Winter White(wear) on Display

I love the way my house feels during the holidays. It's warm and cozy, and the decorations make it feel special. I hate the way my house feels after I take down the trees and pack everything away. It feels sad and empty!

I decided to change things up a little and put away my collection of Johnson Brothers "Friendly Village" dinnerware for a little while. I rotate my dishes throughout the year. I use this pattern during October and November, but it stays on display all the time. Here's what this china cabinet usually looks like...

I've already put away my Christmas china and right now I'm using a set with snowflakes. An Alabama girl can dream, right? 

I began by taking everything out and then I cleaned the inside of the cabinet and the glass doors.

I decided to brighten things up a little and display my extensive white pattern. These are my "every day" dishes that I got when we married. The pattern is "White Satin" by Nikko. 

I love this pattern and have never regretted choosing it. It looks as good today as it did sixteen years ago! The neat thing about this pattern by Nikko is that there is a whole series of dishes that are all white with the same shape, but then there are various accent patterns. I have a set with Christmas trees, and I have a few of this pretty set with blue peonies. They mix and match beautifully, and you don't need complete sets. 

I don't have a lot of blue in my house, but I think these are so pretty!

I dug out all my white serving pieces, too. I pulled this pretty woven box from my stash to hold napkins. I like the texture it adds.

I like to display similar items together. It gives you more bang for your buck. These teapots don't match, but placed together, they really stand out. The blue cow creamer was meant to pick up on the blue in the peony plates. The blue ribbon in the platters isn't exactly the right color, but I had it on hand and it saved me a trip to the store (and some money!).

My grandmother gave me the blue jar on top. My grandfather used it to carry milk to the house when my mother was little. He was a cotton farmer, so I thought a few stalks of cotton were perfect against the pretty mottled blue enamel. You can see the corner of my greatgrandmother's biscuit bowl next to the blue jar. It's nearly 100 years old, so I keep it up out of reach. It's so old and dry that if it was dropped, it would crack and break.

That's my grandmother's juicer next to an Arthur Court platter I added for shine.

Here's a closer look. You can also see that I've got up some of my Valentine's Day decorations.

The copper jello molds were my greatgrandmother's, too. I love the color and texture they give the wall.

I really like the change I've made. It's light and bright and cheery during this cold weather. Plus - it'll help me appreciate my "Friendly Village" more when I take them back out this fall!

Have you changed things up around your home lately?

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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