Sunday, October 31, 2010

Mosaic Monday: Red Transferware



I think most of you have already caught on by now -- I have a "thing" for red transferware. It doesn't necessarily have to be old. After all, I did spend almost an entire year hitting all the different HomeGoods, TJMaxx's and Marshalls in my state of New Jersey collecting a set of reproduction Spode dinnerware for my red dining room.

At the same time, I always have an eye out for vintage or antique pieces as well. I do sometimes use them in my table settings, although most of the time they sit on my hutch and in my corner cabinet. There is something about the older pieces that just speaks to me.

I wanted to show you two pieces I got recently. The top two pictures show an antique plate from the 1830's or 1840's. It is part of the Florentine China transferware series attributed to Samuel Alcock & Co., a major pottery manufacturer based in Burslem, Staffordshire. Don't you just love the maker's mark with the beehive? The pattern is called Pearl. The plate is not in great condition, but I still love it.

The saucer (bottom two images) is a much newer piece, made in the 1980's by J&G Meakin. The scene depicted is Holy Trinity Church in Stratford - on - Avon. The maker's mark for that plate is beautiful as well. Both plates are currently displayed on my dining room hutch.

If you are a transferware junkie like me, you must visit Nancy, at Nancy's Daily Dish. Her dishes are to die for! Tell her Mary sent you. :)

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.
That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1. Jane of AUSTRALIA  29. A New England Life  57. Belated HH - Francisca  
2. Happy Turtle  30. Diann @ The Thrifty Groove  58. Ingmarie We/Refugium  
3. EG Wow, Canada  31. The Foggy Halloween  59. Carol at Serendipity  
4. Black Eyed Susans Kitchen  32. Anja  60. Lavender Lady  
5. Home is Where the Boat is~  33. Twelfth Birthday Fun  61. suzyq - atthefarmhouse  
6. ldh  34. Pat@Back Porch Musings  62. DawnTreader, Sweden  
7. Pat ~ Mille Fiori Favoriti  35. CollectInTexas Gal  63. Verde Farm  
8. Podso  36. Gina Hickman  64. Puna  
9. Lori E  37. QMM  65. Sheila@Starshine Through My Windows  
10. Lenore@ A Vintage Obsession  38. Diana's Photos  66. Simply work @Color Chic  
11. Ebie, CA  39. Jillsy Girl  67. Just capture  
12. {oc cottage}  40. Self Sagacity  68. Teacup Lane - Mountain Green Maple  
13. Halloween Recap  41. Lorrie-Sunday's Child  69. linda  
14. Vee  42. Suzy  70. My Slice of Heaven~Scarecrow Festival  
15. Pondside-Welcome Home Rory!  43. Texas A&M Class Reunion   71. Livsnjutaren  
16. Candy @ The Little Round Table  44. Hyacinths For the Soul  72. Mary  
17. Dab of This and That  45. Fall Macros@ Almota Roses  73. TWO Big Giveaways this week at Roberta's  
18. Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook!  46. M is for Maga  74. Splash of Fall @ bella creative  
19. Snap @ Twisty Lane  47. Halloween Through The Years  75. Project Bag  
20. Eileen  48. Karen, A Scrapbook of Inspiration  76. Project Bag' s cup  
21. Bernie from Australia  49. Suzy@Kitchen Bouquet  77. Midwest to Midlands  
22. The Gazebo House-VOTE!  50. Milla  78. Schotzy @Wings of Eagles  
23. Cathy  51. MaryBeth Stanwood Wa  79. Shannara  
24. Sweet Nothings  52. Erika B  80. Melissa  
25. Cindy @ Custom Comforts  53. Loui♥  81. Sherry  
26. Rajesh, India  54. Riet, Holland  82. Genie~Mushrooms and Color  
27. Molly @ A Bit O' Shine  55. Jackie in Surrey UK  83. Berries Collection,Sweden  
28. Sall's Country Life  56. Betty @ My Cozy Corner  

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Friday, October 29, 2010

My Mess




You do this, right? Start to change out the dishes on your dining room hutch cabinet, and then get caught up with some other task... and pile the dishes on the dining room table, where they sit for the next week... you do this, right?

Please tell me I'm not the only messy one here.

But what is really pathetic (don't tell anyone!) is that I'll probably dust around the dishes at least once before I get my rear in gear and put them away.

*Sigh*
*********
Are you ready for another Mosaic Monday? Gosh, I am so not ready, and really late visiting you all! So if you don't mind, I may have to peek and run today. :)
Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Eastern time Sunday night. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your beautiful mosaics with all of us!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Season of Mists







I was so excited to wake up to a beautiful misty morning yesterday. I just love a good mist! At this time of year, it always reminds me of the Keats poem, Ode to Autumn: "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness..."

These photos were taken at my favorite park, Natirar. I know I've shown you lots of other images from Natirar -- it's my favorite place to walk, and also one of my favorite places to take pictures.

I spent three hours walking the trails and stopping to take pictures every couple of minutes. I saw chickadees and spider's webs, and a whole flock of wild turkeys. As the mist burned off, the sun turned all the leaves golden. It was such a beautiful morning!

I'm linking this post to Cindy's Show & Tell Friday. Thank you so much, Cindy, for being such a gracious hostess. :)

I'm also linking to My Story/Fall at iheartfaces.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Renegade



Ah, October! When the days get cooler, we start to crave heartier fare -- soups, stews, roasts. And being the perverse renegade that I am, (I'll bet you didn't know that about me) I always make one final salute to the bounty of summer.




I read a story in the New York Times last week about whole wheat pasta. Now, I've always been a traditionalist where pasta is concerned. When I was little, I refused to eat any pasta except my mother's (renegade, remember?). I distinctly recall turning my nose up at a neighbor's spaghetti -- she used tomato soup instead of good homemade tomato sauce!

Even as a child, I knew that tomato soup was not meant to dress pasta.



So having read the story about the new, tastier versions of whole wheat pasta, I decided to give it a try. While I boiled the cooking water, I roasted some zucchini, onions and grape tomatoes in the oven with extra virgin olive oil and salt. When the pasta was al dente, I drained it and mixed it with the vegetables, and topped the dish with freshly grated Romano cheese.

Delicious!




So that was my salute to the end of summer vegetables, and the widening of my horizons to include whole wheat pasta. (And probably the widening of my waistline, too.)

But after all, keeping up my renegade reputation entails some sacrifice, no? ;)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Mosaic Monday: All the Leaves are Brown



I'm using a mosaic that you have already seen here sometime in the past. I'm having some computer and Photoshop problems that I'll have to try to resolve tomorrow, so bear with me this week.

Whenever I look at these images, that old song California Dreamin' goes through my mind... "All the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray..." I guess I'm having a reaction against all the oranges and reds and golds that I've been posting for the past few weeks. :)

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.
That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1. Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook!  34. Millie  67. Schrocksters Live  
2. Meri @ Playing Along  35. QMM  68. suzyq - atthefarmhouse  
3. Susan @ Savoring Time in the Kitchen  36. Molly [frozen flowers]  69. Cindy @ Custom Comforts  
4. {oc cottage}  37. Lorrie   70. Wandering Thought  
5. Candy @ The Little Round Table  38. Berta  71. Blessing Reflections  
6. Black Eyed Susans Kitchen  39. Sweet Nothings  72. Crafty Gardener, Canada  
7. M is for Maga  40. Teacup Lane - Simple Vintage Stuff  73. Shannara  
8. Ebie, CA  41. Sullivan and Murphy  74. DawnTreader, Sweden  
9. A New England Life  42. Sheila@Starshine Through My Windows  75. Linda from NJ  
10. Eileen  43. Shirleys World   76. Life with the Lyngs  
11. ldh  44. Pat ~ Mille Fiori Favoriti  77. A Musing Potpourri  
12. CollectInTexas Gal  45. Hyacinths For the Soul  78. Carol at Serendipity  
13. Home is Where the Boat is~  46. Pam @ Abiding with Love  79. Milla  
14. A Garden of Threads  47. Sall's Country Life  80. lesley@Adventures with a camera  
15. Kathy-Delightsome Life  48. Blah to Beautiful @ My Place to Yours  81. Nicole  
16. Snap @ Twisty Lane  49. Elaine  82. Road Trip: Tea Time  
17. Rajesh, India  50. Robin   83. En Plein Air  
18. Vee  51. Pondside-Measuring the Spa  84. Rhonda~FarmHouse Style  
19. Lavender Cottage  52. Patricia's Weekend  85. Beach in December  
20. Carolyn @ Aiken House and Gardens  53. Suzy  86. Singapore plants lover  
21. Lenore@ A Vintage Obsession  54. MaryBeth  87. A Gracious Home  
22. Bernie from Australia  55. Francisca in Manila  88. Daily Divine  
23. Alicia @ Titere con Bonere  56. Self Sagacity  89. Ann  
24. Bailiwick Studio  57. Anja, Father Frost  90. Erika B  
25. Gardening in a Sandbox  58. Jackie in Surrey UK  91. I Heart Blue and Giveaway Info!  
26. Kentucky Home  59. Riet, Holland  92. Pampered Mom's Cheap Number Art  
27. Halloween Outdoor Decor  60. Pike Place Market @ Almota Roses  93. Oak Rise Cottage  
28. EG Wow, Canada  61. Carpe Diem Sweden  94. Happy Turtle  
29. Carol @ My PaINTING rOOM  62. Traci Creel  95. Vickie @PAINT OR DIG  
30. The Gazebo House  63. Loui♥  96. Baking Bread @ Color Chic  
31. 1st Wedding Anniversary  64. Lavender Lady  97. Dixon Hill Diary  
32. Cathy  65. Project Bag  98. Elliott Music Studio  
33. Lavender Dreams  66. Vermont Girl  99. Halloween Witches  

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Little Tole Tray



Once upon a time, there was a little rectangular tole tray. It had pretty roses and daylilies and daisies painted on it. It lived in a dusty old antiques shop.





But one day, a nice lady came in and oohed and ahhed over the tole tray. She said, "You should come home and live in my Little Red House!"

And it did. And it liked it!




The End.

I'm linking this post to Cindy's Show & Tell Friday. Thanks, Cindy, for being such a sweet host!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Artsy



No, don't adjust your monitor. Or reach for your reading glasses.




It's just me being artsy. :)




The colors on our maple tree have deepened in the last day or two.




And I just wanted to share the beauty with you. Happy Wednesday, dear bloggers!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Mosaic Monday: Amen for Autumn



I used to mourn the dying of the light in autumn -- the way that each day was just a little shorter than the preceding one. Instead this year, I'm celebrating our lives drawing inward to hearth and home. I'm loving the little things this season -- beautiful bits and pieces gleaned from nature, sitting down with my family to a warm meal as the day ends, enjoying a good book with a woolen blanket draped across my lap.

This season, I am grateful for butternut squash soup and cool, crisp days. I'm grateful for the blue sky overhead and crunchy leaves underfoot. I'm grateful for misty mornings and apple picking and the sound of the squirrels as they scurry through the underbrush. And as always, I'm grateful for the many blessings I've been given.

Amen for autumn.

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.
That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1. Wind Surfing in Florida  32. Susan @ Savoring Time in the Kitchen  63. fitty  
2. {oc cottage}  33. CollectInTexas Gal  64. Betty@My Cozy Corner  
3. Eileen, MD  34. Jane AUSTRALIA  65. Lorrie - A Mixed Bag  
4. Black Eyed Susans Kitchen  35. EG Wow, Canada  66. Shannara, Sweden  
5. Snap @ Twisty Lane  36. Gardeninginasandbox  67. Riet, Holland  
6. Podso  37. Bernie from Australia  68. Erika B  
7. ellen b  38. Shirleys World Dedicated to Rauls  69. Jackie in Surrey UK  
8. Pat ~ Mille Fiori Favoriti  39. Pam~~Marriage & a Miracle  70. Anja Begoni selfportrait  
9. Ingmarie We, Refugium  40. ldh ~ grandkids bedroom  71. Dixon Hill Diary  
10. Pat@Back Porch Musings  41. Create a vision of yourself!  72. Sueb  
11. Claudia   42. bj @Sweet Nothings  73. Mood Board Love  
12. Carol at Serendipity  43. judi  74. Firefly Hill  
13. Home is Where the Boat is~  44. Rajesh, India  75. DawnTreader, Sweden  
14. Wandering Thought  45. Teacup Lane - Trick or Treat  76. Mary @ Cayo Costa  
15. Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook!  46. Doni@faithgracecrafts   77. Anne  
16. A New England Life  47. QMM  78. Sue-Someone's Mom  
17. Blessing Reflections  48. Lenore@ A Vintage Obsession  79. joco uk  
18. Shelia@NoteSongs  49. Relatively Unique  80. En Plein Air  
19. glenda@Serendipity Cottage  50. Suzy  81. Color Chic  
20. genie @ buttons for baga  51. Sheila  82. Meri @ Playing Along  
21. Diana's Photos  52. Porch Days  83. MaryBeth  
22. Candy @ The Little Round Table  53. Maura @ Lilac Lane Cottage  84. Fall Skies  
23. Cathy  54. Tea on the Porch w/ Quimper  85. TYRA in Tyra's Garden  
24. Asian Influence @ My Place to Yours  55. Bailiwick Studio  86. Cass at That Old House  
25. Jillsy Girl ~ Busy As a Bee  56. Verde Farm  87. linda  
26. Pondside -Missing in Action  57. Southern belle Northern roots  88. Courtney@TheStoryofUs  
27. Happier Than A Pig In Mud  58. Summer's End @ Almota Roses  89. Livsnjutaren  
28. Thoughtfully Blended Hearts  59. Vermont Girl  90. Denise @Junkdogdesign.blogspot.com  
29. Vee@A Haven for Vee  60. No Pet of Mine - Francisca  91. Strawberry Pillows Forever  
30. Lavender Cottage  61. Milla  92. Sall's Country Life  
31. Sandi  62. Carpe Diem Sweden  93. JayLeigh  

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Friday, October 15, 2010

Autumn on the Porch



I've been so late this year getting my chrysanthemums. Some years I buy them as soon as they come out, and other years I don't get any at all. This year I seem to have gotten in just under the wire. Hopefully, we will not get a severe frost for a few more weeks yet, so I can enjoy their color.




I've gathered my mums on our small front porch, which is an area we pass by every day coming into and out of the house. You would think with all that traffic I would pay more attention to making this area look nice, but somehow it always gets overlooked. The bench is always on the porch but I've added most of the other things just for fall.

(Actually, the rather ragged rug came out of our mud room. And I think it ought to go on it's way to the dump!)




I set up a little basket here, with a homemade zucchini muffin from my favorite prepared foods and butcher shop, Perotti's. The basket is from Target, the cup was a thrift store find, and the pitcher belonged to my mother.




The brown transferware plate is by Churchill, from HomeGoods. I used a linen tea towel as a napkin.




I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, dear bloggers!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Autumn in the Kitchen



I wanted to show you all a few of the odds and ends I've collected in my travels lately, so I thought I would set a fall table in the kitchen. Besides, I love to play with dishes, right? ;)

Yes, those are the same faux flowers I showed you a couple of weeks ago. I did actually get some chrysanthemums to put on the table, but I want to add some little gourds to them and just haven't gotten around to doing that yet.




I set this table with a lot of mismatched china and thrift store/rummage sale finds. The covered casserole (shown above) was a HomeGoods find a few years ago. I bring it out every fall to add color to my table. :)




I bought this handsome canine fellow (above) at the recent Visiting Nurse's Rummage Sale for my dear friend, Robin. He's just visiting my table before I bring him to his new home.




I bought this little black urn (above) at the rummage sale also. I'm not quite sure what I'll do with it yet, but it comes in handy here to hold a little white pumpkin. :)




I set the table with three mismatched thrift store dishes. I only have one of the turkey dishes (above) and two of the country scenes (below). Luckily, there are only three of us eating dinner tonight.




And yes, I placed two more little white pumpkins on top of the wooden candlesticks. They are a recent thrift store find, and an unusual size. All of the pillar candles I've seen so far are just ever so slightly too big to fit them. :(





Woven rattan chargers, cotton damask napkins, mother of pearl napkin rings and Waterford crystal round out the settings. Oh, and my usual array of flatware -- antique bone-handled knives and vintage silverplate forks and spoons.




Happy autumn colors here at Little Red House. The tablecloth is Ralph Lauren. The curtains are Country Curtains. The wallpaper (which I swear I'm going to strip soon!) is Waverley.




So that's autumn in the kitchen here at Little Red House. :)

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Mosaic Monday: Adamantine Mantel Clock



I'm showing you something that has been a fixture in my life for many years -- the Seth Thomas Adamantine mantel clock that belonged to my grandfather. I was quite young when my grandfather died, and my mother inherited the clock. It has sat on our mantel ever since.

It does not run now, but I remember it chiming the hours when I was little. It had quite a loud tick-tocking sound, too. I can remember my father winding it every week or so.

Adamantine is a type of celluloid veneer that was used to mimic the marble and onyx of the more expensive French mantel clocks of the late nineteenth century. Seth Thomas began making these adamantine black mantel clocks in 1882 for the American market, which wanted the look of the more expensive clocks but shied at the price. They were very popular from 1882 through 1911. If you are interested in finding one, there are a few on ebay, including one that is exactly the same model, here. If you are interested in a short history of Seth Thomas clocks, you can find it here.

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.
That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1. Crafty Gardener, Canada  34. Pat ~ Mille Fiori Favoriti  67. Susan @ CluckleBees  
2. Cemetary  35. Vermont Heather  68. DawnTreader, Sweden  
3. {oc cottage}  36. Sandi  69. Nature Trail  
4. Podso  37. Serendipity Cottage  70. Puna on Roses  
5. Dab of This and That  38. Cures for the Blues - Linsday  71. CollectInTexas Gal  
6. Jillsy Girl  39. Porch Days  72. Sue-someone's Mom  
7. Snap @ Twisty Lane  40. Susan @ Savoring Time  73. Dixon Hill Diary  
8. Diann @ The Thrifty Groove  41. dreamy collage @ bella creative  74. Suzy  
9. Lenore@ A Vintage Obsession  42. Sweet Nothings  75. Pat@Back Porch Musings  
10. EG Wow, Canada  43. joco  76. Sall's Country Life  
11.  Home is Where the Boat is~  44. muhammad khabbab  77. Shannara, Sweden  
12. Lavender Cottage  45. Bernie from Australia  78. Singapore plants lover  
13. Cathy  46. Annette @ kuntrycharms  79. A Gracious Home  
14. ldh  47. Annette @ kuntrycharms  80. Room Redo Mosaics  
15. A Garden of Threads  48. Ingmarie We/Refugium  81. Cass at That Old House  
16. Teacup Lane - Color Me Happy  49. Ingmarie We/Refugium  82. Jewels @ Almota Roses  
17. Lavender Dreams  50. Milla  83. Nicole  
18. A New England Life  51. Life Images by Jill  84. Mums Say Fall To Me  
19. Vee  52. Francisca in Mindoro  85. Don't live on the 'Someday Island'!  
20. Morning Walks   53. Anja, fruit harvest  86. Nancy@MyCraftyLittlePage  
21. Candy @ The Little Round Table  54. Jackie in Surrey UK  87. Everyday I walk with You  
22. Shelia@NoteSongs  55. Pondside - A Reason to be Thankful  88. Erika B  
23. USS Algae  56. Christine  89. Deb Georgian bay Canada  
24. M is for Maga  57. EILEEN, MD  90. New Collage Header  
25. Meri @ Playing Along  58. MaryBeth  91. Maura @ Lilac Lane Cottage  
26. Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook!  59. Betty@ My Cozy Corner  92. A Musing Potpourri  
27. Gardeninginasandbox  60. AnnA(Sweden)  93. Festive Fall Decor & A Giveaway  
28. Rajesh, India  61. Philadelphia Story @ First a Dream  94. Sheila@Starshine Through My Windows  
29. Wonder And Awe  62. Linda in NJ  95. Curtains In My tree  
30. judi  63. Fiona Designs  96. Thanksgiving~ Ontario  
31. Daylily, QMM  64. Blessing Reflections  97. Livsnjutaren  
32. Hyacinths For the Soul  65. Wandering Thought  98. Color Chic  
33. genie robinson at Buttons for Baga  66. Verde Farm  

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Saturday Morning



It's Saturday morning, the kids are still asleep, my husband is at the office, and I'm sitting here dreaming up decorating projects for the winter. Like stripping the wallpaper in the kitchen and painting. Moving the hutch from the dining room into the kitchen and painting the island. Carving a laundry room out of the downstairs bathroom. Painting my dresser. Painting my aunt's old breakfront that sits in the garage right now, and putting it in the dining room...

If wishes were horses... :)

*********

I'm still making the rounds of all your posts from last week, but I hope you will join me for Mosaic Monday this week. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday Eastern time, USA.


Friday, October 8, 2010

I Love My Plate Rack



When we had our kitchen remodeled a few years ago, the designer asked me for a list of the features I most desired in my new kitchen. At the top of the list was a plate rack.

Duh! I'm a dishaholic, remember?

I wanted it because of the way it looked, but I love it now because of the way it functions. It is so much easier to grab a few plates without having to open a cabinet door. That sounds like such a little thing, but it's true. And because our dishwasher is located immediately below the rack, it makes emptying the dishwasher easy, too. And finally, there is something just so very satisfying about slotting the dishes into the rack -- a place for everything, and everything in it's place.




I'm linking this post to Cindy's Show and Tell Friday. If you have the time, go check out all the links. You will be so glad you did. :)

I'm also linking Shelia's Heart of the Home Party. What could be more fun than taking some time to visit each other's kitchens, and maybe stop in for a little refreshment? :)

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

My name is Mary, and I'm a milk-glass-a-holic



This is my semi-annual post where I show you all the milk glass I bought for a song at the Visiting Nurse's Rummage Sale in Far Hills, New Jersey. ;)

I went there this year, saying to myself that I was not going to buy any more milk glass. I have way too much already.

But that resolve went right out the window when I saw these two beautiful pieces by Westmoreland (above and below).

One was $3. and the other was $2. The covered candy dish (above) is currently selling for around $25-$38 on ebay and bonanza. Score!




The beautiful goblet (below) was made by Napco. I love the simple shape and the almost translucent quality of the glass. I think this one cost me $2. -- a real bargain for something that gives me so much pleasure to look at. :)





I love the basketweave pattern on the plate shown below, too. It doesn't have a maker's mark, but I think it may be another piece of Westmoreland because it is so heavy. I'll have to look out for a few more so that I can set a small table with them. ;)





The hobnail, fluted-edge compote (below) has no maker's mark either, but it has the most beautiful opalescent glass. This makes me wonder if it is made by Fenton, which is famous for it's lovely fluting and mother-of-pearl glass. I've ordered a reference book on milk glass from Amazon. Can't wait to see if it helps with identification. :)



The little leaf-shaped candy dish (below) is definitely Fenton -- the daisy and button pattern. I just thought it was so cute, and for $1. it was another no brainer.




And the very first piece of milk glass I ever bought was an urn similar to the one shown below. I think I just responded to the classic shape. Now I have several of them. This one is by the E.O. Brody Co. I'm thinking of placing one of them on either end of the mantel in the library with some fall branches.




If you are a fan of Eddie Ross, you will know that he often includes milk glass pieces in his tablescapes. Early last week he wrote on his blog that he was shooting
a makeover story for Women's Day at the Visiting Nurse's Rummage Sale. I can't wait to see it, and see if it includes any milk glass! :)

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Mosaic Monday: Autumn Postcards



Remember when we talked about the lost art of letter writing last week? I thought that I would add some new autumn postcards to my etsy shop, for those of you who still like to send a handwritten note. :)

So that is what my mosaic is made of this week -- six images of autumn, the "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" as Keats described it it.

After the color and abundance of summer blooms, autumn has it's own spare beauty. I love the misty mornings, the muted golds and browns, the ripened berries and the call of geese flying overhead. I love the brilliant foliage and the softer light and the dew-drenched grass. And most of all, I love the bittersweet feeling that comes with this fleeting season. Soon enough the frost and the snow will come. Carpe diem.









Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.
That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1. Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook!  33. Daylily, QMM  65. Jackie, Surrey UK  
2. Meri @ Playing Along  34. M is for Maga  66. Pondside-Apples, Bears and Raccoons  
3. EG Wow, Canada  35. Vermont Girl  67. Deb Georgian bay Canada  
4. BailiwickStudio  36. Pat ~ Mille Fiori Favoriti  68. MaryBeth Stanwood Wa. US  
5. New York on my Mind  37. shirley behind the lens  69. Suzy@ Kitchen Bouquet   
6. Ingmarie We/Refugium  38. Wandering Thought  70. Linda in NJ  
7. Natasha's Nutcrackers  39. Suzy  71. Carol at Serendipity  
8. A Garden of Threads  40. Blessing Reflections  72. LL - Hayride  
9. Mary @ Home is Where the Boat is~  41. Shelia@NoteSongs  73. Dixon Hill Diary  
10. Lenore@ A Vintage Obsession  42. Lisa RedWillow  74. DawnTreader, Sweden  
11. Carol  43. Sall's Country Life  75. Project Bag  
12. Cathy  44. Molly [mountains lakes]  76. Fall Flower Bouquet  
13. Eileen, Md  45. Sheila  77. Nicole  
14. {oc cottage}  46. linda  78. Sue-Someone's Mom  
15. Homage to Sailor Shirts  47. Teacup Lane - Color of Orange  79. My Favorite Things  
16. GardeninginaSandbox  48. Bernie from Australia  80. Kamana: Nostalgia  
17. Dab of This and That  49. Herbie, "The Love Bug"  81. LazyonLoblolly  
18. Susan @ Savoring Time  50. Diana's Photos  82. Autumn Decor  
19. Fall Mosaic  51. genie's Bees Are Buzzing @ Buttons for Gaga  83. handmade  
20. Snap @ Twisty Lane  52. Pumpkin bounty  84. History of the Jack O' Lantern  
21. Podso  53. Sullivan and Murphy  85. Fall In The Ozarks  
22. Lori E  54. Garden Geek  86. Southwest Arkie   
23. Almota Roses Calibrated  55. Self Sagacity: Sunflowers  87. Sandi   
24. Plate Addict ~ More New Orleans  56. Jane AUSTRALIA (new blog)  88. Halloween Arrives  
25. Vee  57. glenda  89. Mary  
26. Fiona Designs - Road Trip  58. Rajesh, India  90. Roberta's October Sky  
27. joco  59. Sallie (FullTime-Life)  91. Annette @ kuntry charms  
28. Lavender Cottage  60. Anja, For Linda and ..  92. Just capture  
29. ldh  61. Mary@ Harvest Time  93. Shannara, Sweden  
30. Candy @ The Little Round Table  62. Milla  94. Garten Verein - Galveston, TX  
31. Diann @ The Thrifty Groove  63. Nancy@MyCraftyLittlePage  95. Take a Closer Look  
32. Karen, A Scrapbook of Inspiration  64. Riet, Holland  

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