Winter White Collections

Thanksgiving marks the unofficial end to fall. The leaves still fall, but it feels every bit of winter from where I am standing. At any rate I have cleared the way for some Winter/Christmas decorating to get it's toe hold. As much as I admire a spare look for rooms in a house, there are still plenty of places in my heart that hold room for my collections. Especially this time of year! I seem to be drawn to photos of rooms with lots of collections in it, and of course loving all the gorgeous rooms online and in December magazines right now. Endless!

Just before leaving for a few days, I snapped a few views of my dining room shelves waiting for holiday dressing.

My more recent finds have gathered here like this group of Mason Cash pudding bowls. I'm not sure I could ever pass one of these up!

Plenty of ledge left on this shelf to tuck in a bit of Christmas next to my new Staffordshire figures.

A great little ironstone tureen is new to the collection too.

 Just things that I use and love. I can't wait to add some holiday cheer to the mix!

Pitchers of course!

This Currier & Ives print is new to me this season. We painted the frame a creamy white. I don't think I would have liked it nearly so much without the obvious water damage!

I'm so looking forward to savoring the familiar joys of the season.

Hope you are too! 

Hope it's a great week for you!

Jacqueline

Join me at

Between Naps on the Porch~Metamorphosis Monday

Unpacking The Holiday Treasures

Hello friends!  

I have been busy digging around in boxes to get things started. How about you? Years go by and those suckers (boxes) have a way of multiplying when the available space to keep stuff stays exactly the same! But thank goodness, yes? As life goes on we take on a few more things and let other things go. . .

One of the things I have taken on is this crusty old candelabra. I thought I was done with them and gave all mine away. Little did I know that those I had in the past were just not tarnished enough! haha!

This old one makes me feel a bit elated. And we can all use a dose of bliss I think, no matter from where.

This flocked tree is from last year and gets an iron urn this time. Small enough to land anywhere. As you can see the seasons flow together around here. I usually let things evolve rather than a big revamp for the holidays. Easing in and easing back out again. 

Bits of vintage lace also play a part. This favorite piece often makes its appearance in one spot or another. 

I'm also working on finding the perfect confection or bauble for these egg trays. Any ideas spring to mind? I like using things year 'round, and I love a dose of sparkly glass at Christmastime.

The usual dilemma of which embossed plates to use. . . .  I always think I have too many, but I boldly let some go during the year and already regret it! Some might call this obsession. . . .  I call it tradition.

And what is a holiday without hollow handled knives I ask you? Hollow, of course!

Few cheerier things than shiny silver anything.

My smaller twiggy trees are already out. I had them in the shop last year and everybody wanted them. They were a kind of dear price at Pottery Barn, but I haven't seen them there this year.

And of course always a stash of lovely doodads of some kind around for when the creative impulse hits.

This shiny garland is a souvenir from my first visit to Rachel Ashwell's Malibu shop and may end up in a tray or puddle of light somewhere.

Our decorating simply ends at some point rather than being really "done." I wonder what else I will rediscover among the boxes this year?

Finally, I want to share my new 2019 calendar from Georgianna Lane with you! She has done a NYC version and a couple of others as well, but I couldn't resist this gorgeous Paris version. You might like one too!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I hope you enjoy getting ready for a lovely Thanksgiving and holiday season in your own way! 

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Jacqueline

Rainy Day and Monday

Monday is one of the calmer days in this household. Things settle down and get back to "normal." There's the big build up to the weekend, and then suddenly it's all over. But this is what it looks like here in Albuquerque as fall begins to show. Mostly green with a litter of cottonwood leaves starting to happen. That is chamisa turning to seed and looking a bit scruffy this time of year.

It rained overnight leaving things fresh and a few puddles in the road. The desert willow still green but minus the pale pink blossoms that stay all summer.

The ivy is just barely turning a few leaves to red before it abandons them altogether. And it has finally turned coolish, so Autumn has finally made a believer out of me.

I want to show you this cover small so that we aren't jumping the gun too much here. But I want you to know what to look for! This edition passed the page flip test and came home with me this weekend.

There is a gorgeous island of pages in the middle from House Of Harvest that gets me right where I live these days. Here's the link to their Instagram. I am showing less than half the images, and all askew so that no one will pin them, but they are a sample of an earthy simple style with great vintage ideas that I am loving to look at.

You might enjoy a whole look at the issue yourself.

It works for me for fall almost as much as for December!

The other fun thing for me is this transfer ware find posted on someone's Instagram. These are from Pier One. If you have trouble finding vintage brown transfer ware, you can just order these online! I was lucky to get them at my local store. They are smallish dinner size plates with no other pieces to match that I could see.

I don't put my vintage plates through too much because I take extra care with them, but I'm going to enjoy these without fuss all season long.

All the images just make me cozy and happy!

And I love all the details.

It's all fuzzy and overcast, but some Mondays are just like that!

 I hope it's the start of a great week for you though!

 Thanks so much for stopping by!

Jacqueline

Join me at

Shabby Art Boutique~ Create, Bake, Grow, and Gather Party

Pieces of Vintage Linen

Fall is always the beginning of linen season to me as the world turns inward. Summer is great for getting to markets and making fabulous finds, as I hope to do any time of year, but working with linens is another story. Nothing like a crisp day to cozy up and get in a little linen therapy at the ironing board!

It's been a long stretch since we had a good dose of linen love here on the blog, so I am including a few links that you vintage linen lovers in the audience will appreciate too.

One old post you might enjoy perusing again is Ironing Linen~Befores and Afters here.

But I have recently found one of the most remarkable blogs on Instagram that you may already know about by Yuka, In My Room. I promise you, if you don't already know this page you are in for a real treat! The vignettes of linens and lace are soulful and delicate and dreamy. I just can't get enough! I would show you a sample, but I don't want anyone pinning her wonderful work from here. Check it out at this link.

Finally, Back in the Linen Nursery, here, might give you another good session of linen love if you are needing any right now.

Sometimes when I iron, I leave my work out on display for a while just to appreciate the beauty as I pass through doing tasks throughout the day.

And other times looking back through old posts I have regrets for many of the gorgeous old pieces that have gone on to other lucky owners. It can be a little heartbreaking being in the vintage linen business! LOL! (not really kidding)

It's a little like finding a new owner for your old home, or a pet you have to give up. You want to find someone really worthy! But seriously, not everyone appreciates the value of beautiful old hand work.

It is my personal garden of delights.

I hope you are finding daily pleasures of your own to feed your soul this week.

Carry on. . . .

Jacqueline

Join me at

French Country Cottage~Feathered Nest Friday

Shabby Art Boutique