Comfortable Country

Although I like a little glam in my home (glass chandeliers, toile curtains and golf leaf on frames) I love the Swedish look by mixing it all with down to earth fabrics and simple pieces of furniture too. In other words, comfortable things. I'm more country than anything else.

Growing up in the beautiful state of Wisconsin (village of Manchester, Green Lake Co), I spent my childhood running wild through the countryside. Very fond memories.
Climbing trees, making forts in the neighbor's hay barn, hunting for wild asparagus in ditches, fishing under bridges for bullheads, living on kool-aid popsicles and PB&J sandwiches and riding bike "all over kingdom come" - these "wonderfully country things" one could do growing up in the 1970's - with little or no supervision, I might add!

As an adult, I view countryside living more from a lifestyle/decorating angle.
That is what interests me now. I love the idea of opening my cottage up to the open air and having slipcovers on everything. I like the idea of a simple home with old things.
I like white painted furniture and clean fresh fabrics like toiles on white cotton backgrounds, ginghams, checks, faded florals and tickings.

I live in the city now but my country roots run deep. I even keep chickens now! (outside) heehee
How do you keep a comfortable country feel about your own home?

Blue & White in Northern Light

A taste of classic blue & white in great northern houses. Classic Rococo and Empire styles with a Scandinavian touch. White painted furniture, blue & white porcelain, sheer window treatments to allow as much light in as possible, stripes, toiles and checks and painted walls with touches of gilt - all classic Gustavian looks.

Pale, clear colors in uncomplicated, fresh patterns such as checks or stripes, on simple fabrics like printed cottons and plain linens. Clutter and unrestrained use of color and pattern gives me a whopper of a headache. I prefer the simpleness of a 1 or 2 color palette teamed with soft white, with emphasis on a few great collections.

Sometimes, as in this case, less IS more! Especially in this over-complicated world we live in and with the overly busy lives some of us lead.

"Beauty Will Save the World"

...a famous quote by author Fyodor Dostoevsky...has become my new motto.
It does not really mean that a person with beautiful features or figure will save the world (although we know physical love has been the cause of many a war!)

But rather, it means that through our beautiful acts of kindness and attention to how we conduct ourselves as we journey through our life, we promote peace, beauty and harmony with our fellow passengers. Living better, as a kinder person, will save the world if we all do it.

Stay tuned for a new series of miniature pop-up books I am designing, coming soon to my Etsy shop at (www.lilyoake.etsy.com)
Here is a teaser of what you'll soon find there...
(all the designs are of course, copyright LilyOake)

Lilac Time

It's that time of year when my yard turns green and the lilacs open and scent the air.
Growing up in Wisconsin surrounded by lilacs of every shade, it has become my first and foremost most favorite flower.
Did you know lilacs mean "first emotions of love"? For me, it's a very emotional flower, taking me back to my childhood when my Grandma on the farm had huge lilacs around the house and my Mom waited every year for hers to bloom so she could bring in big handfuls to fill the old, pale green vase with them for the dining room table.

It is such a treat to be able to plant, grow and cut my own lilacs now, from my own yard, and bring them into the house. Everything smells so sweet. Even my kitties sit with their tiny noses deep into the bouquets - although I don't kid myself - I think they are more interested in drinking the water.

I have tried to capture my feelings about lilacs in poetry over the years but I have to face the facts - I'm a lousy poet! So I'll let Robert Burns do the talking.

"O were my Love yon lilac fair,
Wi' purple blossoms to the spring.
And I a bird to shelter there,
When wearied on my little wing;
How I wad mourn when it was torn
By autumn wild and winter rude!
But I wad sing on wanton wing
When youthfu' May its bloom renew'd.

Taking delight in blue & white

The very talented Carolyne Roehm has a new book out: "A Passion for blue & white". This book is a must for any person passionate about the most classic color scheme of all: blue & white. ( "most classic", in my humble opinion) Soothing and serene, blue is the color of the sky and sea. It's a natural part of our everyday life here on Mother Earth. My love of blue & white influences my every design decision from the way I dress (navy and white), my linens and vases, the dishes I eat off of (Royal Copenhagen's Blue Flowers Curved), to my home's interior decorating scheme. I love "Restoration Hardware's" Atmosphere Blue paint. It's a pale, moody blue that changes hues with the time of day or weather. But it always coordinates beautifully with many different blue shades. Come this spring/summer of '09, my home "Elinor Cottage", will go from a washed-out, pale yellow exterior to the soft "Nordic Blue" from Waverly's paint selection. (with Honey White trim). I also use "Musee Toile Blue" in every room of my house. It's a pattern I never tire of, in a classic mid-tone blue on a crisp white background. Being 100% cotton, it is easy to launder at home and is durable enough to use for upholstery as well as draperies and other accessories such as pillows. Country Curtains sells an entire line of bedding and curtains in this blue toile.
And don't even get me started on blue & white stripes and gingham - love them!
Whether you use blue & white throughout your entire living space or just as an accessory, blue & white will always add a fresh note to a room. What is your favorite shade? here are a few: navy, baby, Atmosphere, cobalt, cerulean, azure, indigo, lapis, royal, sapphire, teal, ultramarine, sky, sea, beryl, turquoise, kingfisher, iris, steel, delphinium, lilac, robin's egg, Parrish, electric, French, Gustavian or denim. I just cannot get enough of blue & white and Carolyne Roehm's new book feeds that passion and reinforces my decision to go all blue & white in my life. Enjoy these images from "A Passion for blue & white". (and get the book! It's well worth it)

Tea and Strawberry Cake

As I gazed out the window a few Sundays back, watching the cold rain pelt my spring flowers (this IS Seattle!) I thought "What could be better on a day like today then tea and cake?" A cozy fire in the fireplace, sleepy kitties scattered about the room and warm tea with strawberry cake.

I found a delicious cake recipe on Paula Deen's show on the Food Network. Here it is in case you'd like to make it:

CAKE:
1 (18.25 oz) box white cake mix
1 (3 oz) box strawberry-flavored instant jello
1 (15 oz) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 2 (9") round cake pans. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed starwberries, eggs, oil and water. beat until smooth. Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on racks.
STRAWBERRY CREAM FROSTING:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup pureed sweetened strawberries (about - maybe slightly more)
1/2 tsp strawberry extract
5 cups confectioner's sugar
Combine all ingredients until smooth and frost the cake when it's cooled. Use some frosting in between layers to hold top and bottom sections together.
Decorate with fresh sliced strawberries or edible flowers, if desired.
The few changes I made were to bake 5 minutes more and to use raspberry extract as I could not find strawberry extract. It all worked out fine!

TEA: I love Trader Joe's English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast teas. On this day I used English because the flavor is milder. They are both rich and tasty though. I mixed in a tbsp of rich amber-hued honey per tea bag, directly into the tea pot. I also provided fresh sliced lemon to put in each cup. I love this combination so much, I have given up coffee and now carry a thermos of this tea mixture with me to work every day.

I collect Royal Copenhagen's Blue Flowers Curved porcelain so naturally, that's what you get your tea in when you come to my house! The pattern is very romantic and fresh and has a lovely embossed swirl pattern along with a scalloped edge to plates.

Cheese: I love me my savories and being a native of Wisconsin, cheese is my first choice.
I offered up 2 choices of English cheddars; one flavored with wine and the other with Irish whiskey. They countered the sweet tea and cake perfectly. I served the cheese on a lovely old chintz plate I found at an antique shop in Snohomish, WA.

With a couple of warm blankets and comfy down filled pillows on the sofa, we were comfy, well fed and quite satisfied for the rest of the day!