The Rampant Lion

Adam's family is large enough that it would be a stretch of finances and creative gift ideas to purchase a present for each sibling a Christmastime. They've devised a clever strategy to ensure full stockings for all: we each draw names for a large gift, three sets of stocking stuffers, and a free gift. It's always fun to see what is given freely. Sometimes a found item, sometimes a talent, sometimes a batch of cookies or a clean car.

This year my mother-in-law drew my name and gave me a free gift with immense value- a domed glass cheese dish that belonged to her mother, and an entertaining research project.

It is, as it turns out, a beautiful example of early American pressed glass, created by Gillinder & Sons in Philadelphia. The pattern is also one of the first to feature the acid etching technique that gives the lion its frosted appearance. How incredible that this dish, crafted in 1877, now resides in our china cabinet. Rest assured that it's safely beyond the reach of our own rampant lions! I'll be so proud to showcase it in future tablescapes, thinking of the history (both of family and country) that it represents.

For more information on Gillinder & Sons glassware, read this highly informative article, or try here. Other Rampant Lion covered cheese dishes can be seen here and here. To find similar pieces for sale, try here or here.

Dare to Dream: Vintage Pencil Necklace

I don't know where my brain is at these days, but one thing is for sure: if I want to remember something, I need to jot it down. So I made a note of this gracefully utilitarian necklace from Anthro... 

Vintage Pencil Necklace, French Quartz from Anthropologie

I've got quite the to-do list written up for this weekend. Christmas gifts to wrap, a holiday party to attend, festive decor to photograph for a blog post next week. I have so much to share with you- experiences, projects, recipes, ideas- hence the pencil.

xoxo

Elizabeth

PS: Make sure you remember to enter my Shabby Apple giveaway- it ends at noon on Wednesday!

Girl About Town: Jack London's Kitchen Sink

A few weeks ago Adam and I drove up to Glen Ellen to cross something off of our "Things to do While Living in California" list: we visited Jack London's house, now known as Jack London State Park. Being hikers, English majors, and people who will never pass up an opportunity to tour wine country, it's been at the top of our list- especially since we learned that this park is scheduled for permanent closure due to lack of funding. That's a shameful thing, because this park is a gem.

It's a park that offers everything and the kitchen sink: trails skirting a sweet-smelling (and tasting, shhh) vineyard, a giant redwood tree, a romantic ruin, a murky lake, and (beneath layers of silly museum staging) a glimpse into the quiet moments of an incredible life.

Being that this is a design blog, let's start with the kitchen sink. 

Tell me there's not some inspiration to be had here...

Today I'll be sharing some of the property's decorating details here on the blog, and also on the Shock the Bourgeois facebook page. Tomorrow I'll conclude my tour with the portions of the park that truly struck a chord with me: the remains of Jack London's dream house (consumed by fire before he'd even moved in), and the mossy knoll that is his final resting place.

Found for You: Silver Demitasse Set

A metallic trend this season means that blogs, shops, and homes are all a-glitter for the holidays. Shiny objects are an eye-catching way to impress your guests. I plan on using my collection of silvery vintage demitasse cups to serve a few sips of something hot and chocolatey.

I've never been able to find much information about my unusual set- but that doesn't mean you can't get the look for your own home.

The Tasse Appetizer Set from Z Gallerie

This set has a curved handle instead of angular, but it still has all the gleam of the antique. The cups are sold with spoons and a mirrored tray, making it easy to create a glamorous vignette or a reflective tablescape (like this one I put together for Maggie Rose). Certainly a chic spin on Christmas decorating!

Find: A Handsome Rogue

We only sprang for two items at the June Alameda Flea, but it was by far our heaviest haul yet. I carted this metal horseman statuette home...

He's in rough shape and missing a few of his accessories (a rope, the horse's reins, and a short sword, judging by this example, or an unfortunate coat of paint a la this guy), but I think he's still quite a dapper fellow. He and his steed will make a handsome addition to our decor.

Our other find (also quite a hunk of metal) needs a little tweaking (and perhaps some rewiring) before it makes its debut on the blog. I'm looking forward to making a trip to the hardware store for this project!

I'm sharing other things that caught my eye on the Shock the Bourgeois facebook page today. Did you go flea marketing or thrifting this weekend? Share your finds on the StB Wall!

Find: Silvered Demitasse Set

Behold, my prize from this weekend's Alameda Flea Market venture: a set of porcelain demitasse cups with a distinctive mirrored finish. I use the word "set" rather loosely, as you must with nearly any lot acquired at the flea market. There are six flawless saucers, five cups (three mint, one chipped, one woefully cracked). Not perfect, but quite enchanting.

I imagine that this set was designed to replicate the look of far more costly silver demitasse cups (like these), and the peaked handle suggests Art Deco origins. A mark attributes them to a German company in Czechoslovakia (which I suppose means they were made between 1918 and 1993), but I'm unable to find any documentation of the mark itself. Very mysterious. Where are those Antiques Roadshow appraisers when you need them?

Regardless of their worth, they're a brilliant addition to my collection of coffee and tea pieces. They'll shine like treasures in my china cabinet... though they would surely glamorize my morning espresso habit!

A Flower Frog Makeover

My first issue of Country Living came in the mail the other day, and it is brimming with goodness. Take, for example, this bright idea:

Image from Country Living Magazine, April 2011

Why did I never think of that? Beyond floral arrangements, I've repurposed flower frogs for paintbrushes, feathers, and writing utensils. Having over a dozen sharpened pencils at the ready? Pretty, but not so useful. An array of makeup brushes? Useful for getting pretty!

As it turns out, I had exactly the same number of makeup brushes as slots in this simple vintage glass flower frog. And it looks just right with the trio of mismatched goblets that contains other beauty basics on my vanity desk. I love the way this vignette adds some glamour to a daily routine.

The February Flea

Antiques, football, and an early crop of freckles- I couldn't have asked for a better weekend! Adam and I  spent our Sunday afternoon soaking up sun and inspiration at the Alameda flea market. We didn't spring for anything, but sometimes a long day of looking is all I need to update my vision for our apartment. 

Though the best deals are often found in piles of rubbish, I can't help but admire the more curated booths. This vendor offers silky tassels and ribbons that glitter with gold thread, and the table itself was elegantly trimmed. I could see this crafty-chic sign working just as well as a bulletin board, or to display table assignments at a wedding.

Sometimes going to the flea market feels like a trip to the pound, with so many sad little things needing new homes. It's hard to say no, especially to furry fellows like these! The green-eyed tiger puppet seemed to be begging for hugs, and the wiry fox terrier with the wonky ear... oh, I almost adopted him.

So, no new things, but a head full of new ideas. I'm feeling quite ambitious this year!

Our Cabinet of Curiosities

I blog so often about cabinets of curiosity, it seems only fair to share my own...

Our petite cabinet of curiosities resides in the living room. The cabinet itself was a Craig's List find, purchased for $50 in Seattle, from a very kind woman helping her elderly friend downsize. I was so in love with the uncommon greige finish and elegant shape, I made Adam take an afternoon off to help me load it into a borrowed car, back down a perilous driveway, and inch it up our steep and narrow staircase. When we finally got it inside, I found a booklet full of neatly penned notes comparing bottles of scotch tucked into a drawer. Imagining that this might have been a little old lady's liquor cabinet still makes me giggle!

We've filled it with treasures, valuable for otherwise. Beautiful art books and vintage ephemera mingle  with found objects and natural oddities. Adam's collection of laboratory glassware stands next to 20 years worth of my beach-combing souvenirs. My alligator head grins from the second shelf, with a mouthful of foreign coins. The cabinet is home to items inherently beautiful and sentimental, like my Great-Grandmother's china teacup (or a vial of kitten teeth!)

I papered the back of the cabinet with pages from a tattered old Japanese & English dictionary: yet another layer of meaning for the curious observer.

How do you display your most prized belongings and mementos?

How We're "Ringing" in the New Year

Welcome to 2011, friends!

I suppose I need to account for my two weeks of vacation? How's this: several lively holiday parties, approximately 36 hours on the road, visits with family and friends in Seattle, Olympia, & Portland, the most beautiful prime rib I've ever seen (and eaten), a pile of presents, an epic New Year's Eve bash in the winter wonderland of Spokane, many champagne toasts, and...

A RING!

Adam and I are getting married! He proposed on December 20th, and we surprised our families with the announcement of our engagement on Christmas. Needless to say, best Christmas ever!

My ring is an Edwardian solitaire from 1915, which we fell madly in love with at Lang Antiques. To me, it's perfect, and proof that the best gifts come in small packages!

I hope you all like talking about weddings, because we've jumped into planning mode and I can think of little else. Cheers to 2011! I can't wait to start sharing ideas...