Outdoor Christmas Tablescape with Blues and Greens

Hello all and thank you so much for stopping by!

 I certainly hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving on Thursday. I know I gobbled until I wobbled. 

Wow I cannot believe we are already into the Christmas season, you certainly wouldn't know it by the warm almost early fall like temps we have been experiencing here in the northeast. The weather yesterday was so amazing that I simply had to take advantage of it by getting outdoors and creating a Christmas tablescape on the back porch.

My first thought was to do a pretty table in red and white. But once I got started, for some reason, it just didn't feel right. Maybe because the grass in our backyard is greener now than it was in June! So then I decided to use the color scheme which I had chosen for the furnishing's cushions on the back porch, and carry it on to the tabletop. That being one of my favorite color combos blue and white.

A little sparkle was added in the way of silver along with accents of green using apples and fresh cut greens.

My two little love birds once again made it onto my table setting. Two silver napkin rings were added to the candle holders to give them a little more interest.

The napkins themselves were rolled up and tied off with a simple piece of jute twine. A fresh sprig of arbor vitae was added for a seasonal touch.

I just couldn't resist a pretty evening shot, or two!

How about you...have you started your Christmas decorating yet??? 

Well if you are looking for holiday ideas and inspiration, beginning December 7th 

21 Rosemary Lane 

will be participating in a Holiday Home Tour extravaganza! My dear friend Marty from the stunning blog A Stroll Thru Life has put together another 30 bloggers who will be sharing their homes all decked out for the Christmas Season.

The lineup is as follows!

Monday - Dec 7th

A Stroll Thru Life - Marty - http://www.astrollthrulife.net  

Claire Brody Designs - Claire - http://clairebrodydesigns.com 

Hymns & Verses - Doreen - http://www.hymnsandverses.com  

Rain On A Tin Roof - Jenna - http://www.rainonatinroof.com  

Making Home Base - Chelsea - http://www.makinghomebase.com 

Snazzy Little Things - Jeanette - http://www.snazzylittlethings.com 

Tue - Dec 8th

Bliss @ Home - Kristen - http://www.bliss-athome.com  

Driven By Decor - Kris - http://www.drivenbydecor.com 

(new)    Refresh Restyle - Debbie - http://www.refreshrestyle.com 

Our Southern Home - Christy -http://www.oursouthernhomesc.com  

(new)  Far Above Rubies - Anits - http://http://www.anitafaraboverubies.com

Life on Virginia Street - Sarah - http://www.lifeonvirginiastreet.com  

Wed - Dec 9th

Burlap and Lace - Shannon - http://www.burlapandlaceblog.com 

Simple Details - Pam - http://www.simpledetailsblog.blogspot.com 

Decor To Adore - Laura - http://www.decortoadore.net  

Thrifty and Chic - Alicia - http://www.thriftyandchic.com 

21 Rosemary Lane - Barbara - http://www.21rosemarylane.com 

Style Your Senses - Mallory - http://styleyoursenses.com  

Thurs - Dec 10th

Simple Stylings - Summer - http://www.simplestylings.com  

A Thoughtful Place - Courtney - http://www.athoughtfulplaceblog.com 

Tidbits & Twine - Kim - http://www.tidbitsandtwine.com 

Monica Wants It - Monica - http://www.monicawantsit.com  

(new)   Decorating Delirium - Jennifer - http://www.decoratingdelirium.com 

No Minimalist Here - Sherry - http://www.nominimalisthere.com  

Fri - Dec 11th

Life Love Larson - Andrea - http://www.lifelovelarson.com 

Remodelando La Casa - Christina - http://www.remodelandolacasa.com  

(new) It All Started With Paint - Linda - http://www.itallstartedwithpaint.com 

Dimples & Tangles - Jennifer - http://www.dimplesandtangles.com 

SG Style - Shavonda - http://www.sgstyleblog.com 

Make sure to mark your calenders...you won't want to miss a minute of these fabulous tours!!!

Wishing you all a wonderful start to your week!

XO

Sharing this post at link parties hosted by these fabulous blogs...

The Everyday Home ~ Share It One More Time

Coastal Charm ~ Show and Share

Cozy Little House ~ Tweak it Tuesday
A Stroll Thru Life ~ Inspire Me Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style ~ Wow Us Wednesday
Stone Gable ~ The Scoop

Share Your Style Link party #41

Hi Everyone and welcome to the 41st Share Your Style party! This week your hostess is me, Barbara, from the blog 21 Rosemary Lane. I would love for you to stop by for a visit sometime!

 Here is what has been going on at 21 Rosemary Lane over the past few weeks. I shared with you some of the fall beauty we enjoy here in the great northeastern United States. This year's foliage was especially gorgeous!!

I also showed you how to make this darling Pumpkin Garland.

And finally last week I shared a few ideas I have to update our rather boring kitchen walls. The color I have seriously been kicking around is a gray and I plan to pair it with white bead board wainscoting. To see some of my inspiration pics just click here. Hoping to get this part of the kitchen project done before Christmas!

And now on to the features!!! 

First up is a pretty back porch table setting for two from Lory at Designthusiasm. I am so crushing on those colorful pillows by Ralph Lauren and just look at that view...gorgeous!

Next is a darling cracked patina nightstand Erin from How to Nest for Less  refinished for her daughter's bedroom makeover. Hop on over and check out how she created this lovely patina look as well as the rest of her darling room.

Now we are going back outside to take a peek at a beautiful front porch put together by LuAnn from the blog Lovely Livings. I just adore all of the mums, pretty pumpkins and white rockers with orange pillows. Sooo welcoming!

 OK I admit it...I am a complete sucker for anything chocolate. This gorgeous Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting was created by Once Upon a Chocolate Life. Isn't it stunning??? Someone please hand me a fork!!!

For those of you who are still looking for some Thanksgiving table setting ideas, Dagmar from the blog Dagmar's Home shared seven wonderfully inspiring and easy Cottage Thanksgiving Tablescapes.

If your link has been featured please make sure to grab our feature button before you leave the party!

And remember when you link up to one blog you are linking to all six blogs!

Barbara @ 21 Rosemary Lane

Lynn @ The Vintage Nest

Kelly @ The Essence Of Home

Martina @ Northern Nesting

Ron @ Uptown Acorn

Amanda @ Dixie Delights

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Our Thanksgiving Table 2015

Wishing you all a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

XO

Share Your Style Link Party #40

Good evening and welcome back to our Share Your Style party!!!

  Each week one of your hosts will take a turn choosing the features, and then ALL SIX of us will share them on our blogs for tons of exposure.

Barbara @ 21 Rosemary Lane

Lynn @ The Vintage Nest

Kelly @ The Essence Of Home

Martina @ Northern Nesting

Ron @ Uptown Acorn

Amanda @ Dixie Delights

THIS WEEK'S HOST:

Amanda @ Dixie Delights

It's been a busy week at Dixie Delights!  I shared the final reveal of my powder room, kicked off a Christmas gift tag giveaway, posted pictures from our family photo session and shared the easiest crock pot apple cobbler EVER.  I'd love for you to pop by Dixie Delights and say hi!

FEATURED LINKS:

Chatfield Court shared instructions for a lovely vintage mirror to chalkboard transformation.

  

Bloom Designs shared a darling Thankful tag perfect to tie to a little teacher treat this week - like pumpkin muffins or even a mini pumpkin!

 

The North End Loft shared her cozy fall decor.  It looks like the perfect place to cozy up with a book on rainy days like today!

My Kentucky Living shared how she transitions one wreath from fall to Christmas.  It's a great idea!

 

 If one of your links was featured, be sure to grab our button before you go!!

Now, on to this week!  We hope you'll join in with your decor, vintage, DIY, tablescapes, creations and yummies… in other words, pretty much anything STYLE related.  Grab our party button and add it to the bottom of the posts you link up:

With that, it’s time to Share Your Style!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Kitchen Inspiration ~ Gray Paint Color with Honey Oak Cabinets

With the holidays just around the corner and the likelihood of entertaining in our home during this joyous time, I have been kind of pressuring Mr. RL to help me spiffy up our kitchen a bit! 
The last remodel of our kitchen was done about 16 years ago, 2 1/2 years before we moved to 21 Rosemary Lane. Then in the past year we have had to replace the stove/oven, dishwasher and microwave. (Doesn't it figure they'd all go at the same time?) With the kitchen serving as the hub of our home for the past 13 years, it has really become dull, dated and just plain beat up!

We painted the kitchen at pale green back in the spring of 2006, and in 2012 Mr. Rosemary Lane added a bead board back splash. 

Mr. RL also put up an over-the-door shelf the fall of 2012.



Then last spring I purchased a hutch at ReStore for $40. It is slated to be painted as soon as I make the final decision on what I want to do with the rest of our kitchen. On a strict budget of course!

The one feature of the kitchen I never cared for is the skimpy looking desk in the room's largest corner. It really has been nothing more than a catch-all over the years, as well as a place to set the TV, collecting mail and other papers I didn't know where else to put. We really don't need a desk in the kitchen anyway since we already have a room in our home designated as the office.

So what to do. As much as I would love to paint the wood cabinets in a creamy white, that is one battle I do not want to have with Mr. RL. He loves the honey oak cabinets, and to be perfectly honest they are in great shape and are really made very beautifully. So the honey oak is here to stay.

I started to search the Internet for ideas to help me update our kitchen, you know give it a little drama and provide a touch of that wonderful farmhouse vibe. One of the ways I have come across to update the space, and tone down the yellow of the cabinets at the same time, is to paint the walls in a contrasting deep warm gray. Here are a few pics I've pinned to my Pinterest Board Kitchen Inspiration.

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(Pinterest)

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A few colors I am considering at this point are...

Anonymous by Sherwin Williams 
(also used in the first inspiration kitchen in the above photos.)

Desert Twilight by Benjamin Moore 
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Coventry Gray from Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection
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And while I really like the way the honey oak and dark gray work together, I do have that rather large wall space behind the hutch that if painted a solid gray may prove to be too contemporary for my taste. So with that being said what I'd like to do is to carry the bead board idea from the back splash onto the lower two thirds of the walls and continue it around the room. 

This gorgeous pic from the beautiful blog Town and Country Living illustrates the idea perfectly.

I love the way Jennifer paired the open shelving with the pretty bead board. I plan to remove that desk currently in the corner of the kitchen and something like the open shelving or even some country artwork would really liven up that dreary space.

Then at some point, as long as Mr. RL is on board, I would love to change the kitchen island up by adding a new wood feature to the island's exterior for visual interest, and paint it in my contrasting creamy white. (Pretty pendent lights and some new stools at the island's end would be nice too!)

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Ahhh a girl can dream can't she???

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

XO