Fine China

Why is my coffee soooo good this morning? Because I have the day off; I can linger with it and enjoy this morning at a leisurely pace.

I went shopping with my Sweetie and daughter, Aly, Saturday. We went to one of my favorite vintage/antique stores. I must admit I was on a mission. I’ve been looking for some china ware for a few weeks. I intended to mix and match some sets but when I found a complete 12 piece setting I couldn’t resist the price of 79.00. This is the Fairfield Symphony collection.



The set does have the coffee, creamer, sugar and serving bowl as well. It wasn’t exactly the pattern I was looking for but I like it none the less. I wanted something that wasn’t too floral and wanted to stay on the more subdued side. I’m still looking for some greens and blues to add to my place settings. Anyway, my cottage style kitchen is coming along and now I have started on my family room. I’ll be sharing some thoughts and photos on that soon.





Honestly, I can't believe I found this make and pattern for 79.00. Don't you just love finding good deals?

Enjoy your day!

~willa~

Granite or Quartz?

We are choosing new counter tops. I knew it was a big decision and thought I had steeled myself for this part of my kitchen transformation but.....whaaaaa...it's a difficult choice! I narrowed my decision between quartz and granite and after researching both I decided to use quartz. It is a durable surface without the maintenance that comes with granite. They have a wide range of colors which brings me to the next decision...and that is where I am stuck! With the cost of replacing countertops I don't want to make the wrong choice.

I did a show and tell about my kitchen in a previous post. If you recall, I have a bi-level bar. I would like to put one color on the bottom and another color on the top to break up the the same color through out the kitchen. Honestly, I would love to use a dark butcher block on the lower counter top but my Sweetie doesn't like that idea and he has to be happy with all of this too, especially since he does the dishes and the clean up after dinner.



Making choices is not my cup of tea. A few years ago I had to make a carpet choice for a house we lived in. We had converted the attic into a large family room; I had no problem choosing the paint colors and the rest of the finished items in that room but when it came to the carpet, I simply could not decide. Not only were we adding carpet to that room but we would be replacing the carpet through the rest of the house as well. I contacted carpet stores and asked for samples. With those in hand, I laid them on the sub-floor and tried to decide. This went on for weeks. In the end, we sold the house and provided a carpet allowance for the new owner.




How can you have excitement and dread at the same time? That's where I am in choosing the color for the countertops. To avoid the repeat of the carpet dilemma I have given myself 2 weeks to make the final decision. I am so excited. It can take up to 45 days after the final decision and placing the order for the counters to be installed. After they are in I will decide on the color of the cabinets and the walls. Those should be easier choices, they can be changed with minimal costs. I have decided to go with the bead board for the back splash. Excitement and dread, they can keep your heart rate up!

Stay tuned for the transformation.

~willa~

My Cup Runneth Over

Through the years I have accumulated a cupboard full of cups; some are huge mugs that will empty a coffee carafe in no time. Some are small dainty cups that will send you reaching for the tea pot filled with Earl Gray. I don't know how that cupboard became so full of cups. I've actually cleaned it out a time or two and still it is packed. Family and friends buy me cups/mugs, they must think I collect them since I have so many. But, I can't blame them alone for the stash of these ceramic and china goodies; I have purchased many of them myself; please don't ask why, sometimes I simply do insane things, like buy coffee mugs when I have a cupboard bulging with many I don't use. I am going to be cleaning out my cup cupboard and doing away with those that no longer fit my style. I'm on the look out for the cottage style.

I love these rose cups; they are the perfect size for a good cup of joe or a “spot” of tea. They are on my list of must haves for my cottage transformation.













They say “confession is good for the soul” so I will confess....I love cups! There, I said it! Now you know why my cupboard is really full. I have passed this obsession to my sweet daughter, Aly, she is collecting her own stash of cups. While she was in Paris a couple of years ago for her high school trip, she bought two cups in a Parisian store. After she went off to college, I used one of these cups for my morning coffee. I placed it on my studio table, got up to move a few things and heard the distinct sound of shattering glass. Yep, you guessed it, her Parisian cup was in pieces on the floor. There was no gluing it back together. My heart sank knowing that it was irreplaceable.

I found this sweet cup and saucer while browsing the Internet. I love it's hand painted look. Believe me, I've only just begun to shop for the cottage items I want for my cottage kitchen. I've bought several things but my list is growing and I'm still looking.


Sometimes, it's not about the cup but what's in the cup. This time of year a nice hot cup of coco is just what is needed to fight the winter doldrums; or a tall cup of cappuccino with a large dollop of rich cream. One of my favorite scriptures is

“Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete with it shall be measured to you again”.

What a wonderful promise, just for giving. When I think of or read this verse I'm drawn to the part about "running over". It makes me think of a cup full running over the brim and filling up the saucer beneath. We've all, at one time or another, over filled a cup until it ran over into the saucer, or onto the counter. Often times we are aggravated because we have to clean up the mess. But this is an intentional over filling; a blessing that over fills the cup and runs and keeps running over. I can tell you that the times my husband and I have given, even with simplicity, it has come back to us. It may not be in nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars but it has come back in ways that money can't buy. Often these blessings run over on to others as well, blessing those around us and many in our sphere of influence. Now that's BLESSINGS!

Well, I am off to shop with some co-workers. I hope you enjoy your day!

~willa~