The Bluest Blue

July's flower is Larkspur. A favorite in cottage gardens, larkspur is an upright Spring and Summer blooming annual. Also known as delphinium, the flowers on its long stalks range from bright white to soft lavenders and periwinkles to the more vibrant cobalts and indigoes you see here.

An al fresco bouquet of delphinium and cosmos via Martha Stewart Living

As July's birth flower, larkspur is said to symbolize an open heart and ardent attachment and to convey the feelings of lightness and levity. I would have to agree with the lightness and levity part. My Spring garden wouldn't be the same without the delphinium I plant each year. The bright blue color fairly leaps out of the garden and makes me happy every time I see it. It's not a shy color but it doesn't necessarily steal the show either. It seems to play well with all the other colors in my garden. So saturated are the deeper darker blues of this flower that Native Americans used them to make blue dyes.

This is not my garden but I'm sure you can see why I love that blue!

Color psychology tells us that blues are associated with serenity and calmness. Physical responses to the color can include a lowered pulse rate and body temperature. Blue is seen as "dependable" and "traditional". Americans have a deep connection to the rich, primary blue found in our nation's flag. It's the color of clear skies and open oceans. It's the color most often chosen by men as their favorite. While I can't say that I have just one favorite color, I will say that the bright, happy hue of the flowers in my garden each Spring is probably my favorite blue. And it's long been a decorating favorite too, especially this time of year. In the Summer months, shelter magazines and catalogs are chock full of this gorgeous color. Inspired by the larkspur, here is a bouquet of beautiful blue interiors I found to share with you; some brand new, some pulled from the archives.

In the short life of my blog, I've already used this Barclay Butera living room once before, but it's just too perfect for this post... and I love it so much, I'm happy to see it again!

A more traditional living room designed by Patricia Wood, mixes it up with multiple patterns on fabrics and porcelain accessories, via Beautiful Homes magazine.

The UK's Country Homes & Interiors featured this comfy indigo denim chair in their recent study of what they called "new country colours". Also note the bright painted floor, blue trim on the roman shade and fun rug with just enough of the same blue in simple, happy flowers. More flowers, delphiniums no less, fill a striped ceramic pitcher on the side table.

A great big blue armoire makes a statement in this otherwise neutral room, via our dearly departed Country Home magazine.

This Veranda cover story from September 2008 features a too-beautiful-for-words Jamaican getaway home designed by the fabulous Charles Faudree.

An outdoor living space overlooking the Arizona desert. Presumably, the blue upholstery was chosen to cool the Summer heat. Photo via housebeautiful.com.

More inky blue upholstery on dining chairs via housebeautiful.com. The floral drapes are fun too and notice how the designer tied the window treatments in the next room to these with blue trim on the valances.


Beauty industry heiress Aerin Lauder's East Hampton dining room as featured in Elle Decor. I'm torn about this one. Does the blue wall complement or obscure the heirloom porcelains?


Michael S. Smith designed this gorgeous tile and used it as wainscoting in the living and dining rooms of a Portugese Colonial-style home near Santa Barbara, CA. Photo via Smith's book "Elements of Style".


Those in the know about color theory say that blue is the least appetizing color. It is sometimes suggested that dieters should eat on blue dishes in order to quell their appetites. And yet, blue remains a popular color for kitchens. Recently brought back into production, England's T. G. Green Cornishware, as seen in the collection below, sets the stage for a traditional scheme in the country kitchen of a renovated Pennsylvania schoolhouse. Photo via countryliving.com.

Historic blue and white: Claude Monet's kitchen at his home in Giverny, France, was undoubtedly inspired by his beloved gardens and is as striking now as it was 100 years ago.

Fast forward to the future: a bright cobalt blue enlivens this modern kitchen via Domino's "The Book of Decorating".

Blue is a natural for the bath. The color of water is said to represent calm and serenity. This vibrant bath, via countryliving.com, might not be so calming if you don't really love a lot of blue. But I'll bet it would be really energizing on a busy morning.

More relaxing perhaps is this contemporary spa-style bath. Lots of white, a paler blue on the walls, chocolatey brown woods and then just a pop of cobalt in those vessel sinks and a few accessories. Photo via countryliving.com.

Clearly, I have no control over my love for Barclay. Wouldn't it be wonderful to step out of that spa bathroom above and into this beautiful bedroom? I think they look great together.

More bedroom blues, from a special-interest publication featuring French country decor, in a layered, multi-patterned, country-style bedroom.

A contemporary bedroom, via housebeautiful.com, also uses a playful mix of patterns. The cool blues are warmed and grounded by the wood headboard and nightstand.

Count on Pottery Barn to bring on the blue and white in heavy doses every Summer.

Now this is what I call serene. Cloud white walls and linens. The variety of blues and patterns on the bed, floor, at the window and on furnishings is very pleasing, not at all busy. And can you see that there are four different blue and white upholstered chairs in this one room? I don't know what I'd do with all of them--or when I'd have four people seated in my bedroom--but I love that they're there. And how can you not love that vaulted, beamed ceiling and a fan to keep the cool breezes blowing? Heaven. Every bit of it.

photo of the most perfect bedroom ever via housebeautiful.com

Can't get enough of blue and white? You need this book by tastemaker, trendsetter and lifestyle expert Carolyne Roehm.

In it, you'll find images like these: a collection of fine porcelain ginger jars and vases and lamps...

...as well as this lovely, casual tablescape...

... and this blue and white ensemble dressing an eighteenth-century Chinese chippendale bed in a guest room in the author's own home.

If you love blue and white and doing your own home decorating, you'll want to get this book too... as much for its pretty cover as for all the great ideas and how-to advice inside.


In last month's post about roses, I finished up by saying that I wondered if I would be able to find a larkspur tattoo as easily as I had found the rose tattoo I featured there. Guess what! Within minutes, I found two. On the left, below, is the ankle of a woman who adorned herself with her husband's birth flower. On the right are the feet of another woman who goes a little further than a single birth flower. The flowers on her left foot represent family members. You can just see a bright blue larkspur bloom on the far right of this arrangement. And, in case you're wondering, the fish on her right foot are meant to represent herself and her two sisters. I don't remember why. Why fish. Why those colors. Why any of it.

I hope you're enjoying these monthly posts because I'm having a lot of fun putting them together! Next month: the gladiola. Should I try to find another tattoo?

** Here's a fun coincidence: the lovely Maria Killam at "Colour Me Happy" is talking about this color too. As an expert color consultant, educator and interior designer, she talks about color all the time and illustrates her theories with brilliant examples. Go take a look. You'll learn a lot. I always do.

It's the little things...

...that sometimes get me so excited I just have to run and tell someone. In the past, that someone has primarily been my husband. Who very often, and quite understandably, couldn't care less. But by virtue of proximity (we live together and work in side-by-side home offices most days), he's the first person I go to with a "fantastic" new idea or discovery. He's a good sport though. And a really nice person. So he'll listen patiently while I expound on my own genius. "Look!", I'll say, "Doesn't it make an enormous difference that I moved the hand towels from the top shelf to the middle?!" He'll let me go on and on and on (and on) about the new table linens I found today and "how versatile they will be!" because of the tiny specks of cobalt blue. And he'll pretend to approve of the changes I made to the bookcase accessories even though I know he can't see any difference at all. Sometimes though his glazed expression or slow-motion backing out of the room will be my cue to stop. talking. now. Because he's had enough. He's only one man, after all.

But now I have you. And since I can't tell from here whether there are 5 of you or 50 or (gulp!) none at all right now, I'm going to pretend that there are plenty. More than enough to ensure that someone will be interested in this:

Adhesive plate hangers that really work! (click on the photo or go to the link below to get a larger view). I first discovered these online but hadn't yet ordered any when I met a nice lady in a cute shop who pointed out, while I was buying a pretty blue platter-- "to hang on a wall", I explained--that she had these great new hangers in stock. She showed me the plates hanging in her shop office, explained how they worked and sent me home with a platter and six plate hangers in a variety of sizes. The hangers in these photos are the very same ones I bought, available online at Fine Home Displays, for about the same retail prices I paid. I don't have photos of the plates I hung using them, but, trust me, they're easy to use, (soak in water to activate the adhesive, apply to plate, let dry and cure for 24 hrs, hang), are very secure, and can be removed just as easily. Best of all, they look so much better than those springy-clampy hangers we've all used before.

You're welcome!



Top image via Pacific Pintos (pacificpintos.com), a miniature horse farm in Fort Bragg, California, breeders of super-cute, teeny-tiny little ponies. That's Pacific Jazz Hot Spots there in the photo and he was only 23" tall at birth. I think my dog is bigger than that.
For the record though, if I were to keep miniature farm animals of any kind, it would be Nigerian Dwarf Goats.

But not everyone thinks goats are as great as I think they are. So I used a pony. Everybody likes ponies.

Comfort Food Friday (on Thursday)

Saturday is Independence Day. The Fourth of July. The start of a three-day weekend. (Or maybe the middle--depending on whether you take Friday off or Monday.) It's our most patriotic holiday. And time for one of the most American of activities. A cookout. A picnic in the park. A celebration with family, friends, community, country.

If you pack your picnic basket early, you can go straight to the park after the parade.

And when you unpack that basket, what favorite picnic foods of yours will come out? Burgers and dogs to throw on the grill?

Cold fried chicken homemade last night just for today's occasion?

My favorite picnic food is the perfect side dish for either of those two mains. It reminds me of family cookouts and day trips and potluck get-togethers.

Full disclosure: Not having a photo of my mom's actual potato salad, I borrowed this one from companyscoming.com. But I will say that this is a near perfect visual. (Except for the fancy lettuce underlayment. And the artfully placed egg slices. And the chives. Sorry Mom. Your salad might be plain looking on the outside, but it's beautiful, and delicious, on the inside!)

My mom's potato salad. Creamy and crunchy and seasoned just right so you can eat gobs and gobs of it without being overwhelmed. An old-fashioned mayo and mustard dressing. Regular ol' Idahos--no fancy red-skinned or new potatoes here (Though I'll bet Yukons would make a pretty yummy version. Mom, are you reading this?). Hard-cooked eggs, some chopped celery and onions, a little pickle relish, and just the right amounts of salt and pepper. She's made it exactly the same way for as long as I can remember. And ruined all other potato salads for me. Oh sure, I've dined on delicious variations of this classic side dish in all kinds of restaurants, delis and friends' kitchens. But they're just not the same. They don't come with childhood memories built in. And isn't that what makes a comfort food so comfortable?

Enjoy your holiday! And if you don't already have a favorite picnic food, maybe this will be the weekend you find it.

Top image via www1.american.edu/heintz/postcards.htm

Other food pics via countryliving.com

White House fireworks and parade images via ??? I need to learn to keep better records!

Mirror, Mirror, All On Sale...

Well, not all, but some. And nice ones too!

For some reason, I have been obsessed with mirrors lately. Comes from trying to brighten up my own look and throw some light around, I suppose. Not sure yet whether a mirror will do it, but I'll be considering a couple of these should things go that way.

In my webmail box this morning was a notice that Pottery Barn is having a July 4th Sale. I cruised around their homepage and can't see how long the sale lasts, so you may have to act fast if there's something you like. On the list of new items on sale today, I found these great mirrors and couldn't resist showing them to you because every one of them is good-looking and there's enough variety to suit just about any decorating style and space. I'm not sure yet that I'll be buying, but maybe one of you can benefit from the affordable pricing. And these are only the ones on their "new sale items" list. There are plenty more to see if you're inclined to look around their entire site. But, I'm telling you, stalk their website regularly if you see something you like that's still full price... just about everything goes on sale eventually! (WARNING: Pottery Barn items that are priced with a 99 at the end instead of zeroes--as in $219.99 vs $219.00--are final sales. You can't return the item and you can't even cancel the sale once it's placed. I got a great deal on a rug that way once, but I had been "stalking" it and knew it was exactly what I wanted.)

First up, the Chevron Bone Mirror, pictured above in a pretty, sandy-colored room and below, up close. Besides the beachy home you see here, I can see this mirror in an ethnic-inspired setting surrounded by collections of Asian or African origin. It would look fantastic in a foyer so you can more easily see, and touch, the inlays. $249.99 (reduced from 349.00)

Next is the Basketweave Rattan Mirror. Great texture on that woven frame. Nice over a mantel as pictured below, or, again, in an entry where its tactile qualities would shine. I can also see this one and three others, hung close together, two over two, on a tall wall in a voluminous living or family room. If you like the tropical look of a Barclay Butera beach interior, this is the perfect mirror for you. $299.00 (reduced from $349.00)

The Rustic Elm Floor Mirror makes a statement. Quietly but with strength. Would look great in many interiors from contemporary to country, cottage or industrial. $499.99 + an additional $40 delivery fee because of its large size (reduced from $699.00)

The Concentric Planked Mirror. This one would be more versatile than you might think at first glance. Now, I love red and think of it as a neutral. So I can see this mirror almost anywhere except the most traditional or period-specific spaces, where something more classic or ornate might be appropriate. If you look at it on the website, be sure to view it in the larger window. The variety of colors and textures in the frame make for great interest even though the shape is very simple. $249.00 (reduced from $299.00)

This is the one that's got me walking around my house with a measuring tape in my hand. The Wooden Door Mirror. Love the honey color of the frame and quarter-circle insets in the corners. Imagine it hung horizontally over a sofa or large sideboard in a dining room. Or just prop it up in the corner, as pictured below, and enjoy how pretty it is. The best deal too, I think, at $199.00 + a $20 delivery fee (reduced from $259.00)

Lots of great sales just about everywhere these days if you have a decorating need and a little bit of extra money. So on this Independence Day weekend, whether it's to Pottery Barn or somewhere else, be a good American and go forth and stimulate the economy!

Bright Idea

I've seen this a few times now and think it's an idea worth sharing: a fixture that makes it possible to replace a recessed can light with a pendant. You can easily update your lighting in a matter of minutes. All by yourself. Without the cost, or mess, of hiring a pro. Following, are the three I've seen in retail catalogs (that of course also have websites).

Ballard Designs offers this first version (below). If the recessed lights you want to replace are two or three in a straight line over a focal area like an island or down a hallway, this option would be an attractive way to add softer, more flattering light than is sometimes produced by overhead spots. The converter itself, with cord attached, is sold separately and is designed to accept any of Ballard's 10", 12" or 14" Drum or Empire shades. One of the product lines Ballard is best known for is their selection of fashionable, affordable shades for lamps of all styles and sizes. Provided your can fixture is in the right spot for this type of shade, you'll get a pretty, custom look for not a lot of cash.



Another catalog, Plow and Hearth, offers a glass pendant that's better-suited for wet areas than a fabric shade would be, such as over a kitchen or bar sink or bathroom vanity. And, like the fabric shades above, these would also look good two or three at a time over a peninsula or island that currently has cans over it. This fixture and its shade are sold as one unit and there are three shade finish choices: amber, alabaster or frosted ribbed glass. Just as easy to install as the Ballard option. In the photo below you can see it has the same screw-in style adapter and a dark ceiling canopy that matches the cord and covers the can.



The third option I've seen comes from a company called Improvements. Same screw-in installation as the previous examples. The selection I show here is more contemporary in appearance with chrome fittings and canopy. The flexible cord appears to be a silver color as well. Teardrop-shaped Italian glass shades are available in white or amber. There are a few other shade style options on their website and a fun feature that allows you to see "before" and "after" views of spaces that are given this simple lighting makeover.

All fixtures shown here come with cords that can be adjusted to a drop length of approximately 8 to 48 inches. Depending on which you choose, they accept bulbs of either 75 or 100 watts. And they're all super-affordable. Individual fixtures range in price from around $40 to $50, and at least one of the retailers offers a "buy two" price break. To complete their fixtures, Ballard's shades in the appropriate sizes are priced in the $30 to $50 range.

If you have a spot in your home that could benefit from a quick-fix like this one, take a look at ballarddesigns.com, plowandhearth.com or thecanconverter.com. It doesn't cost anything to look and barely more than that to buy!