BUTTER BELLS AND ROSE PETALS

             

As I age, I am becoming increasing obsessed with keeping things organized. If my parents were to read this, they would raise an eyebrow collectively and laugh. My bedroom was as messy as the next teenagers, and way back in the day, I could care less what my room looked like...however, I have found that the older I get, the more edgy I become when my surroundings are cluttered. To that end, we have been trying to organize things around here. In doing so, I came across an unplanned and to me an unknown collection.
               Grouping like items, It occurred to me that I now possess a collection of butter keepers. The interesting part of this collection is that although some of these belong to complete or semi complete dish sets, several do not. They were picked up at yard sales...too pretty to leave behind. Different styles, like this 3 piece white ironstone which was made to have little ice chips under the plate holding the butter to keep it cold, not terribly ornate but very special. The butter keeper with the tiny pink roses was found at a yard sale for 50 cents...how could I leave it behind?  The mid-century modern aluminum keeper with its signature twisted handle  and little acorn finials, is classic Buenilum. A perfect example for a 1950's table and so is the milk glass hen on nest. Both items have become highly collectible today.  The Royal Mail pattern English transferware butter keeper does actually belong to a larger set of dishes. The underplate for this makes a wonderful pickle dish too. The wedding ring china set was a happy find, as I have been amassing a mix and match set of this style of dishware. I love the romantic notion that so many different companies over such a large span of years has produced every sort of dish imaginable in this simple gold ringed motif. Lastly, I have a set that has a Currier and Ives pattern on it, made by the Royal China company in the 1950's. This belongs to a very large set of dishes that I have collected over the years and has been packed away for such a long time. I have been planning to sell this set, but have not as yet figured out the best way to go with it. This is where I often miss the brick and mortar store I used to have. So much easier to display and hope the right customer comes along.
             Butter is in and out of favor, depending on ones diet and perhaps cholesterol level, but just about all of the dish sets made in the last 200 years has included some sort of butter keeper. In our house, we serve butter when we have bread on the table, and use a simple little white dish to hold the butter. We will also serve it on individual butter pats for celebratory or holiday meals. Butter presses, butter pat  dishes, and actual French butter bells, well, they will be saved for yet another blog post.

             What would Mothers Day be without roses? Beautiful roses growing right outside our door,a bouquet  brought by my loving husband, and a single rose offered up by an appreciative son... add in a favorite breakfast, some new retro chairs for the front porch, a card from a daughter studying hard for her finals and a visit from my oldest daughter who took a quick break from work,  and a fantastic seafood dinner,  it all became Mothers Day perfected...total family love here.

        I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. I am linking up with Smiling Sally for Blue Monday, and Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

♥, Susan   



 
 
 
 

Comments

[Sally]

Butter will always be "in" as far as I'm concerned, Susan. Happy Blue Monday.

[Lynn@HappierThanAPigInMud]

Sounds like you had a very nice Mother's Day-enjoy! Love the rose tablecloth!

[Pie]

What a beautiful collection you have. Happy Blue Monday.

My Blue Monday.

[Jenn Raley]

Love your inadverent collection ! And the tablecloth too! You've got some nice butter dishes! I enjoyed your commentary, especially the last part of it. THanks also for stopping by and leaving me a note. Happy Blue Monday! Jenn

[Becky K.]

Wow! You do have a lot of butter dishes. They are so neat.

Thanks for "getting" my post about the changes that are happening here. It is so nice to know that I am not alone...and neither are you.

So happy you had a nice Mother's Day.

Becky K.

[Pat --Mille Fiori Favoriti]

Your butter dish collectuon is very nice! I Like the folk art chicken dish the best of all.

I like your new blog header and blog colors Susan -- a very cheerful look!

[jen duncan]

I was going to suggest a way to start keeping on top of the clutter--quit going to yard sales! But you already knew that, right? I have to say you keep finding AMAZING treasures, and you seem to keep finding places for it all, so I say "go girl!". Here, I'm not so lucky. Can't find any more room for it so have to keep paring down. Won't even look in the paper on Saturday mornings. :-(