Fabulous Find! Demitasse Glass (maybe boopie glass)

I found this adorable Demitasse glass for $.10!  It is the little things that make me happy. Enjoyed my espresso shot in this beauty. 

Spring Tea Table Decorations- Peeps Centerpiece

Each year, my church has a ladies tea.  We have a different theme each year and table decorators decorate their tables with pretty dishes and something that ties it to the theme.  This year's theme was "Seasons."  I used it as a reason to use some of my thrift store finds to decorate a spring themed table.  The other bonus was my table had mostly young ladies under 12 years old, so I was able to be a little more whimsy!

First the plates, sauces, and 4 cups were from a little church thrift store.  They are marked "Made in England", "Snow White Regency Johnson Brothers", and "Ironside Johnson Brothers."  I got the set of 8 plates, 7 saucers, random small and medium bowls, and 4 cups for $4.  Yep!  That is is.  I added in 4 other "Made in England" cups from the local Habitat Restore for $2 and had a set (except for one saucer- I thought I had 8!).  The cups are all in great condition and the plates, bowls, and saucers are in various states- some chips, discoloration, etc.  But many are in good condition and certainly good enough for my sweet young ladies so I did not have to worry!

I used a few other pieces, not so clearly seen on the picture above- a piece of milk class, a swirl milk glass bowl, a Princess House cake pedestal, my Pampered Chef trifle bowl (flowers inserted), and a crystal cut candy jar.  My flat ware was an old set of my grandmothers.  The glasses were new from Marshalls ($6.99 for 8!).

Overall the table was very low cost.  The candy was probably the most expensive part (and the potted plant). I did a Peeps centerpiece (I made entire Peeps Pinterest board) but used toothpicks (rather than hot glue) so we could eat them later.  I filled the tea cups with paper Easter grass and jelly beans.  The candy dish is filled with Robbins eggs candy (later I taught the girls how to decorate their lips with them!).  I provided some cute zip lock bags so the girls could all take home their candy later.  Each girl also had a place card with a 2.5 x 2.5 frame from Michaels.  Not only was it cute, it filled up the table.  The church provides the lunch on a plastic clear plate, so I added some felt flowers to my plain white plates for a little color and some thick pink straws.

Overall, it was quite cute, low fuss, and user friendly for young ladies.  I thought it turned out nice!  Hopefully you will be inspired and not feel tea decorations have to be overly done.  I will post pictures of other beautiful tables soon!

Fairwinds China- For Sale

Update- This lovely China sold.  :)

I have not listed this yet on Etsy. My friend's daughter is going on a mission trip in 2016. Some kind person donated this Fairwinds china set. It is almost perfect except for one cup and one bowl with chips. I am selling it as a set for $220 or by the place setting (5 pieces) for $20 each. There are 5 perfect place settings. Altogether there are 18 dinner plates, 15 salad plates, 10 small bowls, 1 small bowl with a chip, 15 saucers, 10 cups, and 1 cup with a chip. A nice set. Comment for details. I will add to Etsy in a week or so.

Vacation Home Decor- Use Thrift Store Finds

My parents have a vacation home they spend some weekends visiting. Not wanting to spend a lot of money in kitchen items, my mom shopped discount consignment stores and thrift stores for kitchen gadgets and dishes. She has china for dinner dishes and random vintage items for cooking and serving.  This Corningware roaster and two tea pots are three of her items she added to her kitchen. Of course, these are the same pattern as some of her wedding gifts in 1969!  Thrift stores have affordable kitchen wares for your current home, vacation home, or camper, if you are so lucky to have more than one "home".  They add character and are useful tools to have around.

Another child post- toddler stages and dishes

I cannot help it!  I am a mom of three!  My oldest two are 9 and 11. We were well beyond toddler years when #3 came into our world. So now I am back to toddler dishes with our sweet girl. She is an expert with a fork and loves to have her own big girl silverware at dinner. We also have a few smaller dishes for her to eat off and not break. This bowl was from a set with got in a monthly subscription service.  It is made from bamboo and is indestructible!  And it is just perfect for a bowl of cereal.

We we again be out of this stage soon but until then I will treasure little fingers and little bowls! 

Easter Dish Inspiration- Table Decor Ideas

Easter is such an amazing time- celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and celebrating Spring!  My family always gets together for a Easter meal and an annual Easter Egg Hunt at Mimi's and Papa's.

Decorating for Easter can be fun too.  While I am not too much into rabbits, I do love tulips and flowers of all kinds.  I love the freshness of Spring decor!  And with Easter falling a little late this year, we will all be ready for Spring... even here in Florida where it is already 86 degrees.

I made a quick Pinterest board on Easter decor using tablescapes and pretty china.  Maybe you can be inspired with your own table decorations.

Adorable 50's/ 60's Blue Floral Glass Serving Bowl

 

Isn't this AMAZING!  Found it thrifting yesterday and really considering keeping it instead of listing it!  LOVE LOVE LOVE!!  It is a large serving bowl with periwinkle flowers that would be so cute with a fruit sale served in it.  I have not seen a pattern like this and cannot determine the name of the flower (must ask my mother on that one).  It is in great condition without any chips or scratches on the paint.  I just wonder what kitchen this came out of.  It really reminds me of a wedding gift someone in the 60's received.  Any tips, please let me know! 

Check it out at My Etsy store.

Milk Glass Collections

We have this milk glass collection that came from pieces of my husband's grandmother's estate.  I am not sure what pieces are what- I have not even checked if they are stamped or not.  We have them displayed in our entertainment center cabinets because Martha Stewart says, if you have a collection, put them all together!  (I could not find her quoting this but I am pretty sure it was her!)

Milk glass originates from the 16th century according to Wikipedia.It was widely popular in the 50's and telling the difference between older and old is challenging.  About Home.com gives some good descriptions about ways to potentially tell old from new milk glass, including pattern, mold marks, etc., but it is a challenge even to experts.  Here are pictures of our collection.

 

I found this piece yesterday in our local Habitat ReStore location.  It is in great condition and is for sale in my Etsy store.  I just love the basicness of milk glass.  This piece is a little more transparent than the pieces from Grandma K but still adorable in it's own right.

My Etsy Store- Pyrex

My husband was a Pyrex collector.  We have tons of pink and blue Pyrex.  He bought it at antique stores, garage sales, and thrift stores over many years way before Etsy came to be.  It is so kitschy and retro.  We love it and used it often with big groups since we have over 12 place settings complete of the pink.  It is stored in large cabinets in our garage- some beginning to make it's way to Etsy.

My grandmother gave me a set of the Pyrex mixing bowls many years ago and we use them everyday.  We could never be resell them (even if we wanted to) because they show definite wear.  She gave them to me because she knew I would use them, not just admire them (or sell them!).

Pyrex just screams retro kitchen.  You cannot help but think of the kitchens in the 50's and 60's with the variety of colors and patterns.  My sister told me today that even grocery stores would sell Pyrex dishes as promotions- like a green casserole dish for $.79 with purchase of three Heinz products!

Pyrex just has a piece of my heart.  I love finding it at estate sales (always well over priced!) and at thrift store (random pieces with small resell profit).  Today I found a piece of the wheat casserole dishes and a lid that matched nothing!  I bought them both.

{I found a set of shot glasses (not pyrex) that had wheat on them also.  It made me ask why the wheat pattern was popular.  I did a little searching and found nothing... anyone know?}

So as I am searching here and there for dishes to sell on my Etsy Store The Dish And A Spoon, I will hopefully come across great little pieces of Pyrex to add to my store and my collection (this turquoise wheat Pyrex casserole bowl is for sale currently!).

Playing With Dishes

What toddler does not love playing in the kitchen cabinet!? My kids were always scrounging in the cabinets while I was cooking or working in the kitchen. Dishes make it into the tub and even outside. We bought a few metal pans just so our baby girl can use them in the sand box. Twenty-five cents is a pretty cheap sand toy. And she love to use the wooden spoon to make some noise. It is not just about the cooking, eating, and serving. It is certainly about the memories.

Wedding China- My Every Day Stoneware

I got married in the late 90's. I did not want china because I figured I would never use it. I am just not a "fussy" kind of host. As it turns out, I have only used my formal china  a few times ever! (I will post on that another day.)

I do however use my everyday china everyday!  I got a stoneware pattern by Mikasa that I loved then and still love now. Most pieces are still with us after almost 20 years!

I believe the pattern is discontinued so I cannot replace the pieces that microwaved too much bacon :). I love the dark colors and the blues and greens. 

How do you feel about wedding china? Do you have an everyday pattern?  Is it still en vogue to choose china?  

Beautiful Floral Trentham Pattern Straffordshire England

 I came across these beautiful salad plates in our local Habitat ReStore thrift store this weekend.  There is something so charming about English stoneware.  I love all things about it!  The blue and white floral pattern, the wavy edges, even the small brown marks from the manufacturing process.  There were four of these plates and 6 saucers.  Unfortunately, no cups to be found on the shelves... I will have to go back and look this week!

 

My favorite part about these dishes is the stamp.  Love the heritage in English dishes! They are labeled Trentham J.H. Weatherby and Sons, Hanley, Staffordshire England.

These are for sale on my Etsy shop!  Hope you will go take a look!

Dish-o-Holic

My mother is a dish-o-holic.  My husband is a dish-o-holic.  I had some moments that I was obsessed with different patterns and eras, but then children came along and my focus turned elsewhere. But I benefit greatly from my husbands obsession with Pyrex and my mother's obsession with china.  They both would scour sales, thrift stores, and estate sales in the early 2000's (before the competition was so great) and would get great deals on beautiful dishes.

In my quest of finding alternative income, I thought of doing an Etsy shop based on this love of dishes that are around my house.  I went to our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore and happened across some great finds.  One is so incredibly cute it probably will not make it to my Etsy store, but that is the purpose.

Dishes bring back so many memories of family- family holidays, dinners, Bigmama's cooking, Grandma's kitchen, marriages, and fun finds.  There is so much character in the patterns, colors, flea bites, and chips.  Dishes are more than just utilitarian.  They are part of your history and part of your legacy.

Join me in exploring these legacies of dishes that I own, my family owns, and dishes I find.