fun summer herbs

I really miss those fun days spent going to my favorite thrift stores and flea markets. Ebay has been a good substitute when I need something specific, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised with some of the freebies I’ve found lately. 

This rusty old tool box is my favorite color and has just the right patina for planting a few garden herbs. I have a new friend and neighbor, Gary, who was nice enough to give this to me. 

I just love how it looks with these colorful plants and culinary herbs, so I set the whole arrangement on the table in my breakfast room. But first, the table needed a fabric element, so I went into my linen closet a remembered that I had picked this cloth up recently the day after a garage sale for free.  

Such a cute combo of colors and textures! I added some lemons from the garden for good measure and another pop of yellow.  

Have you been treasure hunting lately? I’d love to hear about it!    

ciao! fabiana

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pretty patriotic accents

Summer is such a great time to bring out the red, white and blue décor. That means anytime between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the perfect time for a bit of patriotic style. It is an homage to our lovely flag, of course, and for me it just oozes summer sophistication. 

That brings me back around to a few key pieces we used from Pacific & Rose to style Blue Door Cottage last summer. You can find the whole layout in the newest edition of Cottages & Bungalows magazine, but I’m here today to share some highlights with you.   

For a punch of color, and to bring out the red in the framed vintage nautical flags, I chose to add these stunning Red and White "Buta" Pillows to the existing sofa and cushions.          

From this angle you’ll notice these pillows do double duty! Look at the back... they have a striped pattern on the flip side, and we used them to style the front patio’s Adirondack chairs.  

Same pillows, two different looks. Isn’t that fun? 

Just add a few potted red geraniums, and it just screams summertime! This beach cottage is just soooo cute, and totally reminds me of the summers I spent in Cape Cod when I was a little girl.  

The beach is just a block away, so a picnic basket is added for fun. Who doesn't love a picnic on the beach? 

Back inside at the bar in the dining room, I added another pop of color with the “English Red” napkin. This is one of my favorite patterns, and in this shade of red, it really adds vibrancy to this vignette. 

This shot is the one that actually made it into the magazine. 

The adorable kitchen also has a bar area, and here we used a beautifully rich navy-blue tea towel named “Lawrence Indigo”. Catch a glimpse of the delicateness of the design. These table linens are all hand block-printed in India by skilled craftsmen (and craftswomen). 

I love mixing this Lawrence pattern with other blue and white items. And it looks so cute with the green of the limes and the pink of the watermelon. BTW, you can find the recipe for my Watermelon Spritzers in this issue.  

When styling this adorable vintage kitchen, the "English Blue" Kitchen Towel seemed like the obvious chose to complement the fun baby blue cabinets. Just a lovely pattern! Summery blue hydrangeas lined up on the window sill finish off this look!

For more beautiful inspiration from Pacific & Rose, I'd love for you to check out these other blog posts...

A Beautiful Autumn Tea Party

Fall Tea Party Details

A Brand New Look for Fall

Fall in the Dining Room, Two Ways

Pretty Linens and a Glass of Wine

ciao! fabiana 

Pacific & Rose shopping info from this post:

Red and White "Buta" Pillows

“English Red” Napkins 

“Lawrence Indigo” Tea Towels

"English Blue" Kitchen Towel 

Office & Showroom by appointment: 
Pacific & Rose Textiles 
276 Victoria street, Costa Mesa, California 92627

Phone: 949-633-1080 

Email: elizabethjames@pacificandrose.com