Welcome to a new feature called Fridays are for Inspiration. Fridays will now be the day to share pictures, links, blogs and websites that inspire me.
This post shows how I came to choose the colours and design for my blog.
The blue is inspired by my beloved Colonial Blue by Denby.
I chose this pattern when I was 17 (my parents owned a china store) and Mami decided to help me build my collection slowly by giving me a piece or two every birthday and Christmas. Admittedly, receiving china when you’re 17 to 20 isn’t exactly thrilling but I sure felt grown up when I first moved out and I was one among few of my friends who owned a full dinnerware set. Colonial Blue has since been discontinued and despite many years passing, I’m still in love with the clean crisp blue.
The red is inspired by my red accent pieces.
The integration of red into my collection happened unintentionally. It started when I first moved out and desperately needed a few more kitchen essentials. Mami being the generous soul that she is, gave me the few Emile Henry red pieces she had collected: an olive oil bottle, a salad bowl and a pie plate (okay, so maybe that wasn’t a kitchen essential) and it was a happy coincidence that they complemented my Colonial Blue beautifully. Eventually I began to add more accent pieces including a salt pig, a kettle and a mini Tabasco bottle.
The Tabasco bottle sits on top of the oven and above it is a vibrant print that we purchased in the Caribbean while vacationing there when I was 15 (16?). It sat in the basement for years and only after I'd moved out (to a basement suite no less) did it meet a frame. I like to think that my love of this print subconsciously guided me to collect red and blue.
Here are the open shelves above the kitchen sink. Tres jolie, non?
Okay, I admit that the above photo was slightly staged. Ordinarily there are two liquor bottles anchoring the cookbooks.
Okay, okay, okay! If I'm totally honest, usually the pestle sits in the citrus juicer, which balances haphazardly on top of the mortar. Moving on!
The simple white background is inspired by Leo Babauta, writer of zen habits. I enjoy blogs with clean layouts and I try to keep mine clutter free.
- Lists, handwritten with my favourite purple pen,
- Google Calendar,
- and NowDoThis keep me organized. (See what I did there? List.)
And we're done like dinner.
