How to Set A Southern Table for Spring & Easter

This morning is my regular segment on Knoxville's WTNZ Fox43 and I'm sharing some of my favorite ideas for setting a southern table. Spring has arrived and Easter is just around the corner so there are plenty of occasions that might call for making your meal a little more special.

Y'all know I don't like to spend a lot of money so most of my suggestions can be created on a small budget.

One way to dress up your Easter table is with the good china. My good china is thrifted, mind you, but whether you inherited Grandma's priceless heirloom set or got them as a wedding present, I'm a firm believer that if you have dishes you love you should use them! There's no reason to store or saves them for a special occasion...that special occasion is today. If you're like me and have odd pieces of thrift store china, use them too! Mix and match to create unique combinations. It doesn't have to be perfect...just play around until you find a look you like!

Another way you can add something special to your table is with cloth napkins. There are hundreds of intricate ways to fold and style napkins, but I am sharing a couple of my favorites. One, shown below from the adorable blog Sugar and Charm, is the bow tie fold. It's really easy to re-create and you only need a napkin and a scrap of ribbon to complete it.

via Sugar and Charm blog (so cute!) 

If you'd like to fold your napkin and display it in a drinking glass, the flame fold might be one to try. It's easy to master and this video walks you through the process in no time. 

Another idea of mine is to create a table that incorporates fun things younger folks can do...so the grown-ups can enjoy their meal. Using butcher paper instead of a table cloth and handing out chalk is a way to add some fun for young and old. I found some adorable chalk Easter eggs that I think could be used as place cards as well as something fun for the table. 

Finally, decorate your Easter table with potted plants instead of cut flowers. Flowers are beautiful but they just don't last very long. I got a small pot of miniature daffodils and I think they will make a gorgeous addition to my Easter table...plus I can plant the bulbs and enjoy them year after year! 

Here's a video link to today's segment and all the others I've done on Fox43! 

{image 1 via} 

Collecting: Vintage Ironstone China

I was inspired to write this post because of an earthquake. I know it might sound crazy but there was recently an earthquake in Tennessee. Saturday, I was standing in my living room and all of a sudden, my ironstone china started rattling. Assuming it was fireworks from the football game being played at nearby Neyland Stadium, I just went about my business. Later, when I heard it was an earthquake, I was inspecting my ironstone china collection and that's when I wrote this post.  

I can't remember what prompted me to begin collecting English ironstone china. I don't even know which piece started my collection. Most have been picked up pretty cheaply at estate sales or thrift stores. I even brought an entire thrifted tea set back from Florida in my carry-on luggage. For awhile I didn't have enough pieces to display them all together, but now I've got a fairly sizable collection and I like the visual impact of seeing them in a grouping.  

I think it's fun to collect things...as long as it doesn't take over your life. When I first started collecting, I was always on the lookout for pieces of ironstone, ready to snatch them up. Now that my ironstone china collection has grown, I try to pass on pieces unless they are really unique or different from what I already have. I don't want to end up with so much that I can't really enjoy it because my house is overrun with it. 

Most of my ironstone china pieces are Johnson Brothers or Meakin. I prefer the solid white pieces but some of mine are ironstone china transfer ware and I like those too. I think I'm drawn to ironstone because of its history. I love that each piece was created so long ago -- made to withstand years of use.

Some of my pieces are a little cracked, either from the previous owners or from my own klutzy use (and now they've survived an earthquake!). I don't mind this because I think it adds to the unique story these pieces have to tell.

Do you collect something that holds a special place in your heart? Are you a new collector or is your collection fairly developed? I love hearing your stories about this sort of thing!

Spooky Simple Halloween Ideas

I always love visiting my friends at Knoxville's WTNZ Fox43 for their wonderful morning news show and this week, I shared some easy Halloween ideas that are also thrifty! I hope you enjoy!

From the China Cabinet: Southern Belle Tumblers

I’ve mentioned that while on vacation, I do more thrifting than sunning much of the time…what can I say, vacation is relative to what you enjoy. My most recent trip to Ormond Beach, Florida yielded a few treasures, but I wasn’t able to bring everything home with me. Looking back, I wish I had gotten these vintage tumblers, but alas it wasn’t meant to be.

Made by the Anchor Hocking company, these antique frosted glasses with southern belles etched on them are just adorable. Can’t you picture a gathering of demure southern ladies of times gone by enjoying a tall glass of sweet tea and possibly a pimento cheese sandwich (on white bread cut in triangles)? I bet bridge was played and gossip was shared. Sigh…I often think I was born in the wrong era.

If you’d like a set of these charming glasses for your collection, do a search for “southern belle frosted beverage glasses” and you should find several options. Or who knows, maybe you already have a set! If so, I’m mighty jealous.

Shopping at Thorn & Thistle

This weekend I visited the newly opened Turkey Creek Public Market, a huge indoor flea market-ish shopping destination in Knoxville, Tennessee. As with anything where there are many different booths, only some of them really caught my eye. My favorite vendor shop was ‘Thorn & Thistle’ where the delightful BB was selling her wares.

From the first glimpse of this fabulous booth, I knew it wasn’t like the others. First of all, it contained items that appeared very thoughtfully chosen. Also, it was curated in a way that really showcased everything.

I knew I’d like it there when I mentioned I was a collector of ironstone and BB rounded up several pieces for me to look at.

She said her dream was to have a store with beautiful items in a price range she and her friends could afford. Done and done! I got 2 small ironstone pieces (a creamer and a fruit bowl) for less than $20!

I could have spent all day looking at every item, but it was almost closing time so we moved along. I will definitely be returning to the Thorn and Thistle booth as the inventory is always changing, so you just never know what you’ll happen upon.

By the way, here’s a creamer just like the one I got (for $8!). My collection is growing, Lord help us.

Have you been to the Public Market and if so, what did you think?

From the China Cabinet: Peachy Keen Dish

Some might consider me a certified dish and glassware hoarder, but one type of lovely glassware I’ve never collected is milk glass. I didn’t realize milk glass originated in Venice, but that makes sense, what with all the other types of gorgeous glass Italy is known for. I saw this little lidded dish at a wonderful shop recently and for just $50, I thought it was a great deal. Alas, I didn’t bring it home with me…but I’m sure someone will snatch it up soon.

If you’re interested in starting a milk glass collection, check flea markets and rummage sales…I frequently run across pieces at a reasonable price. Any current collectors out there? 

Alice Comes to Stay

 

Last year at this time I was only getting my feet wet in the world of blogging and I feel so fortunate to still be part of this lovely and loving community. Today’s post is something of a flashback…I did an Alice post exactly 1 year ago today. If you were around way back then, you might remember some of these images.

 

When I wrote the previous post, I had just seen Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and had Lewis Carroll and his magic on the brain. Here’s a roundup of items that capture some of the whimsy of Wonderland.  

 

 

All these goods are now sold, but you’d be amazed what wonder awaits with a simple search for “Alice in Wonderland” on etsy.com. The wares are wonderful, but my  favorite Alice item is most definitely the Japanese NAPCO figurine my Me-me gave me recently. I always peeked at it through the glass of her curio cabinet while growing up and after a little persuading (and 29 years), she gave it to me!

 

 

Does Alice hold a special place in your heart?

 

 

 

      

From the china cabinet: Head vases

Head vases are small containers from the 1950s and 60s that would have contained flowers and depicted ladies’ heads. These Japanese-made ceramics were once just dime-store florist vases, but are now popular among collectors. They aren’t exactly southern, but look at that dreamy expression on the sister in blue above…doesn’t she seem like a southern belle (or at least a wanna-be southern belle)?

The reason I started thinking about head vases is my dear friend mlw and I  looked at one (above) depicting the lovely Jackie Kennedy in an antique shop. When he went back to possibly buy it as my Christmas present, the shopkeeper had raised the price to a whopping $900! (It was originally about $100). Apparently the Jackie head vases are in high demand and the shop only recently found out.

This post is the first of a new series here on SBS called “From the china cabinet” where I feature things that folks I know have collected or acquired. My me-me has a couple of these head vases and she pulled them out of the china cabinet so I could take a look. This one is pretty, but I think her floral headpiece needs updating just a bit. I love her heavily lidded eyes and tangerine lips.

I think this head vase is adorable…I’ll call her Gidget. She once had pearl earrings, but they are now missing. There is an entire website devoted to head vases and you can also find them on Ebay and Etsy as well as in antique shops. If you’re going for value, look for ones with no chips or cracks. Otherwise, they are a whimsical piece that would make a cute addition to a little girl’s room or collection. Ours are marked Napcoware on the bottom, but there were other manufacturers of them too.

Do any of you collect head vases? Maybe you have the desirable Jackie and weren’t aware of her worth. I’d love to hear about something that you collect!