Showing posts with label Spode. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spode. Show all posts

Friday, December 22, 2017

Christmas Table Settings

My cousin got married a few months after our wedding. 
All her wedding gifts were on display in their dining room. 
That might be a Southern thing but I'm not sure. 
In a genius move, she had registered for her formal and everyday china but she'd also registered for her Christmas dishes. 
She picked out Spode Christmas Rose which is discontinued and hard to find. 
It took quite some time for us to collect our formal and everyday patterns let alone Christmas dishes but once our household was established, I wanted some Christmas china.
It wasn't anything that I needed by any stretch of the imagination. 

I picked up a stack of Holiday Season by Mikasa luncheon plates at an outlet store. 


It's great for layering. I layered it with Florentine by Crown Ducal. These were made in England. 



Additionally, I started picking up random Christmas tree plates at thrift stores. 

The plate below is Victorian Christmas by Johnson Bros.  
Since this photo was taken, I've given these away because I was only able to find three plates. 

China, Holiday China, Johnson Brothers, Victorian Christmas

I started collecting Spode, Christmas Tree. I've found it at the thrift store but I've also found it on sale at Macy's and at Tuesday Morning.  


Let's Add Sprinkles, Christmas Tree by Spode

The Holly dishes by Scio in Japan were at the thrift store one Christmas.
 I can't remember how much they were but they were probably less than a $1.00 a piece. 
It's so vintage looking and fun. 


Bill wanted to wrap presents one year so he kicked me out of the house on Christmas Eve. 
I made my way to the mall which was nearly deserted. 


Friendly Village by Johnson Brothers was on sale. 
Here is how it looked last year. 


The plaid napkins are Ralph Lauren. 

Last year the kitchen table got red transferware. 


 Denmark also by Johnson Brothers reminds me of snowflakes. This was my everyday pattern for many years. 


This year on Christmas Eve,  Friendly Village will be on the kitchen table. 


Currier and Ives by Royal will be in the dining room. 



We'll use Spode Christmas Tree on Christmas Day. 


We might even use the Holly dishes for breakfast on Christmas morning. 
That way they'll all get used. 

I love Pinterest for place setting ideas. 
I also peruse Replacements, Ltd for discontinued china patterns. 
Tell me about your china patterns in the comment section below. 
Have a wonderful day. 
Katie 



Here is where I party:

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Friday, March 17, 2017

The Biography Of A Brown Transferware Collection


I inherited three pieces of brown transferware from my grandmother. 
I didn't think they were "me" so I put them out in a garage sale. 
A gentleman picked them up and said that he didn't think that I should sell them. 
At the time, I was into blue and white and I thought that the brown and white was kind of ugly. 
They were put back into the house and packed away. 


I am sorry to have you click away to Pinterest but I don't usually post other people's images. 
The collection was stunning and became the catalyst for my collection of brown transferware. 
I'll be honest, brown was hard to find at a price I was willing to pay. 
To quote my Nana, "I can't decide if you are frugal or just cheap." 
I'm both! 
 Here and there a piece was added to our collection. 


It took a long time but I was able to find some pretty pieces over the years. 


The covered vegetable dish was $28.00. Everything else was less than $20.00. 
If I found a plate for less than $10.00, I'd scoop that up. 



Owning a set of dinnerware was always in the back of my mind but it seemed to be out of my reach. 
Lead is a concern with older dinnerware. Modern plates are preferred for us. 
When we saw these Delamere plates at Donna's in Sulphur Springs, Texas, I thought they were perfect. 
There are several fun brown transferware designs for Thanksgiving and fall but I was on the lookout for something that could be used in other seasons. 


When I spotted this set, I began thinking about how it could be used during the spring so that it doesn't sit packed up until the fall. 
That wouldn't fit in my with my cheapskate narrative.  
Bill gifted this to me for our anniversary and my birthday. 
They are three weeks apart with Mother's Day sandwiched in between. 
Finding gifts for all of those occasions so close together gets old. 

My first thought was a brown and robin's egg blue color scheme.


It is one of God's best color schemes in my opinion. 


I'll save that for another day. 

Green is my "couleur de jour " so the Delamere got placed next to some spring green. 
That is the direction we are going for an Easter tablescape. 


We didn't have moss green napkins and an initial search for mossy, green napkins yielded nothing, so we'll go with the darker green napkins we already had. 


I love the mini bunnies from Hobby Lobby. They add a little bit of a color contrast. 
The flower stems also came from Hobby Lobby. 


That is it for now. 
I'll be back with more details and a source list for this table setting. 


Happy Friday and Happy St. Patrick's Day. 


Bless your heart if you made it through to the end of this post.
You might just like china as much as I do.

Katie 

Linking with these fun parties. 

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Wednesday, March 15, 2017

A Cold Weekend At The Lake

Warm and sunny.
Warm and sunny.
Warm and sunny.
Katie packs her bags to go to the lake,
cold and cloudy.
Oh well.


The wind coming off of the lake was frigid.
The breezeway lived up to its name.
It didn't freeze but it was 38 degrees or so. It felt colder than that to me but I'm a wimp.
It was not really lay on the deck and read a book type of weather.
This was my choice of footwear since I left sensible shoes at home.


After the guys went fishing, (brrr.) we decided to bundle up and head to town.
Several of the towns around my brother's lake house have darling antique shops.
I've written about them before. My favorite antique shop is call Town Square Antiques in Sulphur Springs, Texas.


They have chipped and shabby garden ornaments.


I've never seen a concrete turkey and he was pricey at $145.00 but I would agree that he is rare and unusual. He would be fun on a front porch for Thanksgiving.





There were a couple of things that I thought you'd appreciate.
The silver spray painted saddle and the chocolate looking Statue of Liberty.
I'm sure they will ship if you just have to have either of these two items.


The shabby chic room is my favorite in the mall.
I've bought several of her items in the past but I didn't buy anything this time.


We had already done our spending at Danna's & The Florist.
This shop is a florist but there is also tableware, home decor, gifts, Brighton and jewelry.
 I spotted some Spode, Delamere plates and I was smitten.
 I started to think about its use for other seasons not just the fall.


Bill bought 12 plates for our anniversary and my birthday.
Sulphur Springs is undergoing a revitalization so there are several new restaurants and a little winery.
We'd like to try the new German restaurant at some point.

We made plans to head back a little earlier on Sunday morning because it was even colder still.
As soon as we started loading up the truck, the sun came out.


Are you serious?

I've had fun playing with my new plates this week.


I'll be back with an Easter tablescape.
I've also been staging and taking pictures for our Hello, Spring Blog Tour next
Monday - Thursday.


Please make plans to come back and have a look.
Have a great day.
Katie

Linking to these fun parties.

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Monday, March 13, 2017

Early Spring Tablescape

I'm popping in with an early spring tablescape.
About two weeks ago we made plans to have dinner with some friends. 
Usually we go out but this time we decided to stay in.
The meal and the table setting needed to be easy to put together.
It was! 



I started with a soft and nubby drop cloth table cover and my silver chargers from Hobby Lobby. 


A vase of hot pink tulips from the grocery store became the centerpiece. 
The stem ware came from my mother in law. I think it is a Fostoria pattern. 


I decided to use our white every day china. The pattern is Empress by Adams and Sons. 
It is easy to clean up in the dishwasher. 


The cabbage fruit bowls came from Tuesday Morning. 
I paid full price for one but the rest were on clearance. 
Simple white napkins in my pewter napkin rings from the thrift store were added next. 


 Queen Bess by Community Plate was the flatware we used.
It can be put in the dishwasher as well. 


We had a cheese board and shrimp for our appetizer.
The main dish was steak, baked potatoes, and asparagus. 
My friend made a Napa cabbage salad. It had a slight kick and was delicious. 
The ladies had fruit for dessert. The guys had fruit with a side of cheesecake.


I'm a work in progress but I've made more of a conscience decision to simplify our gatherings.
The goal is to entertain more and stress less about the details.
I used to get so worked up about everything being almost perfect that I didn't enjoy the process. 
The process of setting this table was a breeze and it was fun.

I also wanted you to get a sneak peak at our new plates.
Bill got these for me for our anniversary and birthday. 


It's Delamere by Spode.
I adore brown transferware.
I was drawn to this pattern because of its versatility. It looks fall and Thanksgiving but isn't limited to that season. We will be using this for a fun Easter tablescape. 
I'll be back to talk about our fun but frigid weekend at the lake. 
Happy Monday. 
Katie



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