Yes, I'm Short on Serving Pieces...

....it's all relative. What is enough? When do you stop? I have no idea, as I can't give up the thrill of the chase or the fabulous finds presented to me. The Terre Haute Goodwill is a goldmine. There may not be tons of things that I have to have, but there are enough amazing finds to keep me going back.

Saturday, I suggested we pop over to the store and see what was around. Mitchell said, "What's the worst that can happen? We don't find anything?" In the case of our diminishing storage, that may actually be the best thing that could happen. But, that wasn't the case:

Hiding behind some glasses and other items on the top shelf of the housewares department? A covered casserole, plane white Contempri by Paul McCobb. (He was better known for his furniture, but these pieces [produced in Japan] are innovative in shape and details. I heart them.) Around the corner? A matching open vegetable bowl.

I love this china and already have one open vegetable and a platter, so I was thrilled to add a couple of pieces to the collection. In addition to white, this shape also came in several solid colors (I have some sherbets in green) and patterns. Somehow, I always find white, which is just fine as I can mix my Eva Zeisel bowls, my lotus bowls, my Schonwald dishes and the Contempri all on the table for an elegant, coordinated look. When I want one. Which is usually for the holidays, mixed with silver. But, my next dinner party is going to be served family style in the Paul McCobb pieces: curries, rice and naan. Coconut ice cream for dessert. Who wants to come?

The obsession with wooden fruit continues. This is actually two sets without a nice bowl. BUT, some new varieties were added, including some vegetables: corn, an acorn, squash and star fruit.

I could not resist this beautiful painting of a horse. I'm trying to think of great racing name for her. Any suggestions? So far, I've come up with 'Josephine's Lament,' but am not completely thrilled with it.

Lastly, a wee incense holder. Ours is still packed away in a box somewhere and this one was, of course, a bargain.

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!

ABCs III

Yes, I stopped in the thrift store the other night. Are you surprised? I needed a pick-me-up, and it was on the way to Starbuck's, where I was headed to finish reading my book from book club. I found two great things that I bought and one beautiful/gross one that I did not.

I would make this into a game, but I'm afraid the choice on this one would be pretty obvious. So instead, we'll add to the alphabet game started here and here. Twenty-three down, three to go. (O, X & Y.)

L is for Lost, as in, "Like many of the characters on the hit TV show Lost, the 70s kitten ring holder seems to have a multi-dimensional existence and travel through space and time." Molly found one of these on Wichita thrifting excursion, and I was so jealous. But patient. I was jealous and patient because I knew that someday Miss Kitty would find me. And she did. And our friend Julie has one as well. I'm convinced they are all actually the same ring holder, but we are simply experiencing it from different perspectives in time. N'est-ce pas?

U is for utopianism, as in, "Russel Wright's American Modern bean pot in cedar green truly expresses the designers dream of utopianism for the bourgeoisie hostess." I had to 'phone a friend' on this one. I have a passing familiarity with Wright and his best-known designs, but the marking on this piece was faint (I thought it might be a second) and the color unfamiliar (I thought it might be a reproduction.) But, a quick e-mail to Scott at Ars Longa, my expert on all things Wrightian (and Eamesian, it appears), confirmed that with American Modern the imprint is often faint or nearly invisible and also that this pot is cedar green. Did I mention its mint? And for less than the price of a value meal at McDonald's? Yes, I'll have fries with that.

V is for vacillate, as in, "This bizarre plastic tooth holder and bank, which was obviously used, caused me to vacillate wildly between excitement and nausea in the store. The frisson was dangerous and electrifying." Seriously, it was disturbingly beautiful. But I couldn't buy it, it just wasn't humanly possible.

Climmmmmb Every Mounnnnnn-tain

I stopped into Goodwill today, on the way home from picking up the dry cleaning. There wasn't a lot, but I did see a salad set I got rid of several years ago in white (I had it in orange) and some other small treasures.

As I scanned the shelves, I passed this burnt orange box with the Hallmark logo imprinted on the bottom, so small you could have almost missed it. I thought to myself, "Probably just some crappy, ugly greeting cards," but my thrifting spirit guides said, "IT COULD BE SOME CRAPPY, UGLY GREETING CARDS!" Of course, they meant good ugly and I was thinking bad ugly. So I opened the box to find, some amazing cards: two decks of cards in complementary patterns. Lovely. Playing cards, not greeting cards. With a matching score pad.

As I've said before, you have to be an investigative thrift shopper. You can't assume the contents of a box are what its exterior advertises. Look in every box. Pick things up to see what is underneath them. Shop with your hands as well as your eyes. And keep wet wipes in the car.

And yes, I stood in the store and counted both (complete) decks. Always listen to your spirit guides.

You Never Know What You'll Find at the Thrift Store...

...maybe a cat in the sofa you bought? For real.


Cat found in used couch is reunited with owner

March 13, 2009, 9:51 p.m.

The Associated Press
SPOKANE, Wash. - The mysterious mewing in Vickie Mendenhall's home started about the time she bought a used couch for $27.
After days of searching for the source of the noise, she found a very hungry calico cat living in her sofa.
Her boyfriend, Chris Lund, was watching TV on Tuesday night and felt something move inside the couch. He pulled it away from the wall, lifted it up and there was the cat, which apparently crawled through a small hole on the underside.
Mendenhall contacted Value Village, where she bought the couch, but the store had no information on who donated it. So she took the cat to SpokAnimal CARE, the animal shelter where she works, so it could recover, and contacted media outlets in hopes of finding the owner.
Sure enough, Bob Killion of Spokane showed up to claim the cat on Thursday after an acquaintance alerted him to a TV story about it. Killion had donated a couch on Feb. 19, and his 9-year-old cat, Callie, disappeared at about the same time.

Fondue, Do!



I've talked before about how the Venn Diagram of my two blogs intersects with my cookbook collection. I love vintage ones. Let me rephrase: I am obsessed with vintage cookbooks and its always exciting to find something with fun and original illustrations. I enjoy reading the recipes and food suggestions from the past and occasionally take inspiration from flavor combinations I might see in an old text. But mostly, it is the thrill of the find and a peek into the old kitchens that fuel my pursuit.

There are several sub-groups to the vintage cookbook collection I would note as particularly important:
  1. Anything by the trinity of 20th century cookbooks/food writing: James Beard, Julia Child and M.F.K. Fisher.
  2. Pamphlet cookbooks from various manufacturers of food or kitchen products
  3. Vintage Jell-O cookbooks
And a new subgroup is starting to take shape: fondue cookbooks! I had several (I have at least three others, but I think there are more. Part of the collection is currently in storage, so I don't have access to my full library.), but found an amazing one at the thrift store last week. Fabulous Fondues contains illustrations that are bold, graphic and utilize the unusual color combination of hot pink and orange. I love it. Plus, even though its small, this fondue cookbook has lots of wonderful advice and lore. Published in 1970, it's a keeper. It's also apt as I'm planning a dinner party around fondue for next week. A casual Friday night affair, I'll keep you all posted on the full menu and hopefully have some photos of everyone gathered around the pot.

Done

The new egg plate and some other collected kitchen art has finally been hung, right above the sink. Now all I need to do is find a place for my 'Good Morning Brian' plate and all will be right.

Egghead

A few posts back I mentioned I was looking for one additional 70s-inspired kitchen item to complete the arrangement that was intended to go above the sink. Found it: a far-out 70s egg plate which matches some coasters we have that say, 'wet.' I can't find them, but will post when they resurface. Strangely, this egg plate only holds ten deviled eggs. I guess that means you can eat two whole eggs (four halves) in the kitchen before you put them out for your guests! I've talked about deviled eggs on bigYELLOWbowl and the interesting parties we had where Molly would divide them among the guests in my post about pan-fried deviled eggs.

But, not only does this complete the arrangement for above the sink (I'll give you an installation view once its all hung.), but it also means I have a collection of egg plates. That's right, reader, three egg plates and as you all know: (repeat after me) "three is a collection."

The first plate is from the set of Canonsburg Temporama which features all kinds of great accessory and serving pieces. I call this the 'wedding china,' to differentiate it from the Metlox Shore Line, which is called 'the good china.' The Temporama egg plate is very specific in its use: for deviled eggs served when using the Temporama. It doesn't get mixed in with other things.

The second egg plate is pressed glass and has some lovely details. Since it's clear and glass, it is general in its use and can be mixed in with any matter of materials. It is the chameleon of egg plates.

The new egg plate, which will be decorative in use, could also be tossed into a very casual serving mix if you only had ten eggs. Otherwise, it will just hang on the wall and tell the world what it is. Egg.

Trophy Life

The Carmen Miranda Suite (installation view), 2004

The Altar of the Ascension of Carmen Miranda, mixed media, 2004

I have always had an affinity for found trophies. Its interesting to me that someone worked hard to accomplish something; was then given a plastic and marble object to commemorate the event; and that the object was discarded by them or someone else. I've used trophies in my art before, primarily in the Carmen Miranda Suite and always been excited to find something strange like a girl on her back kicking a soccer ball, a salesman, or (my favorite) a poodle.

Today at Goodwill there was a gigantic collection of trophies, probably thirty to forty. Most were for swimming, but there was a derby one, a couple of basketball ones and five beauty queen trophies. Five. I could not resist them.

They are all for third or fourth place and from two different years. It's apparent that the owner of these trophies tried really hard to win beauty pageants and was moderately successful. I am thinking she probably won first place at some point, but kept that one since it was the most important to her. Right now, they are just going to be decorative, but in the future they might become part of an art project.

To read about my experience judging the Miss Arkansas USA Pageant in 2004 click here!

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...

Do as I Say, Not as I Do

I'm not sure what I was thinking.

In my defense, the only thing I can say is that it has been a very long week. We stopped into the Goodwill last night and I saw this fantastic lamp. It's white ceramic with a cutout pattern overlaid with a cherry tree in full bloom. The interior is lined with white paper and there is room for a bulb inside. It sits on black wooden base, but had no shade. It was $2.99.

And I didn't buy it. Why?
  1. We have been talking about needing an extra lamp for the bedroom to go on the dresser, but how could this white ceramic thing with a space for a bulb ever serve that purpose?
  2. Both the other lamps have white ceramic bases in the shape of logs with black shades, so why would I ever want another lamp with a white base?
  3. I have looked at lamps at Tuesday Morning and elsewhere for about $60, how could I possible spend less than $5?
  4. The style of the bedroom is Asian-ish, reflected in the Chinese-red screen-like headboard and giant peony fabric curtains, so of course this vase-like lamp with cherry blossoms on it couldn't fit into that idea.
  5. I guess I didn't think about those things and just walked away, in other words: out of my mind.
Huh? Yes, I walked away. And woke up in the middle of the night screaming.

Luckily, my shopping karma is pretty good and when Mitchell stopped by the store on the way home, it was still there. I need to find/make a shade, but otherwise it is absolute gorgeous. One of my favorite finds ever.

Do not hesitate. I repeat: do not hesitate. It will be your downfall.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Saturday's thrift shop thrift stop yielded a small bounty:

Friday, I had said, "What we really need is a small shelf in the hall for our landing strip." You know, the place for keys, wallets, mail and other things you pick up and put down as you come into the house. We have been using the ice bucket on the bar and it just looks junky. What did we find? A small shelf that will be a perfect landing strip. Of course, it's gold and will have to be painted. Orange!

Yes mother, I know I made you get rid of all of your Home Interiors decor items. Context, it's about context: one person's junk pile is another person's high style!

One of the few things destroyed in the move was the lovely white parrot that moved around the house, like birds are want to do. Sometimes he was on the entry table, other times in the bird cage. He is gone. But, the universe sent a replacement!

This sign seems like it should hang over the round kitchen table in your grandmother's kitchen. While it is not going in my dining room, I am going to hang it over the kitchen sink with a couple of other seventies-vibe kitchen decor items. Universe! One more, please.

Mitchell has a slight obsession with the lovely metal tins which you used to buy filled with treats, sweets or candies. This one has a hinged lid and is a great addition to the ever growing collection.

Rules Are Made to be Broken

A few posts back, I made reference to the two-plate rule: we are allowed to buy dinner plates if there are two of them, but that is it. The reasoning behind this is that our Kansas kitchen was decorated with a large array of miss-matched vintage plates. When we moved to Texas, we kept all of the ones that were a pair and created an 'everyday' set of dishes that changes everyday. One for me, one for him

But, I guess rules are made to broken. Such was the case when we found this set of six Taylor Smith and Taylor plates at Goodwill when Jessie and Dave were in town over New Year's. The justification in the store was, "we'll keep two, then donate the other four back." But, once they arrived home, we used them for New Year's Day brunch then swiftly found a place for them in the china cabinet, as if hiding them away could disguise our shame.

Of course, the issue now is: what will go with them?

I tried the blue salad plates I bought to go with the Metlox before acquiring enough of the Metlox salad plates, but they were too big.

The white plates I have work, but aren't especially nice or complementary in shape. The olive lotus bowls really do work though, so I'm looking for: some smaller blue salad plate or some nicer white ones. We'll see.

The Reveal: Thrifty Threads Mystery

I was very excited to see how many of you proffered a guess as to what I bought on my last trip to Thrifty Threads. I think if I were still living in my house in Austin, I probably would have bought it all, but downsizing and lack of space has caused me to be even more selective than I was trying to be in Texas. Let's have a rundown of those fabulous choices again...

The dishes got one 'second guess' from a reader. I did love these, but ultimately I decided they wouldn't mix well with any existing china.

The fish plates got three votes. They were adorable and if they had cups along, I probably would have snatched them and ran.

The pile of blue ceramic fruit got three votes. I am definitely in the market for a pile of ceramic fruit, but even with a blue color scheme in my house, I'm not sure I want to limit myself.

The wooden leaf tray got two votes. A lot of people seemed to really love it. I guess I should have bought it and saved it as a present for a lucky person.

The ice cream plates got one vote. I did really like these and they would certainly brighten up the table during these dark times, but there were only four.

The Pyrex gravy boat got two votes. I was surprised it didn't get more, considering my awful and often-confessed obsession with Pyrex. Plus, look at that handle. Perfection. And it comes with an under plate. But, sadly no.

The daffodil tile got zero votes. Funny, because I was actually holding onto this as I approached the cash register. But, the crack made me say no.

The chair got one vote. Fabulous as the fabric is, Molly was right: there is no room at the Inn and the Manger is pretty darn full as well.

Of course, looking back at the post I spotted my 'tell.' I'm surprised no one else noticed it: pidgin French. When I start writing about something and getting excited, I start throwing out "n'est-ce pas," "mais oui" and "zeut alors" like I am walking down the Avenue des Champs Elysess. I think the other tell is probably when I start addressing you as 'reader,' in that sanctimonious tone I sometimes use. I did like reading all the justifications for your guesses, very fun. But, only one person got it right.

I waffled on these, because of the fuchsia. I thought they didn't go well with my other things, but sometimes reader, it is all about contrast. And they definitely contrast with the Temporama, and give a little 'pop' of color to the china cabinet that makes everything look better.

Scott, I don't think I have a prize fabulous enough for you. But, I will think of something. You probably want the salt and pepper, don't you?

MTSS Mythology: Peace Maker

In the first world, the world called shat-a-quay, there was much light. The elders said the ancient ones told of how this first world, this shat-a-quay, was pink and green and filled with light. But there was war. An ancient war between the cats and the birds that waged ceaselessly.

The cats ran wild, up and down and all over the world. They had a freedom and a stealth that allowed them to do as they pleased. And how they hated the birds and envied them their secret palace called ave-ee-air-ee. "One day, a great clawed avenger will appear and we will win the war," they growled to one another, cleaning claw and cleaning paw. "A great clawed avenger," they all hissed together.

The birds flew high and above, lighting on this place or that place to find peace in their ancient way. "One day," they whistled to each other on the wind, "a great winged avenger will come and we will win the war." And how they hated the cats envied their freedom and their stealth.

But the war raged on, never ending. The cats would gain ground, fighting back the birds and taking a nest of little eggs here and there. Then the birds would win for a while, pecking the cats upon the head until the were driven slowly insane, more insane than they were. There was never a winner, never a loser. Just more of the same war and the same growling and the same whistling.

Then one morning, as the birds set upon a branch whistling to each other, they heard a strange rustling through the tree. Too loud and awkward to be a cat, they turned with curiosity to see a young woman with eyes as big as dinner plates and hair as golden yellow as the sun emerge, flowers in hand. She looked from one to the other, eye to eye, and then spoke quietly, "I am the one of legend, the avenger who was predicted. I avenge your foolish pride and your stupid war by bringing the peace." The birds stopped whispering and stood perfectly still listening to every word she spoke to them. "I am the peace maker, the love bringer...." she sang over and over again as she disappeared back into the woods. The birds did not know what to think or what to whisper to one another. They just looked, one to another with astonishment.

Later that same day, as the cats sat cleaning their claws and growling to one another on the floor of the first world, in that place called stat-a-quay, they heard a rustling. Looking up and expecting to be pecked upon the heads by the birds, they saw nothing. But as they returned to their claw cleaning and their gruff growling, a figure emerged from the woods. She had on a dress as blue as the sky and danced towards them in perfect pirouette with little white toe shoes gleaming in the sun. They stared, mouths agape and tongues akimbo. "I am the one of legend, the avenger who was predicted. I avenge your silly war and your fighting ways by bringing the peace." The cats could not respond. "I am the peace maker, the love bringer...." she sang over and over again as she danced back into the woods.

That evening, the queen of the birds, the most beautiful of them all of them with green and yellow feathers, found herself alone in the woods and landed in a clearing where she would normally have felt much fear. But she felt none. "I feel no fear of those cats," she whistled to herself.

At the same moment, the queen of the cats, the most elegant of them all with fur of the purest white, emerged on the other side of the clearing and spying the queen of the birds, purred to herself, "I feel no fear of those birds."

At the same moment they heard the song from earlier, "I am the peace maker....I am the love bringer....I am the peace maker..." and turned to see the young girl dancing into the center of the clearing. She came to a full stop, extended flowers to each of them and spoke in a voice filled to the brim with finality, "I am the peace maker. I am the love bringer. I am Heidi-Anna."

And so it was that peace came to the first world, the place called shat-a-quay and the war between the cats and the birds was no more.