Handpainted Hutschenreuther Dessert Plate

Handpainted Hutschenreuther Dessert Plate, originally uploaded by confections.

My youngest sister and my niece were visiting for a week at the beginning of June, and we did lots of antiquing and thrifting while they were in town.

One of my favorite finds is this handpainted Hutschenreuther dessert plate--I love the pastels and the visible brush strokes.

I'll be posting more treasures over the next few days.

Collage of Tea Cups and Saucers

Collage of Tea Cups and Saucers, originally uploaded by confections.

My collection of tea cups and saucers is constantly growing. This collage represents one afternoon's harvest from a local thrift store--orphan tea cups and saucers. No matched sets were found that day, yet somehow they all work together. There's even a saucer commemorating Queen Elizabeth's 1953 coronation!

I totally embrace this aspect of shabby chic living, especially when it comes to items for my tea table.

Rainy Day (and NaNoWriMo) Comforts

Rainy Day Comforts, originally uploaded by confections.

It was a gloomy, misty day in San Diego yesterday, and I enjoyed a spot of tea in my "Cup of Knowledge" tea cup. The milk is served in a modern reproduction Russel Wright creamer found at the Salvation Army Thrift Store, and my handmade tea cozy keeps my Paris tea toasty warm in my favorite everyday tea pot.

Taking a tea break like this daily is helping me meet my writing goals in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I'm running low on my favorite Apricot tea and will have to retrieve some from Tea-upon-Chatsworth when they open again on Wednesday. Cheers, fellow NaNoWriMo folks!

She's a little like the Velveteen Rabbit

She's a little like the Velveteen Rabbit, originally uploaded by confections.

You may remember the tale of my thrift store find of an Effanbee doll from a few months back. I posted about her in a thread on the Etsy forums, where fellow Etsian Mosey had started a contest for the best thrift store treasure. I named my doll Helene Elyse after my Mother and one of her favorite models and actresses, Elyse Knox, from the late 1930's and early 1940's. I was thrilled to win the contest; Mosey was so sweet to send me the lovely handmade linen clutch pictured below as a contest prize. Thanks, Mosey!

Vintage Effanbee Doll 3/4 View

Vintage Effanbee Doll 3/4 View, originally uploaded by confections.

My 5-year-old niece and I found this forlorn-looking vintage Effanbee doll last month at the Salvation Army Thrift Store. We had been to tea earlier in the day, and Grace had brought her American Girl doll, Elizabeth, along to the festivities. When we entered the thrift shop, she made a beeline to a group of dolls which included this well-loved charmer.

I did a little research about the doll and it seems she was made circa 1913 to 1917. She's a nonogenarian! I love the little strand of beads around her neck. Someone loved her and decked her out in her time. I'm going to make her a little calico dress soon and take her along to the next tea party. I'm sure she's been the guest of honor at many such gatherings in the past.