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.

White Away

I used to think plain, white dishes were just boring. I would never look at anything at the thrift store that was just plain white. I wanted bright colors, atomic patterns, coordinated (but not matching) serving pieces and a mix of everything. And I have that and it's really funny, because even when I try to do an 'eclectic' table, it all seems to coordinate and vibrate in some unconscious, magical way. But then one day, I reversed my stance on white dishes and I began to be kind of be obsessed with them.

I remember it well: it was the day I found the Schonwald--such a magical moment it inspired a drawing and a poem. The dishes are simple, gorgeous and have a heft that make them amazing to hold. I have four pieces in an ovoid shape: large and small serving bowls, platter and sauce boat. And after that, I began to look at white differently and to find pieces that were unique in treatment, shape and design. Some are pedigreed, others are not. But, what it means is that I can easily mix in serving pieces with any of my chinas (the family grows) and simply coordinate a table.

But, what worries me is that guests think my lovelies are "just a white bowl from the restaurant collection at Kohl's or Macy's." They're not. They're vintage, gorgeous and special and I assume those who know me well realize that. But, I was thinking about the whole farm-to-table phenomenon the other day and how you can't just have an egg anymore, rather a Meadows Farm of Happy Chickens Egg. What if I did that at parties and made little cards that read, House-made French Onion Dip with Expensive Potato Chips served in White Porcelain Bowls from Schonwald, Germany. Affected? Well, of course.

Anyways, here is a parade of the white dishes including the last super-find from Russel Wright. Enjoy.

The Schonwald gravy boat, with attached under plate.
It has made multiple appearances, here at MTSS.

These two bowls make me believe I am
a shaman and can work magic in the kitchen.

The platter is simple, with just a slightly turned up edge.

Altogether now.

This plain, white lotus bowl probably came from Pier 1,
but as it's the largest in the collection and the only white one,
it is the Queen of Lotus Bowls in this household.

Yes, you can find Paul McCobb's Contempri all tarted up with various patterns, atomic and otherwise, adorning it. But, the plain white example has been stalking me across the country for years and evidenced here and here.

Eva Zeisel. What can you say? These simple white bowls could be used in a Sci-fi film today, decades after they were made, and still conjure 'the future' in the mind of the viewer.

Ben Seibel's Impromptu line says it all, simple and elegant;
always ready to entertain or to be entertained.

This Russel Wright divided bowl says to me,
"Fill half of me with pretzel M&Ms and the other half with plain M&Ms." What does it say to you?

Bounty Beauty Booty

There were so many beautiful things to be found in Omaha and the more I put in the cart, the more I wanted to find. It's very hard to pass something up, especially when you are traveling and you don't really have to worry about where it goes at that particular moment. It just goes into the trunk of the car, in a big box the thrift store so kindly provided and you can just worry about it later. I couldn't say no. I couldn't resist. I had to have all of this!

Can you identify this item? Like the handy peanut pourer, I have seen it before in the thrift store and just had no idea what it was. Jewelry tree? Utensil holder? Fondue fork stand!

That's right, fondue fork stand. So lovely and elegant, it matches some of the other green items we use for entertaining. Plus, it's in the original box. And I don't have to go into that again, do I reader?

The Lovely and Talented Miss Nettie Jackson loves her new little baby ducky! This sweetly painted china duck is just one of the absurd things I see at the thrift store that I am strangely attracted to. No provenance, nothing that special about it. But something made me want it.

Somewhere, someone wrote of this blog something to the affect of, "Lots of great thrifting finds and no photos of cat or what he made for dinner." We DO try to stay on-brand and on-mission here at MTSS, so I do apologize to that person for this gratuitous photo of the cat.

Back to the show: You know I love food specific serving pieces! I already have a mixed set of bowls similar to this including three bowls with pretzel in different scripts, a 'nuts' bowl and some with flowers on them. But, I've never seen a complete set with a lid. What to to put in them? Potato chips, pretzels, snacks and nuts! I love the ambiguity of 'snacks'...

...and the fact that they stack! Fantastic.

A lovely tin for the tin collection; number three hundred fifty-two. Not really, but beginning to feel like it.

I have been collecting 'frogs' since I was in high school. I know, it's crazy, but I was brought up right going to antique malls, junk shops and thrift stores by my Mam-ma. Somehow, I got started on the glass frogs and have a small collection of them. Mostly glass. For those not in the know, they're used for flower arranging and many vases came with custom frogs that sat in the top, allowing you to arrange more without worry. I think this ceramic iteration will work well in a low dish with some little mums or something. Plus it has that faux bois affect...

Mom had a sewing box like this when I was little. I believe it was green and two-tiered. I remember there were little scissors in it, needles and thread and it had some sort of fascination for me. Who knows. It was very tactile. This yellow one may not have ever been used, but Mitchell will put it to good use.

H is for Hurricane. And sadly, I broke this glass right after washing it!

This salt and pepper set is very mod, with metal clad over glass. We couldn't get one of them open at the store, but thought we might be able to at home. No luck. Any suggestions?

These guys came from the same store as the fondue forks and stand. Barely anything had a price, so when I asked how much the fondue forks were, the checker named a very affordable number. Then we asked about the banks, expecting a similar affordable number and she hesitated and then said, "twenty-five cents a piece." What?! A steal. The hippo and cow appear hand-painted, but the king is from a company, 'Lego, Fine Quality Japan.' Most of the ones we have are from Japan and these fit right into that very strange aesthetic.

Surely this wall plaque had a partner (Pepper? Is there pepper on that?), but it was nowhere to be found. Regardless, this one came home and will probably find a place in the kitchen. Eventually. The kitchen is small and already packed full of kitsch.

I spotted this coffee carafe perusing the kitchenware section. It was nice, with a great design and mod, Jetson-like handle in a pleasing plastic. But, after discarding a large collection of these when departing Wichita, it's hard to start adding back to the stash...

...UNTIL, I spotted the triangular warmer for this triangular pot on the other side of the store. As soon as I put them back together...."REUNITED and it felt sooo good," I had to have it.

So yes, when it is snowing outside I'll be sipping warm coffee from this pot.

Last but not least, an open divided vegetable by Georges Briard. Sigh. It has a hairline crack, but was just too fine to pass up: the shape, the size and the pattern. Fantastic. I wouldn't serve anything liquid-y in it, but it's perfect for...M&Ms! Pretzel on one side and plane on the other?

"Mmmmmm! M&Ms for dessert."

And that, my friends, is how we shop Omaha-style.

Madison, Thrift-consin

I don't what it is about Madison, but it is a thrifting mecca. Every time we visit, it seems we walk away with a trove of treasures. I promise you, with one visit to the St. Vincent Thrift Store, I could furnish and decorate an entire house. What a challenge! But, I could. And I guess it's strange, because Madison doesn't seem that big and its filled with hipsters and dirty hippies who you would think would be snatching up all this ephemera and driving up the prices (a la Austin, TX), but that isn't the case. I tell you, we thrifted hard, but the results were fantastic and I'm happy to share them with you here:

Jessie* spotted this gorgeous, faux-lacquer condiment set. She graciously presented it in tribute to me, recognizing how pleased I would be with the find. Would I do the same? I have given many a thrifting find to a thrifty friend, but I think it would be hard to convince myself someone else would like this particular item more than I. The set has a tray, three dishes with wooden lids and three little plastic spoons.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that it perfectly matches this mod little serving set I already own, complete with the spoon and tiny dishes. I love the diminutive aspects of all of this and of course, the bright, fresh orange color. (Thank you JE-K!)

She also snatched up this gorgeous Georges Briard cheeseboard! What an eye that woman has, perfectly honed from all of her beautiful photographic work. The tray is missing the little knife that it supposed to be attached by a chain to the side, but it's still perfect and I will use it the next time I entertain. If not before.

Before we started thrifting, I mentioned I was 'due' a couple of pieces of Pyrex. With Barb's help, we honed down the collection before moving to Indiana, but have lost a couple of things to breakage since then. You all know how it is when Pyrex breaks! But, I've been doing alright and working through it. However, I was pretty sure the only way to successful break through the pain and heartbreak was to replace my loss with new beauties. Voilà!

You can probably see by now, this post is really about completion: about finding objects that really belong with other objects. Not long ago, I found a set of eight, low sherbet dishes at the Goodwill in Terre Haute. I thought they were rather strange and can't remember seeing anything quite like them. Low and behold, three more appeared in Madison, Thrift-consin! (Yes, I had to say it again, I am too pleased with my cleverness.) Which brings the service up to eleven. I know there is another waiting out there...

...just like there was another one of these glasses waiting out there for me! Again, that makes nine (six in Wichita + two in Terre Haute + one in Madison = Heaven) and next time there is dinner, you can believe these delicious little fellows will be on the table.

Now back to barware: I have an eclectic set of bar glasses and I like to mix and match. The most complete set I have is six George Briard old fashioned glasses in a gold leaf pattern. Otherwise, it's a few of this and a few of that. So I didn't hesitate to pick up this lovely set of five, emblazoned with an Aztec calendar. Of course, they reminded me of the Aztec calendar incident at Michael and Ryan's house ages ago, but it's too long and ridiculous to explain here. Know this: party games that are based on absent host's peccadilloes only end in tragedy. The glasses will remain a symbol of that. You all know who you are.

Lastly, this little owl is a nightlight and just an amazing addition to the pad, with the bird cage lamps and faux deer heads: it's like she has flown the coop, but still watches over us.

The lesson: if you find something you love, even if its a single glass or plate ofrdish, buy it and appreciate the singularity of it. But, you never know when that one might become service for twelve, so also remember to keep your eye open--and remind your friends too!

*Jessie found some fabulous things of her own, but she hasn't sent the photos yet. Next post, I suppose!

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!

Ice Bucket for the Seasons

You probably have one ice bucket. Do you use it? Is it the ubiquitous deco one with the penguins on it? I used to have that one, but discarded it at some point during the migrations. The other day, I spotted one missing the actual lid (many are) which had been replaced by a glass lid. Very funny.

Of course, I think at our house we probably think about ice buckets differently than you might. Reader, do you have one for every season? We had an ice bucket for fall, one for winter and another for spring. But summer, summer was missing. As luck would have it, the perfect summer ice bucket presented itself this weekend and I now have an ice bucket for summer, fall, winter and spring. And I'm happy to present them to you here, now that the collection is complete.

Winter

Spring

Summer
Fall

Spring Bar

I am ready for spring. I am ready for vegetables from the farmer's market, shorts and sandals. And spring and summer drinks. So, I decked the bar out in some springier barware. It made me feel better, despite the snow falling outside. Ugh.

Little Indy Thrift

A little thrift shopping in Indy weekend before last landed some fab finds:

A new creamer and sugar for everyday use. Read more about my c&s problems here and here.

A lovely little tidbit server in pink and gray plastic. Pink is the new robin's egg blue, but only this pink or fuchsia. No others will do.

An amazing ice bucket with red sailboats, which completes the collection of seasonal ice buckets. But more about that later.

A lovely little plastic creche. Hmmm...