Vintage Monday: Fiesta ware pitchers

Found these sweet yellow and green Fiesta ware pitchers at a Dallas estate sale last weekend.  This find helped make up for having to sit through a 4 hour dance recital.  Not totally, but close :)

Vintage Monday: Fiesta Juice Cup

Excited to add this Fiesta juice cup in original red to my collection!

Vintage Monday: Riviera and Fiesta

I picked up yet a few more Homer Laughlin items at an estate sale a few weeks ago. I have an obsession for sugar and creamer sets and was happy to find these Riviera ones.

A matching creamer to go with the Fiesta sugar bowl from B's grandma

And we found a slightly chipped lid the complete the soup bowl, 

also from B's grandma's collection

Favorite Friday Cookie: Zalettini

These little Zalettini cookies mean "little yellow one" and just might be the best tea time cookie out there.  They are a shortbread cookie with cornmeal added for a bit of crunch and filled with orange zest and golden raisins.

I cannot rave enough about these and if you're near Mandolas Italian Market, you simply must stop by the bakery and try them out.

I've searched for comparable recipes and will be fanatically baking this weekend.  Cross your fingers that they turn out well, otherwise I might be fighting you for that last cookie at Mandolas!

 

Vintage Monday: Fiesta time!

Remember my cabinet-full of vintage Fiesta ware?  Well, I've just exponentially added to the collection!  B and I went to a magical estate sale this past weekend and they had such a great assortment of vintage Fiesta  at amazingly low prices that I wanted to do a little dance right then and there. 

I managed to limit (ha!) myself to: an original red comport dish, egg cup, chop plates, and salt shaker, another chop plate in cobalt blue, a green sugar jar with lid, and these amazing stacked refrigerator dishes from the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft line.

I told B that this was most definitely IT for now, but after more research I think I might be keeping an eye out for a relish tray, mixing bowls, water pitcher, and covered casseroles.  But that's IT after that...really...

By the way, I've posted some Pyrex finds over at the Pyrexcollective if you need more Vintage Monday goodness!

On the road again: Kansas City

B and I had flew up to Kansas City last weekend for a wedding.  We had a great time with the family and here are a couple of highlights:

KC is full of gorgeous older historic buildings

 

We stayed at the Hotel Savoy, built in 1888.  Famous past guests 

include Roosevelt, Truman and Paul Newman (who filmed there).

Below is a gorgeous wall of stained glass at the ballroom and restaurant.

Glass dome in the lobby

The Savoy Grill is the oldest restaurant in Kansas City.  We had 

a great included breakfast the next morning from this 

ginormous menu (we were allowed to choose 4-5 items!)

A fun stop at Pryde's of Old Westport--an amazing kitchen and 

housewares store where I wanted to live.  I found the Fiesta Ware aisle!

There was a great little coffee shop and bakery at the back of the store

Pie?  Yes please!

Sunday morning farmers market 

There are pictures of the wedding as well but too many incriminating ones (mainly of B) to post!

Favorite Friday Recipe: French Breakfast Puffs

Today's recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman again but unfortunately is not quite a favorite of mine.  I did however take pictures so I figured I might as well post!

I had high hopes for these but for some reason mine came out kind of dry and too nutmeg-y and no amount of melted butter and cinnamon sugar coating could save them.  Guess I'll be going to Dunkin Donuts for some Munchkin holes!  If you'd like to try the recipe, you can find it here.

This is probably a good time to discuss my lack of photography skills.  At first I thought my pictures could be greatly improved by getting a better camera, but I've since realized I probably wouldn't know what to do with a better camera anyway.  I hate messing with fancy settings and really just want good pictures without all the work!  I can never figure out which settings are best--so I'm curious to know what you guys think...

With flash?

Or without flash?

Vintage Monday: Riviera by Homer Laughlin

A few years ago, I bought this gorgeous green plate at a vintage store because I fell in love with the color and the beautiful curved edges.  There were no markings on the plate however so it was next to impossible to investigate the line and brand to acquire more.  It sat high on my wishlist for a long time until just this past weekend.

B and I went for a little outing to the Round Rock Antique Gallery (love!) and I spotted the exact plate (but in blue) at one of the stalls.  Fortunately, the seller had marked the plate "Riviera".  Unfortunately, it was pretty pricey.  But I squeaked and made B take a picture of it and then went home to google to my heart's content.

It turns out that Riviera is actually a line by Homer Laughlin which also makes my favorite Fiestaware.  No wonder I was so drawn to the colors!  Riviera was produced in 1938 and only for about 10 years.  It is similar to the Century line which was only produced in ivory and had HL markings on the back, whereas Riviera is unstamped (thus making it harder to google--thanks guys!).  According to this source, Riviera was glazed in mauve blue, yellow, light green and tangerine (the infamous red that was discontinued during the war).  There's a lovely Riviera Pottery Gallery at this site as well so you can see the 20 or so different pieces that were produced in this line.

As this was a lighter weight pottery than Fiestaware, a lot of the remaining Riviera pieces tend to be chipped and are rapidly becoming scarce.  I was happy to find this set on etsy for a great price and snatched them up.  I can't wait for them to arrive--they make the best cookie plates!

(pics from etsy)

Wishlist Wednesday: Sugar and creamer sets

I have an inordinate love for sugar and creamer sets.  I love the English tradition of taking cream and sugar with my tea though I hardly get a chance to do so (pesky work).  Ah to be a lady who lunches!  Frivolity aside, there are multiple uses for these little sets (or so I say to justify my growing collection)--you can use the creamers as impromptu vases for flowers and the sugar jars are perfect for cotton balls, buttons, jewelry and other little treasures.  Here are some of my favorite sets gathered from google images:
 
I have this set from Anthropologie--it's sitting in the guest bathroom and houses qtips and cottonballs!

Another Anthropologie set

A retro turquoise Melmac set

Russell Wright in action

Cobalt and orange sets from Fiestaware

A modern white ceramic set

My absolute favorite Franciscan Starburst (the teapot isn't too shabby either!)

Lovely vintage jadeite set

Some bright and quirky vintage sets

Vintage Marcrest (I found the sugar jar in Tallahassee and am looking for the creamer!)

And just for fun, a little whale set

Wishlist Wednesday: Petalware by W.S George

Do you believe in love at first sight?  I do...especially when it comes to vintage kitchenware.  I know I may seem fickle, as the lightening bolt has struck me multiple times, from colorful Fiestaware to whimsical snack plates, sturdy Fire King bowls and gorgeous Catherineholm (still looking for these by the way) and then there was the quirky Canoe Muffin obsession.  But this time...there is just something special about this collection of china.

The Petalware line, also known as Georgette, was produced in the 1940s by the W.S. George Pottery Company in Ohio.  The petals form a delicate scalloped edge to the bowls, cups and plates and its beauty is enhanced by the soft green, blue, rose, grey and yellow colors.

Petalware by W.S. George has officially gone to the top of my wishlist (and oh what a long wishlist it is!)  Until then, these pictures gathered from designsponge, flickr and google images will have to tide me over.

 

Petalware info from the every resourceful Ohio River Pottery website