Keswick Trays

Here's a houseware that seems to pop up frequently at thrift stores: the Keswick Tray! They are printed cotton and fibre glass trays rimmed with gold or silver edges. The company started in the 1960s and is still producing products today. I'm not sure of the date of these two trays though! 

I love the cheery florals and the texture of the fabric through the fibre glass.

 It looks like they even take custom orders. Of course they are British made...see post below!

Anglophile

On this Royal Wedding meets Victoria Day weekend I am thinking about how many of my favourite things hail from Britain. Their decorating magazines and period dramas are impeccable, and the land seems to be inundated with exquisite upholstery manufacturers, surface pattern designs, picturesque gardens, fascinating architecture, artisans, historians, grand authors of literature...the list goes on. Plus, the accent...*swoon*

Crown Jars

I love these crown jars, with their pressed glass crown logo and zinc patina lids. Hot chocolate mix, anyone?

The Pretty Lady

I found this edition of 1918 novel The Pretty Lady by Arnold Bennett (1867-1931) at a book sale for a song. I admit...I bought it purely for the title and the glamorous gilded pattern on the black cover!

The Soldier's Service Dictionary

This pocket-sized dictionary is 100 years old. It was printed in 1917 by Funk & Wagnalls Company in New York. Then it was presumably used in WWI, and about 70 years later my mom picked it up at a book sale. I wonder if in between it was picked up and used in WWII.

The interior translates common military terms into French for practical use by the "Belgian, British, and French armies." It even translates geographical terms in a pictographic way.

Quite the fascinating read!

Liberty Apparel

Whenever I am thrifting I keep an eye out for Liberty clothes! The calico cottons are unmistakable. My latest acquisition is the William Morris Strawberry Thief shirt. These florals make my heart sing!

October Garden

I love gardens in October. The bees become dazed, and the twigs get crispy, but there are still a few defiantly peachy roses hidden in the brambles. Frost wilts the nasturtiums but makes the apples sweeter.

Victoria

Queen Victoria was one incredible lady. Aside from ruling a country for nearly 64 years, she was a mother of 9, a visual artist, and a prolific journal writer. Her passionate, determined nature is clear in reading her diaries. I've been loving the series Victoria, which brings aspects of her younger life to light...plus the costumes and sets are stunning and lavishly inspiring. Happy Victoria Day!

Blue and White Dishes

You may have noticed that I'm a fan of blue and white dishes...here are some stunners from the collection!

Back in Time for Dinner

Historians, decorators, costumers, and foodies unite! This documentary, Back in Time for Dinner is mind-blowing! It is the journey of a family in Britain living one year per day through the 1950s to the 1990s, behaving and eating according to the era. Their meals are based on the National Food Survey, a survey completed by households once a year from 1940 to 2000 in which participants documented all the food they bought and ate in a week. It is fascinating to see how societal events and technological advances altered food habits. 

The 1950s--A real contrast of the austere '50s in Britain to the prosperous '50s in North America!

The 1960s--"You get a fridge and then you burn your bra."

The 1970s--This epidsode made me want to eat hummus.

 The 1980s--Because marmite really gives a whole microwaved chicken the "golden" look.

The 1990s--Variety is key.

...and beyond!

Découpaged Franglais Stool

Découpage is great because it totally hides an ugly surface with beauty.

 I picked up this stool at the curb. I think it was a child's chair at some point because I had to fill up those 4 holes at the back of the seat with some wooden dowel stubs. 

 Then I ripped pages out of this French/English dictionary and cut them into strips.

 I used Mod Podge to glue on the clippings, but plan on giving the whole stool a coat of Varathane to protect it.

  Voilà!

(Pssst! The stool has a twin that has yet to be embellished!)