A symphony in blue and white and the May box from My Stylish French Country Box!

Do you love the classic combination of blue and white?

I particularly love blue and white porcelain and dishes...

The bowls are made by a local potter by the name of Harumi Ota.

The wee whimsical footed vessel is by local artist Robert Amos.

Sweet tumbling bunnies 

The writing on the pot says...

"Flick as flowflakes, litters from aloft."

I have a few other pieces with blue and white...

a transfer ware patterned tray and a vase.

Sharon Santoni's Intsagram post popped up 

and

 My Stylish French Country Box

telling followers that the May delivery box theme is blue and white!

It should be a very elegant box...

now I am dreaming of a symphony of blue and white! 

To order a box click this link...

you'll be glad that you did!

Cheerio for now...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

A rhapsody in blue...OOTD

Blue and white are a complimentary pairing, indeed they are a happy marriage.
Antique Chinese and English porcelain come to mind as does the iconic classic Blue Willow patterns which were mass produced by so many companies over the years.

This beautiful planter was a gift from the son of Mrs. Plant,

she was a former owner and resident of The Humble Bungalow

this wee antique bowl is so thin you can almost see throught it...

I know nothing about it except to say that it called out to me when I was perusing the tables at an antue and collectible show.

I've collected these Ball Sealers for the past few years...

it's the soft shade of blue that attracts me to these jars.

Trees were painted cobalt blue in this downtown plaza...

I captured this image on a Seattle trip a few years ago.

The Chihuly Gardens in Seattle...

right below The Space Needle!

It's a wonderful place to visit and view many of Chihuly's glass masterpieces.

A gorgeous blue necklace at the jewelers in the lobby of The Empress Hotel.

Harumi Ota porcelain.

Harumi lives in Victoria and sells his work at The Eclectic Gallery and at The Moss Street Market.

Downtown Victoria sidewalk display

Looking out over the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington State is in the distance.

Wee heart shaped art glass paperweight....

Grape and wood hyacinths, a spring time bouquet in a matte white jug, a gift from my bestie.

Hydrangeas

White vintage compotes.

Blue hydrangeas

playing with paint...

Macarons at Bon Macaron on Broad Street in Victoria.

My favourite outfit of all time is a simple one...

Blue Jeans and a White top.

OOTD

accessorized simply with pearls and an armful of sterling bangles

Do you have a favourite outfit?

One that you feel totally at ease wearing and can see yourself taking it to a desert island with you?

Wendy McLeod MacKnight's recent post inspired me to write this one today...

go over and say Hi and please tell her that I sent you!

A Rhapsody in Blue....

Thank you for stopping by.... 

Wardrobe update ~ summer style.

Retirement has meant a change in lifestyle and along with that my wardrobe has been completely revamped.
Work clothes are a thing of the past.

The 30 pound weight loss achieved through the sensible and simple Weight Watchers plan was the instigator.
I needed to replace everything and that could have been very expensive...
I am now on a pension so this proved to be somewhat of a challenge.

Shopping mostly thrift and consignment shops...I opted for classic timeless basics.
And in case you were wondering most pieces are black.
There are numerous white tops and a great pair of Club Monaco jeans and some grey sweaters in the closet.

It's hard for me to justify shopping at boutiques these days and pay the prices that I have in the past
especially when I can find a perfectly good garments for a reasonable price second hand.

The Burberry quilted coat and the Barbour vest were the big ticket items (investment pieces) last fall.

I stocked up on new white cotton tank tops this season as they get worn a lot as layering pieces and they get worn out quite quickly. I love the look of a freshly laundered and ironed white tee or tank top.

The other thing that I have been replacing quite a lot are those white cotton padded sport socks....they do cushion my feet in comfort, so better the socks wear out than the pads of my feet. New walking shoes are at the top of my list as mine have seen better days and many kilometers!

I've been shopping and found a few pieces which are a bit of a departure for me and I wanted to share them with you.

They are fun clothes,
clothes with a bit of a bohemian vibe,
a little edgier than what I am usually attracted to...
perhaps even a little gaudy.
Fasten your seat belts!

Linen print top which looks great layered over a white tank top and skinny jeans.

Blue and white printed fabric reminds me of the summer ocean breeze...

gauzy and cool.

Which leads me into a segue of blue and white...

Blue and white together are a harmonious marriage...

do you like the classic Blue Willow pattern?

Harumi Ota uses this combination in most of his contemporary porcelain pottery.

I am quite smitten with his work and own three of his bowls.

My friend Louise made me this necklace several years ago and I like to wear it in the summertime.

Beach glass beads mixed with pearls and sterling silver.

Cut Loose linen top which makes a great de-constructed jacket.

Looks good over a white cotton tank top too.

Pretty Shell buttons

Flared cuff detail at the bottom of the sleeves which are not too long so I can show off some silver bracelets.

My flip flops are getting out and about...

OPI Animalia an orange shade that I am loving.

These pants are super comfy and look good with my Gap denim jacket.

The GAP pale wash denim is rather like my grey hair

and speaking of grey...

I collected a bunch of clothes that were too big and took them to the consignment shop a couple of weeks ago...

when I tried on the remaining garments that I thought would fit I was aghast...

all too big and baggy and such a waste having all these garments hang about idle...

so I picked up the phone and made an appointment to consign the rest of them.

This skirt is really more of a pewter shade, but it is hard to tell in this image.

I plan to wear this casual skirt instead of shorts on the boat.

I can see it with my denim jacket or the white linen top.

I could wear it to run errands, to an outdoor cafe or when wandering about in a garden.

It's very different and I quite like the feel of it on with bare legs and flip flops in the heat of the day.

Loose skirts are comfortable, provide decent leg coverage, and are cooler than pants.

My summer shopping tote and one of my straw hats.

If you want to purchase one of these Nicholas Randall on Oak Bay Avenue currently have them in stock.

I bought mine last year at The Bungalow on Estevan Avenue.

Ah Summertime...

flip flops

 straw bags

lemonade and iced tea

paddling pools

ice cream cones

barbecues

picnics

sunshine

roses

lounging on the deck

feeling the sand between your toes

blue skies

white clouds

watermelon slices

potato salad

cold chicken

beach walks

boating

holidays

The sun is out and the birds are chirping.

 It is June the 1st today 

and it feels a bit like summer.

Weekend and white lace....

The skies are blue and the clouds look like white cotton balls...
it's a gorgeous day for a brisk walk around the seafront.

Weekends are so precious.
If you work hard all week you might agree!

Before I started on this weight loss journey I was exhausted and slept in late on Saturdays and Sundays
lazed around in my robe...often until almost noon!
One change that I have noticed since joining Weight Watchers is that I have oodles of energy.
(it might be all the fresh fruits and veggies I am eating)

Last week at my weigh in I was down another 3 pounds.
I am seriously excited about the program.
It really does work if you don't cheat!
I thought my weigh in might be like the previous week where I had a half pound down as I really had not eaten much different than I did the prior week...if anything I had eaten a bit more. Still within my points allowance but I needed a wee afternoon snack around 4 pm with my cup of tea most days.

So I am encouraged and feel motivated to keep going...

Do you love blue and white?
There is something so crisp and clean about that colour combination.
I never tire of it.

My brain needs exercise too!

The Harumi Ota porcelain bowl is one of three that I own

this one is the smallest...

A long rectangular serving tray is at the Gallery in Oak Bay 

I have thought about it for several weeks now

 perhaps my next non food treat.

I love this almond milk cream...

it smells lovely and hydrates even the driest skin.

I use it after shaving my legs and slather it on my feet before putting my walking socks on...

my feet get a little pampering while they do the walking.

Our clematis is putting on quite a show in the garden.

The bees love it.

With so many blooms I am tempted to pick one and float it in a silver bowl.

It might be just too tempting for the cats though...they play with and rearrange all my bouquets.

This week I treated myself to a non food reward for my 10 pound loss.

It's a wee bit of lace and white...

a pretty little top that I will enjoy wearing for the summer season.

sheer sleeves

looks a bit retro

reminiscent of the "London Look" when Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton were modeling.

You know what they say...

everything comes around again.

There is a pair of tan capris' hanging in my closet that I will pair with this top.

and the new sandals from last weekend will complete the look.

Next time I get my toes painted I think I'll choose a bronze or gold shade of polish 

and bring out some of my gold jewelery which has been in hiding for the winter.

Gold looks so much better when one has a bit of colour...

silver seems to go better with my pale winter skin.

Do you have different jewelry for winter and summer?

Do you opt for fun faux, vintage or ethnic, or classic designer pieces?

~ ~ ~

This sapphire and diamond deco ring has been getting some wear this week.

Vintage pieces are often a great value.

I think you get more bling for your buck.

It's such fun shopping in antique shops for different and unusual gems.

Often they have layaway.

If you are fortunate you may have an elderly friend or family member who has left you a treasure...

make sure that the stones are secure and have it appraised...

before you start wearing it

you might be surprised how valuable it is.

Have some fun this weekend

and don't forget to be kind to others.

Blues....

Slim Paley has a beautiful blog and she recently published a post on Delft blues...
she entitled it Feeling Very Delftish!

She reminded me of my small collection of Harumi Ota hand painted porcelain pieces.

I use them for serving up salads and vegetables and when they are not full of food they are in plain sight for my amusement and admiration.

I love blue and white china and porcelain.

The makers of fine porcelain have used this colour combination for hundreds of years.

This is the newest piece which I purchased with money that Mother gave me for Christmas.

I am a firm believer that when one is given money for a gift that it should be spent on something 

that one desires rather than something one needs.

Imagine if you will these bowls filled 

with oranges, lemons or limes...

These tomatoes looks so plump and juicy

I love how they look redder by comparison to the cobalt blues and snowy whites.

Turned upside down

the base is commodious

I could stand a large bees wax candle on top and use it in a centre piece!

Think of the honey scent as it slowly burns and illuminates the area.

This older image is one of Pepper as a kitten.

It's cold and icy here 

 the heated floors in the basement are turning out to be my favourite place to walk barefoot!

It would not surprise me if the cats take to napping on them.

I hope that your week is filled with colour and good times.

Hostess