Are We Walking to Alaska

Are We Walking to Alaska
Are We Walking to Alaska - A True Story

Monday, October 16, 2017

The Changing of the China Cabinet

It's that time of the year - the leaves are turning color and floating down from the trees, the nights are chillier, there is fresh snow on the mountains and the china cabinets are ready to go from summer to Autumn. I like the planning for what to use next in the china cabinets.  Thinking of all the dishes and the adventures we went on while gathering them, mostly at yard sales and thrift shops - and some gifts from sweet friends.
 Turkey soup tureen that I made in ceramics class in California almost 30 years ago now.  A bunch of us would go to a ceramics shop in Eureka, CA each Thursday evening, and after a good time choosing our items and painting them, we had to leave them to be fired so we could take them home the next week.  After ceramics we always stopped at a local cafe for a bite to eat.
 Dining room table is full of the outgoing summer dishes on one end - the incoming autumn dishes on the other.  I like to get everything out and then plan how to use it.
 Now reverse - autumn on near end - summer fading fast on far end.  I adore soup tureens - small individual pumpkins or medium sized cabbage tureens.

 This was the summer china cabinet - full  of chickens and sunflowers
Vegetable shaped dishes are some of my favorites - corn and carrot bowls make great serving pieces.  The little turkey bowls were purchased one spring, on sale at a thrift store.  I knew that if I waited until Autumn they would be long gone.
A sweet little yellow bird pitcher among the acorns and leaves.  He can go from spring, to summer to Autumn.  There's always a place for a little yellow bird.
 Here comes Autumn!!  Leaf bowls are perfect for a nice warm soup on a blustery day.
Cabbage soup tureen and cabbage salt and pepper - perfect match - but purchased a year apart. Aren't cabbages the cutest things?




 Another turkey soup tureen - a gift from Don a couple years ago.  Mr. Turkey majestically sits atop an autumn basket, with a ceramic ladle to match
 Individual pumpkin soup tureens and a fairy dancing about with the last of the summer flowers.
Three section serving dish is a favorite - great for olives and pickles.

Leaf pates - let's pile them high with Autumn dessert treats.
How about some cookies?
Or some slices of banana bread?
Or an apple pie - they all look so tempting.
 Gnomes are all about in the Autumn, this one has picked out the perfect pumpkin, and I think he is waiting for trick or treat later this month.
 I have so many wonderful Autumn dishes that this year I had to use another cupboard to display the all.  This cabinet usually holds different colors of Depression Glass - they have all been packed away to make room for Autumn, except for the green pitchers on the top.
Warm spiced apple cider is just the thing for a chilly Autumn afternoon - served up in a pretty pitcher.
 Only three new items this year, two pair of salt and pepper shakers and a pumpkin teapot.  A hot cup of tea sounds good right now - and maybe I can reach up to the photos above and snitch a cookie.
 I love pumpkins of all sorts - this one is medium size and can be used for candy, or as a serving dish, or a small soup tureen for an intimate dinner.
One can never have too many mini pumpkin soup tureens - let's make personal servings of pumpkin custard, baked in the tureens.
Green stemware for Autumn, along with friendly scarecrow plates
 Individual pumpkin soup tureens and a pumpkin pitcher
Little flower fairies frolic among the autumn cups, with a sunflower tiered serving platter and some birds.  
Celery salt and pepper shakers share a shelf with more vegetable shaped dishes - a large beet and a tiny beet, along with two pear shaped bowls.  There are so many clever dishes around, and I love them all.
 This cute squirrel will serve up treats as soon as he finishes eating his acorn.  Maybe if he gets enough acorns he'll leave the cookies for the rest of us.
 And the pumpkin teapot is ready for an afternoon cup of tea.  The scarecrow is waiting to serve up your tea.

I have some pumpkin spice tea that would be delicious served in the new pumpkin shaped teapot.  What is your favorite tea in the Autumn?  Do you serve it with honey?  Or cream?

I found this sunny set of a pitcher and cream and sugar at a small shop in British Columbia last summer.  Everything was marked 50% off - oh the treasures we found there.
I have quite a few Autumn salt and pepper shakers, I think there might be enough now to put one set between each two place settings.  Cabbage, celery, corn, pumpkins and acorns Now I am thinking that clever individual butter plates might be a good idea - well, there is a good reason to go shopping - not that I really need a reason.


And here is this year's china cabinet - now let's go back a couple years and see how the dishes and china cabinet have changed.
 Last year - 2016.
And the first year we had the new china cabinet - before I spent a summer painting it white.  My dream has always been to have a white dining room set - we purchased a round white table at a sale at our grandson Ben's school about 4 years ago, and I had been looking for just the perfect white china cabinet to go with the white table.  Not finding it in white, we found this wooden one and figured it would make the perfect white china cabinet.
And it did!  I love my white dining room!!!
And now let's get busy and plan the holiday baking and menus.  What are your favorite things to cook during the Autumn holidays?

11 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

You have more seasonal, holiday-related and theme dishes than anyone I have ever known!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Oh my gosh JoAnn -- so many wonderful seasonal treasures. Its almost impossible to pick favorites (whether pictures or the actual objects) but I adore the yellow bird and the gnomes and fairies (and of course the food!). And one thing you didn't even mention was the candle with the cinnamon sticks. For me of course admiring your amazing collections is really about seeing how the other half lives (Neither of our tiny homes are much larger than your white china cabinet ;>)). But that's just an excuse as I didn't have your talent for assembling the perfect pieces even when we owned an actual house-sized home.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, you have a beautiful collection of Autumn dishes. I love the turkey soup tureen and the platter. Your china closet looks beautiful painted white.
The pumpkin teapot is adorable. Your Thanksgiving table setting will look lovely. Happy Tuesday, enjoy your day!

Maggie said...

Jo Ann, your collection of Autumn dishes, pitchers, s & p's and tureens is amazing, love the cabbage tureens most of all. The turkey tureen that you painted is wonderful too.
The china cabinet was meant to be white, it looks so good now, a great backdrop for all of your colourful wares.
Thanks for sharing everything with us at Mosaic Monday this week.

Tom said...

...JoAnn, you always blow me away with your collections! What wonderful fall colors and I think that I gained a pound or two just looking at you bake goods. Thanks for stopping by, please come again.

A Colorful World said...

Oh, this post was just too much fun! I love your Fall dishes and knick-knacks! Love the two turkey soup tureens, and the cabbage one! Everything was just a feast! Love it all.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

The white really does show off your pretty dishes. I love the colors of Autumn...all of your pumpkins, and cute squirrels, acorns and salt and pepper shakers. I just love it ALL! heehee! Wish I was there to watch you arrange everything. You are a master! I like to bake bread in the Fall. Sweet hugs, Diane

Lorrie said...

You have an amazing assortment of seasonal dishes that add a lot to your table and cabinet decor. I remember those cute pumpkin soup tureens from past posts, and they are still as attractive as ever.
I like making lots of soups these days, and apple cakes.

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

Wow, what an amazing collection of beautiful dishes. And so many of the autumnal theme! Beautifully displayed as well.

Angie said...

JoAnn - I am in catch-up mode with all my blogging friends since we had visitors for nine days! I can relate to your comment about the memories associated with all these treasures - it takes us a long time to set up our Christmas tree because we are recalling the story behind each ornament! I adore your acorn salt and pepper shakers, and the leaf bowls. Lovely! I take my tea with honey, and I prefer fruit-flavored teas. A family fall tradition is Giant Pumpkin Pecan Sticky Buns - now you have me craving one!

Kay said...

Your cabinet was worth the hard work to get it painted white. It shows everything off beautifully...and what a collection you have! I have a new "Instant Pot" that I'm learning to use. It's a combination pressure cooker. slow cooker, steamer, and many other things. I'm making various things from a new cookbook. The risotto was a real winner.