A bit of Marsala is good ….

The Pantone colour for 2015 is Marsala & it is hardly a surprise as it is a rather traditional colour with warmth & depth.

However, it is one of those strong colours which divide & conquer the masses.

Some find red too traditional, too striking, too much.

We have a large red living room wall at home that hubby loves & I tolerate & work around. It is Rectory Red - easily marsala in colour & it works only because the room is large, light & bright - otherwise I fear it would be oppressive.

I would happily paint over it but it is one of those compromise decor issues.

How do I get around the large marsala (red by any other name) wall?

Our home decor tends to incline towards 'global trend' as we incorporate things from our travels & various countries we have lived.  That global range uses marsala as a block or accent colour.

I love ceramics & interesting fabric which provides the thread running through our home.

Our living room curtains were made from a long length of Ralph Lauren fabric that I loved & which tied in to the red wall. A local seamstress made them up for the bay window & they provide the colour palette for the room with their earthy tones.

A large piece of hunting fabric which I framed to compliment the curtains

A cosy knitted throw echoes the pale outer curtains & walls …. in truth, it helps to break up the dark wall & sofa combination

Natural solid wood & leather bound books add the earthiness that is needed.

I gathered the pantone coloured ornaments in one group rather than all over the space - two trays on the console table keep them as a group.

Various textures that I love - feathers & antlers - very organic :)

A vintage family tray holds elements from our African trips …

That is how I do global Marsala at home, by bringing in various shades & textures. On trend - no, just working around a red wall that is liked.

Will you be embracing the pantone colour of Marsala this year? How will you do it? Inspire me please.

Thanks for stopping by, your comments are always enjoyed & appreciated.
Dee ~♥~

Happy flipping …..

Shrove Tuesday is upon us once again - how soon it comes around, marking the start of LENT.  I love pancakes & we always do Shrove Tuesday at home.

I had the fabulous Hatters to stay so we did pancakes for breakfast ….

We opted for the little chunky Scotch pancake style pancakes with blueberries -
The recipe I use is
1 cup of flour
1 cup of milk (less if you want them thicker)
1 egg

Mix it all together - thin it with extra milk for large thin ones.

Cook 2-3 small ones in a frying pan or 1 large one, flip - yes, F L I P & then enjoy with whatever you like.

Blueberry pancakes with banana, yoghurt & maple syrup. Mine had a generous shake of cinnamon sugar (I add 2/3 sugar to 1/3 cinnamon in a spice bottle & spinkle it over my pancakes …. )

It was sooo good with a mug of steaming hot coffee - this is how breakfast should be.

Tomorrow it is the start of Lent - are you giving anything up for the 40 days leading up to Easter?

Thanks for stopping by, always pleased to read your comments,
Dee ~♥~

What is love?

Hi all - how soon has Valentine's Day come around again.

As mentioned previously in i-heart-valentine,  funny-little-thing-called-love and true-love-is-not-just-one-day, we do not do Valentine's per se for personal reasons, but with hubby away on business, I will spend the day being thankful for the love of a fantastically supportive hubby,  2 wonderful daughters & the closeness of family & friends.

I am 'quietly religious' and this sums up love perfectly for me:

"LOVE IS PATIENT"

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4

This is what we should strive towards - a love that celebrates the uniqueness of each, with great respect. 

Love is something to be cherished - not just once a year, but everyday - easier when you just think to the words above - patient, kind, protective, forgiving, truthful & not self-seeking. 

Beautiful roses to remind me of my loved ones - be blessed this Valentine's day & cherish those dear to you. 
Dee ~♥~

Using vintage metallics & copper jugs

Hi all

I hope your time has been less hectic than mine has been with updates to our kitchen & bathrooms at home. I will share some with you soon.

The decor trend has a strong leaning towards the warmth of metallics and copper is right on trend to add a touch of glamour & reflection to interiors. I hear sharp intakes of breath with visions of dated copper items ….

I am enjoying the different types of metallics from the traditional silver, gold,  copper & brass to bring in some much needed light, drama & sparkle to our late Winter decor.

I decided it was time to take the old family items out of the loft where they have been gathering (a lot of) dust & see if & how I can incorporate them in to our decor (or just pop them back up in the box in the loft ….)

These jugs with their bird like shape needed some serious polishing to make them presentable.

First step naturally has to be bringing them back to life with a good polish or clean. I had some sachets which are put in a bucket of hot water to soak items in, but they didn't work too well on silver but the ones for copper & brass were more effective.

They looked a lot brighter & shinier once buffed up a little. I like the copper - brass contrasts which emphasise their strong shape.

The old kettle belonged to hubbies great grandmother & had been used on a coal stove at sometime. It has a worn charm that comes with items that have a long history. The handle is not wood; it is similar to bakelite & needs a bit of polishing or something to bring it back to its former glory.

I wonder how many times this lid was taken on & off to fill with water?

The little jug & watering can are probably newer even though they did not polish up as well.

The 3 jugs are probably from the 50's - an iconic shape that is not well loved because it is so well known. However, their gleaming look is a lot more pleasing, they have a timeless quality of the familiar...

No one can say that I am not trying to embrace the copper trend … How would you incorporate them into your decor? Are you a metallics fan? Inspire me please :)

Thanks for stopping by & taking the time to leave a comment.
Dee ~♥~