antiques – S I P [Social Interactions and Parties]

Honoring the silver lining or the past….

Review of “The Arrival of Spring”

The spring season arrives with a slow, easy pace, gently nudging nature’s dormant slumber to rise and shine. It beckons us toward our outdoor patios and decks, where we can comfortably enjoy the fresh, slightly breezy air and the sweet scent of blooming shrubs and trees. Now we can have an alfresco late morning breakfast or sip a late afternoon cocktail free of the bitter cold or soon to come blistering heat. One should cherish this beautiful time of year by celebrating outdoor gatherings and attend outdoor events to revel in the fresh air and sunshine.

I’m especially fortunate to live in an area that celebrates and supports local artists and musicians, with frequent fairs and free outdoor concerts during this time of year. There is also a nearby river for boating and watersports and Lake Pontchartrain for sailing. On a beautiful sunny day, you will find people walking, running or biking along the lakefront; some families may be gathered for a picnic or barbeque and the few restaurants overlooking the lake are busy with the laughter and chatter of patrons.

On one such Spring morning, I decided to attend the local Antiques and Uniques Festival where I enjoyed a casual stroll while sipping a cup of chai tea latte and browsing through tents filled with antiques, collectables, artisan crafts and unique plants.

At my favorite tent, I found a vintage original nude sketch in a gold frame that I purchased to add to the wall in my primary bathroom water closet. The addition draws the eye up and better emphasizes the high ceilings.

I also was drawn to the cutest pair of heart shaped succulents called Heart Hoya or Sweetheart plant, Native to Southeast Asia. I purchased the sweetheart pair in hope that I could successfully grow mine into a larger version.

While my purchases were not grand, they were joyful finds that I smile at whenever I look at them. Marie Kondo (The Tidying Up Specialist) says we should only keep things that give us joy. When browsing through antique and consignment shops I most definitely only purchase items that give me joy.

Some ladies love jewelry, I’ve always loved dishware, glassware and other entertaining ware. While I don’t like to go overboard, I try to get rid of something that I haven’t used in years when I buy something new in this department. Some of my most recent items over the past few years have been collected and some have been gifts all with memorable stories. Collectables are always better when there is a special story attached.

I’ve always been a fan of Victoria Magazine, a periodical that celebrates the formalities and traditions in history through furnishings, music, literature and travel while featuring rich, elegant table settings peppered with a variety of beautiful crystal, china, teapots and silver of the past. It is what inspires me to incorporate my silver finds when entertaining. While we as a society have moved more towards informality, I treasure the formalities of the past and try to incorporate those elegant touches when entertaining. The intention is to make my guest feel appreciated and special.

We have a fun consignment and estate sale shop with various locations around the Greater New Orleans area that is constantly being restocked with items. Sadly, younger generations don’t usually have an interest in the collected items of the generations before, but with me, their treasured items will live on to be part of celebrations, at least throughout my lifetime.

I often stop in and check out the latest inventory usually leaving with nothing, but in some cases there is either something to keep my eye on, or something that has been marked down that I would love to have.

On one such visit, a few months prior to the holidays I spotted a large beautiful silver tray with handles and little feet that I’ve never seen (or maybe just never noticed) before. It was so elegant and was just the size I could use to place prepared aperitifs for my dinner parties, but the price was over my budget. So I left with the plan that if it was meant for me to have it, it would still be there on one of the shop’s 50% off days. I would simply hold out and keep an eye on it.

The shop came up in conversation with a friend over lunch one day who often attends estate sales. I told her about the tray I was keeping an eye on, hoping for a sale. She inquired about where the shop was located explaining that she had been wanting to go to it, but kept forgetting and didn’t know where it was. After our lunch she went on to the shop and texted me to ask if I had a picture of the tray so she could check out if it was still there. I sent her the picture and a few minutes later she messaged back that it had been sold. I was a little disappointed, but responded -“oh well, it just wasn’t meant to be.”

A month later, just a couple of weeks prior to Christmas, my friend showed up at my house with a large Christmas bag. When she handed it over to me, I furrowed my brow as in “What on earth is in there?” I couldn’t imagine what she had brought in such a large bag. As I pulled away the tissue paper, I could not believe what I saw. There was the silver tray! She had managed to get it for 50% off on the day she went to the shop. It was such an amazing surprise and of course my favorite Christmas gift of the year. And yes, it gives me joy every time I use it and has this lovely story attached to it.

On another visit to the same shop I found these silver plated bowls (below) that have similar patterns, two with a pedestal and one without that I use for nuts and olives at parties. In the back of the shop on the clearance shelf I found these silver plated egg cups (above) for $1.00 each that I use for battery votive candles that I line along my fireplace mantel.

On my very first visit to the shop, I found this 8″ x 10″ black and white original painting of old Paris. It is so detailed and the painting has a beautiful layered texture. I originally left it behind, but it continued to hold in my memory and on my next visit I brought it home.

Another sweet antique gift from a different friend is this candle snuffer that comes in handy at the end of a party. The silver tray was found several years ago in an antique shop and is used frequently.

A few years back I traveled to Atlanta to visit my cousin and her husband. My cousin picked me up at the airport and we stopped in Marietta for lunch. Afterwards we walked around the square and stopped in an antique store a couple of blocks from the restaurant. A set of framed still life paintings with an old world look caught my eye. They weren’t very large, but I tried to imagine them somewhere in my house as I continued to browse around the store.

The horizontal painting is tucked inside a curiot cabinet in my kitchen,

The price was reasonable, so I decided to buy one of the set of three.

During my visit, we alternated between wineries and antique shops throughout the mountains north of Atlanta. As we browsed through the first shop, I mentioned to my cousin and her husband that I wanted to collect silver plated tablespoons to place next to my stove to use as “tasting” spoons when I’m cooking. I had gotten the idea from years of watching Ina Garten – The Barefoot Contessa. It seems no one noticed but me that she had a jar or cup filled with silver spoons that she pulled from to taste her food while cooking. She probably bought hers in the Paris Flea Markets, like I had planned to and haven’t yet made it to Paris. I decided it might be a good idea to buy a couple here and there instead, wherever I might travel or my collection might never happen. It was a usable souvenir again with a story of where each might come from.

Suddenly my cousin’s husband was spotting spoon candidates everywhere. I think I left with about 6. So my spoons are not from a Paris Market, but they are in a cup with “Paris” on it. Ha! Ha!

Once I returned home and looked around my room for a suitable place to hang the painting, I realized one painting wouldn’t be enough. I asked my cousin if she happened to be in Marietta if she would go back to the shop and purchase the other two paintings for me. Thankfully, the rest of the set was still there and they made their way home to me when my cousin and her husband came home for the holidays to visit family.

The two vertical paintings were placed on the wall on each side of my curio cabinet in the kitchen, and the horizontal version was placed inside the curio.

Back in 2022, I found a set of 6 dessert/salad forks with a feminine pattern I had not seen before. After the spoon hunt in Georgia I decided to start searching for dinner forks, knives, teaspoons, etc. with the goal of collecting a complete set of 12 to use at my brunches, lunches and dinner parties. I usually use my Mom’s bronzeware or goldware since most of my dinnerware is trimmed in gold. I’ve always wanted a set of silverware that is usually very expensive, but when I found the smaller forks at a reasonable price I decided it would be interesting to pull together a set with various patterns that would make my set unique, again, each having a story attached.

Gradually over the past few years I’ve managed to collect various pieces and I’m close to having my set of 12, missing a few dinner forks and another set of six of those dessert/salad forks. Just a great reason to keep up the hunt.

A recent visit back to the estate sale shop, I found a small footed tray that looks like the cousin of my gifted large silver tray. Sometimes these trays are very scratched up or the silver is starting to come away from the surface. But this one was beautiful and again, I was able to purchase it on sale.

The tray currently sits on my bar cart presenting a crystal decanter and two glasses.

Last year (2023) on my drive home from Baton Rouge, LA, I decided to stop through a small area referred to as Denham Springs, Antique Village. It had been many years since I visited the area and I was excited to have picked a day when it was quiet with very few patrons. I was able to enjoy my time, casually strolling through each shop and seeking out something special. Tucked away on a clearance shelf was what looked like a silver plated vase, but upon closer examination it was light weighted and seemed like it was actually aluminum made to look like silver. The pattern was really pretty, and I decided not having to clear it (like silver), but having the look of antique silver was a positive.

While preparing the table decor for my annual Mother’s Tea this year, I wanted some pretty vintage books in the blue and lavender color palette I had chosen. While I love old books, they are harder to find (at least for me). Years ago at an estate sale I found an old edition of Jane Eyre, one of my favorite books. Another time I found a set of three hardcover copies of books by the French author Colette, but my books were black and red.

While having lunch with a family friend I mentioned an upcoming book fair that would have some old books, but it wasn’t scheduled until after my tea and I needed to tried to find some books with the right colors. She suggested that she would look through her daughter’s collection when she got home and when she did she found these three books in a pretty shade of blue with lovely gold lettering and designs.

We are the decade of the term “recycle” or “upcycle”. When walking into an Antique store or festival, consignment or estate shop or simple vintage thrift store, there is no way of knowing what kind of treasures may be waiting to be discovered and loved into the future. Whatever your point of interest may be, there is always something to be found and cherished. I try to choose items that I will actually use and not just sit on a shelf somewhere most of the time, but there are also those moments when I find something that adds character to my home like a beautiful piece of art that captures my heart or a stack of old books that provides a layer of the “old, worn, and loved” to my newer decor and furnishing items. These small treasures were once loved by a prior owner and I enjoy welcoming each into my home and continuing to give each the love and care it deserves to live on into the future.

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