Look Again + 2012 Amendments

First things first...We are truly blessed to have the means to set a pretty table and invite our friends to join us for good food and fellowship. I am mindful that many are not so fortunate. My daughter has a passion for the work of the Food Bank. As a singer-songwriter, she has written and recorded a song that is the anthem for the world wide Crop Hunger Walk project. Her song, "Raise Your Voice" is featured in their video. I've included a link in the side margin of my blog. I hope that it will encourage you to support projects in your community that contribute to the effort to overcome hunger.

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The Tablescaper is hosting her 2012 edition of "Where Do You Store It All?"  I've reposted my 2011 contribution to her amazing meme, and I've added some new photos to show any areas that have changed significantly in the last year.  

We are empty nesters, and I've been blessed with numerous hidey-holes in which to store my "Collection with a Purpose."  Decorator Showcase House Tour it's definitely NOT...but here we go...the tour is leaving the station.  Just remember...at certain stops, you may think that you are looking at one thing...but Look Again!...you may be looking at something totally different!  WARNING!!!  This is a very long post.  I am not blessed with a wonderful basement like our generous hostess, The Tablescaper, so my collections are tucked away all over my house.  Enter at your own risk!

We'll start here because I receive the most requests from blogworld for information about these crystal cabinets...

Top shelf:  My wedding crystal...Lalique "Treve"; Lalique "Angel Flutes"; Rosenthal, "Iris"; and AJKA, "Arabella".  Second shelf:  Our precious Nana's hand blown, antique French cut crystal and Nana's Lalique, "Palm Fronds" tumblers.  I don't really know the name of the tumblers; that just what I call them.  Third shelf:  Nana's French crystal "Chillers" andWaterford "Simply Blue".  Fourth shelf:  Waterford, "Simply" goblets...all bought over time on eBay.  Bottom Shelf:  Barker-Ellis, "Mint Juleps" and Baccarat, "Harmony" tumblers, both wedding gifts.  The antique Imari chargers belonged to my beloved Aunt Ida.  I only have six of them, and I use them for smaller occasions.

2012 Amendment:

I've completed my collection of AJKA Arabella goblets.  They've been moved to stemware cases.  The Tiffin "Elyse" goblets now share the top shelf with my wedding crystal.

The second crystal cabinet is pretty much a duplicate of the first, with the exception of the bottom shelf.  The bottom shelf stores the Lalique "Plate of the Year" collection; the plates that match Nana's French crystal; and the set of silver goblets that were a wedding gift.

The Fitz and Floyd chicken ramekins live on top of the kitchen cabinets.  Inside, from left to right...

Top shelf:  Hunter green Colony goblets, Middle shelf:  Pearlized Pink Pier One goblets, and Bottom shelf:  Fenton "Empress" goblets in cobalt blue and red...

Top shelf:  Godinger, "Sutton Place", Middle shelf:  Dollar Tree, $1.00 each, cobalt goblets, random giant mugs with cherries, and Bottom shelf:  Blue Quilted low stem goblets.  They are not Fostoria, and I can't remember who made them...

Top Shelf:  Green Dollar Tree, $1.00 each green goblets and Black amethyst goblets, unknown maker, Middle Shelf: Blue Willow serving pieces, and Bottom shelf:  Burleigh "Blue Willow", our most frequently used everyday dinnerware...

Top and Middle shelves:  Mikasa, "French Countryside", and Bottom shelf:  Nell Hill'soversized tumblers.

The underneath cabinets hold assorted serving pieces, including the Dansk "Teak" bowls...and our Heller dinnerware.

I can often be found right here, perched on a stool, catching up on television news, or checking email on my iPad.  But..."Look Again"...behind these closed doors, you'll find...

...Top and Middle Shelves:  Furnival, "Blue Quail",  and Bottom Shelf:  Copeland Spode, "Tower Pink".

 The back hallway contains assorted coat closets and linen closets...I've found several spots for additional storage...this and that.

You probably think that you are looking at my little office/creative space...but Look Again!...

On the left, you can see some of the zippered storage boxes that I use for additional crystal.  I label each box to make it easier to access different patterns when I'm ready to entertain.  The shelves have always been in this closet, and do they ever come in handy!  Top shelf:  Fire King, "Jadeite Alice"; Copeland Spode, "Luneville"; Copeland Spode, "Peacock";  Coalport, "Z3137 Exotic Bird Pink; and WalMart Libby Glass plates.  Second Shelf:  Coalport, "Z3137 Exotic Bird Green"; Royal Doulton, "The Beaufort"; Haviland, "Saxon Flowers"; and Luneville, "Louis XV.  Third Shelf:  Copeland Spode, "Jewel", and its companion, Copeland Spode, "Jewel Heath & Rose."  Fourth shelf:  Royal Doulton, "RD199" luncheon plates; Ruby Flash Glassplates; and Coalport, "Sevres Group.  Fifth shelf:  Silver charger plates, which aren't supposed to be there; Ridgways, "Lynton"; Royal Crown Sutton, "Gold Encrusted"(Nana's); Schumann, "Empress-Dresden Flowers"; Wedgwood, "Albion"; and Royal Worcester, "Regency/Ruby".  Bottom level:  Grandmama's Yamaka, "Magnolia" (Occupied Japan); Copeland Spode, "Wildflower"; Copeland Spode, "Ermine"; Royal Doulton, "Old Chelsea"; Royal Doulton, "Lowestoft"; Coalport, "Spearpoint"; Tiffin, crystal plates; and Caspari, "Rattan Chargers.

2012 Amendment:

This closet has added a number of new additions.  The stemware storage containers hold our colored crystal patterns.  Dish-wise, the stacks that sit on the floor have increased in height.  New patterns include Copeland Spode "Aster" and Minton "Consort".

The second closet in my workroom, was fitted for hanging clothes.  I bought an old file cabinet, that had shelves instead of file drawers, in a warehouse sale and set it in the closet.  Voila!  Storage for dishes.

Top Shelf:  an assortment of blue and white import pieces.  Second Shelf:  Wedgwood, "Countryware";  Royal Doulton, "Old Chelsea" cups; Bernardaud Limoges, "Artois" serving pieces; and Coalport, "Athlone Brown."   

The third shelf:  Bernardaud Limoges, "Artois"; Coalport, "Z3137 Exotic Bird/Green" (my favorite pattern); and  Schumann, "Empress Dresden Flowers" serving pieces.  A stack of additional crystal storage boxes reside along side the file cabinet.

Fourth shelf:  Antique Rose Medallion Rimmed Soups; Val St. Lambert Crystal Bowls; Minton, Cobalt & Gold Encrusted dinner plates; Haviland, "Ranson" ramekins and underplates; Ruby Flash bowls by an unknown maker; and Fenton, "Pink Coin Dot Double Ruffle" bowls. 

Fifth shelf:  Royal Cauldon, square embossed plates; Miessen, "Blue Onion"; Bordallo Pinheiro, "Leaf Plates; and footed crystal bowls by an unknown maker.

2012 Amendment:

This closet holds the clear crystal patterns.  I've added some new variations in 2012.  In the dish cabinet, new players include the Wedgwood "Majolica Leaf Plates" in green and in cream, Coalport "Old Coalport", Coalport "Kings Ware", and Crescent Gold Octagonal plates.

At one time this was a custom-made stereo cabinet for my son's room.  It now houses theWalmart, rattan chargers and red "star" bowls.  I wonder where I stuck the blue "star" bowls?

You probably thought that this was a guest room...Look Again!...

Assorted charger plates...

...and special Christmas collections that I want to keep in a climate controlled environment.  I think that they visit with each other when no one is looking!

The hall bath, formerly my daughter's bathroom, now houses assorted candlesticks and silver charger plates...and a little Valentine music box given to me by a long forgotten high school boyfriend.

In the 1920's, this was my mother-in-love's childhood desk...can you imagine?  It now lives in the hall to the bedroom wing and holds an assortment of colored napkins.

You probably think that this is just another guest room.  The bed belonged to my daughter's great-great-great grandmother.  It was an old, dark brown, double bed.  I had it expanded to turn it into a queen-sized bed, and then I had an artist paint it.  The same artist designed the small bedside table...

The old bureau used to match the bed...just an old dresser?...Look Again!  This is where I stage a lot of tablescape designs.  The drawers hold gobs of Nana's wonderful antique napkins and place mats.  That blue quilt on the bed...I use it more as a tablecloth than as a blanket for guests.

Both closets are packed with tablecloths and accessories...

 Longer cloths for the dining table...

2012 Amendment:

I found some wonderful new tablecloths for the dining room table, particularly toiles in assorted colors.

...And assorted round cloths for when I'm entertaining small groups, or adding extra tables for large groups.

2012 Amendment:

The selection of cloths for our round tables has also continued to grow.  I've found some great deals on multiples of the same cloth for when I entertain larger groups.

You would immediately identify this as the powder bath...

...with what is called a "head knocker" in our neck of the woods.  Do you all call it a "head knocker"?  But, Look Again...

It's actually a storage cabinet for the Haviland, "Ranson", and Spode, "Christmas Tree"glassware.

Just a utility room?...

 ...With the old mobile server?...Look Again...

The server holds a good portion of my mother-in-love's Castleton, "Laurel", and some special serving plates that belonged to Nana.

When Sweet Mister brough this little dry bar home years ago, he thought that it would hold assorted liquor bottles...Ha!  Look Again!

Top shelf:  My mother's Royal Doulton, "Harlow".  Bottom shelf:  The rest of the Castleton, "Laurel" and my collection of Castleton, "Empire" plates.

The etagere is a revolving display of assorted tureens...

2012 Amendment:

I've continued to add to the collection of white and cream tureens in the past year.  I've had a lot of fun using them as centerpieces for my designs.

 The antique butcher's table holds cake pedestals...

and the Welsh Dresser is home to the rest of  the Copeland Spode, "Tower Pink".

The Spode, "Christmas Tree" lives underneath the Welsh Dresser with assorted serving pieces...

...and the Lenox, "Christmas Wreath" collection; my Oxford Bone China, "Filagree" wedding china; the handmade set of heart shaped dinnerware; and the Royal Doulton, "Ventura".

Even the garage gets called into duty.  I keep inexpensive bullet wines and the hand painted champagne flutes on hand for when we entertain large groups.

Another storage room in the garage is progressively used more and more for dishes, etc.  Second shelf:  Bordallo Pinheiro, "Cabbage Leaf" charger plates;  assorted colored glass salad plates; a set of Haviland luncheon plates; Pottery Barn, "Outdoor Collection" enamelware plates and charger plates; and Mackenzie-Childs, "Courtly Check" charger plates.  Third shelf:  Haviland, "Orange Poppies" (my name for them); Haviland, "Rani"; CF Haviland, "Schleiger 3628" Exotic Birds; and Wedgwood "Edme" tureens.  Fourth Shelf:  Johnson Brothers, White dinner plates with gold rims;  Haviland, plain white luncheon plates;  more of the CF Haviland, "Schleiger 3628; and Century, "Blueberry Hill" (my grandmama's).

2012 Amendment:

Several new additions in the garage storage area....in particular the wonderful glass charger plates that Alycia of Table Twenty-One told us about last week.  I already used the pink ones yesterday!

 A closed, lower cabinet holds the individual dessert pedestals and the frog jars...

and a metal shelf stores assorted majolica pitchers and carafes.  Bottom shelves house assorted containers for flowers.

I can't believe that I just showed you so much of my collection.  I'm at the point where I pretty much give something away before I bring anything else into the house.  Last year I gave away four sets of Haviland to friends.  I'm incredibly blessed that my girls, my daughter and my daughter-in-love, both appreciate and enjoy entertaining with lovely dishes.  I know that they will be good stewards of our family treasures.  I'm looking forward to seeing where you store your things.  I bet that I'll pick up some good ideas from you.  Thanks for stopping by!

A special thanks to The Tablescaper for hosting "Where Do You Store It All?"...and a Happy 2nd Blogiversary!  Click HERE to link to the blog party and explore all the different storage ideas found there.