Oh My Goodness!!!

I am throwing a bridal shower for a good friend of mine tomorrow and as I have been preparing I have realized that I have a serious lack of beautiful cake stands in my life. I envision the table tomorrow filled with adorable milk glass cake stands loaded with homemade cupcakes. Alas, I have only one cake stand, and it is glass. This raised my curiosity about what types of cakes stands even exist out there that would fit in my fabulous vintage kitchen...I am quite happy with what I was able to discover.

If only I could order a few of these in time for tomorrow's shower! *sigh*

I have a feeling that the shower is going to be quite beautiful sans my own personal collection of gorg vintage cake stands. I have a few tricks up my sleeve and I plan to post pictures soon. Stay tuned!

These adorable cake stands are currently for sale on ebay!

Fire King Turquoise Blue

My amazing mother-in-law added to my Fire King Turquoise Blue collection this past week for my birthday. If it was not for her I would not have any of these beautiful dishes. It is difficult to find information about the Fire King Turquoise Blue line online. I am pretty confident that I have one of the largest collections in existence. Thanks Effie!

This isn't even my whole collection. I have many more pieces in my butler's pantry.

Vintage Tea Towels

We like to have everything in our house be as close to original as possible (ok, one exception, I'm a sucker for central air) even down to the dish towels we use in the kitchen. You can buy repro dish towels that are made to look vintage at places like Anthropologie but they can be kinda pricey and lets be honest, the original deal is always better. So vintage dish towels are one thing I like to keep my out for when antiquing. It is especially fabulous if you can find them brand new with the original tags still on. 

  

Obsessions

My interest in collecting vintage dishes has definitely crossed some kind of line. It is not just about collecting anymore. It really is an obsession. This is my latest find. It is from a slightly later period than we typically prefer but this ENTIRE set of Pyrex dishes was on sale for very very cheap at a local consignment store here in Milwaukee. I saw them and I couldn't pass it up.

It's okay. You can envy me. 

 

Mucha

I have a few obsessions that I have not taken the time to blog about because my depth of interest in them makes it difficult to know where to start. I was thinking about this today and realized that I should just start with something on each of them because something is better than nothing. So today, I begin. 

Alphonse Mucha was an artist. He, in my opinion, defines the Art Nouveau style better than any other artist--my favorite period/style of art. His work is absolutely genius. There are few things more beautiful to me than Mucha's works. 

There is too much to say about Mucha and my love for Art Nouveau in one post so I will start by posting some examples of his work and telling you a story about Zach and I related to Mucha. 

If you have been fortunate enough to have been exposed to the wonder that is Mucha before you have more than likely seen this piece: 

While he has many pieces that are much more beautiful than this, this is a good example of his work--notice the uniquely stylized hair strands. 

Here are a few more examples of some of his poster art: 

It's okay. You can pause for a minute to take those in before you go on to read my story. 

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So here is the crazy thing about Zach and I and Mucha. Before Zach and I ever met we had both developed a deep love of Mucha-crazy right? He's a pretty obscure artist. The first time we met and actually had a conversation we talked about Mucha! Zach was working at a coffee shop and I stopped in with one of my friends. We started talking and it came up that Zach was taking a trip with his family in the next few months to Prague (Mucha's home). As soon as I heard that I said, "Well, if you are going to Prague you have to go to the Mucha museum!" I said this assuming he would have no idea who I was talking about. He immediately replied, "OH, I am!" My jaw dropped and I was like, "Wait, you know who Mucha is?..." 

Turned out that not only did Zach know who Mucha was but he had painted his bedroom to match one of the large Mucha prints on his wall, the whole scheme of his room was built around a Mucha print! I found this out much later but yes, he certainly knew who Mucha was. 

Once I knew that Zach was as fascinated by Mucha as I was I kinda became a bit obsessed (with Zach I mean, I was already obsessed with Mucha). You could almost say that Mucha brought us together. 

Zach and I started talking about our wedding only 11 days after we started dating. Our dating and engagement combined were less than a year. Both of us have no regrets. Best decision we ever made. When we had been dating for only three months I dropped some serious cash and bought Zach an original Mucha lithograph and had it shipped from Pairs. It now hangs above our bed in our little 1927 Bungalow. I am all about living simply but there are some things that are worth every penny and our Mucha lithograph is one of them. 

Chenille

One of my favorite things to keep my eye out for when I'm antiquing is Chenille blankets! 

I love the look of chenille. It's vintage, cute and cozy all rolled into one. I have a pink chenille blanket and a blue chenille blanket that I will hopefully get to use in a baby's room eventually. 

antique finds....

Zach and I went antiquing today for the first time in a loooooooong time. I felt such a rush when we walked into the first antique store. My how I have missed the anticipation of the hunt! Seriously, it is difficult to describe the excitement I feel when I walk into an antique store for the first time. There is truly nothing like it. 

It was a good antiquing day for me. I found numerous vintage pyrex mixing bowls in pretty great condition. Some of them were a little higher priced than I would normally pay but all of the antique stores were having at least 20% off sales. Needless to say, I picked up quite a few and am very happy to report that I have now officially completed almost all of my nesting bowl sets...

I have nesting bowl sets in the following colors: Pink, turquoise, yellow, orange (which didn't exist as an original set but I have created it due to the fact that it's my favorite color), primary colors, rainbow striped, and polka dot. I put them all out on the dining room table today and it was such a happy sight. I will post a picture of my own collection soon. I need to do it when the light is better in the house. In the mean time, enjoy the links! 

Since I have completed most of my own sets I am now working on blue and yellow sets for my sister in law...because honestly, even when I complete my own sets I think it will always be hard for me to pass up a beautiful vintage pyrex bowl without feeling compelled to give it a good home. :)

Oh, I also picked up a vintage flour sifter that I noticed a need for during some holiday baking projects. I swear, vintage kitchen tools work way better than any contemporary tools you can buy!

Popcorn

Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks of all time. My mom says my Grandpa Biel used to make it on Sundays as an evening snack when she was a little girl. My mom kinda carried this tradition on when we were little kids and just like my Grandpa she would make it on the stove. 

As far as I'm concerned this is the only way to make popcorn at home. Forget about microwaves. Making popcorn on the stove is very simple. All you need is a large pot with a lid, some vegetable oil and popcorn kernels--I prefer white corn. 

Put 3 tablespoons of oil in the pot with one kernel of corn. Cover (this can be easier if you have a glass cover so you can watch.) Once the kernel pops the oil is hot enough. You can now add about 1/3 of a cup of kernels (or a little more). Cover the pot again with the lid and shake the pot around to coat the kernels with oil. Every few minutes give the pot a good shake. Once most of the kernels have popped take it off the stove and transfer to a large bowl--like a vintage pyrex bowl for example! 

If you are a Wheaton, Illinois local you will understand where this idea came from: I like to put a nice fine grain salt on my popcorn. I'm not sure if this can be purchased, I make mine at home by simply placing kosher salt into a blender and blending the salt to a fine grain. I make a lot of the salt at once and store it in an air tight container so I always have it on hand when I'm ready to eat popcorn. 

You really don't need anything other than salt on this popcorn. It is delicious with just salt. However, sometimes I like to add different seasonings to my popcorn. Sometimes if we have people over and I need a host snack I will just put out four different kinds of popcorn. It looks pretty in different colored bowls in different sizes. 

Here are a few of my favorites popcorn add-ons:

Spicy Popcorn- In a small bowl combine 2 tsps Chili powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (careful with this one!) 1 tsp kosher or sea salt. Sprinkle over popcorn and mix. 

Cheesy Popcorn- Melt a few tablespoons of butter and pour over popcorn. Sprinkle fresh grated parmesan and salt. This was how my mom made popcorn growing up. 

Tart Popcorn- Melt three tablespoons of butter. Pour over popcorn and drizzle two-three tablespoons of lemon juice. Add salt and mix. This one is my favorite. 

Sunbeam Mixers

     
Another thing that I sort-of inadvertently ended up collecting is vintage Sunbeam Mixmaster mixers. It started with one...and then I saw others...and then next thing I knew I had five. Who needs five mixers? No one. I have realized that while I do love my Sunbeam Mixmasters...I do not need copious amounts of them. I really only want one. But I want it to be perfect. 

The first time I saw one I knew I had to have it for my kitchen. Once I found one though, I realized that they are really not all that rare. I kept buying them because I kept finding ones in better condition. THEN I discovered that they made them in PINK and BLUE and YELLOW! So, now I am on the search for the perfect mixmaster in the most fabulous color for my kitchen...I just haven't decided what color that is yet. 

        

soap shaker

Zach and I discovered an interesting piece of history while we were antiquing not too long ago. Turns out, that back in the day, there was no such thing as liquid soap. However, this was also prior to the invention of dishwashers. What was a person to do when they needed to clean their dishes in a sink full of soapy water? Why, use a soap shaker of course!

Soap shakers are wire baskets with a long handle. You place scraps of soap into the basket and whisk it through your sink full or water. These can be hard to find but they are an essential gadget for any vintage kitchen. I have had better luck finding them in antique stores than I have online--searching for soap shakers just returns too many things other than what you are really looking for. What a fun piece of history! 

Fire King Turquoise Blue

Perhaps one of my favorite collections is my set of Fire King Turquoise Blue dishes which my mother-in-law collected for me on a trip across the U.S. from San Fran to Milwaukee. I have an unbelievable EIGHT PLACE setting of these gorgeous dishes as well as numerous serving pieces and bowls. There are times when all I want to do is sit in my kitchen and just stare at them. They inspire me to make beautiful meals that are worthy of being served on them. These dishes are from the same company that produced Jadeite (another collection of mine). However, while Jadeite was produced in large quantities due to its restaurant-ware line, my turquoise blue dishes were only made for the home, making them significantly more rare. 

While no picture really does justice to their fabulous color, here is a picture of one of the splash-proof mixing bowls. 

Click on any of these links to learn more about Fire King or Jadeite, it is actually difficult to find sites devoted only to the Turquoise Blue line. 

Monitor Top

Our Monitor Top fridge was delivered today and I must say...it looks FABULOUS in my kitchen. Wouldn't you agree?

It was quite heavy so it took a lot of work to get it in but completely worth it (I guess I just stood by and watched, so definitely worth it for me!) It is in such great condition. We are so excited. It will take some getting used to but in the end I think that Zach and I will be very happy with our decision. 

It is amazing to me how something so old (1934)--an appliance no less--can be in such incredible working condition. Zach and I were talking about this the other night and he was telling me that the reason why we expect so little from products is a direct consequence of "Planned Obsolescence." 

Basically, once upon a time in history, it would never have occurred to a company to build a product that couldn't last. In fact, the quality of a product was based upon exactly that--it's ability to LAST. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, profiteers decided that they would be better off making products that didn't last, became obsolete, because there is more profit potential involved when someone needs to replace something...and...TA-DA...we became a throw-away society. Why buy something that will last when you can buy something that can be replaced in one to two years. From a consumer standpoint, it's crazy isn't it?

Perhaps someday we will make it back to the values of old. Until then, you are welcome to come over to my house and help yourself to a soda out of my 1934 refrigerator. 

In the words of someone who said it better than me...

"For many, owning an old appliance is a bit of a rebellion, a rejection of the lesser quality of newer appliances and of the marketing forces that create a constant craving for something new. It's their way of saying the world it moving too fast, and we need to slow down."

Damn straight! 

If you want to know more about planned obsolescence check out this article or click here. 

sublime stitching

So, in all of my antiquing ventures over the years there is one thing that I have always been attracted to--adorable hand-sewn embroidery on napkins, bar towels, curtains, tablecloths...you name it. There is something so quaint and eye-catching about a colorful, fun, cheeky design to add a little flare to vintage linens. While I have enjoyed collecting these, when I can find them in good condition, I have always had a desire to master the craft myself. The problem has been that I assumed this was a dead art, something women of the past delved into that lost it's appeal as work schedules and embroidery machines pushed their way into prominence. 

Not so my friend, not so. 

I recently discovered a fabulous company called Sublime Stitching. You must visit this site and check out all the fabulous patterns they have for hand embroidery. Turns out, I am not the only one who is attracted to cute little patterns stitched onto cloth--there is actually quite a following of individuals (women and men this time perhaps?) who are trying to bring back this wonderful pastime. 

I bought my own starter kit and a few patterns and have multiple projects planned. I will be sure to keep you updated with my progress. In the mean time, here is a rendering by someone else of some of my favorite Sublime Stitching patterns. Enjoy!

kitchen complete

Zach and I are ecstatic. Our kitchen is entirely vintage, the only thing not old or original in the entire room is our refrigerator. A few weeks ago we found a monitor top fridge in a tiny little appliance store in EXCELLENT condition, it almost looks like a repro it is so nice. While the guy who was selling it was asking a really great price, we still didn't really have the money. However, in the last few weeks Zach has been able to pick up a few extra jobs and I have some money coming in from one of my jobs also...SO...I am off to go make our down payment. We should be bringing it home this weekend! 

If you want to know more about Monitor Top refrigerators check out these links: 

Monitor Top Video

Monitor Top Website

a bowl full of cherries...or anything else

Another thing I collect obsessively, and I mean obsessively, is Pyrex bowls and refrigerator jars . I seriously can not get enough of them. Every time Zach and I go to flea markets I can't keep myself from picking up a few more. It's getting a bit ridiculous. 

Here are a few of my favorites: 

For more on Pyrex check out the link www.pyrexlove.com 

Retro Dish

For those of you who might be wondering...

I picked my blog name for many reasons: 

1. I collect vintage dishes

2. I love to cook fabulous dishes of food in my

 kitchen. 

3. I love "dishing" about all my favorite things, like dishes. 

4. I like the play on words. Did you know a "dish" was an informal term used in the past for a "sexually attractive person"??? For example: I gather she is quite a dish. 

aprons

Among many things that I collect, I have recently gotten into vintage aprons. Is there anything that symbolizes the epitome of the domestic goddess more than the vintage apron???

I love collecting aprons at flea markets and antique stores. They are usually inexpensive and a fun way to add some color to your kitchen. 

I also like the new repro-type aprons they have at Anthropologie.