“Put me down easy, Janie, Ah’m a cracked plate.”
When I read this line recently in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, I couldn’t help thinking of all the lovely dishes I have inherited over the years. Some show their age with delicate fine lines, while others are so cracked they can no longer be used for their original purpose.
I suspect that many of you, like me, still see the value in these aged little darlings, making it hard to think of tossing them out.
As I mentioned last week, I have a couple more thrift store finds to share with you, but I also want to show you some items from the collection of dishes I have accumulated over the years.
In addition to the cute retro poncho I got for my daughter at The Salvation Army store, I found this sweet little purple vase for $2.99. It is not vintage, having come from a floral delivery service, but it is charming nonetheless.
I filled it with some inexpensive flowers from the grocery store. I tend to like a combination of purple and yellow, I think because it reminds me of the wildflowers that grew in the grass at our cottage when I was a kid.
The flowers further inspired me to take my tea and ginger snaps on some pretty dishes that my mom and dad gave me.
The tea cup and saucer are mismatched, but I think they look like a happy pair anyway.
This little dish is one that my mom gave me recently. It is Ucagco china, made in Japan. My parents have collected all kinds of dishes and furniture over the years, from auctions, estate sales, flea markets and yard sales. Luckily for them, one child out of their three likes to inherit these items. Luckily for me, the other two children don’t!
On the same visit to The Salvation Army, I found this picture frame. Obviously, I was in some sort of flowers and vases mood. The sunny frame calls for a sunny photo, so I chose a picture of my daughter on the beach in Florida last year.
This week, I also unearthed this set of china from a box in my fruit cellar. My aunt and uncle picked it up at a church sale, thinking that the dishes matched a set I inherited from my grandmother. Turns out they are different, but I couldn’t resist keeping these ones too.
The pattern is “Old English” by Johnson Brothers, and I think the colour combination is perfect for spring!
How about you...any lucky finds this week? Any cracked plates you just can’t part with?
