As you know, if you’ve been reading me for any length of time, I like white things in my home. My walls are white, my soft furnishings are white and my ‘stuff’ is white. I decorate and collect in this way because I like the way white makes me feel. And that’s it. It’s that simple. I feel lighter and brighter and calmer and fresher when I’m surrounded by lightness, brightness and whiteness (or variations of it).
Of course I should explain that I use the whiteness as a canvas on which to add splashes of colour to.
Case in point : This marvelous hanging dresser that was here at the house when we arrived. Its beautiful mid-toned & hand crafted wood sits on the wall majestically and was screaming (in my head anyway) for my white stuff.
Here it was a few days after moving in and looking a bit chaotic. The Sainsbury’s reusable shopping bag was just not cutting the mustard, it needed sorting.
So bit by bit, as the boxes were unpacked, the white stuff made its way on to the shelves.
And yesterday I added a flourish of colour by cutting my first roses of the year. Both are David Austin, the pink being Alan Titchmarsh and the white being Claire Austin.
They sit in water in a teacup I bought for £1 at a market in Lyme Regis. It’s not an expensive way to live, its a creative, imaginative and resourceful way. I prefer seeing something I’ve grown, to something I’ve bought. I’m not in to spending particularly but I am into watching, learning and giving things a go myself.
If they can do it, so can I.
Nice little mantra that and I surprise myself when I forge on through and stand back to see that I completed a task.
This is my forth year of growing roses and I know what I’m doing now.
But before that?
Not. A. Clue.
Do it.
Whatever “it” is. Do it and never ever listen to anyone that says you can’t. In fact, use that negativity to spur you on and turn it around in to the most positive chapter of your life. If you want to grow roses go out and buy your first rose bush. Look up how to grow them on the internet and compliment anyone who grows roses that you have admired from afar. You never know, they may let you in to their secrets and before long you’ll be sharing your knowledge. Which means you’re giving back. Which makes your decision to put your doubts behind you and grow roses, the best decision you ever made.
You see how it goes. You don’t need me to tell you.
It’s about a big life. A life that is full of joy and not only full of panic and stress. It’s about getting your white stuff on to shelves if you want to and standing back when it’s finally done and loving what you see. Loving that the moving boxes are finally disappearing from the floor and loving that you can kick back with your kids knowing that you’ve done something you really wanted to do that day. That’s “big” enough for me.
Have a fantastic day. I’m on fire today as my ‘big’ life is getting bigger and my dreams are coming true. My kids are starting to scramble over me and fight for cuddles and snuggles from ME while laughing and I LOVE it. My dreams are made of moments like this. I feel so wanted and loved and I feel like a Mother.
I am complete.
And I don’t care how that sounds.
Don’t forget to check out today’s BEHIND THE SCENES!
I love you. See you tomorrow.
Cherry x
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Thanks, Cherry!
Love white, love roses, love the beautiful sentiment in your blog posts. Thank-you. x
Thank you for such beautiful words. You are inspiring!
Your home is coming together in the most lovely way. And I am very happy for you that you are feeling so fulfilled.
Thank you for the boldness of your pursuits and your encouragement of same. We don’t know anything about roses, but we planted four bushes this spring and we are delighted with the results. We seem to have a little beginners luck going for us.
Happy Thursday!
Hi Cherry!
Love the roses!
Did you have to move your rose bush when you moved? Did it cope well?
Thanks,
Gemma
Lovely dresser, and great backdrop for your pretty white collection.
Thanks for your inspiring words.
Such a lovely inspirational post, Cherry! I love the dresser and the roses are beautiful
Thank you for today’s post x
Afternoon x
I love all the white china, it looks great. I’m just waiting for my rose bush to come out in flower. It’s in it’s 7th year now and just gets better every year. I love roses.
x
Thank you for this today. I really needed to read it– to be reminded that I am living a big life right now– right where I am. Blessings to you!
I have started growing my first climbing rose and so far it is doing well. I’m looking to do some different varieties as well so off for a rose hunt this weekend
I think roses are in your blood.
Remember Nana’s? Climbing up the fence & then in the circle at he bottom of the garden. She even has those rose soaps on the side of the bath… Roses always remind me of her – & sweat peas remind me of mum’s mum…
Have a lovely day
Lx
LOVE your dresser Cherry!!! + love your love for white and life. And yes, all is about giving things a go. When people first came to look at the house we’ve bought they were all like “uhm, urh, yes .. nice”. They couldn’t see through all the mess. The second thing they said “oh I can’t do that, fixing up a house”. Well have you ever tried???
I’m a rose newbie but I’m learning fast from my mother and her friends and my faithful friend, the internet and from people like you. I use your archive a lot
You and I inspire each other. You are so perfect in your home style, and every other way too!!!! Cx
A great philosophy, it’s catching!
the cuddles are great, I still get a cuddle from my son, now 20, and always a kiss when he goes out of the house.he’s in a rock band but never embarassed to do it. My daughter’s the same, we always say ” Love you” and mean it. I think more children, no matter how old they are need to hear that.. especially from mum and dad, and vice versa, how many people say ” I wish I’d told them I love them” when its too late..
come on everyone make that call or visit and say it!!
The roses are lovely and I am deffo going to see what I can plant in the garden or tubs that will perfume the house when cut..any ideas Cherry?
and the dresser?? how lovely to find that in the house..all we found were walls papered in PURPLE( yep that loud) and a chimney breast covered in black quilted material. classic!
Hi Cherry!
Lovely post as always- you’ve inspired me to go into the garden this morning and cut a couple of our first roses in bloom this year for our kitchen.
I’m really loving your ‘behind the scenes’ pictures- todays photo of Ned is simply adorable!
Best wishes,
Amanda x
Just catching up on your new adventures, I love what you’ve done so far it looks really beautiful. Glad you’re enjoying your new home
Please could you bottle your positivity and pass to me as I could really use some, spend my time working out what could become of my dreams whilst doing a less than stimulating office job!
Am getting the Claire Austin rose shortly to replace a rose that we inherited that has seen better days…..Your white is the equivalent to my white and pale blue…..
oh how I get what you mean. Totally.
One thing I always say on my blog is ‘give it a try’. My sewing is terrible, I am lazy and never bother to measure, but I make things because in my head I know I can. I wasn’t particularly encouraged to show my creative side as a child, so didn’t bother to try things. Now I couldn’t give a flying fig what anyone thinks as I know my handiwork is often a bit rough, but I get the results I want. I just ask people not to inpsect things too closely! Recently I had a really lovely comment from a lady, saying that I had helped to inspire her to sew some bunting,and how well it had turned out. And that’s what it’s all about, if you don’t try, you never know what you can do.
I’m the same when it comes to gardening. I do things my way and it normally works. My dad despairs of my slapdash ‘skills’. I always say things want to live, so the chances are that seeds with sprout and plants will grow. Roses are my favourite flower to grow, and pretty easy really. One thing I have found though, is if you prune them back after flowering in summer, you normally get a second late show of flowers in September.
Love all the white stuff. Last November I had a ‘white month’, where I had as much white around the house as poss. Flowers, candles, teacups, vases, bedlinen. Everything. It was to clear my mind before the madness of Christmas, and it worked a treat. I’m going to do it again this year.
Ok, I’ve rambled on enough and that ironing won’t do itself.
Enjoy your day, and those babies
xx
Yay for the cuddles! And for the gardening too… my roses are sorely afflicted with greenfly this year for the first time ever so this morning I am on the attack to oust the little blighters. But yesterday evening, I was walking up to see the dear elderly lady I provide companionship for, and got up the courage to knock at the door of a house on the way with a beautiful garden. I have been ogling a hot-pink plant in the front garden for a couple of weeks, the lovely older chap who answered the door told me the name (Heuchera), offered me some plants in the winter when it is ready to split, and gave me a huge handful of the flowers to take home with me! I have a new category of friends: GARDENING FRIENDS! They are good people!
you just made me cry. a lot.
you just me cry. a lot.