Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Blues and Greens...just because.

A couple of days ago, I bought this blue and green Easter basket...




...just because I loved it.  
Now, I know that I don't have much blue in my house, but I wanted to keep the basket, and somehow make it work. 
Do you ever do that?...see something you love and really want to keep, even though the colors don't go with anything else in your house?  


I dragged the basket all around the house and finally decided on the hutch in the kitchen.
 I used my Blue Willow and Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage plates to repeat the blue and green in the basket. 

Here are some close-ups...


I took this photo, standing on a chair, so you could see it at eye level.
I don't know what the "flower box" in the center is called. 


It looked like this when I found it at GW.
Does anyone remember what they were used for? 
Holding napkins, maybe?


I painted it cream, slapped on a bit of mushroom-y RL glaze and painted the handle gray. 
 I admire all of y'all who paint and distress furniture so beautifully, but I have no talent...or patience...for doing painting techniques. 
The things I try, always end up looking like a muddy mess. 

Well, back to the close-ups...



I was still standing on the chair when I took this photo, too. I wanted you to see the "stand" for the teapot...a cabbage bowl. 
Hey, I know a teapot on a cabbage bowl looks a little funny, but I'm using what I got.


 This pedestal came from an antique mall. It was already painted and distressed... Yay!


Believe it or not, I've had the blue napkin rings for years, but I don't think I've ever used them.


There. A new look for the hutch...and I can justify keeping the basket.
 BTW,  I added the tall blue flowers to it for a little added height.

I'll be joining these parties:
Sherry @ No Minimalist Here for Open House Party
Honey @ 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Heather and Vanessa@ At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra@Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Kathleen@Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish
Jody and Stan @ Rooted in Thyme for Simple and Sweet Fridays

34 comments:

Liz@A Dish Here, A Glass There said...

Oh yes I've bought plenty of things I wanted because I liked it and then had trouble fitting it in! I bought beautiful blue and white stems of delphiniums last year and a big white pitcher that I loaded with them. I made a table up with them but they didn't flow with my tuscan setting.
I still love them and hope to use them again soon!
I remember a box like that at my grandparents. Seems to me they put mail in it or bills to pay. It was just a generic doodad for the wall! I like how you rejuvenated it! I have the vase and a pitcher that match your glasses!! Love your hutch, great job!

Unknown said...

Love it ! And that is an old mail holder thanks for sharing your lovely blue and green Joann

chateau chic said...

Your basket looks so pretty on your hutch. Love how you mixed the green and blue dishes.
I'm a new follower and hope you'll stop by,
Mary Alice

A Few Pennies said...

Well you succeeded very nicely in using that lovely green basket; all the pretty blues looks great with it. Gorgeous settings!

Kelly said...

I love how you styled your hutch! The deep blue color paired with the green and white looks so pretty. That little box with the handle looks like it could've been a mail holder. I love how you repainted it!

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

Babs your hutch looks beautiful! I have the same Bordallo cabbage plates as you.

Anonymous said...

Hi Babs! Love your blue and green dressed hutch. I've bought quite a few things that just didn't match colorwise to anything. I think the main thing is you love and it will work.
Love all of your pretties.
Be a sweetie,
shelia ;)

Shenita @ Embellishments by SLR said...

Babs, your hutch looks great! Love that blue and green color combination! It looks so fresh and perfect for Spring!

Mr Paul said...

Babs, I think your cabbage bowl looks great raising the teapot, talk about thinking outside the box. Very smart and multi functional.
I love the way you make everything seem so easy to style. Hats off to you.

Paul

Blondie's Journal said...

I am loving your hutch, Babs! The basket of flowers ties in the green and blue plates perfectly! The box looks like it once was meant to hold mail {in my case bills!} it would look pretty with a bunch of flowers in it!

XO,
Jane

Anonymous said...

Beautiful decorations Babs!
Have a lovely day!

Debbie said...

I love it all, from the inspiration piece that you bought to the napkins and napkin rings.

And yes, I do that. My downfall seems to be pink stuff. I do not have a single pink space in this entire house. Neither daughter's room is pink. (I think I overdosed them as little princesses.) Yet, I will buy pink things that I can't use.

That's why I'm trying to neutral up my home more so I can use more colors as accents.

Babs said...

Paul, Thanks for your nice comments and for following. I enjoyed your post on the camellias, but I was unable to leave a comment since your comment section is open to "team members only", and there was no email address available. Thanks again. I appreciate your visits and comments.
Babs

Ann@A Sentimental Life said...

What a beautiful basket. Love your little chicks too. Your hutch is just gorgeous.

Sheila said...

Your painted wooden flower box you used (the white one with the eagle looking thing on it) Although I don't know what it's called, in it's day it was used to be hung in the kitchen to hold small cutting boards or butcher blocks. Love the blue and green by the way.

Alycia Nichols said...

I'm in agreement with Liz...I used to have one for mail and magazines. I think I had 3 of them: 1 for general mail, 1 for magazines, 1 for bills. Very clever move to paint it and convert it into a floral box!!! I buy things all the time that have absolutely nothing to do with the colors going on in my house. I like to change things up on occasion! Beautiful job, and I really like those chick egg holders!!!

Connie said...

That has to be the prettiest Easter basket I've ever seen. Beautiful display. Makes the heart sing.

Carlene @ Organized Clutter said...

Babs, the blue and green is perfect for the white cupboard!

Scribbler said...

Your hutch looks beautiful and Springy -- good call on the basket. It has a lot of nice texture, too.

Cheri said...

Babs,

The basket fits in perfectly with all your other items...looks good.

The French Hutch said...

Babs will you please come decorate my hutch? This is just lovely, I love how you used the blue willow together with the green cabbage plates. Your basket pulls it together! Beautiful.
Have a great weekend.

~Emily
The French Hutch

At The Picket Fence said...

I think the teapot on the cabbage bowl is my favorite part! :-) The entire grouping is just lovely and we are so glad you shared it with us at Inspiration Friday this week!
Vanessa

Susan @ Real Girl Designs said...

Your hutch is lovely, as is your blue & green basket, and I love your transformation of the mail holder. Very pretty!

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

Beautiful hutch and I the blues and greens look so spring-like against the white! Lovely.

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

I love this combination of colors. Any ocean color works for me. Those chicken egg cups are darling. I have something similar, but I'll be darned if I can find them.

Nancy's Daily Dish said...

Yes, yes, yes...all the time. I really don't have a favorite color but I do tend to lean towards certain colors for certain things. Sometimes I find something I just love or want to decorate around but it doesn't necessarily go with my color scheme...and that bugs me.
I love how you've incorporated this and paired the green and blue. That's a color scheme I absolutely love when I see it but I don't know if I'd live with it all the time because I seem to always be drawn to reds in my living areas. Oh well. I think your hutch is gorgeous and I love the way you've displayed everything and made this work beautifully...like you planned it that way all the time!

Nancy

Kathleen said...

It looks great, Babs! And since you showed us your collection of Bordallo you could link this with Let 's Dish!
Come over and see the great bargain I found on Hutschenreuther dishes!
Anyway, I think the basket was a good choice and your hutch looks lovely!
Are you ready for the Tartan Parade?

Stan and Jody Gabara said...

Love this post with all your beautiful baskets and flowers. The colors are perfect for the holiday too! Would love for you to share on Simple & Sweet Fridays.


Jody

Alison @ The Polohouse said...

Looks terrific Babs!
I love how you painted the napkin holder, I think too?!!

Looking forward to our little plaid party in just two days~
xoxo
Alison

Your hutch looks wonderful!

Unknown said...

You seemed to manage very nicely there! :D I love the ensemble! :D

Hugs,

Unknown said...

Sometimes we just have to get up on a chair to get that special shot or lie on the ground like I do all the time.

I don't know how many things I have that just don't go with my house, but had to have them anyways.

Savannah Granny said...

Well Babs,, You did it again. With all the home runs you hit we need to send you over to the Braves clubhouse.
For some one with no blue around the house you certainly did come up with a beautifully decorated hutch. I think I spy a Poppytrail platter in the background. Is that Sculptured Grape? My daughter has that set but I can't remember the exact name. I covet your cabbage plates, I have a few serving pieces but no plates. They are so beautiful but in honor the season, I will not covet thy neighbor's plates.
Hugs, Ginger

Judy Biggerstaff said...

You have done a superb job, love your Blue Willow and Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage plates. I think I need to look for some Pinheiro plates, I don't own a single one.

On Crooked Creek said...

Babs,
This is stunning! The blue and green are such wonderful colors for the season! Creative uses for what you already have!!! Inspiration bounds!
Fondly,
Pat
P.S. Do be careful standing on a chair...I use a two step ladder here on the Prairie!!!