Who doesn't love a collection -

 

Borne ceremoniously to the table, the soup tureen has always been a symbol of family warmth, and often a showpiece as well. To make a dramatic and grand impression, there was no other more suitable vessel than the soup tureen. 

I have to agree that a bowl of hearty homemade soup, or its thicker version more like a stew, is at the top of winter's list of soul-satisfying meals. Following a slow, aromatic cooking on the stove, it's always fun to consider your collection of serving pieces for a hot liquid offering. Tureens with lids are perfect and probably the way soups were kept hot when being brought from long-ago downstairs kitchens ~ such as the one we all loved in 'Downton Abbey' ~ to the gorgeous dining room above stairs.

Symbol of love and communion, soups have often celebrated the gathering of families, friends and kindred souls. Prior to the Renaissance (14th to the 17th centuries), people did not travel far from home and everything at the table was shared. Not only soup and bread, but bowl and spoon. When travel began, new and exotic foods were discovered, and by the 18th century choreographed dining feasts with a huge choice of dishes were served to impress guests. Often two or more tureens would be brought to the table allowing diners to choose a favorite to have ladled into their soup bowl.

Though the word "tureen" is probably derived from "terre", Old French for clay, some early examples were crafted from precious metals, even humble pewter. In the golden age of porcelain (from the mid-1700's to the late 1800's), when botany became a universal passion, florals, fruits, even vegetables were hand-painted on white, oyster and cream oval and round tureens.  

My personal collection of tureens take up most of the shelving on each side of the fireplace. I enjoy them displayed there with a few other items mixed in. Over the years I've added shapes and sizes, some antique, others vintage and a few even new. I'm still tempted when I spy others for sale, however realize I have nowhere to put them so leave them for other collectors who do.

Do you have a collection of special, much-loved items?  Are you still adding to it?

Winter Warmers

"Of soup and love, the first is best" : Anonymous

Really!

Cottage Collage. . . . . . .

Yesterday

Late afternoon

Camera in hand

Walk around the cottage

See things you enjoy, collect, love
From around the world

Push the shutter button

End up with lots of disjointed images

Collage

Something fulfilling about making a collage
Putting things in their place

Some things change

Some things always stay the same

Home

A very hot, humid Saturday here. . . . .but it's still
 early so I'm off to do some small garden chores.
Have an enjoyable weekend dear readers.

Living in your comfort zone. . . . . . .

Well I thought I was happy here, but every now and then, especially with

 the cottage showing its age, somewhat like its owners, there are things needing

 assistance and some TLC. 

Of course (and Bob won't mind me telling you because it's become a 

family joke of sorts), I did what my mother told me not to do, married a 

man who is not handy around the house! 

Yes, I love him for many things, but repairing, renewing, renovating, restoring

 are not words he enjoys hearing, letting alone trying!

I blame our late dear fathers, both of whom grew up without ever being

 property owners and therefore never needed to fix much around their homes

 themselves. . . . . .although they never had to Call The Midwife, I think both

 probably called the plumber often, never teaching their respective sons or

 daughters even basic home repair.

I learned domestic things from my mother, but they didn't include fixing

 the plumbing, or remodeling the kitchen, more like sewing up a fashionable

 Vogue dress pattern, or baking a scrumptious lemon spongecake.

In my teens I tried to date boys who came to our house with a toolbox, and who

were being educated by English dads who loved fixing up their homes.

Special was John, (lovely, long time boyfriend to whom I became engaged,

 then left him for what was to be one year working in America and turned into

 fifty three - more on that another time if you're really interested!). He not only

 fixed cars and minor things about the house, but also did fabulous painting and

 wallpapering, and helped us in the garden, planting and tending our vegetables,

 shrubs and flowers.  

I may be here in my 'comfort zone' but I'm not a very happy camper today! 

What is it with many men in the home repair service industry?  

Even the guy who seemed to be the perfect one when estimating your home project.

 He has the greatest reviews, is not the cheapest, but you don't mind paying

 for good work and reliability. . . . . . what do you do, how do you feel when not

 only doesn't he show up on the very first day, he doesn't call or answer your

 calls/texts as to where he might be. Did he oversleep (almost 5 hours right now!),

 or God forbid - was he in an accident on his way here, has something

 horrific happened in his family, is he still breathing. 

What, why, where. . . . . . . the heck are you?
I'm worried about you!

Will you appear tomorrow?  I hope so.

Edited following day:
Thank you dear Calvert for coming this morning and starting our job!
Blog friends, just know there really are nice home repair people - 
sometimes you have to wait for them because they get
their busy days muddled up!
We actually have a gem of a gentleman working here today and
the next two - I think it will be fun!

Meanwhile, playing the waiting game has allowed me to complete some after

 holiday cleaning and rearranging in the dining room. My friend Julie informed me

that the newest term is "curating your home". 

The meaning of 'to curate' is to select, organize and look after a collection.

 I do have stuff. . . . . . . .and there I was recently thinking I would try to

 become a minimalist.

How silly was that.

 I just know you're laughing!

BTW - if you haven't watched the PBS series Call The Midwife you have missed 

a truly amazing show. Series 1-4 is now available on Netflix - season 5 will

 run later this year, and I'll be ready and eager to watch it.

How's your Monday working out?

Before things change. . . . . . . . . .

Before I start adding Christmas decor to the cottage I need to do some dusting

moving of items, reorganization etc. - as you can see I'm not exactly a minimalist.

I did want to share the tall decoupaged 'rose pot' before moving it as I mentioned

 recently to dear blog friend Gina that I used to paint and embellish clay pots.

Most I sold on through a local shop, but have a few I kept, this being my favorite

as I love dragonflies.

I've not started on Christmas decorating yet other than buying poinsettias for 

the staircase a couple of days ago - and whilst there at the garden center I picked

 up this small pot of ivy which I'll probably work into my dining table centerpiece.

I know I'm not purchasing any new factory-made ornaments, I don't need any 

and, when I looked at prices of some beauties at the garden center gift shop,

 I almost fell over from shock!

To make your own really stunning ornaments be sure to visit my fabulous

Utah artist friend Gina at http://ginaceramics.blogspot.com

who's sharing her ideas for painted glass balls - they are so beautiful.

This afternoon I'm attending a Christmas music concert. This evening I will 

complete the Christmas cards ready for mailing on Monday - I promised myself

 no decorating until they were done.

Tomorrow Bob will assist with getting the boxes down from the attic and

I'll wave my wand work hard to bring the magic of Christmas to the cottage. . . . 

. . . . and I just bet most of you are way ahead of me, right?

Mug shots . . . . . . . .

Do you start your day with a mug of coffee?

I don't think I can get going without mine - just strong black coffee from

the beans I usually grind every few days. I have the coffeemaker ready to go the 

night before and push the start button as soon as I hit the kitchen. I don't add a 

thing, guess it's my daily wake up call and I have no inclination to change it.

However, when it comes to coffee mugs, sometimes I do make a change.

This lovely mug was a birthday gift last October from my 

granddaughter Jasmin. Here I displayed it in the fabulous vintage display 

dome she also gave me on that same occasion.

This is the perfect mug for me - large, white, and has a memorable

word ~ CALM ~ inscribed on it. It's a comfy mug to hoist even when full of 

strong java, the handle just right, and the free form design is a little edgy which 

I really like.

Since acquiring CALM for my morning coffee I've grown a small collection!

Now and then I stop by a HomeGoods store just to "look around". Don't we all plan 

to do that, but then end up making a purchase as they have such neat stuff.

So I've now added RELAX, CREATE and DREAM to my mug collection.

I'll continue searching for at least one more word - I like odd numbers.

Do you have a favorite mug? 

Do you use it daily - and what do you take in your coffee?

Linen love……and flying pigs!

Another beautiful spool of white linen yarn to add to 

my collection. Found at SuzAnna's Antiques.

A quick stop at SuzAnna's last Saturday 

afternoon - before torrential rain fell - to look 

about the shop, hug granddaughter Jasmin working there, 

and gift co-owner sweet Jenny with a little special gift 

I found in Sweden for her 'Flying Pig' collection.

My spool collection is about to outgrow the French dough bowl 

so perhaps I'll stop now! What's next? Who knows? Like

many of we women of a certain age, 'downsizing' is becoming 

our mantra. Maybe collecting days are over for me. I'll 

just love what I have, enjoy glancing at my bits and bobs 

as I wander through the cottage, repositioning as I go 

instead of adding more. 

That said - have you seen the current gorgeous bowls 

at Anthropologie? How about their exquisite candles? Sigh.

What do you enjoy collecting? 

Are you still adding to your ongoing collections, 

or perhaps thinking of starting a new collection?

We would love to know!