Dishing It Out!

I finally have a day that I can just spend at home cleaning up from the Holidays.  So I am organizing and putting away all the china and silver that has just been sitting on the dining room table.  And as I gaze lovingly  at the enormous pile, I know I am a "dishaholic".  Completely incapable of passing up a gorgeous plate, I still amaze myself with my ability to find space for them!  I love to mix and match and find new combinations that work together.  It is a silly waste of time, but I loooooovvvveee it!

A mixture of gold, pink and white china - mis matched little beauties perfect for Cinderella's breakfast table.

Lovely soft pinks on white porcelain - it just makes me smile

Little magical touches for the Holdiay tables need to be tucked away too! But wait, Valentines is just around the corner.
Maybe it can stay out until then??

Pink marshmallows dusted with coconut flakes seem perfect for this setting.

Just look at the detail found on china painting- exquisite

ready to join the other pink china in the dish pantry that didn't get chosen for the season's festivities

enter the dish pantry - a simple closet with all old door entry.

love this old door.

There is even an oil  painting of dishes in the dish pantry!



Gold floral dessert plates ready to be put away until next time.

 

 

stacks of plates - definitely a  sick sick sickness.

 

 

 

Then there's the large cabinet in the dining room-

Try to keep my old Paris porcelain, white and gold out here!

 

Stacks of Meissen plates- so intricate and pretty

 

 

Then there's the butlers pantry, where the everyday dishes get stacked.

Right out of the dishwasher below and on to those shelves.

 

 

little vintage transfer ware cups and old potted meat ironstone containers - perfect for daily sauces and spreads

 

 

Love these pewter glasses for ice water

 

 

Love love love transferware and ironstone

 

 

Need to gather these up from the kitchen counter and put them away too.

But I love looking at them!  Jill got me started on this tartan thing!

 

 

And I love to decorate with them too!  A series of serving platters in the guest room.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes I do love my dishes!  And I am not even going to show you the china stored  in the hobby room and laundry room.

Plus there's two large consoles in the dining room full of my little pretties. It's a certifiable sickness with no cure in sight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Friday Done Right!

my favorite find of the day- gilded eggs hand crafted  with old trims and rhinestones

fabulous

vintage trims and rhinestones on velvet eggs

love this small compote

favorite finds of the day

unbelievable detail on this urn

vintage silver tea pots to be filled with fresh roses for our Christmas house walk on Dec. 5th

exquisite finial detail

love the wonderful walnut finial

2 adorable small silver domes with  ivory finials

For several years, Jill and I have traveled west to a fabulous "day after Thanksgiving" event.  No black Friday promotions for us-  too many years of retailing and having to be at the store by 5 am the day after Thanksgiving   makes us stay completely clear of that nonsense.  Instead we choose to go a more gentile way-  meet at 8:30 in the morning  at Starbucks and head west out into the country  to  visit a  magical red  barn and  purchase  as many fabulous finds as we can in about 45 minutes of "fast browsing" - our own version of heaven on the day after Thanksgiving. Today was no exception.  An incredible artisan from Michigan was selling her version of Faberge eggs made of antique jewelry and trims.  They are such wonderful little treasures and she has agreed to let me sell them at the Woodlands Holiday walk on December 5th. I am so thrilled.  I couldn't wait to get them home and display them on my dining room buffet - I even made Jill take them out of the bag while I was driving home and let me take another gander at them.     We both found some great silver pieces, some of which will be for sale at the holiday walk next week.  I scored a fabulous vintage  urn with great details on the sides,  already filled with Christmas greens. It's a keeper for now!  Jill bought some wonderful tartan goodies today - a vintage throw and some stockings made of vintage tartan blankets.  She also took home a vintage silver bowl filled with paper whites - so lovely and a fabulous  large silver meat dome.  Giddy with chatter about the magic  of the day, we both agreed - this was a magical retailing event!  Beautiful food, beautiful setting and unique items that we could not buy anywhere else - a perfect retail formula!  

Lake Bluff Fourth of July - The Food, The Parade, The Beach

The Menu

French Fry Bag stamped with Fleur de Lis - used to serve Ham Sliders

Watermelon with Peach Balsamic Vinegar Reduction, Feta and Mint

Vintage Blue and White

Smoked Salmon, Dill and Potato Tart

Berry Shortcake

Jill's Dipped Strawberries in White Chocolate and Citrus Peel - so good!

Crisp Summer Rose served in vintage eagle glasses- so 4th of July!

Lake Bluff Historical Society  with our very own Penny!

Love this one- Lake Bluff Lawn Mower Drill Team

Penney holding her 1882 Birth of the National Prohibition Party in Lake Bluff sign!

Lots of sail boats in the horizon

Laurell, Katha, Christy and Mr. RTH at the beach - 105 degrees and the water felt good!

Lake Bluff Beach

A hot, hot, hot day in Lake Bluff,  but you felt guilty staying inside in the air conditioning.  We had an early brunch for those who wanted to go the annual Lake Bluff parade and cooked hamburgers for the later crowd.  So it was brunch, the parade, going to the lake, cooking hamburgers and enjoying dessert. And just as the day was ending about 5 o'clock , the transformer by our house blew up  and we were without electricity! So to cool off,  we spent the fourth of July night with our feet in cold water foot baths, sitting on the front porch, just like our ancestors did on the Fourth of July probably 100 years ago.!