Friday, January 31, 2014

And The Winner Is...

Using the Random Number Generator, a winner was chosen for Nancy's Daily Dish $50 gift card.
And the winner is...
Congratulations Wendy!

Thank you to Nancy Roberts for this generous gift card!
Don't forget that she is also offering a 15% discount to vignette design readers so be sure to visit her website and use the code "vignettedesign" at checkout.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!



Wednesday, January 29, 2014

My Personal Favorites

 Last night I got lost for hours on Nancy's Daily Dish website.
I was like a kid in a candy store, overwhelmed by all the beauty.
I did however manage to pick a few favorites like this plate with the grapevine border and horse scene.

Another scene from this pattern.
I love the ladies chatting at the garden gate.
So adorable!

The more I see of this pattern, the more I love it!
It's Spode Copeland and this platter depicts a cow and the vet.

I'm tempted to start collecting solid brown transferware.
This is the same pattern as my purple and multi-color called Rural Scenes by A.J. Wilkinson.

A brown transferware pitcher and bowl set caught my eye.
It would be lovely in a bathroom or guest bedroom.

Who can resist a brown transferware platter?
You can never have too many platters, right?

This platter goes with my Mason's Fruit Basket pattern.

This is the Friendly Village pattern by Johnson Brothers.
Exquisite!

 Then I saw this pattern!
Oh my, I love it!

 The colors are so vivid and I can just imagine a tablescape with this pattern.

 The border.
It's by W.R. Midwinter
I'm in love!

If you're in love with transferware like I am, be sure to visit Nancy's Daily Dish.
I promise you will love seeing all the different patterns.
Nancy is offering a 15% discount--just use the code "vignettedesign" when checking out.

Be sure to enter the giveaway too for a $50 gift certificate.
Just leave a comment.
The winner will be announced Friday, January 31st.

Monday, January 27, 2014

For The Love Of Transferware And A Giveaway!

 I love transferware!
It speaks to me with its wonderful, elaborate borders and endearing scenes, making transferware truly a work of art!
Above is one of my favorite plates from A. J. Wilkinson called Rural Scenes.
I use the purple for Easter, but this pattern comes in many different colors also.

 Rural Scenes was also produced in multi-color.
When I first laid eyes on this pattern, it made my heart skip a beat.

I have been collecting English Transferware for years.
My favorite pattern is this Johnson Brothers "Windsorware" plate.
I love the vibrant fruit center and brown rim.
I was lucky enough to find eight plates in an antique store years ago in Portland, Oregon and then ten more plates at an estate sale some years later.  
To replace a plate at today's price would cost $75.00!

Another estate sale find is this pattern called "Pomeroy" by Royal Doulton
It is so lovely with its multi-colored bouquet and red fruit rim.
I realize that I am drawn to multi-colored transferware even more than the single color.

Johnson Brothers "Friendly Village" is still being produced today.
I have many pieces of this pattern, some old and some new.  I love how the dinner plates all have a different scene from the village...

 ...which are all again repeated on the soup tureen.
Just lovely!

Masons "Fruit Basket" is a fun pattern to mix with red transferware and tartan at Christmas.

Masons "Vista" was one of my first collections.  It was when I was head over heals in love with red toile, so it made sense to have the dishes too!

 Transferware also pairs well with earthy majolica, which works for me since I love combining the two.

In fact, I find transferware not only compliments majolica well, it goes well with textural wicker and Provencal prints.

Really?  Is there anything transferware does not go with?

Over the years I've added to my collection from estate sales, eBay and for that hard to find piece that no one else has, I go to Nancy Roberts, The Transferware Queen!
I discovered her years ago on eBay and follow her blog, Nancy's Daily Dish.
You can find lovely and unique transferware for sale through her online store here.

Wait for it:
Nancy has generously offered a $50 gift card as a giveaway on my blog!
To enter, just leave a comment with contact information should you win.
Or better yet, visit Nancy's Daily Dish and come back to tell me what your favorite dish is.

A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, January 31st.

In addition, Nancy is offering a 15% discount to vignette design readers towards any merchandise in her online store.  Just use the code "vignettedesign" when checking out.


For more information about Nancy, watch this video where she explains her passion for transferware, its history and shows a glimpse into her home and "transferware-ville" garage!

Friday, January 24, 2014

A New Antique Store In Healdsburg

 Antiquing in Healdsburg is one of our favorite pastimes, especially in January.
Recently, we discovered a new antique store called French Market Antiques.

It's right next door to our favorite antique mall that recently closed, so it was kind of bittersweet to discover something new, yet sad to see the mall all closed up and empty.

We realized that the proprietor was actually in the mall next door and now has her own store.

Although not a lot of merchandise, what was there was very good.
I was wishing I had a place for the marble top bistro table which was very reasonably priced.

Lately I've been falling for baskets like this one, but ended up passing it up.

A beautiful green pharmacy bottle caught my eye.

A great map of Paris!

What I couldn't resist though is this French wine poster.
It is perfect for the wine country!
Although it could use a nicer frame and Mr. A wasn't happy with the water stain on the corner, I didn't care.
It now hangs in our little rental cottage!
I love antiquing in January!

French Market Antiques
226 Healdsburg Avenue
Healdsburg, California
415-306-1363

Thursday, January 23, 2014

The Ultimate List For 2014: #9 Have More Patience

 I recently had one of those days that tried my patience.
Nothing turned out the way it was supposed to, but I kept reminding myself to be patient.

"Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you had in mind."  ~David G. Allen

They say patience is a virtue and that good things come to those who wait!
Well, try telling that to your very impatient child who had his heart set on something, only to be very disappointed at the outcome.

"Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet."  ~Jean Jacques Rousseau

Things take time, so be patient I tell him.
Take a cue from nature, I tell him.

"Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."  ~Lao Tzu

I've really enjoyed taking the month of January to reflect and think about The Ultimate List For 2014, and I hope you have too--to officially launch the beginning of the year with some resolutions that are quite doable.
But let's not forget the last one on the list:
#10 Forget doing 'more.'
"Just try your best."
Here's to a fabulous year of doing our best!
Patiently!

(I captured this spectacular sunrise early one morning last year.  It looked like the sky was on fire!)

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The Ultimate List For 2014: #8 Relax More

 Keep calm and relax.
Easier said than done, right?
We think about the past and worry about the future, a recipe for stress!
My mantra these days as I approach the big 6-0 at the speed of light is to concentrate on living in the moment and relax. 

re-lax (re-laks) v.
1. To make less tense or rigid.
2. To relieve from nervous stress.
3. To seek rest or recreation.

All we have is now anyway.

For Mr. A, it's fishing.
But more than that, it's being on the river.
Although that's not my idea of relaxation, for him it is the ultimate!

"Stop a minute, relax where you are.
Relax your shoulders.
Shake your head and spine like a dog shaking off cold water.
Tell that imperious voice in your head to be still.
~Barbara Kingsolver

Me?  
I'll take a hammock by the sea.
Just listening to the ocean's waves and breathing the salt air....Ahhhhh! 
(Although I've only done this once in my life!)

"Tension is who you think you should be.
Relaxation is who you are." 
 ~Chinese Proverb

 Or sitting amongst a garden of flowers, breathing their scent and watching the birds.
That is relaxation to me.

"Sometimes the best thing that you can do is not think.
Not wonder.  Not imagine.  Not obsess.
Just breathe and have faith that everything will work out for the best."

Note to self:
Relax!
You are enough.
You have enough.
You do enough.

What do you do to relax?

Saturday, January 18, 2014

The Ultimate List For 2014: #7 Explore More

 Come on, let's pack our bags, bring our cameras and leave this town!

I hear adventure calling and have made a resolution for 2014 to explore more.
Yes, it seems I've acquired a bit of Wanderlust!


Whether exploring our City...


...Or going on a road trip, the idea is to go on an adventure.
Lots of them!


I have a few trips up my sleeve for this year, from Paris to Boston and everywhere in-between!
Some are still a fantasy and some are being planned.
The excuses are no longer valid, because life is too short to not get out and explore.


"Traveling--it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." ~Ibn Battuta


Where do you want to explore this year?
What stories do you hope to tell?

Let's go!