Silver Sunday: Week Four

Silver Sunday has been such a fun blog event! Stop by Gypsy Fish to find many participants posting about their silver treasures!

One of my all time favorite gifts is the photo below in the gorgeous silver frame.  My sister Karen gave this gift to me and an identical gift to our younger sister Kelly.  I love the frame she chose.  It's silver and bejeweled - an endearing favorite!  But as much as I love silver, the photo is the real gift in this case.  It was taken during the summer of 1982.  The blond on the left is my mother, next is my sister Kelly, then my sister Karen, and I'm on the far right.

We had the loveliest 25th anniversary celebration in 1995.  My husband's parents helped our children give us a surprise party at our favorite restaurant.  They invited members of our wedding party and my parents came from Tennessee.  We had such a great evening!  There was a wedding cake made by the same bakery that made our wedding cake.  Our kids had found our wedding album, guest book, and believe it or not, my wedding gown and veil.  We got lots of wonderful gifts for our 25th but one of the most precious was this silver tray from our children.  It's engraved in the middle with our names and the dates of our wedding and 25th anniversary.

This chest of silver flatware was our wedding silver.  In 1970 many brides were still registering for silver.  It's Rogers "Grand Heritage" and I still love the rose and scroll pattern.  It seems like we registered for 12 place settings but we have 10.  I think I'm going to start looking for the other 2 settings.  I would also love to have the iced tea spoons.  We also have about 10 serving spoons, forks, and knives.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Silver Sunday: Week One

Gypsy Fish is hosting Silver Sunday Blog Party!  Stop by to see the list of participants on her right side bar.

Baby Silver

Candlestick from my daughters wedding

Antique silver spoons with polished stones wired into the handles

Matching hor dourve forks...or maybe butter picks???

A set of six tea spoons from Mackinac Island, Michigan

Roses, Depression, and Snails

Happy Friday, blog friends! I hope you have all had a happy and productive week and have some fun things planned for the weekend!

Before I begin my show & tell, I would like to introduce a new blogger! My daughter Julie has just created a darling blog, The Princess Diaries. So...if any of you happen to be surfing along in blog land with no particular place to stop...





Forgive me, but is she not precious???

Ok, sorry about that, I'll move on!








Now for today's Friday Show & Tell, hosted by Kelli at There's No Place Like Home:

I bought these sweet salt and pepper shakers at an antique mall a couple of years ago. I love the pink roses but even more, I loved the backs. There is a sweet poem on the back of each shaker.

The summer my husband and I were celebrating our 30th anniversary we were visiting my parents in Tennessee when we found this green Depression Glass punch bowl with 12 cups and a matching biscuit jar. At that time, when my parents were a little younger, one of our favorite things to do together was to shop for antiques. It was at our favorite antique store in Tennessee that we found the green Depression Glass. My husband bought it for me as a 30th anniversary gift. It's in perfect condition. I use it year round - at Christmas with green or red punch and sometimes floating candles. In the summer I make fruit punch with fresh fruit floating in it. The set lives on top of my china cabinet and is one of my favorite treasures!

I just love this cute little snail candle holder. My wonderful sister-in-law just gave it to me. It's a little different than roses and Depression Glass, but I thought it was so cute it deserved a spot!

Tea For One

This week, Gracious Hospitality's Blog-a-Thon has suggested our posts demonstrate an afternoon tea setting. The scene I have photographed this week is in my living room.

The cup was given to my mother and father in law on their 50th wedding anniversary. The spoon is twisted silver and a natural unpolished gem is held in the handle by a twisted silver casing. I bought a set of 8, each with a different stone, at an antique shop years ago. I've never seen any like them anywhere else.

The little tea pot for one was a Mother's Day gift from my daughter the year she married, 2001.

The creamer and sugar are part of my Depression Glass collection.

This 6" linen napkin is one of of 8. I bought them in Barbados when my husband and I took a Southern Caribbean cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary. I love bringing home special linens from places I visit. If you ever go to Barbados, it's the place for linens!

A beautiful book to enjoy any afternoon when enjoying a tea break.

This sweet bite is a homemade miniature cream puff, filled with berry sorbet and topped with a little homemade fudge sauce. A fresh strawberry is a pretty garnish. The dessert is served on a pink depression glass plate. Recipes below...

The table my tea setting is on is new to our home. It has been a part of my husbands family for some time, however. It is a Victorian antique, dark mahogany or cherry wood with a rose colored marble top. I imagine it would have been perfect for use in a dining room as a server or beverage table.

The chair is also a Victorian antique. It is a rocker and is quite ornate. Both the chair and the table were left to my husband when his parents died recently.

Cream Puffs
½ cup butter
1 cup boiling water
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add shortening to water, bring to boil. Add flour and stir with mixer over heat until dough forms a ball. Cool. Add eggs; heat and mix thoroughly with a mixer over heat until stiff. Drop dough from a spoon, 8 round dollops; bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30 minutes. Makes 8 large cream puffs.

Hot Fudge Sauce
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk (1 small can)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients and stir constantly over low heat for 1 minute. Add butter and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, continue to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool to warm before serving over ice cream or cake.

Show & Tell Antiques!

Last Friday my husband and I decided we needed a break. We both enjoy antiquing so we went to an antique mall we hadn't visited in several years. It was a fun - and very successful shopping day!! Here are my finds:

No one in the shop seemed to know what this clear green glass vintage Italian jar is. It has a narrow opening at the top with a decorative stopper and the bottom is open with a well inside at the bottom of the jar. It looks to me like one of those wasp and bee traps. Does anyone know what this is? - $12.00

This is such a sweet little wall plaque. It is hand painted with roses and the "Marriage Creed". - $4.00

Just a pretty little white porcelain pitcher - $3.00

Depression Glass cake plate and aluminum cover with wooden knob - $6.00.

An aluminum chafing dish with glass insert - love it! $14.00

Aluminum trays. We've collected aluminum serving pieces for years - $6.00 and $3.00.

Two silver butter knives - $2.50.

A round, wood and plaster frame. I plan to repair one small break on the edge and then paint it off white to use in my new guest room $5.00.

Two little blue birds of happiness to add to my collection - $4.00 and $3.00.

A pretty little pink dish with roses $3.00.

This sweet little jam pot is hand painted with leaves, berries, and roses.My husband pointed out to me that we rarely serve jam in such a way, but then when do you need a logical reason to buy a pretty little jam pot at a good price? - $3.75

This plate is about 6 inches across and is hand painted with roses in greens, whites, and pinks . It's signed by the artist and I paid $3.25 for it!

This darling little leaf shaped plate is embellished with a tiny butterfly and ladybug. It's so cute!

Another leaf shaped dish - very small, about 4 inches across and about 5 inches long.

I have always wanted a calendar plate from the year of my birth. I found this one and only paid $6.00

These pretty plates are all hand painted with roses. The top two are lavender, which I plan to use in my guest room. $3.25 each!