Hadley Pottery: An Incredible Gift Linking Women in My Life

Are you familiar with Hadley Pottery? My collection has grown lately, and it makes me so happy. First you need to hear what it is and why I like it. Hadley Pottery was founded in 1940 in Louisville, when an artistic woman, Mary Alice Hadley (who had been born into a family of clay tile makers) designed and painted dishes for her houseboat on the Ohio River. When she entertained, everyone went wild for her dishes and insisted she create a set of dishes for their household in the same style. You can read their legendary story on the Hadley website.

My mother went to college at Denison in Ohio in the early 1950's and she said a Hadley mug was her coffee cup throughout college. I grew up drinking out of that same mug, painted with a pig, and loved that when the mug was empty, I could read "The End" painted inside on the bottom. I thought it was fabulous and drank Ovaltine out of it every chance I got growing up.

When I got engaged in 1991, a young couple I admired from Cincinnati gave us a Hadley salad bowl (Farmer & Wife) as an engagement present. Then when I moved to Seattle, I started going to church rummage sales. One day I spotted a Hadley milk pitcher…price 10 cents! My collection was growing.

When we had friends for dinner, I made a chicken dish with a sauce and served it in my new-found Hadley creamer. I told the story of the Hadley brand as I served salad from the big Farmer & Wife salad bowl. Well, six months or more later, that friend texted me and said that she thought the pattern I was collecting was at a resale shop in the next town. She was out scouting for herself and found loads! I went that weekend, and someone must have donated a lifelong collection! It was a thrill. I bought a giant platter, a covered vegetable, a teapot, and a creamer & sugar. Happy days.  And bravo to Stacie for recognizing the pattern.

Okay, now this is where you will not believe it. I posted this photo below on Facebook, showing that I was finally framing some of my favorite garden photos in some new inexpensive IKEA frames. And I got a comment from my high school English teacher-turned-friend, Pam. “Does that bowl on your table mean you collect Hadley?” What? I was so taken with my project I did not even realize that the bowl snuck into the photograph. I emailed Pam privately and told her about my growing collection that had started back in my mom’s college days. Pam said that loved Hadley china and was so thrilled that I did too. She said that she has a large collection that she has had fun adding to over the last 40 years. She also wondered if I would l would like to take some of her pieces as my own. She was downsizing and was sure that her children would not want as many pieces as she had. Gulp. Oh my, yes. What an honor.

Look how much my collection grew with her generous gift! I now have 2 dinner plates so Dan and I can have dinner together. Her vinegar & oil decanters are perfect with my salad bowl. I now have covered soup bowls for French Onion soup or individual baked vegetable casseroles. I have a honey pot and syrup pitcher too. And some darling holiday mugs and luncheon plates for cocoa and cookies. I really cannot believe it. I feel like an honorary daughter and it makes me misty.

Pam and I have been friends since I was in high school (cough cough). We started off on the right foot because her husband, Tom, had been my Social Studies teacher when I was in Junior High! I loved his class so I remember talking to her about how I knew him. Then when I was her student in high school, in addition to teaching English and Creative Writing, Pam also ran the district's Gifted & Talented Program. 

Pam knew that I spent a lot of my free time doing counted cross stitch and she encouraged me to apply to the Board of the Gifted and Talented Program for high school credit in needlework. The ability for the board to approve/issue high school credit for extra curricular activities had been primarily focused on ballerinas and students in ROTC, when Pam thought to challenge that with another viable creative pastime. 

When I was accepted, we helped the Board figure out what amount of time doing cross stitch should quality for 1 hour of high school credit. If memory serves, I did 134 hours of cross-stitch in one semester of high school. It is staggering now that I think about it, but I accepted the challenge, and it was fun. It was my senior year, and I would often spend that “gifted and talented” time slot doing cross stitch and having tea in Pam’s room. Tea and needlework. I’ve been me for a long time. 

Thank you, Pam, for your generous gift. I promise to take good care of your Hadley and serve delicious meals on it forever and ever. My heart swells with my collection and feels like it may burst.

#hadley #hadleychina #collecting #housewares #collectingdishes #blueandwhite #bluedishes #friendship #storytelling #beautyofeverydaylife #gifts 

 

 

Vanilla Pudding & Grandmother's Bowl: A Sentimental Weekday

On this second day of the 12 Days of Valentine's Day, I propose you make one of your grandmother's recipes and serve it in a vintage vessel. Vanilla pudding? Orange pie? Shrimp dip? What was something she was known for? I can think of nothing more wonderful than honoring her with a whirl in the kitchen.

Does this Pyrex display bring back memories? I spent a few hours at "America's Largest Antique & Collectible Show" at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup, WA last weekend. This beautiful collection of vintage Pyrex caught my eye. Are you a collector? I consider Pyrex a salute to the American kitchen and I love it all. I have a small collection and I regularly fight the urge to make it a bigger. (wink)

When I shared this photo on Instagram, several people chimed in that they treasure their grandmother's Pyrex bowl. Or pointed out in this picture, which one she had. I am sentimental and nothing makes me happier.

Today I am sharing my maternal grandmother's recipe for vanilla pudding and serving it in my solid aqua Pyrex bowl with lid (just like the one in this picture!). I make this pudding all the time (usually doubling the recipe) and it is a family favorite.

Vanilla Pudding 

2 egg yolks
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
2 c. milk
1 T butter (though it was written "a walnut size piece of butter)
1 t. vanilla

Put egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir together with a fork until well mixed. Pour in milk and stir. Turn on burner and cook, continuing to stir. When the mixture has thickened quite a bit, remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Fill 4 small ramekins with pudding and refrigerate. 

#grandmothersknowbest #grandmasrecipe #recipe #vanillapudding #vintagepyrex #collectingpyrex #momentsofdelight #antiquelover

Horse Chestnuts: Collecting Nature's Gifts

Have you ever collected horse chestnuts? This is a fall activity that my mom loves. She scouts out horse chestnut trees in the spring and mentions how we need to get to them at exactly the right time. This year we were a little late, the spiny seed pods had fallen away from the mahogany-colored chestnuts. 

My mom like to collect them in a variety of stages (a pod just opening, an open pod with the seed showing and loose chestnuts) and display them as art. Once we have some arranged at home, I'll come back here and update this post with a picture. She will also want me to tell you that she planted one in Michigan years ago and it is now a thriving 40 foot tall tree. 

Our favorite place for gathering horse chestnuts is in Volunteer Park in Seattle. It is a great open space with a long row of very old horse chestnut trees. We had a beautiful day on Saturday and we drove out to this park with my mom to find horse chestnuts and celebrate her return to health. It was a great afternoon.

#horsechestnuts #notthatkindofchestnut #volunteerpark #seattle #nature #gardenlover #treelover #fallfun

Hadley Pottery: Tea Sets the Mood

I have started a new collection! It's Hadley Pottery and I just love it. I think what speaks to me is the fact that its based in blue and that the style is charming. It's sturdy enough to really be used. The themes painted on each piece are sweet and classic. And the style is rustic enough for a man to use too. Dan won't balk at drinking out of a mug with a horse or a farmer on it. I'm just saying.

I grew up drinking warm milk and Ovaltine in a cow mug that had "The End" painted in the bottom of the cup. I loved it then and my mom has gifted it to me since. 

My Hadley collection has been growing quickly and that wonderful story is for another time. Today I simply want to make you aware of this American pottery and show you how cute it looks on my sideboard on a Scandinavian tray. Don't you love it? I see it every time I walk through the house and it gives me Visual Vitamins.

That's the Spirit: Antique Pennants

I photographed this beautiful melange of pennants at booth in the Fremont Sunday Market. I wasn't ready to buy, but I can imagine someone pouncing on this collection to decorate a cabin or lake house with plaid blankets and vintage pennants. Look at this page from Midwest Living magazine to see what I mean. It looks warm and storied, just like a house should.

The Fremont Sunday Market in Seattle is not for the faint of heart. More crowded than a garage sale, far worse than a flea market...you have to be ready for an odd mix of items and ephemera. It is not on my regular route, but if I
m feeling lucky, I glance over the tables looking for a treasure like this. 

#vintagesigns #pennants #antiquing #collecting #Seattle

Pure Pyrex in Snohomish, WA

My Aunt Carol made the big trip out West to see my mom and we had a wonderful week showing off our new turf. Knowing that she and my mom loved antiquing, I hoped for a nice day when we could drive up to Snohomish, WA for a day of treasure hunting.

Country Living magazine published an article calling Snohomish the "antiques capital" of the Northwest and having visited the town twice, I knew that we would have fun looking in the boutiques full of up-cycled items, as well as the tried and true antiques they both collect.

Our most successful moments were at the Star Center Antique Mall and Remember When Antique Mall. We spent hours looking everything over and considering things like how much room my aunt had in her suitcase and trying to remember which pieces of vintage Pyrex I really owned. I stood looking at this massive display for quite a while before I realized that I probably had a photo on my phone of my aqua Pyrex. Remember this day? That photo helped me make my decision. I wanted to buy one piece of Pyrex to remember this day paling around with my mom and aunt.

I bought this small turquoise bowl in Butterprint at the Remember When Antique Mall. It's perfect.

When I got home, I took a picture of my collection in the new cupboard. Now I can refer to this picture on my phone (in the favorites album) whenever I am in doubt. You can see that the new bowl fits perfectly right in the center of the lower shelf.

Throughout the day, my mom kept saying, "Stop calling it vintage; we both got these same pieces for our weddings." Ha!  

Recipe Box of Friends and Memories

Do I have a story for you. I recently ran into my friend Lesley when I was out shopping and she proclaimed, "I'm so glad I ran into you; I've been meaning to call; I bought something for you!"

My first thoughts were, "What? Why would you buy something for me?" and then I quickly came around to, "How fun!" 

Lesley and I met through the Junior League of Birmingham around 1997 and we saw each other all the time when we were volunteering.  Now our schedules are different and it feels like we never get to see each other anymore. We did talk for a long time on the phone when I was about to "live" on and off in Seattle. She introduced me to her friend, Kathy in Seattle, who became my friend Kathy in Seattle.  Isn't that great? 

Lesley told me that she had recently been to an estate sale in our area and noticed among the clutter, a recipe box shaped like a house. And it was still full of recipe cards! Being a sentimental girl, Lesley couldn't bear to leave such a personal item behind. 

She told me that as she stood there, with a lifetime's worth of possessions for sale around her, she decided that I should be the steward for this very feminine relic. 

I completely agree. I love cooking and friendship and collecting. This treasure is the intersection of all three.  I like looking at the different styles of recipe cards from years ago and at the distinct handwriting of her friends. There are years of friendships here and I only wish that I could ask her about each and every woman. Was the lasagna recipe from her supper club? Was the lemon cake someone's pride and joy? There is a story here, I just know it.

My heart tells me that her family removed any recipe cards that were meaningful and that I have the cards from outside the family, and that suits me just fine. 

I think Lesley is both thoughtful and intuitive to find a way to keep this woman's friendship box alive. I may not know its history, but I will honor it just the same.

Have you ever found yourself looking after another person's treasure? 

The Reeves Library and Antique Pots de Creme

I think I have mentioned "The Reeves Library" to you before. I was given full control over our upstairs hall linen closet when we built our house and what began as a place to keep my Victoria and Martha Stewart Living magazines, quickly expanded to hold all of the issues of magazines that I love and want to keep.  I have all of the issues of the short-lived Blueprint magazine. Years of the outstanding publication American Homestyle and Garden and at least a decade of Country Home.  Every shelf is full. I am almost to the point where my library needs an expansion.

I tend to store my issues by brand and by month, rather than by year.  That way all of my February Victoria issues are together and I can pull out 8 and have all the inspiration I need for Valentines Day fun.  Most people that tout organizational philosophies or methods get rid of magazines first. But I am not most people and I certainly use what I keep. My library is active and I love it.

Here's proof.  I pulled out the Victoria magazine from Jan/Feb 2009 and look what is on the cover. A pot de creme that is very similar to the set of four that I found at the West Palm Beach Antique and Flea Market. I knew that I had to have them, but its also fun to see that they are cover-worthy. 

The article "Pots de Creme: A Taste of History at the Table" was written by Katie Brandon ans she says "These intricate creamy white cups are a reproduction of an 18th century design from the Pont Aux Choux factory..."

I have yet to bake in them yet. I want to make sure that these antique vessels can handle the heat of a water bath first. 

Have you ever bought anything that you then saw in a magazine? 

Ceramic Fruit: Be Still My Heart

Okay, one more shout out for the shop, Bluff Gardens in Harbor Springs, MI. 

They. sell. ceramic. fruit.

I can't believe I missed this vital piece of information in my first post about Bluff Gardens. 

I know you've seen ceramic fruit in design magazines like House Beautiful, but have you ever seen it available for purchase?  I didn't think so.  

When I am out shopping, I'm always on the lookout for hard-to-find things: paper buildings, Swedish dishtowels, pretty salt containers, paper lace doilies. I hadn't even considered including ceramic fruit on my list because it was so hard to find. My heart leapt when I say this beautiful display.  
True to size - check. 
Realistic - check. 
Adorable - check.

I was called away to look at something and I didn't find my way back to this display to make a purchase. But now I know where to find the end of the Designer Brick Road...Bluff Gardens at 721 West Lake Road
Harbor Springs, MI 49740, or call (231) 526-5571.

You're welcome.

Martha Stewart highlights Japanese Glass Buoys Just Like Mine

I was so happy to see my antique glass fishing floats featured as a collectable in the July/August 2014 issue of Martha Stewart Living.  I took a picture to show you my glass buoys on a plate next to the magazine article. 

Remember when I blogged about finding them in Leland's Fishtown?  Some people call them glass buoys, others say fishing floats, but lately everyone agrees that they are a wonderful way to add a nautical touch to your home.  

You can get some of your own by contacting Sporck Tile on the Leelanau Peninsula.  They have a large box of them for sale each summer.

Portland: A Private Garden Walk

Did you know that Portland, Oregon is known as the "City of Roses?"  When I found out we would be able to sneak away to Portland one weekend and visit Dan's cousin, my first thought was "food trucks" and "farmer's markets."

Then I was at a social gathering going on and on about:

• Spring coming
• caring for orchids
• pruning roses

You know, basic bar night chatter. One of the girls said that I sounded like her parents and all their garden talk. She said that they have a huge garden with a collection of clematis, roses, fruit trees and vegetables on the Tualatin River.

She said that if we had time, we were welcome to visit them when we went to Portland. How fun!  It turns out that their collection of clematis includes more than 300 plants!

I started looking into Portland and found out that it is known as the City of Roses.  I just missed the annual Portland Rose Festival by one week - I would have loved to see the annual rose show! When we drove around the neighborhoods of the city, I noticed large healthy hybrid tea roses blooming hearts out.  What a great city.

We arrived at their address and wow! It is a gardener's paradise. When we visited, so much was in bloom!  

First I'll show you some of the clematis...

My favorite story was that they have both the Princes Charles and Princess Diana clematis (I think this is Princess Diana clematis, below) but they keep them far apart in the garden. Good thinking.

I wish I was able to note which clematis was which as I was taking pictures, to help you with the names, but alas, we'll just have to enjoy them and play 'match game" on Google if we want to find one for our own garden. This lilac blue clematis with the smaller center petals stacked on top was my favorite.

It was fun to see so many different types of clematis wafting in the breeze; thriving in this beautiful landscape.  I heard that several garden magazines beat me to it and have already featured this very garden! You can see why.

The clematis blooms had quite a range of different petal sizes and were in shades from white and pink to lavender and deep blue. Some had wide petals and fluffy stamens and others blooms were small and wispy. What a collection!

In addition to vines, there were some pale raspberry foxglove (below),

and oriental poppies in unusual shades,

and fringed double poppies,

 And the large but paper thin, lacecap hydrangeas. 

I am grateful that these new friends of ours, shared their time and knowledge with us. I could have stayed a week and been perfectly happy weeding and having my way with garden gloves and a clipper. Imagine when the fruit trees are producing!

And imagine being able to eat fresh figs whenever you want!

Oh the arrangements I could make.  And on that note, I'll leave you with one last photograph.  The bouquet of fresh Sweet Pea that they presented to us as a gift.  Gardeners are kindred spirits and I made sure to have a set of my photos printed and mailed (along with a photo disc) to their house as a thank you.

We left their house, stopped at Fabric Depot for a few essentials and then drove north back to Seattle. These delicate Sweet Peas brightened up our hotel room and looked beautiful on the kitchen table for the rest of the week. 

(Sigh) I love this time of year, no wonder I was talking about Spring so much.

The Art of Living: Make Design Decisions To Boost Visual Vitamins

My decorative touches are temporary.  I move items, vases and books around my house continually to make "the art of living" in my home an interesting experience for me.

I want to trumpet the idea of specifically designing an area in your home that you can gravitate to for relaxation or a long phone call.  Every magazine I pick up seems to rely on the bathtub as the lone sanctuary for women.  When I say "designing," I mean giving conscious thought to the items within an area. Sift through the items that you own (candles, books, souvenirs, photos) and create a combination based on color or sentiment. 

Sometimes the vignette is all about the flowers that are in bloom. Sometimes I want to highlight a book I love and I gather and add items that enhance the colors in the book jacket. And sometimes I choose to put something out that I love and never get to "see" when it is tucked away in the china cabinet.  

So many of the objects we own have a story that you never get the chance to tell, unless someone sees it and asks. That kind of storytelling is good for you.

This vignette (above) is a little Japanese lunch. I like to have an acrylic tray on the upholstered bench between two loveseats in my living room.  I change the items on the tray about every other week. I see the area as a place to display what I love.  To give myself a dose of "Visual Vitamins."  If you keep the same few items out all of the time you will stop seeing them and therefore miss the beauty and joy of looking at what you love.

Years ago, I was given a sushi rolling kit that included these dove gray ceramic dishes.  I added a set of sushi soap that tickled my fancy when I was in a Japanese museum store in Florida. You can order yourself a set here. The combination makes it look like I am all ready for a quiet lunch for two.  I popped two "Koko Loko" (crazy for milk chocolate) roses from my garden in a vase and added a small filled-glass votive candle and covered matchbox to make the peaceful vignette complete.

When I sit here, I feel relaxed and amused.  The display is for me, and if friends stop by and happen to see it, all the better. 

Books As Art: When Covers Add Color

My new decorating success: I've filled the baker's rack in my foyer with my favorite coffee table books.  My favorite part? My collection is easily accessible! I can walk right up and browse my own little library.  They are easier to lend to friends when they are right here too - I can pull one off the shelf and hand it over with hearty recommendation for a particular recipe or chapter on design.

I also love that the books themselves add color and dimension to the entryway.  The cookbooks can be inspiration for dinner and visual art for the hall all at the same time.  For the last year or so, I have displayed my collection of antique dishes (called Chelsea or Grandmother's China) on this rack.  It is delicate and pretty to showcase china this way, but I have to say that right now I am appreciating the heft of books.

Do you have an area of the house that you could breathe new life into with a display books of your own? Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Sentimental Objects: When Spices Are So Much More

Do you have a sentimental attachment to an everyday object?  I love when people tell me about the history of a piece in their home.  The sentiment lies in the story or origin of the item.  Once when I mentioned that I was looking for vintage Pyrex at a garage sale, a woman went into her kitchen cupboard and pulled out her prized blue Pyrex bowl to show me.  It was precious to her and she held it up saying, "This is the bowl my brother made banana pudding in." That bowl should never leave her kitchen. 

These are my prized pieces in the kitchen, spice tins that belonged to my maternal grandmother.

I keep them in my kitchen cabinet and move them left and right as I reach for the new containers that I actually cook with.  These must date back to the 1950's (you can find similar containers on eBay under "vintage spices") and by their weight I can tell that they are still full.  I hardly use paprika or cream of tartar either, so our tastes run in the family.  The cream of tartar tin is marked 43 cents on the bottom!

My mom gave me these tins a few years ago - she had them at home in her kitchen and she knew that I'd like to have them.  She has another melange of her mother's spice containers mixed in with our actual pantry items up at the cottage. 

Every once in a while, when I ask Dan to get me something out of the cupboard, he'll grab one of her vintage cinnamon or mustard tins and bring it out.  I'll say, "Thanks, but those are Nama's. They're probably 50 years old." 

He'll look at me like I'm crazy, but then return to the pantry to try and identify a tin from this decade.  Still, he understands that it is important to my mom and me that those tins stay right there on the shelf where they belong.  Mixed in with the other pantry staples - a part of our every day lives from long ago.

Charm Bracelets: A Girl Can Dream

I have long believed that charm bracelets, particularly ones that marked occasions in your life, were the coolest things ever.  They encourage spontaneous storytelling and each charm can be as lighthearted or as meaningful as you like.  The charms could be a collection in themselves.  

The only problem I see with the whole jewelry category is that they are too darn expensive.  I don't think they should be the jewelry of the elite ($200 per charm) so a bracelet is valued in the thousands nor do I think it should break the bank to buy a whisk charm for your friend the cook.  Are you with me? 

The reasonable charms are few and far between and they are either designed for children or are unbearably 1-sided and uninspired. 

I am not in a position to fix this jewelry challenge, but I thought that I should make my position known.  I drew the charm bracelet above with a theme of "celebrating hobbies" - wouldn't it be fun to have that bit of whimsy jingling on your arm?  

Antique Pot de Creme

I am one step closer to checking something off my "never list".  

My never list is a tally of things I'd like to make or try, but haven't had the chance to do yet.  It isn't a bucket list, as in something that is important for me to do before I die, it's more of a mental list of things that I know about and somehow haven't tried yet.  I notice that when someone mentioned something, I'd say "I've never tried that," hence I call it my never list.

I recently checked off make a souffle, char tomatoes, have a Slurpee and eat morel mushrooms. 

Anyhoo, hovering on my never list has been "make chocolate pot de creme."  It is a rich pudding placed in small containers made specifically for pot de creme and cooked in a water bath.  I have looked for these lidded vessels in popular cooking stores, but I couldn't find any.  I saw these pots de creme online, but I was more in the mood to buy them in person.   

When I was in Florida, I mentioned wanting to make this petite dessert to my Aunt Carol and lo and behold, she found some antique pots de creme!  My mom, aunt and I went to the West Palm Beach Antique and Flea Market on a Saturday morning a few weeks ago.

Would you have spotted these pots de creme?  My aunt saw them and immediately knew that they were what I was looking for.  I bargained with the dealer and bought a set of four for $15.  I love them!

I need to wash them gingerly and cross my fingers that they can take the heat of a water bath.  They are marked "Made in Italy" on the bottom.  When I make this coveted dessert, I'll show you a picture and post the recipe. Wish me luck!

Easter Cake Pans

I'm packing for Florida.  Yes, this is the right photograph.  You see, I have had a few requests for my special Easter desserts and once again I am flying cake pans to Florida!

This year I am bringing the 3-D lamb cake pan and the cupcake-size little lambs pan.  The trick to a successful molded cake is using a pound cake recipe or mix. The dense, egg-y cake is far sturdier than traditional cake and will allow the details of the pan to show up in the final product.

Can you believe how many Easter pans I have?  It's practically a collection! My mom is the culprit - she can't resist cute baked goods (who can?) and has supplied me with these darling options over the years.  

I've often thought that there should be a "cake database," where women can register which pans they own and their friends can see who has what and borrow from each other.  Am I the only one who thinks that would be fun?   

Antiquing for Ornaments

I surreptitiously took this photo at an antique show this weekend.  I knew the vendor wouldn't mind since I am trying to inspire you to collect and appreciate vintage ornaments.  Aren't they beautiful?

I have quite a collection myself, remember my vintage ornament tree?  And since my mom and I are using vintage ornaments in our Advent By Candlelight tablescape, I am about to find out exactly how many I have!  

She is coming over on Wednesday and we are going to pour over all of the ornaments and choose which ones to display in our two glass hurricanes.  We are concentrating on pinks, greens, gold and silver.  I can't wait to show you.

But I am a little nervous to actually get them all out.  You know how you are a collector, you pick up a few items here and there over the year, but until it is all on display in one place, you are never quite sure what you have?  I have a feeling that I have a lot more vintage ornaments then I think I have!  Blame the rummage sales, I tell you.  I had a lot of luck lately and I promise to do them justice in some lovely holiday displays this year.

Fall Cookie Cutters

Look what I'm planning!  The cutest Fall cookie ever!  Okay, a moose doesn't really represent Autumn, but if I am going to make gingerbread dough for squirrels, I want to get a few gingerbread moose out of the deal.

If you don't know by now, I collect cookie cutters.  They tug at my "love of baking" heartstrings and I simply can't resist getting a new one when I'm in a shop.  My next challenge is finding a cute way to display and protect them. 

The sweet pine tree on the left is my latest aquisition.  I see thick shortbread trees made with pale green cookie dough, with a chocolate chip for the trunk.

Do you collect cookie cutters?

Sasaki Tea Set

Does eBay get you too?  I thought I was strong, but when I came across a set of cup and saucers to match my long-lonely Sasaki Teapot, I caved.

I was telling someone about how I have loved this teapot for years, by saying that "I have been me for a long time."  What I meant was that when all the other girls were asking for curling irons and clothes, I had to have this teapot. I was 19 or 20 years old at the time and the last thing I needed was a pale pink teapot, but oh how I loved it.
My parents did get it for me that year (my birthday?) and I have displayed it on a book shelf or in an open cabinet in my house ever since.  But actually using it for tea instead of art was never an option because the pattern was discontinued and I didn't have any cups!
I love the website "Replacements," but it never occurred to me to look for more pieces (I looked just now and they have some!).  Then I stumbled upon this set of 2 matching cups and saucers on eBay and I pounced. 

Sometimes you have to turn any old Thursday into your 19th birthday again, don't you think?