Enchanting Windows Party – Kitchen Sink View

The Enchanting Windows Party is hosted by Cielo at The House in the Roses.

All along there has been little to see when looking out my kitchen window. So I in June I had a new planting bed made between two maple trees near the back fence. I had some low maintenance plants put in there: Hosta ‘Albo Marginata,’ Hosta Bressingham Blue, and bright yellow marigolds. Two white chairs with roses across the upper backs, look very inviting.


I can also enjoy seeing bird and squirrel activity in the yard – robins, bluebirds and furry squirrels. It all makes me smile to see how busy they are all the time.

As to the window décor – I took down the bottom half of the curtain and just placed a woven place mat against the screen. A tall blue and white vase with Blue Danube candlesticka and Staffordshire shoe planters on either side is in the center. A rabbit figure crouches on the left and on the right side are two blue glass goblets. (The photos were taken very early in the morning.)





This photo shows the right side of the sink where the everyday blue and white dishes ("Bermuda Blue" by Churchill) are stored.


On the left of the sink is a three-tier plate stand with cream ware dishes.


Here, the cobalt bud vase holds a Rose of Sharon flower from a friend’s garden.

Visit Cielo for a charming illustrated introduction to the windows of the party participants.

Slow Me Down, Lord!

Spiritual Sundays is sponsored by Charlotte of At Home in Scottsdale and by Ginger of Enchanting Cottage


This poem expresses just how I am feeling as I prepare for out of state and in-state relatives for my mother’s 90th birthday next weekend, September 19-22.

Slow me down, Lord!
Ease the pounding of my heart
By the quieting of my mind.
Steady my harried pace
With a vision of the eternal reach of time.
Give me,
Amidst the confusions of my day,
The calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tensions of my nerves
With the soothing music of the singing streams
That live in my memory.

Help me to know
The magical power of sleep.
Teach me the art
Of taking minute vacations of slowing down
to look at a flower;
to chat with an old friend or make a new one;
to pat a stray dog;
to watch a spider build a web;
to smile at a child;
or to read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me each day
That the race is not always to the swift;
Thaer there is more to life than increasing its speed.
Let me look upward
Into the branches of the towering oak
And know that it grew great and strong
Because it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down, Lord,
And inspire me to send my roots deep
Into the soil of life’s enduring values
That I my grow toward the stars
Of my greater destiny.
-- Wilfred A. Peterson

Visit Spiritual Sundays for more inspirational posts.

Friday Show and Tell - Milk Glass Collection

My milk glass collection has been accumulated over the years from visiting antique malls, thrift shops and from gifts. Also, some Avon purchases. The collection now includes a bell, a cake plate, two pairs of candlesticks, two candy containers, compote, cruet, plates, and bud vases. So far I’ve only identified two manufacturers -- Westmoreland and Fenton, but hope to do more research on the pieces I have.

Yesterday’s post for Vintage Thingies Thursday featured "Hobnail Milkglass." Today I’ll show and tell about the collection as a whole. The milk glass makes a lovely display in the room downstairs which functions as laundry, craft area storage, and it’s also a half bath.

Along the window ledge a good part of the milk glass is displayed. The curtains are a floral in turquoise, pink and green. The sheers are a deep pink. For privacy, since the window looks out under the deck, I placed white shutters between the window glass and the sheers.

Two Doric Border three-column stem candleholders frame an Avon bottle called Grecian Pitcher 1972-1976.

Above the medicine cabinet two bud vases flank a small oval bowl.



Nearby, a flower molded dish hangs on the wall.

I like the footed dishes and have several of them.

On a small whatnot shelf, milk glass shares space with a Betsy Ross Avon bottle on the top left and bells on the lower shelf.

The patriotic motif plate next to Betsy is Westmoreland’s Flag Eagle and Fleur de Lis 7 ¼ inch plate.

The lower shelf has a Fenton Square Planter 3699 and a Fenton Candy Jar 3688 which has a scalloped edge at top.

Yesterday I showed the Fenton Candy Jar 3880 round low, Fenton 6" Bonbon, and Fenton Footed Comport.


These plates and the lower footed dish are called Lacey Edge.

The candle holders were purchased at my local antique store this spring; the Westmoreland cup and saucer were from eBay.

To learn more about milk glass you may wish to consult a book like Collector’s Encyclopedia of Milk Glass: Identification & Values by Betty and Bill Newbound. Collector Books, 1995.

The soap dish shaped like two hands is an Avon milk glass piece, a gift from my father’s sister, my Aunt Lorraine. I used it as a soap dish, but the book showed that originally a similar design was for a ‘card holder’ to receive calling cards.

To see more interesting personal treasures, visit Kelli for a list of participating posts.

Vintage Thingies Thursday – Hobnail Milkglass

This post is part of Vintage Thingies Thursday, sponsored by Lisa, the Apron Queen.

Milk glass was one of the Depression era products which provided lovely wares for people who could not afford porcelain goods. Production of milk glass was carried out for a number of decades by companies such as Westmoreland and Fenton. Some pattern names include Diamond, Diamond Quilt, Dolphin, Doric, Hobnail and Old Quilt. I will show just the Hobnail items in my modest collection of milk glass.

This first photo shows four hobnail patterned items – a covered box, medium size vase, a small dish, and a footed dish.



Both the small dish and the compote style dish have ruffled edges. This adds a touch of elegance and delicacy to the items.


The next photo shows a square vessel, and a covered jar – both with Hobnail decoration. Also pictured is a salt and pepper set I got last week at one of the local thrift stores for 25 cents. The pattern is similar, but I believe it is more a Diamond pattern.


The next three Hobnail items are Avon products.


Well, this is all I have time to share now. I plan to do a more extensive post and show the entire milk glass collection as it is displayed and stored.

Do come by for another visit soon. See more vintage things at the Apron Queen.

ABC’S of the Word – G

Pam explains the purpose of ABC’s of the Word:
"God gave me this idea to start stirring up the Word in each of us by going through the alphabet, one letter each Thursday. I just think it would be cool to see how many different scriptures are listed each week. Even if it doesn't start with the letter of the week, make it predominately about that word that corresponds with the letter of the week. Other than following along with each week's letter there are no rules. Join in when you can and be blessed. Don't worry about missing a week or joining at letter I---whatever, I will willingly add anyone's blog at any time. Let's be encouraged by His Truth!’

This week’s letter is G

"Great is the LORD,

and greatly to be praised

In the city of our God,

In His holy mountain."
Psalms 48:1 NKJV

God’s greatness is the theme of many texts in the Bible. Here is another from the Psalms:

"Great is the LORD,

and greatly to be praised;

And His greatness is unsearchable."

Psalms 145:3 NKJV

For more ABC’s of the Word visit Pam at Grey Like Snuffie.

Pretty Flowers & An Award

While out running errands with my Mother we met a friend of mine at the CVS store. She invited us to follow her car to her house. There we were greeted with the many flowers she had planted all around her front side and back yards. We had a nice visit and refreshment inside with her mom and sister. She gave me some cut flowers – huge dahlias and two others, but I don’t remember the names. Here they are in vases in my kitchen.

Edited to add: skoots1mom commented that the spiky flower above is a Cleome (Spider Flower)

Edited to add: skoots1mom commented that this flower in the cobalt blue vase is a Pink Rose of Sharon Hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus)

When we returned home I got an e-mail from Karla at Ramblin’ Road telling me she had nominated me for the I Love Your Blog award! How nice, Karla, I appreciate this very much!

Now it's my turn to pass it on. These are the rules for this award:

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated.

I am pleased to nominate the following seven of many blogs which I enjoy visiting:

Eleanor – Thatchwick Cottage
Mishebe - The Crowned Casa

Kay - Dish Diva aka Kay

Dena – Swaddle Cottage

Lisa – An Apron a Day
Charlotte – Dolls Dolls Dolls

Paula - Rose Cottage by the Lake

Word-Filled Wednesday - Psalms 42:1

Sponsored by Amydeanne at The 160-Acre Woods, the "purpose of Word-filled Wednesday is to share God’s word through photo’s & a verse!"

During my childhood the entire family loved Bible games. As a teenager I decided to make a card game with Bible texts. The text would appear on 2 or 3 cards that would have a phrase from the text. All 2 or 3 cards would be needed to complete the set. The object of the game was to gather as many cards with complete texts. One of the texts I used was Psalms 42:1

Turkish traditional design from www.Dover.com

"As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God."

Psalms 42:1

I love the imagery of this text as the psalmist expresses a deepfelt need for God.
Along these lines, the apostle Peter advised the believers to seek spiritual growth.

"As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word,
that ye may grow thereby"
1Peter 2:2

It is my hope that we may each grow in grace each day and that our soul yearnings will be filled by His power.
For more Word-Filled Wednesday please go here.

Tablescape Tuesday

Tablescape Tuesday is sponsored by Susan of Between Naps on the Porch.

My photos are of the tablesetting for Mother’s Day back in May this year. It is set in my dining room and was for nine diners.

The tablecloth was off-white or ecru with handpainted dark pink roses and Battenberg lace insets around the border and in the center.




The place settings consisted of a Spode "Consul" dinner plate on a brass charger, gilt flatware, Lenox "Autumn" goblets. The napkins matching the tablecloth were in a gilt floral napkin ring and set on the plate. The gilt flatware coordinated with the gilt edging on the plates and goblets.




The centerpiece was a cobalt ceramic ginger jar with pink flowers. The cobalt picked up the border of the plates.



Thank you for stopping by today. For more tablesettings see the list of participants at Susan’s blog.

Happy Labor Day!

I wish you a wonderful time

wherever this day finds you!