Vintage Rental China NC Archives - Page 14 of 19

Southern Vintage Table Event – Amanda & Nathan’s Lakeside Wedding

Amanda contacted Southern Vintage Table early July about renting our vintage china for her October wedding. She loved the look of our elegant collection and thought it would be perfect for her lakeside wedding in Four Oaks. Along with our vintage dinner and dessert plates, our vintage tiered stands were featured on the dessert table as well.

Of course, her vision was so on the mark! We weren’t present at this lovely affair, but thanks to her talented photographer, Amy Allen, here are a few beautiful photos featuring our elegant china collection at Amanda and Nathan’s fall lakeside wedding.

“I have to say your dishes absolutely MADE the wedding!! They were the perfect touch!!” Thank you, Amanda! We definitely agree. See more of this beautiful affair on Amy’s blog!

Best wishes to you, Amanda and Nathan and thanks again, Amy for sharing your photos!

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Southern Vintage Table Event – A Marriage Celebration for Taylor & Cameron

My previous two posts revolved around a special event for our family – the marriage of our daughter, Taylor, to the love of her life, Cameron. Two weeks ago I shared how to make a no-sew bunting in preparation for our party and last week I posted a few photos from that evening. This week it all comes together as I have more photos of our lovely celebration as well as the cosmic back story of Taylor and Cameron’s romance.

Ever since she was a young girl, Taylor wanted to visit Australia. It was her dream. In fact, as her friend, Thomas, reminded her, she declared that not only was she going to travel to Australia, she was going to marry an Aussie man. Well, the cosmos must have been listening because that’s indeed what happened.

Her chance to visit Australia came as a Study Abroad student during her sophmore year at UNC-G. Within two weeks of arriving at James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland, Taylor met Cameron and they started dating. When Taylor returned to UNC-G after her semester abroad, they continued their international relationship. Cameron came here for a year and Taylor went there for several more. Eight years following that first date, they married in NYC with friends Ryan and Jamie at their sides. Then they came home to celebrate with family and friends.

Taylor and Cameron wanted a family party rather than a wedding reception. With The Big Barn Convention Center as our venue, I knew Southern Vintage Table‘s vintage casual china collection would be a perfect match. The Big Barn, a rustic, historic venue just outside of Hillsborough, is owned by my husband’s cousin, Donna. Donna was so pleased we were having Taylor and Cameron’s party there because she was present thirty years ago when Randy and I celebrated our marriage, right there at The Big Barn. A sweet cosmic message, I am convinced!

With the venue set, I began brainstorming ideas for the tables. My vision of blue & white and yellow casual china patterns on vintage printed tablecloths was a good start but I knew I needed more help. Fortunately, my sister, Sharon, is the owner of RSVP-Events so I went to see three of the savviest women in the event-planning business – Sharon, Tammy and Lindsey. With their advice and expertise, I started finalizing our vintage family theme.

Blue & white and yellow vintage china plates, clear vintage goblets, vintage silverware and white napkins, pansies in milk glass, small bouquets of yellow, blue and white flowers from Fernrock Farm and, as the main feature, vintage kitchen printed tablecloths. At Southern Vintage Table, we have a growing collection of these wonderful table coverings, but we didn’t have quite enough for our party. Luckily, Priscilla, another savvy friend, let me borrow a few from her amazing collection.

After Carrie took me to pick up flats of pansies at a local plant store and my dear Yaya friends signed up for the appetizers, we were almost set. All was left was to order the BBQ, slaw and stew from Allen & Sons and an assortment of homemade pies from K&W. Joy was preparing her famous southern-style green beans and Rowena was baking wedding cookies. Lastly, Anne Honeycutt’s DJ service was going to bring the music. With Jami’s gorgeous floral arrangements featuring Fernrock Farm‘s flowers, here’s how it all came out!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

As you can see, it was colorful, casual, vintage and beautiful! But, more importantly, it was fun and wonderful to celebrate this sweet occasion with our dearest friends and family. The loving cosmos has graced Taylor and Cameron and we are all very excited for them. Cameron, welcome to our family!

Many, many thanks to these awesome, kindhearted and generous folks!

Consultation & Lights: RSVP-Events
Flowers: Fernrock Farm
Venue: The Big Barn
Caterer: Allen & Sons, K&W
Music: Honeycutt DJ Services
Tableware, Decor: Southern Vintage Table
Wedding Photos: Kristy May Photography

Floral Designer: Jami
Appetizers: The Yayas
Beans: Joy
Cookies: Rowena
Tablecloths: Priscilla

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Southern Vintage Table Event – Celebrating with Taylor & Cameron

It’s been a crazy week getting ready for our family gathering and I haven’t been able to work on my weekly post but I do have a few pictures to share from last night. Many, many thanks to family and friends who helped celebrate the marriage of our daughter, Taylor, to her Aussie husband, Cameron! More to come next week!

Check in next week!

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A Vintage Adventure – A Thrift Shop Miracle

I remember the day I saw it at a local thrift store. It was last summer at the height of my collecting spree for my new business, Southern Vintage Table. As I was browsing the items on the shelf, I spied this unusual coffee urn, or at least that’s what I thought it was. The shape, handles and spigot were all so magnificent. As I opened the top and looked inside, I couldn’t figure out how the coffee was added and the bowl on the top really stumped me. Surely, I thought, there must be missing pieces. Relunctantly, I decided not to purchase a broken coffee pot and left the store.

About an hour later, as I am standing in another thrift store, I felt a sharp twinge of regret. I knew I would never see anything like that coffee pot again. A seasoned thrift store shopper knows that if something interests you, you better pick it up right then or it will be gone. I decided to go back to get it before it was too late. As I excitedly opened the door to the store, my heart sank. I saw a woman pick up my coffee pot.

As I am kicking myself, I noticed she didn’t immediately go up to the sales counter. Something told me to wait around – to see if she actually will buy it. So, there I was – thrift store stalking. While keeping a good distance away, I tracked her, waiting to see if she was going to put it back on the shelf or go through the door with it. I realized she was trying to decide what to do.

Finally, she went up to the cash register. I moved closer, picked up something off the shelf nearby and tried to look uninterested. She put the urn on the counter and asked the cashier, “How much?” And then it happened – a thrift shop miracle. “That’s too much,” she complained. She then put it back on the counter and walked out. I almost couldn’t believe it! As soon as the door closed behind her, I picked it up. I remember telling the young cashier, “It’s not too much for me,” and the strange coffee pot was mine.

It wasn’t too hard to uncover that this coffee urn is actually a samovar, a Russian hot water kettle, and it’s used to heat water for tea. The top bowl holds a smaller pot of tea concentrate that is heated through the vents in the lid of the larger vessel. With “1990” engraved on the bottom, it’s not really old but the look is definitely vintage. Here’s one site I found that gives a nice synopsis of the history of the samovar.

This samovar traveled to Wilmington this past weekend for Joey and Rebekah’s tea bar at their wedding reception. Doesn’t it look terrific with the vintage cupboard and teacups? This gorgeous vintage-inpsired wedding will be featured in an upcoming blog. PS – I have to thank friends, Louise, Mary and Jami, for helping set up the reception tables and again to Mary and Louise for washing and packing until the wee hours of the morning. I am truly blessed with the miracle of friendship!

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Vintage Feature – A Mélange of Vintage Vases

The purpose of a vase is simple – to hold pretty flowers. The vase, however, is also the frame for the bouquet, creating a look that might be beautiful, elegant, colorful, fun or whimsical. Today’s post, short on words but long on photos, features the eclectic mix of vintage vases and containers at Southern Vintage Table and how they display their lovely flowers in many different ways.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental

Beautiful flowers always are appreciated at any affair and even more so when framed in a vintage vase or container. Southern Vintage Table has many choices – milk glass, blue mason jars, petite ceramic, silver pitchers, green glass vases, teapots, sugar dishes and creamers, small bottles and even a Coleman jug or two. To see more of our collection, take a look at our new Pinterest board, Vintage Vases. More pins are on the way!

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Vintage Feature – Vintage Metal Trays

Another delightful vintage accent for your next event – decorative metal trays. Along with their metal partner, vintage tins, these trays are beautiful, historic and practical. As I surveyed our small, growing collection at Southern Vintage Table, my organizing instinct just kicked in. I decided our vintage collection fell into three categories: advertisement, decorative printed and hand painted.

Advertisement Trays

This grouping of trays tell a story about America in the early 1900s. Heinz, Pepsi and Coke were three of many companies that used trays to advertise their products. Although these are reproductions of their original run, they are all vintage 1970s. Check out the evolution of the latest fashions depicted in these advertisements!

Decorative Printed Trays

These trays, with their printed motif, are all interesting. The round tray has a well around the center, perfect for crackers or cheese, and the raised center could hold the dip – in a vintage bowl, of course. The small red floral tea tray is very dramatic and would definitely add color to a table. The gorgeous, romantic rectangular tray, made in England, is a Daher tea tray from the 1970s. A bowl of treats would look so sweet on this lovely tray.

The oval “Old Ironsides” tray was produced in 1976 to mark America’s 200th anniversary and would be perfect at a bar or drink station. As the story goes, the wooden sides of this 18th century ship, officially called The Constitution and named by George Washington, were so strong that British cannon balls would bounce off. One other tidbit – it was one of the first original six frigates of the Unites States Navy and is the “oldest commissioned ship in the world still afloat.”

Hand Painted Metal Trays

These three trays are literally works of art. As you can see, each has a handwritten note or signature that gives it that one-of-a-kind uniqueness. I think each qualify as tole trays – hand painted metal trays. According to French Garden House, tole refers to a tray or metal ware that has been painted.

Tole refers to decorated tin and iron wares from 1700-1900; but most people also use the term to refer to various painted metalware from the late 19th to mid 20th Century… American Toleware features fruits, florals and symbols. Mostly these pieces were painted by amateur artists using the “one stroke” technique with the paintbrush loaded with several colors at once.

Along with our vintage tins, collection, these vintage trays would add beauty and history at your next gathering. Our collection of both now can been viewed on our new Pinterest board, Vintage Metal Tins & Trays!

For more information about metal trays, check out these articles.

French Garden House

Antique Coca Cola Trays

What is a Tole Tray?

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Vintage Feature – For the Love of Chickens

Each week I wait for an inspiration for my Sunday post. Typically I don’t actively look but instead I trust, with my antenna up and ready, that I’ll receive this cosmic message. It’s kinda magical – waiting for something you don’t know when, where or how it will appear – but it can also be a little nerve-racking if nothing has shown up by week’s end. But, knock on wood, that didn’t happen this week and my inspiration was truly delightful.

Here it is – these darling, vintage tea napkins with embroidered roosters. I found them at one of my favorite haunts and instantly loved them. As I studied their delicate stitches, so many questions came up. Who did these once belong to … who would stitch small roosters in the corner of her tea napkins … was tea time a daily part of her life … did she love roosters…? As I stood there, admiring these dainty, charming napkins, I knew my inspiration message had arrived. Chickens and roosters!

I went through our inventory at Southern Vintage Table and starting pulling together vintage items that featured chickens and roosters. I knew they were there but I hadn’t thought of them as a group onto themselves. Not surprisingly, I came up with some dishes, baskets, a tub and salt & pepper sets.

First, let’s look at the dishes and start with, of course, deviled egg trays! My aunt Aline always prepared deviled eggs for our family reunions and she also loved to collect deviled egg trays. I am so pleased that two from her vast collection are now available at Southern Vintage Table. Thank you, Aline!

These vintage patterns and dishes all feature chickens and roosters. I especially love the Provincial pattern by Scio and Weathervane by Taylor, Smith & Taylor. There’s something wholesome and good about having a chicken on your plate or in your bowl!

Here are more vintage chicken treasures in our collection – two chicken baskets, a pair of roosters and even an enameled pan with a painted rooster on the side. Aren’t they all charming?

As I am taking these photos, I remembered the first time I met a chicken. One summer our family, with eight children aboard, loaded up the station wagon and made a road trip from Maryland to Dunn, NC for a long visit with mom’s parents, Susie and Wiley. With chickens, pigs, a mule and a huge vegetable garden, we learned how to gather eggs, pick peas and feed the pigs.

In the cool evening air, we often sat under their big tree and, with an enameled pan in our laps, we shelled peas while Grandma’s chickens roamed freely in the yard. I remember how much Susie loved those chickens, calling out to them by name and throwing corn at their feet, but I also remember that she made the most delicious chicken and dumplings. Sigh. Some tough lessons were learned that summer and I am so grateful for that time we spent on the farm with my hardworking, loving grandparents.

My sisters, brothers and cousins all have these sweet childhood memories about our summers on our grandparents’ farm. Today when I see a chicken, real or on a vintage napkin, I oftentimes think about Susie. Add a little vintage chicken to your next family gathering. Chances are someone will have a cherished memory to share as well.

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Southern Vintage Table Event – A Marriage Blessing, Baptism & Tea Party!

Last Saturday was a beautiful, reverent and memorable day for Summer’s family. After converting to Greek Orthodoxy this past spring, Summer and Andrew had their marriage blessed or “crowned” and their twin boys were baptized. You’ll love how Summer explains this family occasion. “We’ve been married 15 years, but we are revving up to get heavenly hitched in an Orthodox wedding sometime this summer. Why? Beauty, sacrament, and so we can baptize our babies.” And, because drinking tea is a big part of their family’s life, serving tea in beautiful vintage teacups had to be part of this celebration and that’s where Southern Vintage Table entered the picture!

Following the ceremony, friends and family were also treated to a lovely spread of healthy, delicious food prepared by caterers Molly and Raven. Plated on vintage tiered stands and serving dishes, the food included bacon and pickle deviled eggs, arugula and cucumber tea sandwiches, stuffed dates with chevre, pistachios, and honey, a variety of cheeses and fruits, chocolate almond cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream, gluten-free brownie balls, and honey-fig cupcakes. Southern Vintage Table also provided a charming mix of vintage luncheon plates, silverware and tea napkins for the guests.

Summer also revealed there was another reason tea was important for this celebration – her new novel! “I am a writer, and my second novel, Tea & Crumples, comes out in October 2015. As you can tell from the title, tea is a big part of the plot. Tea is also a huge part of our family’s life together. That’s why we wanted to have a beautiful tea party to celebrate our twins’ baptism and our wedding. Your napkins, silverware, plates, and cups made it so special. It was perfect, exactly as I dreamed. Thank you!”

Wishing you many blessed years to come Summer, Andrew and family. Southern Vintage Table absolutely loved being a part of this memorable family event! Check out Summer’s blog, Writing Like a Mother, for more information about her upcoming book. It’s pretty darn awesome!

For Molly and Raven, this was their first professional event as caterers. Congrats! Molly specializes in vegetarian, vegan, and allergen-sensitive cooking. She would eventually like to do local and sustainable farm-to-fork cooking and likes catering for people who share her ideals about the relationship between food, community, and environment. “I have to say, you’re a really great person for caterers to work with- washing the dishes was actually really fun when we got to look at and exclaim over each beautiful teacup!” I know exactly what you mean, Molly. Thank you! And, one last shoutout – Linda, you rock!

molly raven

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Vintage Tip – Make Your Own Tiered Vintage Plate Stand

I love tiered stands – whether they all match or they are all different – a tower of vintage plates filled with yummy treats is so pretty. As I have collected many dishes for Southern Vintage Table, some have come with chips, cracks and other imperfections. Although their lives as dinner or salad plates may be gone, many now sit either under or on top of a stack of vintage lovelies. If you love the look and have some vintage china you’d like to transform into a tiered stand, today’s post will help get you started!

Tip 1: Find a good set of basic directions.

Months ago I researched how to make a tiered stand from vintage plates and found many helpful websites. I like the directions found on “Make a Vintage Cake Stand” on Caroline’s blog, Lifestyle from Caroline. Her steps are a good place to start, but read on because I have more great tips you’ll want to know.

Tip 2: Make a cardboard template to help find the center of the plate.

Finding the center is easier said than done! After struggling with an easy, reliable technique, I finally came upon this idea and it works amazingly well.

Measure and cut a piece of cardboard that’s 11″ x 11″ or 10.5″ x 10.5″. Then measure and draw lines 1 inch and 2 nches from the edge on all four sides. If you wish to get even more precise, draw a third square at 1.5 “. As you can see, my template is not perfect but still works well enough.

Now place the plate in the center so that all edges are evenly spaced between the drawn lines. Take a ruler, place it diagonally, making sure it’s at the intersection of the squares in the corner. Draw a line near plate’s center with a non-permanent marker. Repeat the steps for the other two diagonal corners. Where the two drawn lines intersect is the center.

Tip 3: Get the plate up off the surface.

When you are ready to drill with the tile drill bit, elevate and support the plate on two pieces of wood situated between the center. When you finally drill through the plate, you don’t want the drill bit hitting the work surface.

Tip 4: Drill from both sides.

When your drill has peeked through the underside, flip the plate and drill from the backside. This will help you drill the hole through the plate more quickly.

Tip 5: Be ready with water.

Have a cup of water close by to cool down the drill bit – it gets very hot and can cause the plate to break. Dip the hot drill bit in the water and you’ll hear a hissing sound as it cools. Also, splash the plate with a bit of water to cool it down as well.

Tip 6: Consider buying your tiered hardware from Etsy.

Caroline suggests Amazon or ebay for the tiered hardware but I think Etsy is the best choice. I really appreciate the philosophy of Etsy – it’s a group of online shops that either sell vintage, handmade or craft items and many are women-owned. There’s no bidding and many of the shops are in the US. I found that most of the tiered hardware on ebay comes directly from China, Hong Kong or Australia, which means shipping costs more and takes longer. I would also suggest buying more than one set – you’ll get hooked once you get started!

Tip 7: Choose 4-6 mixed and matched plates.

To maximize the versatility with your tiered stand, go ahead and select 4-5 plates that coordinate with each other. If you can, have three different sizes of the same pattern and then two or three patterns that go well with the main pattern. You can then have a tiered stand with all the same pattern or a stand with ones that look nice together.

These beautiful vintage china stands are available from Southern Vintage Table. Create you own or request a set for your next gathering. Your tasty treats will look so lovely! Be sure to see more of our tiered and cake stands on our Pinterest board.

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Southern Vintage Table Event – A Field Dinner Experience

Photo by Scott Faber

Envision yourself in the middle of a quiet country farm field, away from stoplights, traffic and city noise. The sun is setting and you begin to notice the symphony of night critters. But, you are not alone. You’re with your favorite friends, feasting on made-from-scratch delicious food prepared by a talented chef. A delightful assortment of chilled beverages are ready for all to enjoy. Sound wonderful? Yes, it was!

The vision for this outdoor dining experience came to Sharon and Tammy of RSVP-Events over a year ago They wanted to host an outdoor dinner in Ruby’s field on a beautiful fall or spring night. They invited Southern Vintage Table, Donovon’s Dish and American Party Rentals to join together and offer this evening as a raffle prize at their monthly Triangle NACE meeting. When Heather’s name was called, she was ecstatic. Imagine hosting a party for your friends and all you have to do make a guest list and show up!

The night for the farm dinner was set for a Sunday evening in early June. RSVP-Events designed the event and prepared Ruby’s field. A path and party area were mowed, twig light balls were hung, candles lit, flowers arranged, signs made and furniture set in place.

After consulting with Heather and then Christian from Donovon’s Dish, Tammy came to Southern Vintage Table to plan the table settings. Pairs of classic blue & white china patterns were chosen to go down the farm tables provided by American Party Rentals. To complement the blue & white china patterns, vintage clear glass salad plates and goblets were selected. We also chose pairs of serving dishes for the delectable dishes – BBQ chicken, fresh salad, string beans, quinoa, succotash and sweet potato biscuits.

We used a set of vintage hammered aluminum trays for the chicken, an assortment of blue & white bowls for the side dishes and bread baskets for the family-style meal. Glass compotes, which once held Big Top Peanut Butter, were selected for the individual strawberry shortcake servings. Tammy loved the vintage aluminum mugs for her flower and herb arrangements and the wooden cake stands were perfect to group the small bouquets on the table.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Now everything would have been absolutely perfect except one little thing – a light summer evening rain. But, in actuality, it worked out beautifully. Ruby’s field, graced with the magnificent colors of the setting sun, was center stage for the evening’s opening appetizers, drinks and guitar music by Daniel Wray. Dinner was served in the living room of Ruby’s home place and then guests returned to the field under the glowing twig lights and evening stars for their fresh strawberry shortcake dessert.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

It was a magical evening – the food was wonderful, the natural pastoral setting was inspirational and guests were very appreciative. These field dinner experiences are offered by RSVP-Events with limited availability. If you’d like to host a unique dining experience for your guests, contact Sharon or Tammy. They’ll be happy to talk with you and, of course, so will Southern Vintage Table.

These beautifully artistic photos were provided by Scott of Scott Faber Photography.

Photo by Scott Faber

This creative dinner experience was made possible by:
RSVP-Events
Donovon’s Dish
Southern Vintage Table
American Party Rentals
Scott Faber Photography
Daniel Wray, Musician

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Advertisement Trays

Decorative Printed Trays

Hand Painted Metal Trays

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Tip 1: Find a good set of basic directions.

Tip 2: Make a cardboard template to help find the center of the plate.

Tip 3: Get the plate up off the surface.

Tip 4: Drill from both sides.

Tip 5: Be ready with water.

Tip 6: Consider buying your tiered hardware from Etsy.

Tip 7: Choose 4-6 mixed and matched plates.