Banishing the Winter Blahs

Hello, friends!  Thank you for taking the time to stop by today.

What is it about winter that seems desolate and bleak once the joy of Christmas has passed?   For a couple of days now, I have been planning a post, but the weather has either been overcast or rainy....no fun, and definitely not good for taking pictures, unless they are pics of my plants fresh from the rain:

My planter, sweet, but so sad without flowers!

My Sago palm

 

What's a gal to do?  Well, today, I am going to share a few inspirational pics that I hope will be uplifting.  If you've read my blog, I've mentioned (probably ad nauseum, ha ha) that my favorite color is blue.  I love the calmness and serenity it exudes.  For me, blue is most perfect when combined with white.  I am a California native, born and raised, so I tend to interpret blue as oceans and skies, and white as rolling clouds on summer days, or white sandy beaches.  These are a few photographs that I hope will inspire you, and especially if it is cold and blustery where you are, serve as a simple lazy-day reverie.  I hope you enjoy! 

Inspiration board:

Listed individually in random order:

Royal Copenhagen, Christie's Auction

Ralph Lauren Paisley Navy Suite. 

Carolyn Roehm

Couch covered in Ralph Lauren Fabric

Medical facility, designed by Russian architect Vasily Klyukin, is planned to be built in Tunisia Economic City (TEC).  World Maritime News 

Spode Blue Italian

Tory Burch as seen in Veranda

Love this Provençial Dining Chair 

How beautiful is the juxtaposition of the crisp white sails against the gorgeous blue!?  Luxury Gitana Perini Navy Carter boat, Charter World

Danielle Rollins, as seen in Veranda

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

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Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Creating the Mediterranean Look

Hello, friends!  Thank you for stopping by!  How is everyone enjoying the last leg of winter?

What would you say is your design aesthetic?  I am a lover of so many things, sometimes I question if I have design ADD, lol. If I were to sum of the style of my home, I guess it's best described as European Eclectic, or European Hodge-podge.  Most of the elements in my home come from the Mediterranean region, combining elements of Spanish, Italian, and French-Mediterranean.  I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to this style (along with English Country).  To visit my European Dream Home board on Pinterest, click here.

A few days ago, the wonderful folks at Charish contacted me and asked me to curate a room choosing items from their site that reflect my personal style.  Have you ever heard of the website Charish?  It's an online marketplace where you can peruse and shop gently used furniture, antiques, rugs, et cetera!  Think Christie's Auction meets Flea Market with the casualness of Ebay.  For someone like me, it's fabulous, because I adore brocante!   Today, I have chosen a few items to create a stylish space infused with Mediterranean or Old-World flair.  I hope you enjoy the post!

My picks for the inspiration board:

Individual items and links, starting from left to right.  To be directed to the item's specific page on Charish, simply click the item's description:

French Louis XV-Style Settee Sofa

Antique White Armoire

Ornate Candle Holder

Antique-Inspired Italian Mirror

French Tufted Linen Bench

Reclaimed Architectural Spanish Candelabra

Pair of Italian Velvet & Chenille Pillows

Pair of Monumental French Urns

The foundation of any fabulous room can almost always be attributed to the flooring or floor décor!  How gorgeous is this rug?

Tabriz Collection Traditional Rug, 6' x 9'

Ralph Lauren Florence Armoire 

What do you think of my picks?  I'd love to hear from you!  Please check out the wonderful items at Chairish (use the links above), and don't forget to browse the great collection of rugs!  To view the collection of rugs, click here. 

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Set Your Table With Flair--A Ballet-Inspired Tête-à-Tête Fireside

Hello, friends and lovebirds!  Thank you so much for visiting my blog.

Ahhh, Valentine's Day!  It's just around the corner!  So romantic is this special day, isn't it?  I am an avid art appreciator, and for me, one of the most romantic of the art forms is ballet.  I just love it!  I love the art form so much, I've even written about the idea of having a ballet-themed wedding.  You may read the post on my other blog The Bride Ideal here.  I wanted to play with the romance of the dance, because isn't that what love is all about?  Today's post will feature a simple ballet-themed table set for lovers.  I hope you enjoy the post!

I began next to the fireplace with a small circular table and my bistro chairs.  I love the idea of sharing a crackling fire and delicious food with the one you love!

A grey damask tablecloth followed by ballet pink tulle indicative of a ballerina's tutu dresses the table.  To achieve the tutu around the table, I used simple tulle in ballet pink.

I laid my tulle flat and folded it in half.  Next, I folded the tulle back and forth, forth and back, creating pleats.

I cut and removed a small bit of the fabric, making a hole just large enough for a ribbon to fit through.  Using a wired ribbon worked really well, because I was better able to thread it and grab it from the other side.

   

Once the tulle was threaded, I pulled the ribbon tautly around the table and tied it in a bow.  Shown here.

Finally, I carefully arranged the tulle around the parameter of the table.  So feminine!

On top of the table, pink chargers were followed by lovely grey plates.  Love the lace pattern!  

Delicate smoky-grey stemware was placed.

A very simple arrangement of beautiful pink Orlando Roses is seated at the head of the table.

To make the arrangement, I used store-bought blooms.

Space is a premium at this table (which makes it all the more intimate), so I opted to use a smaller, shorter vase for the arrangement,

and trimmed the roses to size.  They smell lovely!

Simple white linen adorned with ballet pink rose napkin rings were placed at each setting.

If you've read my blog before, you know sometimes I have lots of linen on my table, and several settings include two napkins per setting, one for the lip, and one for the lap!  In this instance, rosey mauve napkins were set inside each flute.

The table is set, and fire ablaze....hopefully hearts as well!  ;)

To add a little extra ambiance, adding scented pinecones to your fire is a great idea!  I love these because they are vanilla-scented, so it is a warm, sweet aroma, and not Christmassy at all.

A few more shots.

Closeups of the setting.

Another look at the arrangement.  Isn't pink romantic for ballet AND Valentine's?

From my collection:

Pink chargers, generic

Grey and white lace plates, Marchesa by Lenox, Marchesa Lace Pattern/Bloomingdale's

Stemware, Vietri Optical Smoke-Grey Champagne Flutes/Bloomingdale's

Ballet-pink napkin holders, generic, thrifted

Damask Tablecloth, Ralph Lauren

White linen, generic, HomeGoods

Mauvey-pink linen, unknown, gifted to me years ago 

Tulle, Joann's Fabric

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤