Kreative Blog Award and Tagged

Mishebe at The Crowned Casa has given me the Kreative Blog award and tagged me for a list of six things I value and six that I do not value.

6 THINGS I VALUE
1. Knowing that God loves and cares for me
2. Beautifully sung Christian hymns and songs
3. Clothes that are comfortable, well fitted and look great
4. Exuberance in living – enjoying all that life offers
5. Excellent buys at the thrift shops
6. A tall glass of sweet tart orange juice

6 THINGS I DO NOT VALUE
1. Willful ignorance when information and help is so available today
2. Inconsistency in things that matter
3. Crass behavior and language
4. Insincerity
5. People putting down other people
6. Attitude of those who won’t have anything to do with computers

I pass this on to 6 other bloggers, each of whom prepares blog posts that express their exuberance and creative insight.
Anita – Prairie Dreams
Beverly – Tea Time and Roses
Patty – Morning Ramble
Mary – Atmosfera di casa
Storm – 365 Days of Christmas
Charlotte – Dolls Dolls Dolls

Friday Show and Tell - Thrifted Chest of Drawers

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

As I stated in my Thankful Thursday post last week, a few years ago when I needed to raise some money I sold my complete bedroom set, keeping only the mattress. Soon after, though, I had to buy a used dresser because it was too hard on my back to be bending down in the mornings to retrieve needed items from a row of plastic crates on the floor. The dresser is a solid mahogany traditional design by Henredon, with a curved front and brass drawer pulls. I found it at one of the local antique shops.

Since then I’ve looked every where for a chest or an armoire to coordinate with the dresser and provide needed additional storage. The problem was that I only liked ones that were priced much higher than my budget allowed.

Last Tuesday I was sitting in the waiting area reading while a part was installed in my old Honda Accord. I was getting stiff after reading some chapters of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. Deciding to go for a walk, I went straight to a nearby thrift store. It was just minutes before closing when I noticed a very nice solid cherry wood chest of drawers in a pleasing traditional style. Due to a bit of damage inside one of the drawers and a missing drawer pull, the price was set at $20.00. With tax and delivery fee, it came to just $33. Was I ever thanking the Lord on the way home after getting my car!

Here are a few photos I took the next day when it was delivered.

On the back an old label is pasted

The label indicates a CHEST ON CHEST with a stock number of 115; the finish is TAWNY CHERRY and it is from DAVIS CABINET COMPANY, Makers of Good Furniture, Nashville, Tennessee.

Notice that the brass drawer pulls are similar to those on my dresser.

Even the curve of the feet is similar to the dresser.

Since then I’ve cleaned, used an Ethan Allen touchup pen on the scratches, and started using my latest furniture item. I’ve carried over the display of cream porcelain accessories from the dresser to the ‘new’ chest.



Thanks for stopping by today. For more personal treasures, visit Kelli for a list of participating posts.

Vintage Thingies Thursday – Knowles Covered Bowl

With little time left to do an extensive post, but still wanting to participate in Vintage Thingies Thursday, I will share one vintage item which I enjoy very much. It is a covered vegetable serving dish by the Edwin M. Knowles China Co. Ivory in color, it measures 10" from handle to handle, and is in the "Fashion" pattern from 1936.

In the photo above it is pictured as stored in the kitchen on a two tier dish rack. I also showed it in my last Tablescape Tuesday post, which combined off-white dishes with green Bordallo Pinheiro.

The surface of the vessel and of the lid is covered in a white on white raised pattern




Thanks for stopping by today; do come again soon. To see more vintage things, please visit Lisa at the Apron Queen for a list of participating posts.

ABCs of the Word - M

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 M
Celtic letter - Dover.com

"Let not the mighty man glory in his might"

"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,

Let not the mighty man glory in his might,

Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

But let him who glories glory in this,

That he understands and knows Me,

That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness,
judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

For in these I delight," says the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:23, 24

Above all powers, above all virtues, above all prosperity, let us put value where Our Lord puts value – a personal relationship with God.

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

Word-Filled Wednesday – Proverbs 6:6

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.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise
Proverbs 6:6 KJV

The New Century Version puts it this way:

"Go watch the ants, you lazy person.

Watch what they do and be wise."

I really enjoy watching the birds and the squirrels in the yard. All day long they go about pursuing the needed routines to preserve their lifestyle. I’ve really never observed one just taking it easy while it is still daylight. What an example for us humans!

For more Word-Filled Wednesday please go here.

Tablescape Tuesday – Simple Luncheon

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

Welcome to my table which is set for a luncheon of soup and sandwiches. We will have our soup from small bowls by Bordallo Pinheiro. They are set on small ivory embossed Queens Ware plates. The dinner plate is a cabbage leaf, also by Bordallo Pinheiro.

Soup is served from an ivory covered bowl in a pattern called "Fashion" by Knowles.

Should you desire a bit more seasoning, a divided green and white pear salt and pepper shakers are right at hand.



Our dessert plates are also embossed ivory.

The goblets are brown glass.

Cloth napkins in a floral pattern of deep pinks and green add color to setting.
The cloth placemats are oval with dainty cream on cream embroidery.


Since this is the fall harvest season the centerpiece is a large white ceramic pumpkin along with its smaller version. I put some dried hydrangeas and a colorful sprig in the larger pumpkin.



NOTES:
-Cabbage leaf by Bordallo Pinheiro - Made in Portugal
-Wedgwood Embossed Queens Ware is a cream-on-cream pattern featuring embossed grape clusters, vines and leaves around the rims. They were produced in England circa the 1940's.
-"Fashion" Covered Vegetable Serving Dish by Edwin M. Knowles China Co. 1936.
-Wedgwood Etruria "Patrician" is cream colored with flowers and scrolls. Made in England.

-Brown "Virginia" goblets by Fostoria
-White ceramic pumpkins purchased Sept. 2008 at TJ Maxx.


I’ve enjoyed your coming today. For more table settings please see the list of participants at Susan’s blog.

Friday Show & Tell: Travel Souvenir Collections 2 – Plates

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

Blue and White Transferware Plates As Souvenirs

Souvenir plates are available at most places where there are tourists. Most will be designs in multiple colors, but for many sites the collector of blue and white transfer wares will find a plate in those favored colors as a remembrance of travel.

I have a small collection of blue and white plates from places I have visited in various U.S. states or cities, as well as places in Europe, England principally. I only want the plate if I actually visited the specific state, country, city, or location depicted on the plate.

I feel it is most effective to group all the souvenir plates together as a theme display. The majority of the collection is displayed on my guest bathroom walls. Since I was using the nails from a previously hung wall group, the plates are arrayed in four rows of three plates each.

The first group on the left, next to the bathtub, shows New Orleans, LA, The Wayside Inn, MA, and the Incline Railway, Chattanooga, TN.

The middle group has a colorful Portuguese plate in the center.* Above it is Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, England, and below is a plate for Washington, DC.

The third group has Windsor Castle, England, F.D. Roosevelt’s home in upstate NY, and the Massachusetts State House.

The final group of three has Venice, Italy, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Rome, Italy.

The plate depicting the Old Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA was presented to me at a banquet, the evening following our visit to the Old Wayside Inn. We had a delicious meal in the historic inn. While visiting the gift shop someone overheard me remark on my love of blue and white dishes. When I opened the gift presented to me as host the next evening, there was the lovely plate, a reminder of a delightful stop on our tour.

Here is the book Tales of a Wayside Inn by Henry W. Longfellow which I bought there at the gift shop. Also, the brochure.

My other Massachusetts plates include Cape Cod, and the State House shown in the following photo.

When I was growing up my family attended camp meeting in upstate New York, quite near to Hyde Park, home of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It was very interesting to tour the special presidential home and to see mementos of his life there.

My visits to the nation’s capital always fills me with a sense or awe at the grand buildings. This souvenir plate of Washington, DC depicts many important landmarks.

A visit to the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee included tours to Civil War sites. The site of the Battle on Lookout Mountain was fascinating. Our tour group took a ride up the face of the mountain in a specially built rail car with the seats built out from the sloping floor.
A vivid reminder of the ride up the Incline Railroad to the top of Lookout Mountain while viewing the city of Chattanooga below, was my concern over what it would be like to ride down the amazingly steep incline.

I never got to find out because when we arrived at the mountain top, our bus was waiting for us, having taken the circuitous route round and round to the top. So after visiting Civil War sites and admiring the large stately homes, we boarded the bus for the trip down. I actually found the plate a little over a month later when shopping in an antique mall in central Massachusetts. I could hardly believe my eyes and snapped it up for the collection.

A few plates are not hung. The Washington, DC plate is a Capsco Product from Capitol Souvenir Co..
Another is from an important state series by Vernon Kilns, near Los Angeles, CA and
represents California.

Two of my most beautiful plates represent places I visited in England. The first is Anne Hathaway’s Cottage near Stratford-upon-Avon. After spending the day seeing the sights in and around Stratford, that evening we enjoyed a sprightly rendition of "Romeo and Juliet" at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Note the beautiful tree foilage around this plate.

As an English major in college I had studied the work of Sir Philip Sidney and was glad to see his home, Penshurst Place. When I visited there as a graduate student, the guide said that scenes for the movie "Anne of a Thousand Days" had been filmed there shortly before.

The view of Windsor Castle on this next plate is dated 1791.

This design of the plate below is from the Spode Blue Room Collection. There the Spode company maintains an archive of pieces from their distinguished history as a china manufacturer. The 1811 artwork on the plate depicts the city of Rome, Italy.


On September 21, 2008 I found another plate with a historical engraving. This one depicts Venice, Italy. The manufacturer of this plate is another English firm, Ridgway.

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*The Portuguese plate is in accent colors used in the bathroom ...

The shower curtain…

The sink accessories – tissue box, handpainted vases…

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