Did you know a humble set of four spoons helped launch one of the most iconic names in home canning?
In 1911, Alexander H. Kerr, founder of the Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company, introduced a revolutionary wide-mouth mason jar. But before that invention made its way into nearly every kitchen in America, he funded the company with the profits from—yes, really—four silver-plated spoons he used as a promotional giveaway for his first business venture.
Those spoons were part of a brilliant marketing strategy to encourage sales of his “Kerr Home Canning Book.” It worked, and that spark helped light the path to Kerr becoming a household name. Photo from Kerr Jars Healthy Canning
We know you’ll enjoy the fascinating tale of canning jars made by Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company. A little preview to get you hooked!
“From fruit jars, to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a scandalous divorce and marriage, free teaspoons, centers to help orphans and children with developmental needs, and one of the first women executives in manufacturing – whew!”
Next time you spot a Kerr jar at a flea market or tucked in a family pantry, remember—it all started with just four spoons and a whole lot of ingenuity.
Spring is a season of renewal, and what better way to celebrate than with a beautiful Easter gathering filled with vintage charm? Over the years, we’ve styled some truly lovely spring tablescapes and seasonal vignettes, and today, we’re taking a little stroll down memory lane.
From soft pastel china to dainty glassware and whimsical bunny touches, our Easter decor pieces bring warmth, nostalgia, and timeless beauty to your celebration. Whether you’re planning a brunch, an outdoor garden party, or a sweet family dinner, these looks are full of inspiration.
We adore adding playful elements like ceramic bunnies, egg cups filled with florals and moss, and vintage postcards to our place settings and centerpieces. These charming details bring out the childlike wonder of the season—and guests always notice them!
Looking to host your own vintage-inspired spring brunch or celebration? We’d love to help you bring your vision to life with our curated collection of china, flatware, linens, and seasonal decor. Let’s make this one to remember—with timeless beauty at every place setting.
In 1873, two brothers with a vision and a modest investment from their local city council set out to reshape the American tableware industry. Homer and Shakespeare Laughlin launched their pottery business in East Liverpool, Ohio, with a bold goal—to produce high-quality white dinnerware that could rival the fine imports from Europe. Though Shakespeare eventually left the venture, the company, renamed Homer Laughlin China Works, would go on to become a cornerstone of American ceramics. Against all odds, the company thrived for over a century, adapting to seismic shifts like world wars, the rise of cheap overseas imports in the 1950s, and the migration of U.S. manufacturing abroad. Their story is not just one of business success, but of resilience, innovation, and enduring craftsmanship. Homer Laughlin History
When we first began searching for dinnerware for our new business back in 2013, one name kept appearing on the backs of the vintage plates we found—Homer Laughlin. Intrigued, we dug a little deeper and quickly confirmed that these pieces were indeed vintage treasures. What truly captured our attention, though, were the patterns—delightfully varied and full of charm, with soft florals and timeless details that felt both nostalgic and elegant. It didn’t take long for us to appreciate the legacy behind the name and the lasting appeal of his beautifully crafted tableware.
As we continued building our collection, we discovered even more of Homer Laughlin’s incredible range of styles—classic blue and white designs, understated white and cream pieces, bold rims adorned with florals, soft light blues, and the iconic Golden Wheat pattern that evokes pure Americana. Today, we proudly feature many of Homer’s patterns in our inventory, but even with our growing collection, we’ve only just scratched the surface of the vast array of pottery patterns produced by the company over the decades. Their legacy is not only in their craftsmanship, but in the sheer depth and diversity of their designs.
With the exception of a few white pieces, the ever-so-popular line of Fiesta® ware is notably absent from our inventory. Introduced in 1936 and proudly made in the USA ever since, Fiesta has cultivated a passionate following with its bold, colorful designs and collectible appeal. From dedicated online forums to annual conventions, Fiesta lovers celebrate every hue and history-rich detail. Each year, the brand unveils a new color, adding to its vibrant legacy. Curious about this year’s newest shade? You can find the announcement at Fiesta’s official site.
Southern Vintage Table was gifted a stunning new set of vintage English teacups, each a masterpiece of history and design. Reflecting a rich heritage of English tea culture, these floral beauties showcase intricate patterns and delicate craftsmanship. These vintage teacups were part of a collection that was dearly loved by their owner, and we have chosen a few of our favorites to share today.
Aren’t these stunning? Underneath the cup and saucer is a mark that reveals a bit of information. All are marked with “England” or “Made in England,” which reveals the relative age, and all say “Bone China.” Let’s explore the meaning of both.
Here’s the scoop on the country information, and its history goes back to the late 1800s.
“William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, introduced the McKinley Tariff Act in 1890. This act imposed a tariff on imported goods in an effort to protect the livelihood of American manufacturers. The Act required all imports to carry the name of the country of manufacture. In 1921, the Act was amended to include “Made in” before the country name, ensuring clear identification of imported products.”
Three of these teacups say only “England” which means these are over 100 years old!
Now for the bone china part. Yes, a key part of the formula for bone china is bone ash. Formulated in the mid 1700s with cattle bones from the nearby slaughterhouse and then improved in the early 1790s by – get this – Josiah Spode of Spode China! It is still used today by England’s potteries and this formula (6 parts bone ash, 4 parts china stone and 3.5 parts kaolin) is the standard across the globe. As a result, bone china is prized for its strength, the ability to be thin, and its translucency.
Thank you, Kelly, for gifting these beauties to our company. We are thrilled to offer these exquisite pieces to our future clients, who will enjoy them at their tea parties. Their elegance and charm will undoubtedly enhance the experience, making every sip a moment to cherish.
Whether you’re celebrating Galentine’s, Valentine’s, or Guylentines/Malentine’s, there’s a perfect way to make it special. What kind of experience are you thinking of? Something romantic, adventurous, or low-key? 😊
💖 Galentine’s (Feb 13) A fun, friendship-filled event with your besties!
ThemedTea Party ☕🌸: A cozy and elegant afternoon with finger sandwiches, pastries, and a selection of teas. Perfect for a relaxed and charming vibe.
Brunch & Mimosas 🍾🥂
Movie Marathon 🎬
Board Game or Card Game Marathon 🎲: Choose classic games like poker, Rook, Risk, or Scattergories or try out a new game as described in New York Times’ The Best Board Games.
Video Game Tournament: Set up multiplayer games or retro gaming stations for a friendly competition.
DIY Paint & Sip Date 🎨🍷
Karaoke or Dance Night 🎤💃
Valentine’s Scavenger Hunt 🔎💖
Vision Board Night 🍷: Provide yummy snacks and drinks, poster board, magazines, colored pens, scissors for your friends to dream big about their wishes.
Themed Dinner Party 🍽️✨: Hosting a small gathering with a home-cooked meal or catered dishes, allowing for a fun and social atmosphere. Great for celebrating with friends or multiple couples.
❤️ Valentine’s (Feb 14) A romantic or self-love celebration.
Intimate Dining ❤️🥂: A romantic dinner for two, either at a fancy restaurant or a candlelit home-cooked meal. Ideal for a more personal and sentimental experience.
Fancy Dinner & Wine Tasting 🍷🍽
Couples Cooking Night 🍝🔥
Love Letter Exchange & Cozy Movie Night 💌📽
Candlelit Dinner at Home 🍷🍽 (Cook together or order in!)
Love Letter Exchange & Cozy Movie Night 💌📽
Stargazing & Hot Cocoa Date ✨☕
Romantic Getaway or Staycation 🏨🌅
Cooking or Pottery Class Together 🍞🎭
🖤 Malentine’s or Guylentine’s (for the guys!) A chill or adventure-packed way to celebrate.
Steak Cookout Night 🥩: Get the grill going and have friends bring a dish for a fun dinner.
Movie or Series Marathon 📽: Pick a theme—action flicks, cult classics, or sports documentaries—and enjoy a marathon with plenty of snacks.
Board Game Marathon 🎲: Choose classic games like poker, Rook, Risk, or Scattergories or try out a new game as described in New York Times’ The Best Board Games.
DIY Poker Night: Set up a poker table, add some fun bets (or chips), and enjoy a friendly game
Video Game Tournament: Set up multiplayer games or retro gaming stations for a friendly competition.
Do any of these ideas spark your interest? No matter what you choose, tailor the experience to your group’s interests and let us know if we can help!
Being an eco-friendly business is almost a necessity in today’s environmentally conscious society. Which is a good thing, right? Without tooting our horn too loudly, our business wins big in this arena. Here are some of our environmentally safe practices.
Our inventory is a collection of treasures from the past. Dishes, goblets, flatware, linens, and decor have all been found items – in thrift stores, second-hand stores, some estate sales, flea markets, auctions, and online resources. Almost every trip we take involves a couple of side visits to the local thrift stores or flea markets where the goods might be unique to the area. The most treasured resource, however, were the gifts from friends, acquaintances, and even folks who were looking for a place where their family collections would be appreciated and used. We especially love these additions.
Most of our shelving, tables, chairs, and some of our carts were previously used. When we first moved out of the house and into a business location, we got lucky and found the most sturdy set of shelves from an auto parts store that was going out of business. These are the ones we use for the dishes and glassware and they can hold a lot of weight. Wooden shelving from our home and thrift stores were collected one by one and pieced together to hold vintage books and assorted decor. We did need to buy wired shelving that will last almost forever.
Our studio walls are decorated with vintage artwork and trays either found at thrift stores while some were generously gifted to us. Their florals and botanicals suit our inventory beautifully!
We have also upcycled a few items – boxes from old wooden fan blades, “vintage” cigar boxes, decoupaged vases from bottles, and dried floral bouquets in bottles.
The workhouse of a dishwashing machine came second-hand from another location. It’s energy efficient, recycles the sanitizing rinsing cycle water to wash the next load, and cleans a load in about 3 minutes once the water heats up. The dish detergent we use is Mrs. Meyers, which is “made with essential oils & other thoughtfully chosen ingredients.”
To protect our clean dishes for our clients, we use a food-safe plastic which is made with “eco-friendly bio-assimilating plastic.” And, when a crate comes back to us unopened, we will reuse the plastic bag as a garbage bag. Surprisingly, we have little garbage but the bags on used crates are definitely trashed.
The crates and racks used to hold and transport dishes and goblets are used over and over again. Some of them were found secondhand but many had to be bought new. When ordering these, we try to make the order large enough to justify the packing and shipping.
For items that need some protection, we are now using pillow cases and napkins to wrap them. These were found at a thrift store and are washed after every use. This transition from bubble wrap has created a more secure wrapping and is reusable.
Of course, we recycle cardboard, bottles, paper, and cans. It’s easy to recycle the cardboard with a bin on the property, but we take the other home to put in our home recycling bin. To save paper, we use email and phone meetings to correspond with clients. Rental orders, contracts, and packing lists are all attached to emails.
Have we bought anything new? Well, we have. We love block napkins made in India and we have purchased several sets to complement a boho tablescape. Miscellaneous supplies, such as plastic containers for linens, teacups, and coupes, are needed to keep our studio organized.
That’s a wrap! It may be more information that you ever wanted to know, but we wanted to emphasize that being eco friendly means a lot to us and our business. We hope you appreciate our commitment!
It’s the year to elevate your holiday dinners with vintage tableware and decor! Take a look at these vintage tablescapes to ignite your inner creativity. Whether you love traditional red and green, fall browns and golds, or classic blue and white, your guests will feel super special when they sit down at your vintage-designed table.
Have an idea of where you’d like to start? Want to explore options at our studio? Contact us and we’ll set a date for you to see our extensive inventory as you begin realizing your vintage holiday vision.
Note to Readers – We’re back to updating older posts, redesigning the layout and updating photos/descriptions. This post, from February 2014, needed more editing that the previous ones since our silver-plate collections have become more extensive.
No doubt, we love vintage china, glassware and linens – the patterns, colors, and beauty all inspire us. But there’s another category of tableware from the vintage table to rediscover and admire – silver-plated dishes, flatware, and accessories. Whether elegant, casual, or shabby chic, the gleam of silver adds sophistication and richness to the table.
One cool feature of silver is the gradient from really tarnished to really shiny. We love shiny silver but I also appreciate the rich patina of the darker, tarnished pieces. This metallic range of colors translates into versatility and style!
The first silver we started collecting for Southern Vintage Table was flatware. We remember finding several in a bin at the thrift store and making that decision to bring silver flatware into the inventory. I knew it would take some time to build up a collection for a large gathering. Fork by fork and spoon by spoon, we now have beautiful, gleaming collection of vintage silver flatware patterns. How delightful that each guest may personally enjoy the beauty of silver with every bite!
Since we posted this back in 2014, we have added to the flatware collection. Vintage serving tongs, sugar tongs, butter knives, and cake knives and servers are available!
Along the way, we also have collected large beautiful vintage serving trays with handles, pitchers, a variety of teapots, bowls, and platters. Some unique pieces include a vintage silver-plate lazy susan, chip and dip round platter, wine coolers, and cake stands.
Want just a few accent pieces? We have a little bit of a lot – bud vases, small trays, goblets, candle holders – even a vintage hairbrush.
As you plan your next gathering consider adding touches of this precious metal to your table. Whether a little darkened with tarnish or gleaming with sheen, vintage silver will dazzle your guests! Be sure to check out more pieces on our Pinterest Board and our Silverplate Gallery page.
Wood, soil, coffee, pine cones, walnuts, peanuts, chocolate – all brown. This earthy, natural shade is rarely selected by our clients. Occasionally, our vintage brown goblets are chosen for their neutral color but the vintage brown plates are often overlooked. Today, we are elevating this woodsy hue in this simple vintage tablescape to show how brown is quite modern while being vintage.
This vintage brown tablescape is warm, eclectic, and lovely. Although we don’t believe that certain colors belong to any season, this earthy look would be perfect for fall. We have more vintage brown patterns of plates and goblets in our inventory in case you are interested in hosting a dinner, Thanksgiving, or fall party!
