Pyrex: Small Addition!

This was not one of my greatest weeks. I had a horrible toothache starting last Friday and going through Monday before I could go to the dentist. So I was in bed for most of the week. This was the only time when I was really glad that I didn't have a job…

I was well enough Friday to get up and do a little thrift shopping, and boy did I find some deals! This was one of those times when I was able to find Pyrex to complete some of my collections at a great price.

For example, I found a small Cinderella casserole bowl to go with my Square Flower Verde collection plus a lid to fit the larger bowl! This was a welcome addition! I pick up Pyrex lids whenever I find them because I hardly ever find a bowl and lid set together. Even if I don’t have the dish, I might some day!

I will be taking pictures and documenting my other great finds soon! 

Reading List: Northanger Abbey

After reading a books as long as A Portrait of A Lady, my mother and I decided to read a couple of little fun classic novels; and what better novels than Jane Austin’s! I am an avid fan of Pride and Prejudice, and no one wants to marry Mr. Darcy as much as myself; but I have to admit that I had yet to read three of Miss Austin’s novels: Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Northanger Abby. So we decided to begin with Northanger Abby.

I actually started reading Northanger Abby while waiting at the movies late Thursday night during the Midnight showing of The Hunger Games, and the enjoyment that the story brought me made the wait go by very fast!

It’s a very short book, with the characteristic that makes it completely Jane Austin:

1.    It involves young girls.

2.    There are always two men pulling at the heroine’s heartstrings.

3.    A heartbreaking event almost prevents the heroine from being with her love.

4.    All plots are tied up neatly.

5.    The heroine is happily engaged or married.

Northanger Abby has everything you could wish for. I haven’t spoiled any ending for someone who has yet to read this, because you don’t know who the luck man is that is going to sweep Miss Catherine Moreland off of her feet!! A very nice read indeed!! 

Pyrex: Square Flower Verde Casserole Bowls

The other day I came across some Pyrex Square Flower Verde Cinderella casserole bowls. Several months ago I would have just walked by these, but I have started to dig the retro green and orange colors. They remind me of the grooviness of the 70’s. So I went ahead and bought them for a pretty cheap price. Now I just need to find the lids and the larger bowl to complete the set.

They go pretty good on one of my mother’s placemats from her 1975 wedding! What once was considered dated is now considered cool!  

Reading List: The Portrait of a Lady

This week my mother and I finished The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. 

This is the second book in the past couple of months that I have read by Henry James. The last one was The Bostonians. I have to admit that I really was leery of reading another one of this author’s books because I found The Bostonians to be somewhat boring with a ton of narration. Mr. James seems to have a hard time letting his characters do the explaining.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the book! It is based in Europe, which I love, and has a somewhat Jane Austin feel; although Henry James seems to be somewhat anti Jane Austin by the way he depicts his heroines at the same time. I find Henry James to be somewhat of a sexist, but I guess that was pretty common in 1881!

The only thing that bothers me is the main character in the story, Isabel. How can one woman have so many men dying to marry her?! I mean, seriously, I wonder what it’s like to meet a man and have him fall all over you the first time you meet? A little unrealistic…

Other than that and it being over 600 pages, it’s a really great read! It was so good that 613 pages didn’t really feel that overwhelming. Good job Mr. James!!

Buttermilk Pie & Pink Pyrex!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

It has been unusually warm and beautiful here in Pennsylvania for this time of year!! I have tried to take advantage of the weather the last few days because you never know when it is going to turn sour!

We did spend some time in the kitchen this morning. Mother had some leftover buttermilk, so she decided to make a buttermilk pie.

This is a really great recipe for buttermilk pie. It’s from Paula Deen, and you can find it at foodnetwork.com. We love it because you don’t need to have a crust, so you almost always have the ingredients if you have the buttermilk.

Of course, a buttermilk pie has to be enjoyed in a Pyrex Pink Flamingo pie dish! We had a little bit of mix left over so Mother made a tiny pie in a piece of vintage Fire King that I bought at Goodwill for only 47 cents! It turned out great!! And the leprechaun left his rainbow to grab the first bite…

But of course, he had to have his piece on a Pyrex Pink Flamingo dessert dish! So I guess you can say that we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with pink!   

Vintage Poodle Transistor Radio!

I love vintage poodles!!!! I think it’s because poodles are so 50s and 60s which is my favorite era. I also love anything French, and what’s more French than the Poodle?

This weekend I came across this vintage poodle, but it’s much more than that. It’s also a transistor radio!! From what I can tell it was made sometime in the 60s by the IDeal toy company. I love the pink color!

I usually stay away from stuffed toys because of the dust, but it’s in perfect condition and even has the radio label!

This is definitely one of my favorite poodles! 

Cameo Ballerina Depression Glass

I definitely inherited my love of vintage items from my mother and grandmother. My grandmother ran a booth in a consignment shop in Texas for a little while. When she decided to stop she gave my mother some of the items that were left over. One of the items was a green creamer and sugar depression glass set. We were taking some items out of boxes and came across them the other day.

 I decided to do some research on the set and found some surprises. First, the design is called Cameo Ballerina and it was manufactured from 1930 to 1934 by the Hocking Company before they merged to be now known as Anchor Hocking. In the middle of the design is an engraving of a ballerina doing a pirouette! It's really hard to make out the ballerina at first. I initially thought that the design was a letter P (dummy)!

The glass comes in green, yellow, and pink with pink being very rare and expensive. The goblets and plates are hard to find and are the higher dollar items.

This weekend I was looking around and found a Cameo Ballerina platter for $10 which is a really good deal, so I had to buy it! I now am eyeing green Depression glass wherever I go so I can add to the collection! Of course the creamer and sugar set will always be my favorite. Nothing is more valuable than sentimental value!!