of doilies and homemaking...

so....doilies....i really, really don't like that word. hate seems a little strong....but i strongly dislike the word doilies. try saying it over and over again....weird, right? anyway...doilies and i have had a bit of a rough relationship. my great-aunt (who is more like a grandmother to me) makes doilies...crochets...by hand...these intricate little table covers. the amount of time and love that goes into each one of these pieces of art is worth noting.

so, for the past um....several....years, i've been boycotting doilies. not sure exactly why...makes dusting slightly more challenging, one more thing to wash, not sure they go with the "modern" look i wish i could better emulate...there are reasons, but i'm just not sure what they are...but i know that none of them are good enough.

i was recently looking at some pictures of a home and it looked so cozy. and guess what i noticed in the pictures....DOILIES! hmmm....... then, i was recently reading an exhortation to mothers/wives on their duties of homemaking...and one of the things mentioned was making a home comfortable and appealing through the use of linens....ahem....doilies, included.

so...it got me to thinking that maybe i should try incorporating some of my doilies (that are in fact special to me....because i hadn't gotten rid of them) into my decorating. and it has been so fun. i love walking through my living room and seeing reminders of my aunt throughout the room.

this little antique telephone table sits next to our front door. i hope to recover the seat one day, but for now, it is dressed up a bit by the doilie and pewter plate. (which should have mints/candy on it, but it is within reach of my toddler and dog, neither of which i trust!)

both the doilie on the telephone table and this one above on the buffet are trimmed in a sage green, so they coordinate well.

this one still feels odd to me because it seems like there should be something ON it...but the prettiest part of it is the flower in the center, so i can't bring myself to cover it up.

the piano wins the prize for the piece of furniture with the most doilies...two of these are actually my daughter's, but she lacks a good place for them in her room, so i am using them for now...

the buffet in the dining room is usually seasonally decorated and the doilies really help to brighten the spring glassware.

so....doilies it is. and i'm so glad. but, if doilies aren't for you...we can still be friends....family, even. :-)