blue and white delights

It seems that the blue and white color combination has enjoyed a nice little resurgence this season.  And why wouldn't it?  It hits so many marks--it can be nautical and fresh or classy and refined.  It walks the line of masculine and feminine beautifully, making it the perfect color scheme for any dual-gender household. 

Growing up, our good china was this Wedgewood pattern, featuring the blue and white design with little hits of orange and yellow.  I was over the moon when my mother passed it along to me.  At the beach, Blue Willow is the pattern of choice at both my parents' and my aunt's homes--it is a tradition that began long ago with a collection that lived in the family beach house before any of us did.  We even hd a storybook that told the tale associated with the pattern.  In our home, for large get-togethers, we always use the huge service of old A&P Currier & Ives dishware that I bought at an estate sale when we first moved into our house. 

My dining room/ workspace is decorated in the vein of Monet's dining room at Giverny, with blue and white and a healthy splash of yellow.  A large blue and white china chandelier anchors the space, and some of our best transferware is hung on the walls.  I store my work supplies in a large cupboard, originally used to store jam, that my husband's grandfather painted the perfect shade of blue decades ago.

The other day, I saw that a friend of mine had listed a lovely nautical dress and I went on a blue-and-white treasure hunt.  I found so many lovely things.  This truly is a timeless look that can be used in so many applications.