BLUE AND WHITE

Good Morning Everyone,

 Gosh, can you believe it,  Wednesday is here again!  Where does the time go? Phyllis did warn me, that the older you get the quicker time passes.  I am inclined to agree to a certain extent, but I also believe, the busier you are the faster time passes and since I have started blogging my days are so full they seem to be  zipping by!

What is your opinion on blue and white, do you love it or hate it?

 I  love  blue and white, whether it is blue and white ceramics, blue and white material...well let's just say anything blue and white makes me smile.

I grew to love blue and white when I lived in Germany as a young married wife. 

Look how young I was, a friend snapped this photograph without me knowing

 I've noticed blue and white  comes in and out of fashion, but I have never cared for fashion with regards to the home.  I like my home to be individual and to be a collection of  items which tell the story of our married life. I'm not interested in things which are disposable and that will flit in and out of my life. I don't want to be told, this is what I should have this year and what colours are in vogue at the moment.  I want to be an individual and I want my home to reflect this. I want to display treasured things that stay with me, that mean something when I look at them.  To remember where it was bought or who gave the item to me. I have loved building our home slowly over the years and not to rush out to buy the latest whatever. Our home is filled with a wonderful eclectic mix and we love it. 

 So with that in mind, I thought today I would show you something that I really love,  my collection of blue and white plates. Well not my entire collection, as you would be bored to tears if I showed you them all.  So I've selected a few pieces which I think you will enjoy.   These blue and white plates are from different parts of the world and have been packed and unpacked so many times that I have lost count.  Some beautiful plates  have been lost along the way, but that is part of of life!

A Blue Delft Plate

This is a beautiful Blue Delft plate. This is such a pretty plate.  The flowers  appear to be  huddled together, and remind me of a coral reef.  Then there are the taller flowers stretching their faces towards the sun, you can almost sense their movement in the wind. See the little bug, don't you just love   that it has gone unnoticed by  the bird.

Royal Doulton Plate

This plate is a fine china Royal Doulton Plate.  The willow pattern was designed by Thomas Minton around 1790. 

Willow refers to the pattern and the background colour is always white, whilst the foreground colour could be blue, pink, green or brown.  Here is a poem which describes the Willow pattern.

Two birds flying high,

A Chinese vessel, sailing by,

A bridge with 3 men, sometimes 4,

A willow tree hanging oer,

A Chinese temple, there it stands,

Built upon the river sands,

An apple tree, with apples on,

A crooked fence to end my song.

This plate is from Portugal and is quite different from the previous plates I have shown you. Do you see  the  cut outs, I feel this is a more feminine looking plate. 

This plate is from Dresden, Germany.  We visited there many years ago and this plate was bought as a memory of that visit.

This is "Water Tower" a Wedgwood Queen's Ware blue and white plate

 Do you see the sun peeking through the clouds and the little girl playing with her cat.

You don't get a sense of size from this picture, but the plate measures
14 inches in width.  It is spectacular hanging on the wall.

....... and now for something a little different. This is a beautiful Spanish Plate, it is so vibrant to look at ..... it reminds me of hot sunny days.

Size - 14 inches wide

This is another large plate from Spain, I know there is brown and green amongst the blue, but look how vibrant the blue colour is, again it is a stunning plate.

This is a Japanese plate.  George loves Bonsai trees and has quite a few which he cares for.  The spruce tree to the left of the plate reminds me of  George's Bonsai trees.

Isn't this Portuguese plate fabulous.  I just love this plate.

....... and finally,

Not one,

but

two

 Blue Delft Tiles

Sorry about the gaps in the corners, they really aren't this big.

Blue Delft Tile

I hope you have enjoyed looking at this small selection of my  blue plates. I have so many more to share with you, but I will leave that for another day, as I don't want you to overload on blue and white!

Enjoy the rest of your week and I will catch up with  you on Sunday.  Until then, take care.

Best Wishes,

Daphne xxx