Contain Yourself

My usual obsession is small bowls and little dishes, and while that is by no way waning, I have recently become quite enthralled by...containers. Particularly, stainless steal containers. 

There are still a few of these available at Crate and Barrel for quite a steal of a deal--perfect for packing cookies for a picnic, keeping snacks handy on the counter or even filling with jelly beans. Just pick out the licorice ones first. One size fits most.

This set from the West Elm has a variety of sizes like a conventional canister set, but don't be limited. These would be great on a desk to hold supplies, crayons and markers on your art table or necessities in your bathroom cabinet. 

I can't figure out how to buy these or how much they cost, but they are awesome...the future. I can't even find them again, so maybe they don't even exist.

Of course, I want every stainless steel tiffin, lunchbot or other small container I see, but I already have a few in the pantry.

I also have my grandmother's stainless steel canisters which still look great after all of these years. Mom used them forever before passing them onto me. The handle on the top unscrews so you can fill them with whatever you are storing inside for easy labeling. My point is that stainless steel products last forever, look great in just about any space and have a timeless beauty. There's my rationalization and now I'm going to buy some more. 

Stand Up

Who can't use a cakestand during the holidays? A truly great one will make your homemade desserts look fantastic, your store-bought treats look homemade and your starters stand out. Here are three...

These wood cake stands from Anthropolgie will bring warmth to your table and mix well with just about anything. Think hors d'ouevres, an array of cheese or stack them and top with snacks. 

Martha offers a plethora of gorgeous cake stands through Macy's and this one is no exception: imagine it topped with any number of decadent layer cakes.

Ebay and Etsy have a wide variety of vintage stands that will bring a unique quality to your table--find a color that contrasts with the rest of your serving pieces to really stand out. 

Stack It Up

Serving tea sandwiches is just one way to use a tiered serving piece for entertaining. New or vintage pieces can add drama and heighth to your buffet or appetizer arrangement: think more delicious things in less square footage.  Plus, tiered serving pieces can make smaller treats, appetizers and canapés more accessible to guests and creates a welcoming presentation.  No surprise, I have several tiered serving pieces in both ceramic and metal, some new and others vintage.  I use them frequently for sweet things as well as starters and think you should have at least one in the batterie.

This stackable wooden one from Merchant No. 4 is perfect for cheese or charcuterie.

This glass and metal example from Crate and Barrel is simple, but the materials allow it to go with any type of serving pieces.

This wood and metal tri-tier also from West Elm takes a cue from a couple of the vintage finds in my collection.  Keep your eyes open at the thrift store and estate sales for classic ones or look on Etsy and eBay for some wonderful vintage versions that the above examples are based on.