Friday Show and Tell – Jasperware

Show and tell Friday is hosted by Kelli at There is No Place Like Home
This week’s suggested topic is "a special item in your bedroom."

I thought I’d share this table in a corner of my bedroom. I currently use it to display Wedgwood jasper ware that I have acquired over many years from various sources. Wedgwood began producing wares in the 1760s, and the factory is still in production today.
In the center is a tiny dish with Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795), the founder of the company. The creamer and teacup and saucer have glazed interiors.

On the left side are a set of miniature books with Shakespeare’s works and a ceramic tulip bell from Italy.

My first piece, the little plate with the swirled border, was bought at Jordan Marsh department store. Next to the bell is a little plate was a thrift shop find for 50 cents due to a small chip. The mug with the façade of Saint Paul’s Cathedral was found in a local antique shop. From eBay I got the creamer and teacup and saucer, missing out on the sugar and teapot. I was in England in summer 1995 and bought the small covered box as a memento.

Other jasper ware items are on top of a bookshelf across the room. The bowl was from a local jewelry store, and the vase from a mail order to Puerto Rico.

To visit other Show and Tell posts, please go to Kelli’s.

Thank you for coming by. Please leave a comment and do come again soon.

Vintage Thingies Thursday – Tablecloth

This post is part of Vintage Thingies Thursday. On her blog Lisa, the Apron Queen, gives a comprehensive list of the sorts of vintage items which qualify: Briefly, they include vintage linens and textiles, vintage kitchen items, and vintage sewing items.


My vintage item this week is a vintage linen tablecloth from my mother. With its light beige background and brown, mustard yellow and orange fruit and leaves, it will be great for a fall table setting.


The center design is a medley of fruit in a circular group.


The corner design is a basket of fruit with a ribbon on the handle.

Ribbons also hold small bunches of fruit around the border.

I can remember this cloth on the table in my mother’s house and am happy to add it to my table linens.

Do visit Confessions of an Apron Queen to see more Vintage Thingies posts.

Thankful Thursday - Spring Joys

As we are into the final few weeks of spring, I continue to be awed by the beauty of spring flowers and the lovely green leaves of the trees which, until so recently, were just dry bare branches. I thank God for the joys of spring.

Other springtime blessings are the perennial flowers and herbaceous plants which just come up on cue. Right now, I am thrilled with the blooms on the rhododendron shrub.

I am also thankful for the nurseries that prepare the annuals for us to put in gour garden beds. I bought six-packs of white pansies and yellow violas, and 4" pots of licorice. These are planted in containers on the front steps.



This brings to mind how Christ also valued the beauty of flowers when He declared, "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." Luke 12:27 NIV

In about four months we in the northeast will have to put our gardens to bed. As the cycle of the seasons come and go, we are happy to acknowledge that
"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."
Isa. 40:8

For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit Iris here.

Saying Goodbye to Arborvitae and Rhododendron

At the front of the house to the right of the front door are two large rhododendron bushes which are bordered by two equally large arborvitae shrubs.
They were quite modest in size when I bought the 4-year old house back in 1991. As time had passed, they've really thrived and gottten too big for foundation plantings. Each summer I have wanted to move them to another place in the nearly quarter-acre yard. But everyone says to just pull them up. A couple years ago I had a landscaper come and look at the job, but he wanted to just tear them out, but not transplant them. In late winter this year I talked to another landscaper and he promised to replace them with smaller plants. I just absolutely did not want to give up these maturing plants. Here is the view from the living room window. They are now right up against the siding.

Now that they are really overgrown and I must decide to let them all go. This is really a must now because of the arborvitae that is crowding the front step railing.
This week the purple rhododendron is blooming nicely. The white one is so crowded by the purple one, it just gets by with a sliver of the space. However, it does have a few blooms, which are coming out. I counted five emergent blooms today.

Soon (I keep telling myself) I will have to get these overgrown shrubs pulled up. The arborvitae cannot be just cut back because what will be left is ugly de-nuded branches. I tried that a few years back.
In the meantime, my mother and I are enjoying cut rhododendron blooms in the house. Here is a pitcher on the breakfast table in the kitchen.

This bloom graces the dining room table.


I just got a few things put out on the deck this week. This includes containers with white pansies and pink dahlias, hostas, and hens and chicks (sempervivium).

I've even put some rhododendron blooms in a watering can and placed them out on the deck.

The blooms are so lush and lovely. Can you see why I haven’t wanted to get rid of my precious rhododendrons?


Thank you for your visit. Do come again soon and please leave a comment.

Friday Show and Tell – Airline Menu

Show and tell Friday is hosted by Kelli at There is No Place Like Home

Today's show-and-tell is a framed item I have in my kitchen near the stove.

Back in 1971 my sister and I took a non-stop American Airlines flight from New York to Los Angeles. In those days they gave these printed menus so the passengers could choose their entrees. And this was not first class, but just regular seats. Things have certainly changed a lot over the decades. Now we barely get a drink and a tiny bag of nuts.

I took it out of the frame to show the inside. I has used tape in places so it is not in mint condition, except for the front cover.





Does anyone else remember getting a menu on an airplane?

To visit other Show and Tell posts, please go to Kelli’s.
Thank you for coming by. Please leave a comment and do come again soon.

Vintage Thingies Thursday – Powder Jar

I am participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday. On her blog Lisa, the Apron Queen, gives a comprehensive list of the sorts of vintage items which qualify: Briefly, they include vintage linens and textiles, vintage kitchen items, and vintage sewing items.

My vintage item for today is a powder jar. These were in common use in the 1950’s and 60’s for loose powder. This powder jar was used by my mother for many years, right up to 2006, when she left her senior citizen apartment to live with my sister. I can remember seeing it over the years on her triple dresser in her house in New York. It sat on a light turqoise embroidered doily. It is of ribbed glass or crystal with filigree goldtone metal band around the container.


The knob on the lid is in the shape of a swan.


For me this lovely powder box evokes my mother’s femeninity as did her brooches, gloves, hats, and other elegant accessories and clothing which she chose with an eye for elegance and grace.

Do visit Confessions of an Apron Queen to see more Vintage Thingies posts.

Thankful Thursday

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the messages of encouragement and prayers for my brother-in-law. This Tuesday he had successful surgery to repair the severed Achilles heel tendon in his right foot. The recovery promises to be along one – up to a year. My sister and their two sons are rallying to take over his considerable tasks around the house, and driving him to work as well.

This passage from Isa. 61:3 expresses how reliance on God’s Word transforms our difficulties and challenges, as He gives us...

"the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair"

It is so wonderful to experience how bloggers readily offer a helpful word when most needed.
It brings to mind Galatians 6:2,

"Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ."

I thank God for the following family blessings:

- My mother is greatly improved and takes an interest in many more things than before.

- My nephew graduated from college on Friday with a major in Respiratory Therapy.

- A week ago, my niece, his 17-year old sister, took part in a special ceremony for Christian teenage girls, pledging to do their very best in upholding the best standards in all they do.

"They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."
Isaiah 61:3

The phrase, "for the display of his splendor" defines the true role of the Christian in the world – that is, to reveal His image in us.

I am thankful also, that so many of you in the world of blogging believe in His gifts to your life.

For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit Iris here.

The Pouring Teapot: Mini Sized

La Tea Dah at Gracious Hospitality has been hosting a Tea Blog-a-Thon beginning on March 16 and ending May 31. With a different theme for each week, you may participate as much or as little as you like. The theme for the tenth week, May 18 - May 24, is The Pouring Teapot: "This week is all about sharing about teapots. Do you have one? two? or three? maybe more? Is it for display only or do you use it for tea? What is the tea server you use most? Your favorite teapot (or is it something like a quart jar?). Tell your teapot story, give it's history, and tell what it means to you. You can share more than once if you'd like. Antique, new, Asian, English, or something in between --- we'd love to know!"

For my second post this week I want to focus on my diminutive teapots. These are teapots classed as miniature, doll size, toy size, or child size.

True miniature size is usually in 1/12th scale and may be called doll-house size.
I have one almost miniature teapot and matching service. It is cream trimmed in gold. The teapot is 2" tall, the covered sugar 1 ½", creamer 1", cups ¼" tall x ¼" diam., saucers ½’ diameter. Tray is 3 ¾" diameter.

This tiny tea kettle is made of tin and has a brass handle. It is ¾" tall, including handle.

Child or toy size is intended to be used by children and are in scale to their statures.
I have four teapots in this category.
Here is an apple-shaped teapot just right for play use by a child.

I found this blue and white tea set in a local gift shop. Measurements are: teapot 3 ¾" tall, sugar and lid 2 ½", creamer 1 ¾", cup 1 ¼" tall x 1 ¾" diam, saucer 2 ¼" diameter.

This blue and white teapot (4 ½" tall) is a consignment shop find, along with the matching 2" tall creamer…

and three matching cups (1" tall, 2" diam.) and saucers (3 ½" diam.)

This silverplate teapot with creamer, sugar and tray is by Godinger. The teapot is 4 ¾" tall, sugar and lid 3", creamer 2" tall, tray 10" diameter.

I would say doll size is in between miniature and child size.
At 3 ¼" tall this white porcelain with pink bow, is trimmed in gold. So is the other in blue and white stripe with red roses.

This 2 /4" tall teapot is white with blue flowers all over, a chintz pattern.

At Christmas time all the these mini tea wares are featured with dolls and bears as part of the holiday décor.

For links to other participants in the Tea Blog-a-Thon, please visit La Tea Dah at Gracious Hospitality.

The-Sweet-and-Savory-of-Yummy

La Tea Dah at Gracious Hospitality is hosting a Tea Blog-a-Thon from March 16 until May 31. She has a different theme for each week and you may participate as much or as little as you like. The theme for the sixth week, April 20 - April 26 "The-Sweet-and-Savory-of-Yummy" – "Share your favorite teatime recipe for sweets or savories. Tea sandwiches, scones, and dainty desserts all count in this category. Give credit to the originator of the recipe if possible. Post a picture if you can. This is sure to make everyone hungry for a delicious tea time treat!"

The latest issue of Tea Time magazine has some interesting twists on an old standby of the afternoon tea menu – the cucumber. The article, "Cool Cucumber" introduces a variety of recipes for using cucumbers for both savory and sweet treats that promise to be nice and yummy. Here are two:

"Cucumber and Cantaloupe Bites
Makes 24 bites
1 large English cucumber
1 (4-ounce) package goat cheese
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cantaloupe, halved and seeded
Garnish: fresh mint

Using a channel knife, score cucumber lengthwise from end to end. Trim ends; cut cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, remove and discard seeds. Place cucumber halves on paper towels, and drain, cut side down, for 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, cream cheese, chives, parsley dill, garlic salt, and pepper. Using an electric mixer at medium seed, beat until smooth.
Fill a pastry bag with cheese mixture. Evenly pipe mixture into both halves of the cucumber. Place halves back together and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours.
Using a melon baller, remove balls of cantaloupe; cut each ball into quarters. Remove cucumber from refrigerator. Slice into ½-inch rounds. Gently place cut cantaloupe on cucumber slices. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.
Note: Reserve remaining melon for another use."

"Cooling Summer Tea
Makes 1 gallon
1 cup black tea, brewed strong
1 whole English cucumber, pureed and strained (about 1 cup juice)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons pink lemonade flavored drink mix
10 cups of water
1 cucumber, thinly sliced

"In a large pitcher, combine the tea, cucumber juice, and drink mix; stir until well combined. Add the water; chill. Serve over ice with cucumber slices."
--Tea Time May-June 2008, p. 20.

Visit the Tea Time web site for the featured recipe, Cucumber Melon Salata:

Please visit La Tea Dah at Gracious Hospitality for links to other participants in the Tea Blog-a-Thon.