Tuesday, September 8, 2009

What's A Girl To Do?

I love blue and white. I love blue and white china, blue and quilts, white wicker with blue and white pillows. To me blue and white is cheerful. But blue and white are the colors of summer: light, fresh, sunny. And now fall is approaching. So as fall approaches and all the colors are the golden colors of autumn, I think maybe I need to make the house a little cosier and not quite so summery looking. I see some of your homes, with darker or warmer colors and I think maybe I want that look in my house too.

Yesterday I spent a good part of the day just playing house. I hung up a quilt on our bedroom wall that had some golds and blues in it and put a golden yellow tablecloth on the bed as a spread with our blue and white quilt on top. I took away the lily of the valley and added some yellow mums. It definitely had that golden glow of fall and our bedroom felt very warm and inviting.

This morning I washed the sheets and as I was putting them back on the bed I realised that even though I had achieved the look I was aiming for, I missed that crisp freshness of the blue and white combination.

I also made some changes to the living room yesterday, hanging a darker painting over the mantle, adding lots more books in warmer colors, adding more red. It looked good, but it just wasn't me. I was trying to imitate a look that I like in other people's homes, but it just wasn't me.

So today I decided that rather than do the seasonal decorating thing, I am going to stick with what I love, maybe even go a bit overboard with too much blue and white ( if there is such a thing!) If I need a change I'll just re arrange what I have. I might add just a splash of red in the fall or light green or yellow in the spring, but for the most part I am going to keep the sunny summery look to my house all year round.

So now I am going to remove all the fall touches that I arranged yesterday and put back the blue and white. I might leave just a little red :)

If it's not in style it doesn't matter. If people think I have too much blue and white, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that I like it. My husband doesn't really care what colors we have, so he's happy with anything I choose.

I may change my mind next week, but for today I'm sure that blue and white is the way to go. Now I'm going to change my banner and put back the Dainty Blue tea set photo which I just love!

Rhondi xo

41 comments:

  1. Your home is a reflection of you Rhondi. Whatever you are happy with is right for your home.

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  2. I have always admired your beautiful blue and white decorating Rhondi!
    Hugs,
    Penny

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  3. I have always loved your blue and white decorating! And your house should be decorated in the style that you love, not according to what everyone else has! I'm sure once you get through, your blue and white will look fabulous with fall colors splashed throughout! Enjoy your day!

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  4. In my opinion blue & white is always right. Every time I see your tea set I think it is the most gorgeous set I have ever seen. My house is mostly blue, white & yellow. It can be a challenge to bring the traditional fall & Christmas colors in. But, I do find it to be a pleasing, uplifting color scheme so it is staying. It seems like most of my neighbors go with the deeper colors. While I think it looks rich & beautiful, I don't think I could live with it. I guess the most important thing is that we should feel comfortable in our own homes since we have to live there.

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  5. Oh, I love blue and white too! I think it goes with everything.:)

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  6. That's right, Rhondi, decorate with what you love, that's what's important, whatever makes you happy. I love seeing your blue and white. It's beautiful!

    Hugs,
    Donna

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  7. I love all your blue and whites too.Lovely collage.

    Carolyn

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  8. Hi Rhondi....you are soooooo right! Blue and white is the best...it just doesn't get any better than that! I love you header with the teaset too!

    One thought....try adding some dark navies to your blues for a more seasonal look.....however, I'm with you...let celebrate the joy of summer all year long!

    Be blessed,
    Susan

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  9. Good for you. I see homes with all kinds of colors that I really like too in their homes, but I think it's important to just use what you really like in your home. I guess I don't see blue and white as not being fall. I think deep navy blue is very warm and cozy to me. I do love a touch of gold or yellow as a few accents, but if it's not you, then don't do it. Hugs, Marty

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  10. I am so with you on this..... blue and white...... I don't do a lot of fall....... cause I like the colors I have.... I am sure what you do will be lovely....I sure had a good laugh last week with that funny BJ posting your hutch and saying it was Sherry's. I knew it was yours when I first saw it... Your looks is so Rhondi..
    HUgs
    Linda

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  11. Your home is too beautiful for you to worry one little bit about following others. You just keep doing what you do!

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  12. Your home is too beautiful for you to worry one little bit about following others. You just keep doing what you do!

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  13. Nothing wrong with blue and white...it's clean and fresh! Do what makes you feel good!~Patti

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  14. I also love your home...The blue and white you have is absolutely beautiful. Stay with what you love.
    Hugs,
    Pat

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  15. Rhondi,

    I admire your efforts to add what you felt you 'needed' to add to give your home a Autumn look. But your heart said no to it and now you know that it is blue & white only.

    I am that way about my pastels. Every Christmas I wonder how I will be able to add bright reds and jewel colors. Then I have seen pink Christmas trees! Gasp!! Pink garland and lights!!!

    So I have the pastels and then I have the big green tree with all the bright jewel tones and that is the Christmas I remember as a child and the Christmas' my children remember and to heck with decorating, this is just MERRY!!

    For fall...well I haven't thought about that much yet! lol!

    Wishing you the perfect week, Rhondi!! :-)

    xoxo
    Janie

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  16. I think you wrote for a lot of us, Rhondi. I too love the blue and white and have bright yellow curtains and accents - sometimes I think I should be switching things for winter, but you know...I am happiest when I surround myself with the things that I love. That blue and white and yellow combo 'speaks' to me!
    Stick with what you love and you'll always be comfy and satisfied.

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  17. For years I would visit my friends homes that were tastefully decorated with minimal clutter. I would come home wanting to make my home uncluttered too. I could never do it! I just love my stuff. Now that I am older (and wiser) I am happy with what I have.

    You have to do what you want! I love all the blue and white...as a matter of fact, after visiting your blog and seeing your style of decorating I went through my house and collected all the blue and white and grouped it together. I love it!

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  18. Oh Rhondi,
    Your blue and white is so gorgeous, I don't blame you. I keep mine up all seasons. I know it would be nice to have a bit more Christmassy colors for Christmas, but that's okay.

    Karen

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  19. Blue & white is classic. I have some antique Blue Willow that I cannot part with. That's why I like decorating with white -- you can change accents colors anytime! Change is good. Yay!

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  20. I think you did the right thing, Rhondi. If blue and white is what you love, then you should keep it that way.
    I love blue and white, too.

    D

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  21. I love blue and white too. If you stick with what you love, you just can't go wrong!

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  22. Rhondi, After years of trying to keep up with the lastest style or whatever is in...I have learned I live here and as long as my house is clean and inviting that is all that is necessary.

    So be yourself and do what makes you happy and comfortable, people will love you for you.

    Love your blue and white and there are ways to add a little fall without changing your own scheme of things....just keep playing with it.

    Barbara

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  23. I love whatever you do because you have that touch. I adore lily of the valley, Oh I miss it from my old home where it grew everywhere. Touches of red or yellow sounds great to me.

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  24. I agree with you! See you later,

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  25. Rhondi, I'm right there with your thinking! I was kind of feeling like I don't have a lot of fall stuff to post, but I live in Florida, near the world's best beaches with shells and all the things I love about the sea. So I'm going to continue posting those things. That's ME! :-)

    Blue and white are wonderful, and I love my blue and white china at our residence. I also love the nautical things we have in our retreat... they are fun and fresh. I had a stager come in when we put the house on the market, and she all but stripped the house of its livelier personality upstairs and in the kitchen. It's sort of in a no man's land right now, and I miss my cottage look with birdhouses. It's funny because the things that my godchildren love most are the touches I put in there that are colorful. And I've decided to put some of them back! ;-) The house still has a light hearted, happy feel, but I am going to tweak the rooms that are bugging me. They need to be tweaked.

    Thanks for putting into words what I've been thinking. I enjoy seeing fall colors in other's houses, but I like the blues and strong pastels in my own and the blues (and reds) in YOURS!

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  26. P.S. Rhondi, speaking of blue and white, when are you going to reveal to us what you are making with that wonderful fabric??? I placed my three guesses on that post, but now you have got me SO curious! And you know what they say about curiosity and satisfaction. LOL! ;-)

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  27. Rhondi,
    Your blue and white is beautiful and when I see blue and white I think of you. Remember, "To thine own self be true." Our homes should be filled with things we love and I see no reason for you to change a thing.
    ritad

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  28. Hi, Rhondi -
    Your home should be - and is - a reflection of you! I like to keep mine the way it is and then add touches of the season to what we love and enjoy surrounding ourselves with. So glad you know what you love and can do the same. Can you have too much blue and white? You need to come to my dear little mother's house sometime. You would say no, definitely you can't have too much! You would love her little cottage - maybe it's time for another bit of a tour of her home. Thanks for sharing yours with us.
    ~Adrienne~

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  29. Be true to you all white and blue. Your home is a reflection of yourself and you should always love what is in it. I look at all the beautiful tablescapes and decor changes and sure I tweak a little here and there but I keep the colors that soothe my soul and make ME happy. Who would know livin in the middle of nowhere USA. Heaven knows the cows don't care. Have a beautiful day enjoying your perfect colors!!!

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  30. Blue and white makes your heart sing! I think your're cute, changing your mind...I do that all the time!

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  31. I love looking at your home. It is timeless and beautiful. I am currently trying to figure out how to bring a little autumn into my house but I can't abide orange and brown and my house is all bright colors. We will see what I figure out, maybe nothing, but ultimately I think the thing that is important is that we decorate in a way that makes us smile:>)

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  32. Hi Rhondi, Your home is beautiful with Blue and White no matter what the season. When I added the blue willow to the warm tuscan tones of my home, I now just continue to add to that with rust colors and even mix green and blue. It seems to work here. But I feel like you, if it is what you love to live with, that makes it right.

    I am looking forward to decorating for Fall, even though hard with our temps still so hot.

    Have a nice evening.
    Hugs, Celestina Marie

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  33. Rhondi, this post really struck home with me. I have been struggling with this same dilemma and even posted a few days ago how I am "fall decor challenged" because of the pastel colors I use in my home. In my heart, I think I'm a "pastel person" to the core of my soul but I'm still sorting out whether to try to make a few changes in my decor for fall.

    If you are comfortable with the beautiful blues and whites in your home, I see no reason to change a thing. Likewise, if I make changes that I'm not comfortable with, you can bet I'll be changing back to my pinks too! :)

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  34. Good for you. I am not a seasonal decorator either. Of course, I do put our some decorations that tie to holidays, but I don't change my basic plan.

    Your colors make me happy, too. After all, they are Rhondi.

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  35. Years ago I saw a magazine article where they did all there Christmas decorating in blue and white with bright yellow lemons in bowls and yellow ribbon everywhere. It was wonderful. And not a red or green anywhere. It was so different and so beautiful. Mimi

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  36. Your love of blue and white and the enjoyment it brings to you is most important Rhondi. I don't believe in decorating to be 'in style', it's more about surrounding oneself with what you love, what holds memories, what has been passed down, or what has spoken to you and said, "bring me to your home".

    Looking about the French gray/dusty blue dining room here - where I now sit with my laptop because I love this space and the view of the porch and garden - I'm wondering what the heck I'll do to dress it for the holidays! Perhaps crystals, silver, mercury glass. The colors off-white and eggplant purple come to mind, with a touch of chartreuse........no traditional reds and greens will work in here now!

    Glad you decided to keep the look you love. I'm off to hunt down some white pumpkins soon!!!!

    Hugs - Mary

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  37. You go girl! Decorate with what you love...it is your home and you live there. I for one love it!

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  38. I know exactly what you mean.I will sometimes do a change over (spending lots of time) and then the next day take it all and put it away. It is weird that certain things just speak to us and make us happy.

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  39. It's so important to be ourselves in our homes. I'm glad you decided to go back to your own drum beat. You can always add some white pumpkins and such. I bet there are even some blue ones out there ;-)

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  40. Rhondi, I'm with you! Blue and white will work all through the year. Just add some touches of a season as you feel like it. Your home must be such a warm and inviting spot. I wish I could visit. ~ Sarah

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  41. A friend once told me, " Too much of a good thing is.... Wonderful ! Never too much blue and white. I love it too and it makes me smile. Good for you for choosing what makes you happy.

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Hi
Thanks so very much for taking the time to leave a comment. I always read every one. I am glad you stopped by for a visit. Hope you'll come again!
Rhondi