Sunday, April 26, 2009

Sunday Favorites


I am out of town this weekend, so I thought it would be a good time to participate in Sunday Favorites, a great idea hosted by Chari at Happy to Design.
My selection is one of my early posts.

To Obsess or Not to Obsess- That is the Question

It is too bad, I think, that obsession has become a dirty word. What is so wrong with training one's sights on whatever floats your boat? True, I have spent some time in my life on the dark side of all of that, certainly, but it was not all for naught. A little unhealthy thinking goes a long way in prompting one to 'snap out of it'.


So what is acceptable obsessing? Could it be the drive I feel to locate every pair of cropped pants I can find with ties at the hem? How did that one start? Who knows, but I am on a quest.


Was it my search , at one time, for milk glass, particularly milk glass cake pedestals, narrowed down to square milk glass cake pedestals? Or milk glass punch bowls? Really- how many occasions are there to serve punch? My daughter Lauren has extended that search to include turquoise, pink, and black milk glass. Those colors fit her Hollywood Regency esthetic.




Or how about hammered aluminum from the 50's or Waterford Waffle glassware (specifically dessert plates) or Franciscan Hacienda pottery or milk glass dessert sets, or Blue Danube or Blue Italian ,or red octagonal sided goblets? Or Franciscan Platinum Renaissance china (platinum rim, grey rim, and gold rim, take your pick- my daughter Katherine collects the gold rimmed pattern- may I say it is to die for?). How about anything associated with Christmas or home fragrance? Lately I have been stockpiling candles that are on sale.


And then there are the chafing dishes. Oh my. Chafing dishes are self-limiting , however, because storing a large quantity of chafing dishes is like storing wire coat hangers. They lose their lustre pretty quickly (not really).


I even have a chafing dish cookbook , first published in 1950. It includes recipes for Cocktail Cream Puffs with Clam Filling, Sausages in Potato Bathrobes, Sherried Ham and Sweetbreads, and Tongue Burgundy.


On what planet? I can just hear my grandson saying- "that's not my favorite". No kidding. Yet when I saw that cookbook at the flea market, in a box of books, I almost flipped, I was so excited.


And then there are the cookbooks. I am currently weeding out my collection, but I love any cookbook produced by a church group, home economics teachers, a small town, or by Southern Living. My dear friend Mary Jo recently replaced my La Pinata cookbook (my alltime favorite), because she had seen the disreputable condition of my original one. I was storing it in a zip-lock bag because all of the pages were unbound and out of order.



And so what obsessions sometimes create are memories and laughter and the fun I have when someone asks at a party planning meeting, "Does anyone have any punch cups?"

I just giggle and say , "Yes. I have millions."

14 comments:

Jennifer@woodleycottage said...

Hi there, I stumbled across your blog from a comment you left elsewhere. Yo have a wonderful blog!! I too obsess and have tons of something. I get stuck and buy the same item or pattern up until I have no more room to store it... But, I have never had to rent a thing when hosting a party!!!! ok, so I once owned a catering business and I did use my things but I still love to obsessively collect my pretties.
Have a super evening. I'm so glad I stumbled across your blog.

Jennifer

Chari at Happy To Design said...

Hello Laura...

My friend, I'm so glad that you decided to participate in "Sunday Favorites"...and I hope that you are enjoying your time away!!!

What a fun post to republish! Hmmm...to obsess or not to obsess? I'm afraid that I obsess over certain things as well...creamy white ironstone, red transferware...to name a just a couple of my obsessions! Hehe! I certainly enjoyed seeing that beautiful white milk glass! You menioned that your daughter collects black, turquoise, and pink milk glass...I didn't realize that milk glass came in any color other than white! I learned something today!!!

Thank you so much for your sweet compliments on my Tea Rose bedroom. I just went through several of your blog posts. You have a delightful blog! I have added you to my list of blog follows and look forward to your upcoming posts...it's so very nice to meet you!!! I have lived about 9 years in Colorado but I also lived in South Texas around the Corpus Christi area for about 30 years. Just curious...are you near Houston?

Well my friend, thanks again for joining in with Sunday Favorites!
Warmest wishes,
Chari

Cass @ That Old House said...

Well now I know who to turn to when I need more than just the 3 dozen punch cups I already have -- on those NUMEROUS occasions we serve punch! :-) Isn't it fun(ny) how we find things to collect?

I love your blog -- lots to relate to, here. I remember those "make it tonight" patterns! I haven't done serious sewing since my daughters stopped wearing what I sewed for them; I used to make all their clothes, sometimes in the morning before school!

thanks for the charming post!
Cass

black eyed susans kitchen said...

I also found your blog through a comment you left elsewhere. I am so glad that you reposted this. Clearly, we are kindred spirits. The trick for me is to have the collection without it looking like a "crazy" obsession. Not always an easy task, but it has a lot to do with how it is all used and displayed.
Susan

Anonymous said...

Absolutely nothing wrong with obsessions!! The more the merrier of the things that make us happy and smile when we walk by and see them. I am a bunny collector. Though fairly fresh out of the gate with it, i've collected quite a few already.

Have at it and have fun!

Confessions of a Plate Addict said...

Hi Laura! I understand struggling with what may or may not be an obsession! I have been known to carry plates around in the store...just to visit with them. Hmmmm...shall I buy them? Even if I don't, I go to hold them for a while. Maybe only an obsessive plate collector can understand!!! lol Loved the post and it sounds like you have some great collections!!...Debbie

Marie Reed said...

I would be obsessed with milkglass too if I had such beautiful pieces! Wow!

Jena Williams, Not So Shabby Interiors said...

Hello Laura, I love milkglass and of course feel like you can never have too much of anything....I wish your husband well and will pray that he has a successful operation and great recovery! Thanks for visiting my blog and I want you to know that I really get inspired by yours, it is just a beautiful place to visit!

Susan (Between Naps On The Porch.net) said...

Laura...this was too funny! I keep saying my son is going to have one heck of an estate sale one day! :-) Thanks for making "obsession" not such a ugly word...I'll wear that badge proudly, hence forth! :-)

Glenda/MidSouth said...

I can relate to this post. :) I will be back when I have a little more time to check out your other posts. Thanks for visiting.
Glenda

Jo said...

Laura ~
Thank you so much for "finding me," I think we have a lot in common. I so look forward to peeking in on you and what you're up to. Please do the same.
Have a wonderful week!
Jo

Pam @ Frippery said...

Ohhh, hammered aluminum and milk glass, two of my obsessions as well. (Not to mention haircolor, hee hee)Hope your weekend was fun, Pam

{Bellamere Cottage} said...

Ahhhhhh......a girl after my own heart.....my motto??? Too much is never enough! I can't stop either. Just one more?...I'll tell myself, but it never stops there. Oh well..fortunately my hubbs is a pretty good guy and rolls with it. I collect off-season candles too......I have them in a little cabinet that smells like heaven when I open it.....and I blogged a while back about some of the hilarious recipes in old cookbooks.

Loved visiting and I'll be back, for sure!

Blessings,
Spencer

Carrie said...

I came over sent by Southern Queen Bee. I have read several posts and enjoyed every one. I will be back because you have many of the same interests that I have and write about on my own blog.

 

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