it, and the other was left blank for his future bride. Isn’t that a sweet gift? We must get hers engraved now; it’s time to turn them over. But it’ll be hard…I’ve loved being their keeper for 30+ years.

Waterford Kinsale vase, silverplate pitcher, and Bombay Company blue and white cut votive cup.

Waterford Lismore Tall goblet, vintage Alana wine stem (now archived by Waterford). Vintage pressed glass dish for lemon slices to brighten the water in the pitcher.

Do you love the sweet, intricate detail of vintage linens? I can hardly resist them when I see them in antique shops.

Dessert will also be served.

Pressed glass dishes: I haven’t researched them yet, but they’re a recent, and now favorite find.

The sweet cordials are very vintage, and very special—they were a gift from my husband’s dear, dear aunt.

The two bowls are sterling, from my collection, and the serving tray? A garage sale find years ago (a set of 3!)!

The beautiful vintage linen napkins are in perfect condition; a purchase this spring at the Springfield (Ohio) Antique Show.

If you really are looking closely, the dessert spoons are not from the Lunt set. They are 1847 Rogers Brothers vintage silverplate; a hostess gift from my SIL.

Champagne flutes were a wedding gift from another SIL. I don’t know the pattern, but they have been used for many, many Mimosas over the years, because I love them. The stem is frosted.