Remember the tag line, Love Leads to Lenox, used in print advertising during the heyday of department store wedding registries? Lenox fine china and crystal were so associated with weddings, that if you were in love, registering a pattern and, ultimately owning Lenox, was deemed inevitable. Today the fine china market has softened, and Lenox […]
It must be the change in weather. When things get cool, we get itchy to bake. We first paired this easy and moist chocolate cake with a simple cooked frosting about 40 years ago. Just learning to cook then, and prowling in mother’s cookbooks for ideas. The combination has become a family favorite. Cockeyed Cake […]
Over my kitchen cabinets, I have a display of chicken things. Mostly dishes, but a few other pieces as well. I have some other chicken-related things around the house as well. I’ve just chosen to collect because they’re fun, and then… My grandfather raised and showed bantam chickens for many years. He passed before I […]
The thrill of the hunt never seems to go away. And I found some beautiful vintage Noritake that I’d first noticed a few weeks ago. Since it was still around when I went back, it needed to come home with me. At least, temporarily. The relish dish caught my eye first, because relish dishes do, […]
So….the cooler weather puts us in mind for a cup of hot tea. When the neighborhood is fragrant with woodsmoke to take off the September-like chill, a mug of steaming tea goes down nicely! My British brother-in-law showed me the way to make a good cup. First, fill the cup about 2/3 full with freshly […]
Remember the days of swivel bar stools covered in red Naugahyde, Dixie cups and burgers in a basket? That’s where restaurant wares take us, whether modern or vintage. Back to Happy Days… Syracuse China has been known for many years, for restaurant ware china in the vintage market, and for its modern cousins. Many people […]
I’m glad to see Earth Day expanded to Earth Week. It got me thinking about vintage dishes, and why vintage is green. Vintage is recycled by nature. It’s been discontinued by the manufacturer. Most pieces some from the secondary market and were previously owned. Dishes with a history. They’ve been around once and are ready […]
Like food, china and dinnerware can take you places, too. Take Noritake’s Keltcraft line, made in Ireland in the 1980s and 1990s. Soft, pale colors, as on this darling creamer, speak with charm about a vibrant land. Ireland in the spring is very green to us North Americans. In May and June it’s so green […]
In February or March each year, my local woman’s club has a tea. The theme is Valentine’s Day, Easter or Alice in Wonderland. Really, it’s an excuse for the members to get out their best dishes, invite their friends for an afternoon of conversation and treats…. and have some fun! I confess. I’m a shameless […]
A year ago, I was having afternoon tea with my friend Siobhan in a castle in Ireland — at Adare, in the west near the River Shannon. It was a wonderful treat. Of course, I had to flip the china, and saw that it was Villeroy & Boch. Elegant white china. We enjoyed the dishes […]
Finding special vintage dishes is fun! See what I brought home with me in recent weeks, including some extra special items.
My dishie antennae perk up when I see pieces of Mikasa’s Mediterrania line in my shopping travels. The patterns are so retro. Many of them show the best of modern style from the 1970s. The shapes are simple and sleek. The colors and motifs just work for me. I think Blue Bird is probably my […]