My Valentine's Day decor is sparse and all ends up in my kitchen. I honored the Day on a pretty little pink blackboard my granddaughter made me two Christmases ago.
And put a fabric heart in the handle of an odd lid I found at Goodwill and hung on the wall.
Two little hearts adorn a tea towel.
I found this vintage St. Valentine's Day card in an antique store many decades ago.
Valentine cards from our granddaughters always get saved and displayed.
That's about all I have but I love their presence in my kitchen.
Last week I took everything off my open kitchen shelves and cleaned everything, the top shelf with RH's help. A couple of years ago I took everything decorative off the lower shelf and filled it with glass jars of rices and beans, etc. that I used frequently but I began to miss having pretty stuff there. So most of the food items went in the pantry (which is a coat closet back near our bedrooms) and I brought in some favorite pretty things.
I put up some of the early 1900's Italian fish majolica I collect including this large platter.
And the gravy tureen that still has the rare spoon for its tongue. And I had RH hang one of the little bone dishes above it. I have stacks of small plates too and might add some of them.
A small English platter went up, all of these fish making sense to me as I could easily give up all meats and only eat fish. Not so, RH.
I must zoom in on Maddie who was clipped to my Christmas calendar that daughter Christy gave me years ago, a reminder of her schnauzer who will be 15 years old this Valentine's Day! Maddie's health was very worrisome a few weeks ago and we were so relieved when she got better.
I can't resist showing you my asparagus candle again. When RH's brother was letting me choose things from his estate sale inventory a couple of years ago, this vintage asparagus candle and two large orange "coral" candles I display on top of my china cabinet were some of my favorite finds. I love this candle!
I think it's magnificent and display it on the top shelf beside a special old Royal Doulton "Countess" platter that was my mother's.
On the door to the kitchen porch I display seasonal tea towels year round, mostly vintage. I just packed away my Christmas vintage tea towels and despite not having any vintage Valentine's towels, felt like these make a nice February showing, especially the cherries in honor of President George Washington. I know, I know, the cherries were a myth but I don't care.
I'll show this last picture to answer a question that Melanie recently posed, Where do I keep all my different china patterns?
Some are kept handy on this dry sink in the kitchen. Always my Blue Willow, now topped with winter patterns. At Christmas a stack of Spode Christmas Tree was there, easy to grab, and in summer I keep a stack of blue and white Independence Hall plates. Sometime I'll try to get pictures of the other places I stash china.
That's all for today but I have a very old photograph of myself and RH to post on St. Valentine's Day, one I had forgotten about and recently found.
I always feel I should apologize for so many pictures but I do love seeing pictures from my blog friends' kitchens and hope some of you do too.
Please stay well, everyone! Our daughter is sick with COVID for the third time in a year and is feeling absolutely crummy. And yes, it is possible to have it that many times because there are at least three variants out there.
Be safe, be kind to yourself and others.
I just love your posts. You have such lovely dishware and I love how you display it. Sorry I don't have a blog and for some reason can't post under my Google account.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for leaving such a comment! I appreciate those readers who visit who don't have a blog and hope you'll leave your first name anytime if you want to.
DeleteNothing do I like better than to see photos from your house, your kitchen especially <3 Happy Valentine's Day, Dewena!
ReplyDeleteGretchen Joanna
What a very nice thing to say, Gretchen Joanna! Happy Valentine's Day to you!
DeleteWhat pretty dishware you have, Dewena. The fish dishes are interesting. I think of the past when every menu item was served on particularly designed pieces in wealthy homes. How much more utilitarian we've become.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your daughter has Covid again. It seems to be in so many places just now. Praying she recovers quickly and thoroughly.
Thank you so much, Lorrie! It is fascinating how many different uses separate pieces of silverware had in the past and that a complete set of china had. One type of china I heard about years ago in my Richardson Wright books was a salad plate used in Canada. It was shaped like a half moon and fit up against the left side of the dinner plate. I remember finding some on eBay but not sure I would use them, just interested because of the oddity of them.
DeleteThank you for your prayers for Christy!
I hope your daughter recovers quickly. So sorry to hear that she has Covid yet again. It is certainly making the rounds again these days.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing the fish dishes! I have a set of bone china -- one large dish and six small dishes -- that were my great-grandmother's. My mom said they were used for fish -- the larger one for serving and the small plates to collect the bones that one might find while eating! My great-grandmother was from a wealthy family, and I suppose they had special china for a lot of different dishes. I wish I had more space, because I love having different sets. As it is I have four sets and they are packed away in all different places, two in my hutch so that I can get to those.
I always enjoy seeing your kitchen. Life is too short not to have all the pretty things on display!
I would love to see your fish dishes, Karen. How wonderful that you have these from your great-grandmother!
DeleteThank you for your wishes for Christy. She was feeling a little better yesterday but I did hear yesterday of two more confirmed cases in our big family and two more sick with something similar. Oh dear, maybe it's just as well I've been staying home in February!
This has been a lovely feast for the eyes. All your pretty dishes. And I enjoyed your wee display of Valentine's decor. I just remembered my sister crocheted a red and white heart banner for me one year - now I wonder where I tucked it for safe keeping (mmm). I'm sorry to hear your daughter has Covid again. Nasty business. I wish her a speedy recovery.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I ever told you how much I love your header picture with the woman at the window in front of her typewriter with a pencil in her hand. That certainly could be me, too! Kindred spirits. :)
Wishing you a beautiful day, Dewena.
Brenda xo
Thank you so much, Brenda! I'm glad you like my header, which probably won't change. It was the endpapers from Faith Baldwin's Face Toward the Spring and I love it and the book so much. I have three other books that she wrote as a sort of essay/memoir of her life but actually didn't begin to collect her fiction until a few years ago. I have much admiration for her and of course for her good friend, Gladys Taber.
DeleteWishing you a lovely day too, Brenda!
Your bits of Valentine are so charming, Dewena. And that pink blackboard your granddaughter made is so special and such a treasured gift. I like the vintage cards too. I was looking around for the vintage Valentine my sister gave me years ago, and couldn't find it. I like your little fabric hearts. So nice to hear you love fish. I've never been a fish lover, only lobster, crab, and shrimp. Your Blue Willow plates are so pretty. Love blue in the home. I'm so sorry to hear your daughter has the dreadful virus. I do hope she feels better soon. And please don't apologize for the pictures.....photos are my absolute favorite, especially ones in the kitchen. ; )
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentine's Day, dear Dewena.
~Sheri
Thank you so much, Sheri! I feel the same way you do about pictures. I know I always appreciate the story that your blog pictures tell.
DeleteHappy Valentine's Day to you, dear Sheri!
I love seeing photos of your kitchen...your dishes and "pretties" on your shelves; your vintage dish towels. And now your touches of sweet Valentine's Day decor!
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I'm with RH - I don't care for fish. I wish I did because I know it's good for you. The only fish I'll eat once in a blue moon is cod or grouper. I do like tuna salad though.
So sorry to hear your daughter has Covid for the 3rd time in a year! I just got over it - had it all last week. My 2nd time since 2022. Caught it from my mom. We both had mild cases, though my congestion was much worse than my mom's. At one point I told Brian I wanted to stick dynamite up my nose, ha ha. Hope your daughter recovers as quickly as we did. Not any fun while going through it though. Happy Valentine's Day!
Melanie, I didn't realize you'd been sick with it last week and hope you and your mother get over it completely soon. Thank you for your sweet comments about my few Valentine's touches. I did so admire ones in your home!
DeleteHappy Valentine's Day to you and Brian!
Happy Valentines Day! As always I love your blogs! It gives me an inside to your daily life my dear Sister! Your pictures open up your home to me!
ReplyDeletePraying for Christy, hopefully she recovers very soon!
No Valentine decorations for me this year. I gave away the few I had last year. So I’m enjoying yours!
Have a wonderful day!
Love you,
Deb
Happy Valentine's Day, dear sister! I'm so happy that my sisters enjoy my blogs and appreciate the texts you all send me about them. Wouldn't it have been fun if we could have all had a sister blog the way I see some do?
DeleteDeb, I'm sure that your girls enjoy the Valentine decor you gifted them with.
Give my love to Don, and always to you!
I'm so glad you brought out your decorative items to display, Dewena; change is good, keeps things fresh. I've actually been debating whether to do the opposite, i.e., put away the pretties and bring out the practical stuff: jam jars filled with flavoured coffee, sugar and tea bags and mason jars storing oats, rice, beans and lentils. I'll probably do a combination of both, since I cannot do without some cuteness and colour!
ReplyDeleteYour fish majolica are so unique, Dewena, and I know how much you love fish. I have a weakness for tea towels, and yours are so pretty. Vintage Valentines Day cards always take me back to primary school, when we went around the classroom 'delivering' them to our classmates. Your gifts from your daughter and granddaughters are so precious and placed as they are among all the other pretties, makes everything so special.
I love the soft light coming from that charming lamp in the last picture and I imagine that night time in your bright kitchen is as beautiful as daytime, but extra cozy.
I hope that Christy is feeling better! Yes, with so many strains of the virus now, it is not surprsing that people can get sick several times in even a short span of time.
Goodnight from an uncharacteristically chilly Crete,
Poppy