With Relish

Jennie and Paul came to town to see Mitchell in Jesus Christ Superstar, but we managed to work in a boozy brunch, some estate sales and a little thrift shopping as well.  No surprise, but there were plenty of fabulous finds...

The book 'Cat People' is just about too much.  Published in 1977, you would recognize many of the people photographed with their cats--a young Jane Pauley, a kerchiefed Louise Nevelson, Robert Indiana, Liz Smith and more.  Accompanying each are few words from the sitter on why their cat is important to them.  Several of the women are actually given the occupation of 'homemaker.'  It is now officially on the top of one of the decorative stacks of books.*

This bottle/carafe was irresistible, with a little collar on it's neck for the hand and a double spout.  It is perfect on the table for water or perhaps this summer with a chilled rosé?

The relish tray has been gone too long from the table!  At one of the estate sales, there was a stack of relish trays high enough for me to send each of my dear readers a charming example to use while entertaining.  I limited my acquisition to two, wonderful examples.  The first has teardrop handles and a lovely swirling division; the second has geometric dividers and a beautiful fluted edge.  I'll put both to good use, I promise.

Crackers.  Crackers.  Crackers.  These plastic cracker troughs make arranging them simple; easy to serve along side your relish tray.

I do not need another set of salad servers--I have so many pair, I don't even know how many they number.  Rest assured, if you are a regular diner at my table, you probably will not see the same set twice.  This lovely set is stainless steel from Japan, diminutive and impossible to pass up.

Little jars?  With decorative lids?  And wooden spreaders?  Jennie spotted these, but was kind enough to let me claim them.  I'm not sure what I might serve in them, but I'll figure it out.  Spreads?  Condiments for sandwiches?  Or I can exchange the spreaders for little spoon and fill them with olives or something.  Do I have any little spoons?  I'll have to check.

I do not think you can have enough trivets.  Period.  I already have one similar to this design with a gold rim and a crackled glass.  Similar is not the same as matching, and whether I was making a claim for a set or diversity, I would still have gone home with it.  They're perfect for the French press, Chemex coffee pot or teapot on the table.

It's been a while since we have spotted one of these weird little banks, but we nabbed this sad puppy to add to Mitchell's collection.  The palette is so strange and happy in strong contrast to the big sad eyes of the little doggie.

 Merry Christmas.

I love Quan Yin and this petite addition to the pantheon is precious.

I had to have the small plastic statuette of the American Indian girl (top picture, far right) and she helps balance the phalanx of saints that fill the medicine cabinet in the guest bath.  I guess with the Pantry God and the small tee pee with children (bottom picture, wedged between the Virgins of Guadalupe), it's officially a collecting direction.  Plastic American Indian figurines.  Dotcom.

Finally, Jennie brought us this lovely white kitchen glass bowl with black swirlies on it as a housewarming gift.  It's perfect for the table and would good with anything in it, but especially with a few little cuties thrown in, n'est-ce pas?

* There is more than one.  "Books are awfully decorative, don't you think?"

Balanced

Reader, it's not that I don't think of you, it's just that life gets in the way.  I feel like I am always making excuses for not writing and I know that you sit at home nightly with your box of tissues crying your eyes out for a new post from MTSS, but I don't have time to shop or a place to put all of my finds.  Please rest assured, when I do shop, you are the first to know!  There isn't some secret blog where I am posting for some other readers about things you aren't seeing, I promise.  It's only you, it's always been you, it will always be you.

But, this past couple of weeks have been insanity.  It is just one of those time with lots of balls in the air and tons of things happening.  I am surviving and I felt the balance last weekend with a little shopping...

I have to say that one of my favorite new tools for shopping estate sales is estatesales.net.  It's great in that it tells you where the sales are, plus has lots of photos of what they have.  You can see if there is anything you might like or discover instantly it probably won't be worth your time...this one was!  The issue of course is that you see things you want, but then you get there and they are already gone.  But, I guess it was my lucky day as the two footed bowls (the same, but with different china markings) were still there and I got them for half off since it was Saturday morning.  They'll be perfect with all of the other white dishes of mixed pedigree. 

Shells.  Faux shells.  You know about my obsession (here, here and here), so I was more than thrilled to add these two, lovely specimens from Wedgewood cast in the bone china to the collection.  It grows, its shifts...it expands.

I always eye salts at the antique store covetously because I want them so badly and they are always fifteen to twenty dollars EACH.  Is the market for salts really that strong?  I guess so, but I was very happy to find four lovely little specimens at the estate sale for next to nothing.  They remind of little crystal urchins and next time I have a little formal dinner I will serve my very exquisite salt in these little guys.

This little matchbook was not priced, but the woman at the checkout was so delighted we wanted something "from my era" that she threw it for free!  From Japan, it opens out the end and has a different little house image on both sides.  It is kind of the palette of our kitchen in Terre Haute and the hanging objets above the sink, which is not to say the same as the palette in the Texas kitchen, although close.  These things are always changing and evolving.

These glasses have been following me all over the country!  I'm sure they're just something basic from Libbey that was just sold everywhere, but I have managed to find them in Wichita, Terre Haute, Madison and now West Texas, amassing quite a collection.

These, on the other hand, I have been hunting forever and have never found.  Until now.  What are they, you ask?  Stemware from Russel Wright for Morgantown Glass, eight goblets and seven sherbets in chartreuse, for a song.  Scott at Ars Longa seems to stumble over a few of these every time he turns around, but for me they have remained elusive.  I'm not a big collector of Wright, but I do love these glasses.  Unlike plates and ceramics, they're unmarked, so you really have to know what you are looking for.  And be lucky!

Plant stand?  Or modern sculpture?  Either way, it is going to look lovely with pots in it until I convert it a serving piece by attaching plates some way to the little pot circles.  Hmmm...

...and then felt revived and restored, with some wonderful finds and a chance to share them with you, my dear reader.

Love a New, Old Store

A few weeks ago, we popped into a new, old store which I have to say I could not be happier to have discovered. It's called Dress Up's, so I assume the proprietress is named Dress Up. Maybe a nickname? Anyway, someone at work had mentioned it, but I hadn't been able to figure out exactly where it was. When we entered, there seemed to be a lot of dishes, housewares and clothes. The woman running the place, Miss Dress Up we assumed, was on the phone when we entered, but gave a friendly wave. As we looked over what there was on the shelves, we thought a lot of it was pretty excellent and the prices weren't bad.

About halfway down the second aisle, Miss Dress Up approached us with a warm, West Texas "how are y'all? Have y'all been in before?" No, we hadnt. "I didn't think so, do y'all know how our pricing system works?" No, we didn't. She was more than happy to explain it: color-coded tags with a reduction each week! Suddenly, the prices seemed even better.

In fact, a set of glasses we had admired (because we need more glasses.) were down to the lowest discount: $.97! Honestly. There were six of them, though one turned out to be broken--we bought them anyway.

The other great find was an amazing, vintage 60s Medusa-like lamp with a wonderful sculptural quality. The "globes" are actually large bulbs and after plugging it in and finding that it worked, I was sold. It looks fantastic in the living room and I was excited to discover it had a three way switch, going from two bulbs on, to three and finally all five. Love. After such a great experience, we'll definitely be back...looking for an amazing set of nightstands, an etagere or a bookshelf! Plus dishes. Lots more dishes...and of course to check in with Miss Dress Up.

Won't Stop, Can't Stop

Darlings, you know I can never stop. It isn't the things, but the hunt, that drives me. The thrill of the find! But you all know that, so I am preaching to the hunters. The past week had been pretty long and the week prior I had been traveling, so I was looking forward to some thrift therapy on Saturday. Even though I got a late start, there was still an array of wonderful things. And no matter how full the cupboards are, how stuffed the shelves are or how many things currently live in boxes, there will always be something I can't resist...

Dishes. My weakness. Even though I don't care for the color, I swooned when I spotted these amazing dishes by Ben Seibel for Raymor. I didn't buy them, even though I should have bought them and resold them or something. That just isn't how I thrift, but with the bounty of West Texas thrift, I may have to change my plan.

I loved this chip and dip and candelabra! What a unique, and challenging, serving piece. Late in the evening you would have to be careful not to burn yourself as you reached over the burning candle for some spinach dip.

This Pyrex cheese cracker tray was difficult to pass over, especially with the new cheese knives I recently purchased...

Apparently they always have an array of beautiful glass at Trade-n-Treasures, but Saturday it was even more splendiferous. I found myself thinking of my friend Michael in Chicago and his amazing collection of glass, wondering which of these pieces he would try and carryon if he were visiting? Thoughts?

Faux. You know how much I love faux. And faux shells? Reader, it was so hard not to buy these. I mean, I could find a place for them, of course. And I have been having visions of my a mantle covered in faux shells as my collection grows...but....still...I passed. Sigh.

This punch bowl was more than I want to pay, but a GEORGES BRIARD punch bowl?!? I love Briard and some of us never stopped serving punch, but I would also have to find all new punch cups. And also sell my current bowl, which is quite amazing and on a stand. Having TWO punch bowls is just ridiculous, right? Curiously, the image was printed on the interior, so the signature was reverse.

I did take home this little log planter. We have one or two already, so a small collection. Plus, succulents look very cool planted in them. I couldn't say no.

Lastly, this set of eight owl glasses was hiding on a shelf at Tradarama, covered in dust. Otherwise, the gold was in perfect shape and I couldn't pass them up. I don't really need more glasses that can't go in the dishwasher, but I bought them anyway. Perhaps they'll be a gift for someone else.

After running a few errands, I got home and did few things around the house, including unpacking the finds. After a while, I gathered up my stuff and returned to the store to buy those blasted shells. I couldn't stop thinking about them and was just glad they were still there!

Break It Down

What is this? A bird made from a clear, borosilicate glass. Yes, but what is it? The only opening is the beak, which extends from the body and seems to be intended for pouring. But what is it used for? When was it made? Why would it interest me?

I've seen it before and I thought, "Cotton balls?" Or maybe, "Creamer?" I guess it could be anything, but...

It was in its original package and it has a very specific purpose: it is a peanut pourer. Not a nut pourer, but a peanut pourer. Maybe late 70s, early 80s?

Why does it appeal to me? I'll break it down:

1. I love something in it's original package, especially one as fabulous as this. The rendering of said pourer is ne plus ultra. Someone in an office somewhere (Thailand?) created this drawing of the pourer that was supposed to appeal to consumers. Does it? Strangely.
   
2. And the box says so much about the object, but nothing we can know for sure. Perhaps someone cared so deeply for it, they kept the box it came in to protect it. What do you own in it's original box? Perhaps they cared for it so little they never used it and it set unopened on a shelf in a closet. What do you have you never used? That you are holding onto?
3. I love that it has a specific purpose. I love that it is for pouring peanuts and as I was looking at it at the Goodwill, I instantly imagined: cocktails. Perhaps Pomegranate Manhattans served over ice in my leave Georges Briard glasses? Some pretzels in one of the plastic bowls labeled pretzels and salty peanuts in the peanut pourer? Someone tells a joke or a funny story; everyone laughs. A handsome gentlemen with dark wavy hair lifts the peanut pourer and offers it to the guest to his left, pouring a few out into their palm. This object has potential.
4. I love that without the package, I would have no idea what this object was to be used for--the mystery. Like being an archaeologist. I love that this is something that isn't made anymore. You can't go into the home section at Macy's and ask the salesgirl, "Salesgirl? Salesgirl? Can you please show me your peanut pourers?!" They don't make these anymore.
5. Lastly, I love rescuing it and putting it to use, making it mine, adding it to the collection. To me, this peanut pourer is like a sad-eyed little puppy or a purring little kitten. It speaks to me. If you are one of the object people, you know it. You hear it too. Possession in nine tenths of the fall, the other tenth is finding a place to put everything.

And I want more of them. Instantly. Just like it. Three hours ago, I had no idea that a bird-shaped peanut pourer existed. Now I want a matched set of twelve to have for dinner parties. So that everyone could have their own, individual peanut pourer. Or maybe one for every other person?

It's a sickness, but one I have learned to live with. And, dear reader, your support certainly helps.

Yella

It has been a little bit of a dry spell at the Terre Haute Goodwill, but that all changed a couple of weeks ago. Erika Doss was in town to give a lecture as part of program the Swope was doing with ISU and Art Spaces, Inc. At dinner after, we all got to talking about collecting and objects, and Erika and I decided we needed to take a moment to stop into the Goodwill in the morning. She found zilch (next time!) , but I found three yellow treasures:

A fantastic tin, covered in jewels for the tin collection. Mitchell has arranged some of these on the wall as you turn into our hallway and they look fantastic. Three or so more and it will be a brilliant arrangement. What did I tell you about more?

This lovely swirling glass bowl matches...

...this fantastic blue one that I already have! It will be great for dips next to the flower-power chip bowl. Or, I can put snack mix in the blue one and nuts in the yellow one for a party. Officially designated. Please mark the log.

And finally, this beautiful yellow relish dish. It's smartly divided, with one large compartment and two small ones. I haven't used it yet, but it looks brilliant in the sunlight. And will look even better filled with olives, pickled okra, cornichons, caper berries and so on and so on and so on.

Yellow! I love thematic thrifting finds...

Bad Thrift vs. Good Thrift

There are bad thrifting trips, good thrifting trips and extraordinary thrifting trips--and you can't have one without the others! But what is the difference? And when is the best day to shop? I've struggled with this and as soon as I think I have an answer, I'm smacked upside the head with an example that doesn't compute.

Last week I popped into the Goodwill on Tuesday, which is what I theorize is the best day for thrifting. The reasoning is that all of the fabulous things that were donated over the weekend are beginning to appear in the store, but there aren't that many people shopping. Not this Tuesday. There was nothing, but I did photograph a few bombs.

An electric ice crusher from Rival. I almost bought this, honestly, but where would it be stored? It's almost attractive enough to just stay on the counter, but I wasn't sure how clean it was. I should have bought it. Now I'm having not-buying remorse, which in my estimation is probably one example of a bad thrifting trip.

Another great example, finding something that is very cool, but then realizing there is a giant chip on it. Like this teapot from Hall. I mean, I could have bought it to just sit around and be pretty, but I already have enough things that just sit around and are pretty.

Or what about finding a dirty ashtray? Regardless of how semi-cool it might be, it's just disheartening and makes for a bad shopping experience. Blech.

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But then there are those days that are brilliant. When you have to go back for a basket! When the sales clerk has to get a box to put all of your purchases in! Such was my experience on Sunday--a day I don't associate with good thrift shopping. I usually think that after Saturday, everything has been pretty picked over, but this week I decided to stop in on a lark and what a haul!

A little mustard pot, with a white and gold lid. Mitchell said, "Too bad it didn't have a spoon with it." I think I can fix that problem: what color spoon would you like?

You know about the two-plate rule: for dinner plates to be purchased, there have to be at least two of them. No singles no matter how cool they are. Of course, that doesn't apply to dessert/bread plates! I have a cupboard full of interesting choices that mix well together, but hadn't added anything to the collection in a while. This charming fellow with lovely yellow flowers was just the thing!

Reader, I know you are thinking, "Three of something? He bought three of something?" I couldn't resist, I guess. I was just so jubilant from all of the great finds so far, I could not pass these guys up. I don't have enough to include in a table setting, but they could be used for nuts, sauces or any other little old thing. Perfect and cute. And who knows, perhaps someday I will find more of them...

...like these guys! I have had six of these for years (original find, July 2005) and love to serve wine in them for a casual moment. Now, with two more added to the collection, they can be added to the slate for table service! Congratulation little curvy glasses, you are moving up into the big leagues...

...and replaced in the minor leagues by this little set of four wine glasses, perfect for the casual moment that used to be filled by the curvy guys, in an elegant and very modern shape.

I found the larger tidbit tray on one of my first thrift-shopping excursions in Terre Haute, and Sunday I found his baby brother and was so very excited. And I know you are probably wondering, "How many tiered serving pieces are enough? How many do I need for my own entertaining arsenal?" And I would say to you: when I figure that out, you'll be the first to know. (This is six.) And I have to say, when I got these guys together I was ready for some petite fours and tea sandwiches. Come for tea...

....which I could keep in this cute little tin, added to the the grand collection of tins. These become harder to find every day, so it's always a delight to pick one up for Mitchell's collection. For some reason, I find the ones that have a lot of black on them especially appealing.

And last, but hardly least, a set of eight, low, shallow sherbets. They aren't all the same, but they coordinate beautifully with one another--and I've never seen anything quite like them. Plus, I don't have sherbets for eight in my collection. I can do five or twelve, but the twelve are plastic. So now, I can do eight for a lovely little sit-down dinner with glass. Relieved?

Good shopping? Extraordinary shopping--a day for glass!

Thrifting ABCs (Part Deux)

A second installment of the very famous and much-discussed post, Thrifting ABCs. Look for the final installment (only six letters to go!) in the near future and, of course, a reprise of the entire alphabet. Maybe a book deal? Don't you think children would love it?

E is for elegance, as in “Burnt-orange colored phones are a true mark of elegance and refinement.” I don’t have phone service, but still need a one to work the callbox in my building. This beauty does the trick.

I is for indispensable, as in “A killer collection of glass jars with amazing designs on them is really indispensable to day-to-day existence.”

K is for killer, as in “That wood bowl with spoon is going to look killer on the coffee table filled with M&Ms.” Can you have too many wood accessories? I don’t think so. I have platters, large and small, but this unique and funny dish is a wonderful addition to the collection. Killer.

M is for mine, as in, “Hands off that avocado Tamac casserole, bitch! It’s MIIIINE.” Honestly, that didn’t happen. I don’t think anyone else walking by even knew what this wonderful piece of pottery was, so I got it for a song. Some might consider Tamac’s odd, organic shape a little ugly and its colors a little gauche. Not me. It’s genius and it’s mine.

Q is for quixotic, as in “Quixotic kids covet all cool china.” Whatever. We have a two-plate rule: if you find a cool china pattern, there has to be at least two plates in order to buy it. Because of that, we have a huge ‘set’ of matching plates for dinner and always have something different to eat off of. Thankfully, the ‘two-plate rule’ does not apply to salad, bread or dessert plates and I have no intention of amending it anytime soon.

R is for really, as in “Really? REALLY? You aren’t collecting decorative tin platters and canisters? I took all of my money out of the stock market and put it into tin platters and canisters. It’s much more stable.” It’s actually more in canisters, but this little dish matches one of those, so it makes a nice addition to the portfolio.

Z is for Zen, as in “Zen is not a design-style you idiot, it’s a philosophy. Everyone in-the-know says Asian-ish.” A killer faux-bamboo ceramic box is the quintessential definition of Asian-ish.

Unmarked (but still Briard)

The obsession with Briard continues and there is no end in sight. In one of the basement displays at the Vigo County Historical Society, I spotted a set of Georges Briard enamel canisters and was told that a company here (still in existence) had been producing enamel ware for over 100 years, including these. So, I'm on the lookout.


Meanwhile, Mitchell found this lovely tray with a geometric design. It screams Briard in style and shape, but is missing the curvy signature that is found on almost all of his work. But, the remnant of a sticker on the back confirmed it: classic Briard. Well loved and slightly used, it's still a beaut.

And God Said...

....let there be platters. And there were. And they were good.

Okay, so I counted up all the platters after the reference I made a couple of posts ago. I have a lot of platters, but I'm not embarrassed about it so you shouldn't be either.

1 large Russel Wright platter in chartreuse, square
1 medium Russel Wright platter in coral, rectangular
1 large Temporama platter, roundish
1 small Temporama platter, roundish
2 large Metlox Shoreline platters in Wet Sand, rectangular-ish
10 china platters, round or oval
1 glass platter, round (matches the hostess set I got inherited from Barbara)
3 kitchen glass platters, round
3 large plastic platters, rectangular
3 medium plastic platters, square or rectangular
4 china platters, rectangular
4 wood platters, assorted shapes and sizes
2 metal platters, rectangular
----------------------------------------------------------------------
36 platters, total

That's not so bad, right? I bet you have more, right?

Thrifting ABCs

Okay, I'm WAY behind on everything and wanted to get a few updates done, so I've mashed together recent finds and sitings like a greatest hits list for your pleasure.

A is for art, as in "Don't just think about prints and paintings, string art can be just as satisfying." This Mandala is signed by the artist on the back with wishes for a happy and joyful life. It's in mint condition and currently acting as the body halo for one of my Virgin Mary statues. No joke.

B is for Boss, as in "This set of bookends is truly boss." Too boss for me, I didn't buy it.

C is for Chinese children, as in "Aren't fat little Chinese children a great decorating motif?" Mitchell brought these back from his trip to Omaha/Wichita and they are a wonderful white porcelain set with two boys and two girls.

D is for don't buy this pattern of Pyrex, it's really ugly, as in "Don't buy this pattern of Pyrex, it's really ugly." Or go ahead and buy all of it because no one else is, this has been sitting on the shelf of Next-to-New for months. Maybe if you stock up on it now, it will eventually reach 'ironic collectible' status and you can sell at a profit? Personally, I believe this "Federal" pattern is one of the worst, perhaps third only to the "wheat" and "Dutch farmers" patterns. I admit to owning some of the latter, but only in acceptable shapes and sizes. What makes them acceptable and desirable while most of it is awful? Reader, if you don't know, there are some things which simple cannot be taught.

F is for food warmer, as in "Today's modern, electric food warmers make entertaining simple and carefree for every hostess." This one is a super-sized model with a design by the one and only Georges Briard. The gold is slightly worn in places, but I purchased it for a song.

G is for gold, plaster Last Supper statue, as in "My, that gold, plaster Last Supper statue sure does look great on your mantle." But not on mine. Super-kitschy and certainly desirable to some, I had to pass on this little treasure.

H is for 'huh?', as in "Huh? What are those anyway?" I have no idea. When I picked them up, I thought they were S&P, but the small whole on top only goes about 1/4 of an inch down. They're very heavy and produced by Dansk. The bottom have a little wedge cut out of them which allows for them to sit straight or at an angle, as displayed above. If you have some idea or would like to proffer a guess, please feel free.

J is for jealous, as in "I'm sure you must be jealous of the major collection of Georges Briard accessories that I'm accumulating." This one, called Persian Garden, is a great addition to the den. The gold design in in perfect condition and it's just the right size for the end table.

N is for next, as in "The next hot decorating trend is going to be bowls of wooden fruit." This was my second purchase and there was a third set I passed up a while back which had all painted pieces of fruit--I am still kicking myself. My advice to you: never, ever pass up the opportunity to purchase a set of wooden fruit. Never. The two sets I currently have look great next to one another on the coffee table. Promise.

P is for photography books, as in "You can never have too many photography books in your collection." This crazy book contains wonderful photographs of the grand old houses of Louisiana. It's from the 1950s and the text is so flowery and sweet that it will leave a saccharine taste in your mouth. Skip the text and just enjoy the photographs.

S is for Schonwald, as in "Schonwald china from Germany is some of most boss dishes you can buy." I heart this pattern. I mean, really really heart it. It's simply amazing, but they have an astronomical price on it and, as you know, I don't really need another set of dishes. But I will freely admit that if it were cheap, I would buy it immediately. I have several pieces of Schonwald in my collection already and I jettisoned several other things with the move to Texas, including the most delectable biscuit barrel you have ever seen. Keep your eyes out for Schonwald because almost all of it is delicious.

T is for tray, as in "The pattern of this Georges Briard tray is too boss for words." And it looks great next to the Lucite-mounted coral that Jennie gave me a while back.

W is for waffle maker, as in "What kind of rich-ass lady owned such a fancy waffle maker?" The lid is painted porcelain and I'm sure matched some other kitchen accessories, but I had to pass it by. I already have a waffle maker and this one, though amazing, just wasn't my style.

Now you know your ABCs, oh won't you come and shop with me?

Owassoooo Gooooodwill

Unlike the Goodwill stores in Austin, which are primarily filled with buyout items, the Owasso, OK Goodwill still actually has thriftable merchandise. I popped in with my mom, Eric and Becca for a peek and came away with some great finds.

Two blue glass bowls, one round and one rectangular, that will sit great with my many blue and white dishes. I think I may have the round bowl in clear as well. Someone I know has it. Any claimers?

This charming little figurine is actually a box. The top tier of her dress lifts off to reveal a nice place to stash some goodies. I didn't buy it. Don't worry, you're not getting it for Christmas or anything.

This WHITE statue of Artemis with a stag is made from that marble-looking plastic that I like so much. It'll be great in the front room if I can find a place to put it.

I picked up this little blue box for April because it is decorated with two of her favorite things: unicorns and owls. I also found something else wonderful for her, but it was a little delicate and will be transported by car later. The flight home only had two other people on it! If I had known I would have packed up all the glass and just carried it on. I felt like I was on my own private plane and am not sure how much longer ExpressJet will be in business.

I also found a cookie cookbook from Southern Living from the mid-eighties that is full of great recipes and information on historic Southern baking. You can read more about it on bigYELLOWbowl.

Disappointment

It is hard to walk away sometimes. You know you have to, but you just don't want to do it. Today at St. David's Next-to-New I had to walk away from the most beautiful table: light colored wood with six chairs, three leaves and a custom pad. It was GOR-geous. The fabric on the chairs needs updated, but otherwise fairly perfect. And a steal, but still a bit above my wallet right now. Do I need a dining room table? No, I have my grandmothers which has no chairs. No chairs! She sold the chairs in the seventies and basically used it against a wall to hold photos or other tchotch. We found some Eames chairs at a garage sale several years ago for fifty cents each. (Yes, I'm bragging.) The contrast with the table is great, but we are really looking for some new chairs and want to use the Eames chairs in the kitchen. The table at Next-to-New is just sitting there waiting for me to come back for it, like a sad puppy at the pound. Will I do it? Who knows...

So I walked away.



I did find a lovely set of ashtrays that are made from a champagne-colored glass. They look like pieces of candy and can be stacked or spread across the table. They were at first mark-down, so a very good price. Italian? If you have a clue, let me know because there are no stickers and of course no markings.







I also found a bottle opener in the shape of a dolphin. It's tail is the opener! Underneath it has a place for twisties. Very chic and eco-friendly at the same time. It says "I love the world and all of its animals and I like to drink beer, too." Nice addition to the collection.

Collection, you say? But of course. We have bottle openers with dear Pope John Paul's image (a big collector's item once he gets the promoted to Saint John Paul), donkey-shapped bottle openers, girls in bikini bottle openers, etc., etc. Here are just a few.