Yellow rose of Texas

So, this weekend (Nov. 4)  I went to the Settlement house garage sale at the event center. Yes, today is Christmas. I know that. I am writing this post on the 7th and scheduling it, because of the sensitive nature of my purchase. 

 OMG! YESSS!!!! CHINA!

 Why is this so sensitive you might be wondering? You buy china all the time you might be thinking. Well, these are special because my soon to be sister-in-law saw these at the garage sale, went gaga over them, and then walked off. Naturally I had to buy them.

OK, let me explain.

My family is not very into the whole "Christmas presents are a surprise" thing. In fact, we basically just tell each other what we want. I have even gone so far as to go into my Dad's amazon account and order my gift for myself (with permission, and now I have a kindle.) Why did my parents instill this in me? NO IDEA! I really have no issue with the status-quot in my family. We always get what we want, and we always know the other person will like what we bought them.

Last year I tried getting my dad a totally thoughtful gift, that he didn't ask for. I identified a need (he didn't know how to get back to the TV when my brother left his Xbox on.)  Researched products and found a solution in the form of the Logitic Harmony remote. I even read reviews to pick the model that he would like best. It took THREE weeks for him to bother figuring out how to set it up, and then it still took him TWO months to admit he liked it and it improved his life. Why? He didn't ask for it.

M's family thinks the whole point of Christmas is the excitement of picking out a gift and not knowing if the person will like it. Or even want it. I guess they keep track of receipts.  Not only is that so NOT how I operate but even after all this time, I still don't know some of them very well. I'm basically just guessing here. I know his sister pretty well, but when she said OOOOH look, I had to pounce. I created a huge diversion, then told her that the contents of my brown bag was the decanter M had been eying, and not to tell him (you would have bought that too.) I think she even went back for it, a little after we first saw it she said she thought she might go buy it.  It was gone.

I wanted to get some info for you about this set, but I really could find nothing! Here is the back stamp......

As you can see this set is really funny, with different sized cups, saucers, and even a handle-less cup. This is all the info I could find online:

Windsor was produced by the Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd Crown Windsor Pottery, Longton.  Staffordshire Potteries with different printed marks from 1946 to early 1960's. They also produced Clarence bone china.

Have a swell Solstice! 

UPDATE

Afew days before christmas we found this:

A buffet? Who cares?

This is the thing Max's sister wanted more then anything! we found it for $50.00. Need more hints?

OH, a Hi Fi!

Yes, we found a beautiful functioning stereo Hi Fi at an estate sale the weekend before christmas for $50.00 and it even had the original warranty in it. So we loaded it up with christmas records and gave the best gift ever. Now we need to find one of our own.

Mix Matched China.

 My love of China has reached its natural conclusion (I think.) I have decided that I will be buying any old china I find that I like and creating a set out of that. Eventually.  Martha says it's okay.  I found this piece at an estate sale the other day for $10.  No back stamp, but it is pretty so who cares.

This is not going to be a part of the random mix matched set, but matches my wedding china (that I will have...... in 7 months.)

1940s China

M's Grandmother has been on a getting rid of stuff binge. She got rid of her china cabinet that was in the "fancy" dining room that M was never aloud in as a kid.  

We have it. 

In our tiny condo.

Yeah.

  It is totally awesome.

  Since she is down a china cabinet she is also getting rid of it's contents.  She gave M's parents a set, is keeping two (this is in addition to her everyday set y'all) And had this one set that she was thinking about, all over the dining room table. She told me she was thinking about selling it on ebay, or through an antique dealer, but would need to clean and photograph everything. Pain in the butt right? Word of advice.... don't ever tell me cool old stuff is up for grabs. 

Bam! Hellz to the yeah!

So now I have this awesome vintage set of china.  It was the wedding china of M's great aunt Beck, who like my great aunt Buzzy married late in life and had no kids to take awesome stuff like this off her hands. The insane thing is.... There is more of this stuff. She gave us a set of 8, and had almost another complete set leftover that she is planning on selling. 

Q if you are reading this, I have 2 extra cups and saucers that I need to give back to you.

 Naturally I got interested. There are all kinds of stamps on the back of these, (which I did not photograph) so I looked up the maker and pattern.

That tiny little saucer with a lip up top? A fruit bowel. It goes with the brunch plate.

 These were made by Theodore Haviland, a french company. The interesting thing is that the Haviland China Co. was founded by David Haviland, a New York importer of British china.  He went to France after being asked by a costumer to find a replacement of a french teacup.  He was so impressed by the quality that he decided to begin importing french china. But the styles of the french were not popular in the USA, so he moved to France and started his own company. This was all in 1839.

 My Pattern is called Ganga and I am finding some conflicting info about how old it is. One person selling it says it is from between 1903-1925 Just going by back marks it could either be from 1920-36 or 1925. I know M's aunt got married in the early 40s, so who is to really say.

The cool thing is these are in INSANE good condition. And they have that see-through quality when you hold them up to the light that bone china gets. My research says this is not bone china but a very rare pure white clay called Kaolin that is used in french china.

 Those divots in the platters are for pooling meat juice. I guess that is something that never took off.

<-------Someone online is trying to sell this covered bowel on ebay for $280. Good lord. now I feel bad for accepting these.

Well I hope my excitement has rubbed off on you. I'm glad my china researching skills I acquired while registering for the wedding has been put to good use. Who knew plates could be so cool.

Things That Pour

My mom pointed out to me that I have a problem.

I keep buying things that pour.

I really don't know why. After she pointed it out I caught myself trying to buy another teapot. Maybe it's because the formal china I registered for says it has a tea pot, but I can't FIND IT ANYWHERE to register for it! Anyway. I thought showing off my very small (I swear) collection I might come to terms with it.... or go buy more.

 This was my first set. It started it all. One day when I have a back porch I will serve iced tea out of this to my friends. While I am wearing a floral circle skirt and a button down white cotton blouse. and we are all eating cucumber sandwhat.....? Oh.... Hi.

 OK, I take offense to this being a problem. This is that AMAZING Mexican blown glass that you can't get just anywhere! I needed a Margarita set. Don't judge me.

 Isn't this set the most darling thing? And have you noticed I have a hard time always getting things that have a full set of six glasses. Whatever, It's not like I have six friends..... that are all free at the same time.  BUT this is a blue and white Asian pattern. Just like, the same as Similar to my soon to be china pattern. Yeah. Worth it.

 

Ok, so I bought the amber decanter set one day, love them, think they are the best thing ever. M NEVER wants to use them! So we come across this crystal set for $20 and he just HAS to have it. Never mind that we just registered for 3 different decanters.  I swear, it is not just me. Case in point:

 

 WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? Again, not my fault! I don't even know what to do with this. I suggested we give it away for Christmas, not that anyone would want it.  He said no.

Shesh. I just realized I missed a few.  There is always another day.

Estate Sale Art

Earlier this year M and I discovered a new love while taking a walk in our neighborhood.  Estate Sales!

I have always LOVED old things.  No Joke. I am the person that cannot turn down something that someone offers me.  Unfortunately I don't have any space to re-purpose anything in our current living situation, so estate sales offers the perfect solution. Almost everything at estate sales are still totally nice looking. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of old junk at estate sales that can be messed around with, but for now, nice is better. 

For  my first installment in this series I want to focus on Art.  There is lots of scary, disturbing, expensive, ugly, interesting art to be found at estate sales. From original works priced in the thousands to naked dwarfs.  Here are some pieces we couldn't walk away from.

 This pair was found in a wonderful house/ design studio in the city. It was a cool little narrow building with living quarters on top, and even a little courtyard with a lap pool. There was so much glass art there that I just loved, but alas, it was one of those "they want what for that?" places.

 I have no Idea why M wanted this. I imagine one day it will go in a stuffy man den with leather chairs. For now it is in our bedroom, where the colors match.

 Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE Art Deco? My whole wedding is practically Art Deco themed. I love this little piece, it is a valentine from the late 20s and eludes the the Irish tradition of women proposing to men on leap year! AND it is in an Art Deco frame!

 This was a pendant piece, but we only bought the one. It is way cool.

 This was our first estate sale find ever. It is painted silk, and authentically from Japan (or china?) The people who had it were very widely traveled.

 I love Pirates. M likes silly things. We had to buy these. I don't think these are really paintings.

Greek plates. Total random find. There was literally nothing else at the sale when we got there. got them all for like 20 bucks.

Next time, things that pour.