Not many people can be so lucky as to come upon a mass of vintage dishes and antiques... But I did..!
One man's junk is truly another man's treasure, yes?
Standing in the middle of my husband's great-great-grandparents milk shed, built behind a 1906 home. My hair, sweaty and matted under my hat. My clothes grubby and my hands encased in leather gloves. Lots of spiders, dirt, mouse dust, and me, rummaging through decades of family items that had been forlorn and forgotten... And there I stood totally in glee! Sure there were lots of things that needed to be thrown away but underneath that there were also old, beautiful treasures.
Anyone remember Hardy Boys' lunchboxes and thermoses??
Gorgeous, retro dishes from the 1970's, old, vintage toys that you can now only find on Etsy or Ebay, and digging even deeper there were beautiful rusted watering cans, wagon spokes. Primitive, naturally-patina, and elegantly-rusted treasures that had a beautiful history, haunting past.
So, rummaging through treasures that had been built, cherished, and used in the early part of last century got me really excited. Every dish and old mason jar that I found out in that milk house was stored in old metal milk crates and transferred to my house where I spent the next day washing every. single. dish. BY HAND. Ugh...
I never intended to keep everything and yet I felt compelled to wash 30 plus years of dirt and grime from these items. Because I believe that anything retro, vintage, or that holds a piece of history needs to be revived and rehomed. Even if it's not my home.
The glass square pan on bottom is perfect for rice krispy treats! Also, I couldn't move beyond why there is a divider in the top casserole dish! I'm intrigued!
So on Monday morning in the kitchen is where I partied with my kids and hundreds of dishes. Can you say tedious? No amount of lotion could bring my fingertips back from that scratchy-catchy dryness. Shivers.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE white and cream-colored ceramic bowls.
But guess what? My treasures were worth the work! Not only that but the momentum I gained from all of that work in the kitchen motivated me to clean out all of my current dishes. I weeded out all of the cups, bowls, and plates that we rarely use and set them in the donate pile. I gathered the dishes that I have collected from yard sales over the years and put them in one central location so now I no longer have stacks of pretty plates placed sporadically through the cupboards like some sort of modern interpretation of Alice at the Mad Hatter's tea table! Now everything I have, pretty dishes, special occasion dishes, daily dishes are all in one central location. I also did away with dish "sets". I now have different colors, patterns, and designs because they make life more interesting! Also, I love too many different types of dishes and get bored with the same pattern for too long...
In fact, even though I adopted some new/vintage dishes, I think I gave away more than I brought in because suddenly I have more cupboard space and (gasp!) I have space between each cup in my cupboard!!! I get a very strange sense of satisfaction and relaxation when I can see space between things in my cupboard.
Through all of the dish-washing and pondering I discovered the deepest meaning in life-- eat on your best china, everyday. No, really. Life is too short. Don't put your best wedding dishes aside, waiting for "that special day". Because today is that day so use them!
Stay tuned for results of my kitchen cupboard makeover!