Seasonal Changes...A Dining Room Buffet

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Hello my friends...I hope you're having a fabulous day!
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Wow...isn't it amazing how fast time flies? We just celebrated Christmas...and yet...in just a couple of months...spring will be here! I really do enjoy the different seasons and all the changes that come with each period....and I love to decorate my home accordingly!
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Since we are beginning a brand new year...I have been reflecting on a few of the changes that occurred in my home in 2010. For Metamorphosis Monday and Table Top Tuesday this week, I thought it would be fun to share some of the seasonal changes that have taken place with the decor of my dining room buffet. It's one of my favorite pieces to decorate...I hope that you enjoy! I realize that this is a photo heavy post so I will keep my commentary to a minimum! Hehe!
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Seasonal Changes...

A Dining Room Buffet
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Winter Decor...2010

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Since I live in Colorado where snow is a definite during the winter months...I love to decorate with silver and white. These cool, sparkly colors really reflect the idea of snow and the colder temperatures of the winter season. I also really like how the silver and white look against the red wall color in my french country dining room!

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Spring & Summer Decor...2010

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I decided to use a color theme of white and "spring green" to welcome in the spring season. I just love this fresh, yellow-green color...it just sings of spring to me! Little white bunnies and white lilacs and hydrangeas are the theme for my springtime dining room buffet! I just loved this springtime buffet vignette and ended up leaving it through the summer season.
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Autumn Decor...2010

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Red, golden yellows, olive green, and warm toasty browns were the color scheme for my autumn buffet. The "star" attraction of this autumn buffet vignette...my three tiered, stackable cake pedestal plates filled with pears and other autumn pretties! A stack of autumn themed dessert plates...topped with pears...are located on the right side of the buffet. On the left side...a cloche filled with autumn leaves, berries, and miniature pumpkins.
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A Second Autumn Buffet...

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I ended up using the three tiered autumn plates for a tablescape (from the previous photos above)...so I redecorated the buffet using a couple of wire cloches that I had. I just love the old distressed gray finish on the cloches...ohhh, and I love that wire...so frenchy looking! An autumn floral candle ring decorates the bottom of the shorter wire cloche. If you look closely, you will see that a sweet little bird is used as a finial or handle for the short cloche. A sprig of bittersweet and more autumn florals swirl up through the insides of the taller wire cloche. The tall cloche measures 30 in. in height and makes a grand statement for this autumn buffet vignette! I also added one of my favorite pitchers to this vignette. I love the autumn colored leaves and grapes on the pitcher!
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Winter Decor...2011

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This was my dining room buffet's Christmas vignette. Since I used an all white and silver color scheme...I will continue to use this decor for the month of January...I'll change it out in February. I really...really love how this vignette turned out! I love all the sparkling whites and shimmering silver! Ohhh...and it is sooo pretty at night when the lights in the pine garland are turned on! Again, I used my three tiered stacking cake plates...filled with white and silver ornaments. Mercury glass finials, silver deer, and snowflake candleholders are placed on each side of the three tiered plates.
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I think that the Christmas/Winter buffet vignette is my favorite for the year...although, I am rather fond of my springtime bunny vignette as well! Hehe!

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Do you have a favorite?
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I am joining these fabulous parties...
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Metamorphosis Monday...hosted by Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch.
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Table Top Tuesday...hosted by Marty over at A Stroll Thru Life.
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Thank you, Susan and Marty...for hosting these fabulous parties for us!

Well my friends, I am so glad that you stopped by for a visit today! I hope that you enjoyed seeing the Seasonal Changes...A Dining Room Buffet! Please leave a comment and let me know that you were here...I'd love to visit with you!
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Warmest Wishes...

A Heart's Longing...Tea & Poetry

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Hello my friends! I'm so happy that you came by for a visit today!!!
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When I woke up on Sunday...looked out the window...this was what I saw! Ohhh yes...snow and more snow!!! I took this photo from my dining room window....brrr...it was too cold to go out for the picture! Hehe! I really do love winter, the beautiful snow, and the peaceful solice that it brings...
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but...
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enough is ENOUGH!!!
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By the end of February, I begin to long for Spring!!!
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I long for warmer days...
I long for the trees to be clothed in their luscious greens...
I long for the sight and scent of flowers...
Ahhhh....Spring!
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I know that it must be near, but until that day...what is a girl to do?
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Well...I threw another log on the fire and made a cup of hot tea!
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Tea & Poetry....

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A special treat...tea in a pretty china tea cup!
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This pretty tea cup is from my late mother-in-law's set of china. The pattern is called Roselet and it's manufactured by Harmony House. I just love the delicate pink roses and pretty silver bands!
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Ahhhh...roses! Pretty pink, spring time, roses!!!
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I went in search of a good book to read while enjoying my cup of hot tea and found this lovely book, "The Country Flowers of a Victorian Lady" written by Fanny Robinson.
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It is one of the most lovely books that I've ever seen...page after page of Victorian flowers and prose. Ohhh yes...this is exactly what I needed to dispell the cold and dreariness of the day!!!
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Oooh...just look at these beautiful pink roses!!!
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I found this sweet book while blog hopping one day. I do apologize for not remembering the sweet lady who shared this lovely book. As soon as I saw the fabulous artwork...I began my search. I found several copies at Amazon.com. This was a "delicately used" copy and cost only .27 cents! What a treasure find!!!
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The Country Flowers of a Victorian Lady

A bit of information about this book from Amazon.com:

With its wealth of charming watercolors, poems, and notes on the language of flowers, The Country Flowers of a Victorian Lady is destined to be a coffee-table fixture in the home of any lover of old-fashioned flowers. Kept as a private family keepsake for several generations, this gorgeous book was originally created by Fanny Robinson, who lived a quiet English country life in the last half of the 19th century. The rich, creamy paper provides a perfect backdrop for Robinson's drawings, and for those who have difficulty reading ornate penmanship, her fanciful poetry is copied onto each painting's facing page in an easily readable typeface.
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Fanny's exceptional book combines elegant watercolors with evocative poetry that is finely illuminated in the manner of a medieval Book of Hours. Using the symbolic Language of Flowers, she invests each flower grouping with subtle and often highly romantic meanings -- indeed, it is thought that the volume was intended as a lasting tribute to a lost lover.
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Ohhhh...how romantic!!!
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This book is a fabulous read! Fanny Robinson's watercolor florals and calligraphy is exceptionally beautiful and the poetry...exquisite!!! It was just what the day called for!
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I enjoyed sipping my hot tea from this lovely china tea cup and while reading this exquisite book of poetry and flowers...

I crossed through that "day dream door" into Spring!!!
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I am joining a dear friend for tea today! Wanda from The Plumed Pen hosts a lovely tea every Tuesday and Wednesday! If you haven't ever met Wanda or visited her delightful blog...my friend, you are missing out on a real treat! Wanda is also an artist who has had many of her art pieces published. Like Fanny Robinson, Wanda's masterpieces also have that exquisite Victorian flair!Please go by and meet this lovely lady and see what delightful delicacies that she has for us today! Thank you, Wanda...for hosting this fabulous tea and for being such a gracious hostess!!!

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I am also joining in with "2nd Time Around Tuesday". Diane over at A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words...hosts a fabulous Tuesday blog party where we can share our "2nd time around" treasures! It's been a little while since I've participated so I'm really excited! Please go by and see what fabulous finds that Diane has for us and while you're there you can check out all of the other participants! Thank you, Diane for hosting this fun filled Tuesday event!!!
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I am also joining in with the Tuesday Tabletops, Vignettes, and Favorite Accessories party today. Marty over at A Stroll Thru Life has so graciously taken on this fun filled Tuesday meme! Thank you, Marty! Please go by and see what Marty has for us today and you can also check out all of the other party participants!

I am also joining in with a new Tuesday meme (or at least it is new to me) called, "Tuesday Trivia". This fun Tuesday event is hosted by one of my newest blogging friends...Troy of I Refuse to Recede! Troy has a very interesting tie that he is showcasing, along with some awesome golf trivia...you won't want to miss it! Thank you, Troy...for the gracious invitation to come and participate in Tuesday Trivia!!!

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Well my friends, thank you so much for coming by for a visit today! Please leave me a comment and let me know that you were here...I'd love to visit with you!

The Glimmering...Shimmering...Shades of Winter

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It's Here...the Winter Cloche Party!

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Hello my friends! Well...the long awaited event is here...the Winter Cloche Party!!! I'm so excited!!!

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This fabulous party is hosted by our very own Marty over at A Stroll Thru Life. Thank you, Marty for hosting this awesome cloche party for us!!!

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You won't want to miss out on what Marty has prepared for us today...please go by and see! While you're over there...you will find a list of all the other cloche party participants!
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Well my friends, as I began to think about what I wanted to do for the Winter Cloche Party...I started thinking about all the different "frocks" that my cloches and apothecary jars have donned this winter season! Ohhh...I do love to dress a pretty cloche or apothecary jar!!!

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Here in Colorado along with the winter season...comes the snow! Have you ever seen it snowing when the sun is shining? It's absolutely gorgeous...there is nothing else in the world like it! As the snowflakes catch the sunlight...they "glimmer" and "shimmer" just like diamonds!!! It's sooo magical!

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So for your viewing enjoyment...I present to you a few cloches and apothecary jars...dressed in their finest frocks of the winter season!

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The Glimmering...Shimmering...Shades of Winter

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December's "Glimmering Golds"...
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Gold...Gold...and more Glimmering Golds
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Glimmering gold Christmas ornaments in all shapes and sizes!
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Gold jingle bells all wrapped up in gold satin ribbon.
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Glimmering golds accented by the light of a blue, wintery morning!
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It was the avant-garde of "Shimmering Silvers"...strutting their stuff...in the dining room!
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Shimmering silver accented by December's Christmas reds...
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A cloche with a shimmering silver ornament and shimmering silver beaded tassels...sit atop a shimmering silver pedestal dish. Ahhh...everything is SHIMMERING!!!
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December's Christmas red gives way to January's winter white!
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Is there anything quite like winter white and shimmering silver?
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A "Tea for Two was held in January...
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...adorned in it's finest winter whites...and shimmering silvers!
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A very large apothecary beverage jar sits center stage on this "Tea for Two" table. It is filled with shimmering silver mercury glass! Several of the mercury glass orbs have white shimmering rhinestones...can you see them shimmer as the light catches them?
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The entire tea was dressed in winter white and shimmering silver!
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January gives way to February's "Day of Love"!
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This pretty cloche is adorned with a shimmering silver mercury glass heart that has been tied with an organza ribbon fashioned in winter white!
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February's "Day of Love" is celebrated with a romantic table for two!
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Once again, the large apothecary beverage jar takes center stage! What can I say...it's difficult to upstage such a "presence"! Hehe!
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Winter white is everywhere...and silver...shimmering silver!!! Silver shimmers ever so brightly against all the winter white! Honey and I both thought we were blinded by our love for one another...hmmm, or was it all the shimmering silver? Nah...it was the love...true love!!!
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Well my friends...there you have it! The glimmering...shimmering...shades of winter!!! I hope that you enjoyed the show! Hehe!
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Thank you so much for coming by! Please leave me a comment and let me know that you were here...I'd love to visit with you!!!
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Warmest winter wishes!