The Monday after New Year’s and the holidays . . .
How does that make you feel? . . . Re-energized to start the New Year with great resolutions?
Or, a bit of a let down from all of the holiday activities?
For me, it is time to take down the decorations and refresh and fluff the house.
I replaced the vintage yellow ware bowls that were previously on this 3-tiered stand
with a set of Alfred Meakin ironstone bowls
that I purchased from Mary Alice when visiting last month.
The three bowls were on the stand without any embellishments for a about 5 minutes.
I couldn’t leave them alone . . . added some items with a winter feel.
The berries are faux holly berries similar to the real ones that we have on our holly trees.
Maybe, when my hubby is not looking, I can snip a few berry branches to place in a vase.
I am so thrilled with my new/old ironstone bowls. When I purchased these I really did not
have a specific idea of where I would display these; however, this 3-tiered stand that I
purchased several years ago from a Southern Living Party (do you remember those?) was perfect.
I love the combination of the iron and ironstone. They also look so very pretty without all
of the embellishments!
I hope you all had a most wonderful holiday and I am sure most of you have already taken down
your Christmas decorations and are moving on to organizing and refreshing your home.
As for me, the Christmas decor will be all put away this week in-between a project here and there.
Like this one:
I had a framed limited edition print of Thomas Kinkade’s Everett’s Cottage in that space.
I was concerned about a fading issue, so I replaced it with this mirror
that was previously in the guest room.
I love the new look. . . and look forward to the domino effect that it is creating.
So happy that it not only reflects light, but a nice reflection of the foyer.
After this little project was done, I got ready to meet friends for a birthday dinner.
When we arrived at their home to pick them up . . . it wasn’t dinner at a restaurant as I thought.
As I entered the house . . . Surprise! . . . our friends and hostesses threw me a surprise party!
And my sweetie was there to greet me! . . .
My thanks to my friends and great hostesses Dolores and Scott for ending the holiday season
on a beautiful note!!!
I wish you all a wonderful day of getting back to the normal activities of life, returning to
school, to work, and some to play golf on this sunny day . . . as we embrace this New Year
counting our many blessings!
First, Happy Birthday!
I am re fluffing and cleaning the master closet this week! The fluffing is fun. The closet…not so much! 🙂
Sheila
Happy Birthday Shirley! How nice of them! I love the re-styling that goes on and having less clutter. Love your ironstone and the stand is fabulous:-)
Love the square bowls. So glad you had a nice birthday.
What a wonderful surprise! I know you had a very special birthday. Now, back to reality…taking down and putting away Christmas. It always feels so good though when that chore is complete. I feel rejuvenated and ready to take on some new projects in the house…whether cleaning and organizing or redecorating.
Happy Birthday and how much fun a surprise party!!! Before we left for vacation I took down all the holiday decorations. I held off on putting the tree outside on Dec. 17th because it would of been a red flag we were gone. Now I am pulling out some pinecones to add a little winter decor. Happy New Year!
I love your winter decorating, Shirley. Happy Birthday–and a very, very happy 2015!
What a very fun way to celebrate your birthday, Shirley!!
The ironstone bowls look so much better in your home displayed on the iron shelf.
Love the reflection of your beautiful home in the mirror…perfect placement.
Mary Alice
Looks like you had a very happy birthday, Shirley! Continued blessings to you and your family!!
Cheers,
Barbara
Happy Birthday dear Shirley!Looks like you were totally surprised. The changes you made are great, I love the look of iron stone with the black rack they are made for each other. Your off to a wonderful week! Birthday Hugs, Jo
What a great end to the holidays and start to the new year, Shirley! Happy Birthday to you, lovely lady! I love those square ironstone bowls from MA – and graduated, it appears, just like the shelves!
Happy to have all the holiday decor put away, I am all about ironstone and transferware – rearranging existing, and switching up some from storage. I love the clean sweep after the holidays – all quiet and calm..for awhile, anyway.
Rita
Happy Birthday Shirley. What a nice surprise with the party and all your friends and hubby. Such a special time. Love your pic!! Gorgeous ironstone with the iron stand. It is fabulous and can lend to so many seasonal additions. I see hearts and Easter eggs in the future. Love the winter look now. The mirror is beautiful too and the reflection is wonderful.
I have put Christmas away too and redesigned my spaces for the winter. This time of year always has me ready to redecorate and change up the house.
Happy New Year and Blessings to you!
Hugs
Oh……happy Birthday!!!!!! What a great surprise from your friends too. I like the bowls you found with Alice. that little rack is the perfect place to display them.
Shirley, what a lovely surprise! Happy Birthday! It sounds like you had a fantastic day! Your ironstone is so pretty with the iron stand! You have chosen the perfect winter accents to add to this vignette!
HAPPY birthday, again!!! That was SO sweet for your friends to throw you a surprise party!!! I have ALWAYS wished someone would do that for me. Maybe when I turn 70?????????????? LOL! LOVE, love that stand and love the square bowls! I am atarting with the tree, taking down decor. Am excited to start WINTER decor, inspired by YOU!!! XO
Felicidades…..love the refreshing and domino effect, so much fun, looking forward to more 2015 posts…
Happy Birthday Shirley. Hope you enjoyed your surprise party. This is the year I get to move into my brand new home, which is being built as I write. Can hardly wait to decorate it with all the things I have in storage, all 8 units of furniture and goodies, yes 8 storage units. I look forward to your blogs for inspirations, seeing what you do next. Thanks for sharing.
Linda…I cannot wait to see you fill and decorate that amazing 15,000 square foot house that you are building!…I may need to visit and see it all happen on moving day!!!
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY Shirley!!
Happy Belated Birthday Shirley. May all your wishes come true. The bowls look great on your three tiered stand.
I have everything packed away in the guest bedroom just waiting for a hunky handy man, boy or what ever that can do some lifting and moving things around.
Enjoy your week.
So glad that your sweetie was there to greet you, that was the best Bday present.
Mary
Oh, how wonderful….a surprise party! Happy Birthday! Wishing you many blessings this coming year! 😉
Happy Birthday to you!!
I’m sure your day was very special.
Lovely white ironstone.
I’m so ready to start the new year, waiting for my new computer to arrive.
Happy, happy Birthday, Shirley! So happy your friends/family threw you a surprise party…what fun!
I love your little ironstone bowls…they looks so perfect and pretty on that tiered stand. Love it!
I’m like you…my decorations are slowly coming down. I can’t help but fluff a little as things get taken away. I started yesterday and am hoping to be done tomorrow.
I hope you have a wonderful evening! 🙂
I love it! and your birthday photos are adorable! Happy birthday Shirley! xoxox
Shirley, the bowls are perfect on the stand! I too enjoy the less cluttered look to start the New Year Off. Glad you had a wonderful birthday!
hugs,
Jann
What a wonderful birthday surprise! 🙂
Happy Birthday, Shirley! What a lovely surprise for you!
Love the mirror and that it has a pretty reflection there. I have a mirror on our dining room wall to help reflect some light since that is the side of the condo with no windows, but this mirror catches the living room windows reflection and helps, I think, quite a bit.
Shirley, my mother had an ironstone bowl just like that when I was growing up, and whenever she made fruit salad, it’s the bowl she used.
What fun Shirley! Hope you had a wonderful birthday!
Happy birthday! Goal for the week is to clean out the master closet. Let’s hope 2015 is THE year!
Fun decorating won’t be much of a problem for me is I didn’t do much in the first place. I like the three-tiered stand and can think of so many useful applications for it. I’m sure you will figure those out on your own though! Hope you had a very happy birthday, my dear.
Happy birthday Shirley What a wonderful surprise!
What a wonderful surprise and such a sweet friend you have!!! The vignette is beautiful…..love those white ironstone Meakin bowls too!
Happy Birthday!!!!
~Des
Happy Birthday Shirley!! Love the crisp clean look of your ironstone bowls on your stand and the reflection from your mirror 🙂
Happy birthday, Shirley… Glad you had a nice time with your friends…
The ironstone bowls are just lovely! I really like how they fit in the interior!Thanks for sharing! Greets for your birthday! Best regards, Storage Mottingham Ltd.