Pyrex Makes Perfect

For me, vintage collectibles become extra special if I can use them the way they were originally intended. That's not always possible. Old enamel pots, for example, aren't the wisest choice for cooking, since they might leach toxins into food. And nobody wants rusty cookies; old tin cans are best used only for display.

Pyrex is one collectible that remains useful throughout the decades. Oven safe, strong, and microwavable, these glass dishes can be put into service, doing the jobs they've already done for decades. 

Pyrex has been a part of my life since my earliest memories of cooking with my mother using her set of pastel mixing bowls. Like milk glass, these creamy, opaque dishes are as useful as they are visually appealing, with enough variety in pattern and colour to keep collectors happy forever. 

Pyrex is readily available, too. I see bowls, butter dishes, and other pieces every time I visit a vintage store (often with a price tag that reflects its popularity). In Thrift stores, though, I don't usually see anything but odd little mismatched pieces. Happily, my luck changed a few days ago. 

Here's what I spotted on a bottom shelf of my local Salvation Army, in perfect condition and priced at an affordable $5.50 CDN: 

The handles, colour and pattern easily identify the piece as a mid-century Cinderella bowl in beautiful turquoise Butterprint. Who could ever resist turquoise anything, especially if it has a practical use? 

This smaller, nesting bowl came with it, priced at $3.50. These are the largest two in what originally would have been a set of four bowls, alternating in colour. 

The handles make them practical as both prep and serving dishes. 

The powder blue serving bowl shown below is Pyrex too. I found it nesting inside the Cinderella bowls, priced at $1.50. The glass has a slight swirl of white for a marble look, and the fluted edges are so dainty. My heart fluttered the minute I spied it. Sold!

I don't know this bowl's vintage, but it sports a "Made in Canada" label on the bottom. So far, I haven't been able to identify it. Perhaps it's newer?

So there you have it: three pieces of Thrift store eye candy that sweeten up my china cabinet and add an irresistible splash of turquoise to the dining room. 

Looks like the beginning of a new collection, wouldn't you say?

Will You Take Tea With Me?

My children are darlings. Kind, thoughtful, and already adept gift givers, even at the tender ages of three and eight. They know what speaks to my heart. It seems Bing did not have a tea pot, and everyone knows tea tastes better when served in vintage tea cups.

So here's what this lucky mama got for Christmas:

 From Ariel

Royal Albert, Made in England

From Graham

 Consort, Made in England

From both of them

 Globe 6 cup, by London Pottery Co.

Vintage flowers and red with white polka dots? Add 'em up and it equals love to me.

Happy New Year!

On this, the first day of the year, let me wish all of you a whole year full of productivity, merry-making, good health and safe and happy travels exploring the world.

Welcome, 2014!