Winter Blues With a 25 cent Find

When the winter winds blow and my white ironstone dishes remind me of "cold snow," I like to warm up our table with Blue Transferware--a mismatched jumble--but perfect for the farmhouse. . . .It brings back warm memories of visiting my Granny, too. . . .Her everyday dishes were much like these. . . .You know me by now--I'm all about memories. . . .and warm, cozy feelings. 

So, I pulled out a galvanized tub from the garden house. . . .did a thorough cleaning--no telling what critter had set up housekeeping in it--and started placing the plates inside. . . .One problem--they wouldn't stand up on their own. . . .I looked through all the cabinets, in my butler's pantry--even John's workshop--trying to find something that would fit inside the narrow tub to hold them. . . .nothing. . . .Do you ever start a project and have to give up before it's finished? Isn't it frustrating?

Then I remembered something I'd bought one weekend when we visited the White Elephant Sale in a small town close to here. The sweet ladies who run it are there every Saturday. . . . It's one of our favorite places to go--for the bargains--but also because we love those ladies. . . .and they love junk about as much as we do. . . .always an adventure. . . .and believe me, the price will be right. . . .

At that time, I'd been scouring the flea market, thrift stores, and antique malls for something to display vintage platters--with no success. . . .But, that day at the White Elephant, I had found a plate rack--of sorts. . . .It didn't spend it's previous life holding plates. . . .no. . . .it was made for holding. . . .

towels!. . . .Yes, I'd found one of those old metal towel holders that motels and hotels use. . . .for 25 cents. . . .

I've run into these racks many times before and thought to myself, "Who in the world would want those old things in their bathroom?". . . .They are almost always rusty and dirty--well, I just couldn't see ME ever buying one. . . .til I thought out of the box. . . . .I was more than thrilled to find this one for the platters--even hugged the ladies as one of them was asking, "Why do you want that old thing?"

My words from the past had come back to haunt me. . . .

When I placed an old dresser scarf in the bottom of the tub and laid the towel rack on top, it was perfect. . . .

All I had to do was load it up with the dinner plates. . . .Where there was a wide gap, I'd place two or three together. . . .

The moral of this story is. . . .think outside the box. . . . and be careful what you say about someone's junk. . . .it might end up in your house one day!

That's not the end of the story, though. . . .That day I also found another Fannie Farmer Cook Book for 50 cents. . . .fell in love with the blue check. . . .

I actually have five of these cookbooks, different printings. . . .in various cover colors. . . .This is the first one I'd found in check. . . .I was thrilled--again! More hugs!

That's a Watkins Cookbook below Fannie Farmer. . . .50 cents. . . .

Is that all?. . . . No. . . . .

The cow pitcher came home with me, too. . . .He has a broken but mended hoof and his horns are chippy on the ends. . . .do I care? . . . .I like mended, chippy. . . .75 cents. . . .

The Blue Transferware has given the kitchen a warm farmhouse feel. . . .We'll enjoy them the rest of the winter. . . .Come Spring, I'll bring out the white ironstone again. . . .but, for now, there's nothing like a cup of tea in the afternoon, sipped from those delicate vintage cups. . . .Reminds me of Granny again--and how she'd only drink her tea out of a "proper" cup and saucer. . . .Just warms the body---and the heart. . . .

. . . from my farmhouse to yours. . . .
 

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