Features Archives - Page 11 of 19 - Southern Vintage Table

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental

Vintage Feature – Inspired. Appreciative. Thank You.

We have been delighted to take part in many events so far this year! These past few months our vintage treasures have traveled to weddings, showers, styled shoots, wedding shows, and dinner parties in Chapel Hill, Durham, Pittsboro, Raleigh, Louisburg, Winston Salem, Virginia, and even West Virginia. Sweet!

Even sweeter, though, are the four brides who recently posted these lovely comments on Wedding Wire. We are oh-so pleased and humbled to share them with you today.

Tracy said…

Shelly was a joy to work with. She accommodated our last minute needs wonderfully and her dishes did not disappoint! Shelly is extremely organized and it shows that she truly loves helping make events special!

Katie said…
Southern Vintage Table provided beautiful mismatched vintage plates for our dessert table and sweetheart table! Shelly has a gorgeous collection that went perfectly with my vintage-rustic-romantic wedding!

Jessica said…
Shelly made it happen and even managed a last minute delivery to our venue. Everything she provided was beautiful! I always wanted vintage-wares at my wedding and Shelly has the best prices of anyone in town. Do yourself a favor and go to the website to see all the wonderful items available to rent for your special day!

Private User said…
Shelly was wonderful to work with and provided beautiful china for my wedding at a very reasonable price. She helped me choose the perfect types and colors for the event. My guests were so complimentary about how beautiful they looked on the tables. I can’t thank Shelly enough and would definitely recommend Southern Vintage Table!

Thank you. We are inspired by you, grateful for your trust, and loved being a part of your celebration!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC — Photo credits: upper left & lower left, Live View Studios; upper right & lower middle, Katherine Miles Jones Photography

Vintage Feature – A Vintage Postcard’s Inspiration

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We’ll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.

~ We Shall Keep the Faith by Moina Michael ~

Memorial Day has come to signify leisurely fun – a 3-day weekend, parades, family cookouts, and the official opening day to the summer season. Many of us, however, overlook the solemnness of this holiday as a day of remembrance for our veterans.

I wanted to capture the historic essence of Memorial Day and began searching for an inspiration in our vintage postcard collection. I came across one with a beautiful bouquet of red, white, and blue flowers. Perfect, I thought. As I began researching the background of Memorial Day, I serendipitously found the inspiration for today’s post – the remembrance poppy.

The red poppy as a symbol for Memorial Day began with the poem, “We Shall Keep the Faith,” written in 1918 by Moina Michael, an American professor. Her poem was in response to “In Flanders Fields”, a poem penned by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, as a tribute to a friend who died in WWI. Why red poppies, you may ask? Here’s what I learned from Wikipedia.

“The red poppies that McCrae referred to had been associated with war since the Napoleonic Wars when a writer of that time first noted how the poppies grew over the graves of soldiers.^[45] The damage done to the landscape in Flanders during the battle greatly increased the lime content in the surface soil, leaving the poppy as one of the few plants able to grow in the region.”^[46]

After teaching a class to disabled veterans at the University of Georgia, Moina Michael realized these men needed more help than they were receiving. Having read McCrae’s poem and then writing her own, the idea of a red poppy as a representative icon was conceived. She fundraised using silk poppies to help raise awareness and monies for the veterans and in 1924, the remembrance poppy was adopted by the American Legion Auxillary as a symbol for those who have died serving their country.

My quest to find something meaningful to share on Memorial Day began with a vintage postcard – what a wonderful coincidence to discover its floral symbol of remembrance.

And, to add a little vintage china in this post, here’s a new vintage set featuring red, white, and blue found by my friend, Trudy. Won’t it look terrific with blue & white patterns?

Resources:
In Flanders Field
Moina Michael
US Memorial Day
The Great War

Vintage Feature – Our First Pinterest Board “Wish List” Order!

In spite of the rainy weather here in NC we’ve had a productive week at Southern Vintage Table. First, our china was picked up for a shoot designed by Southern Weddings at a lovely West Virginia venue. More will be coming on this, for sure. Then, we received two new orders for the week – one for a wedding and one for a bridal shower. And, as a final very bright spot to the week, we were asked to help with the wedding of a dear friend whose daughter is getting married next June. We do love being busy!

We are very excited, of course, to help with each of these events but two things made the bridal shower a pretty special request. Not only were we thrilled to work with Maria again – we helped with her wedding two years ago – but she became our first client to create a Pinterest board wish list for the items she wanted from our inventory. Yay!

We shared this planning idea in a recent post, “Vintage Tip – Collaborate with Us to Create a Wish List, and it worked great. Maria created a board for the shower, pinned items from our inventory, and added notes to the pins. The part about adding the notes was Maria’s brilliant touch, and we appreciate this tweak to the process. We easily provided a quote and started packing. As we said before, it’s easy, peezy and we look forward to collaborating with you!

Thought we’d end today’s post with one of our favorite photos of Maria & Jonathan’s reception tables. Don’t you love those vintage goblets? See more from this beautiful wedding here!

Vintage Feature – Additions to our Vintage Glassware Collection

Our vintage glassware collection is growing! These past few weeks we found 3 beautiful vintage patterns in 3 different colors made by 3 different American glass companies and all of them are wonderful. Let us introduce you to these beauties and the companies behind them. The brief summaries of these American corporations are courtesy of Just Collecting and Tias.

Colony Park Lane by Indiana Glass

“The Indiana Glass Company was founded in 1907 in Dunkirk, Indiana, and became well known for manufacturing a variety of high-class glass items such as auto head lenses, restaurant ware, crystal ware, vases and much more.

The company’s coloured glass items first became popular during the 1920s, and featured a variety of different coloured-press patterns. Some of their most popular patterns include Avocado, Sandwich, Tearoom, #612 Horseshoe, Indiana Custard and Pyramid, to name a few.

Even though the Indiana Glass Company closed its doors in 2002, Indiana glass products are still being produced by the Bartlett & Collins factory today.”

The Park Lane pattern was first produced in the mid 1950s and has been discontinued. Source: Just Collecting

Vintage Grape Milk Glass by Smith Glass

“The company was established in 1907 in Jeannette, Pennsylvania and despite being overlooked by many American glass collectors, is one of the few remaining hand-made glass factories in the United States. It is perhaps best known for producing the first headlight lens for the Model T Ford.

They began manufacturing colored glass in the early 1920s. Their most popular colors were cobalt, amethyst, yellow, amber, green and pink. The company finally gained nationwide recognition for their unique black glass formula, which set them apart from the competition of the time.

In 1975 the company was purchased by Owens-Illinois, Inc. of Toledo, Ohio, a glass container manufacturer. Smith continued to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary. L.E. Smith Glass Company was acquired by William Kelman in 2005 and is now known as Smith Glass Co.”

The best we could find insofar as dating the Vintage Grape Milk Glass pattern is up to the 1950s when the popularity of milk glass waned in the US. Source – Just Collecting

Chivalry by Libby-Rock Sharpe

“The Libbey Glass Company was one of the largest glass manufacturers in the United States of America during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In 1888, Edward Libbey moved his glass-manufacturing establishment from Massachusetts to Toledo, Ohio. They produced bottles, containers and window glass.

The Libbey Glass Company became even more profitable after Michael Owens, an inventor from Newark, Ohio, joined the firm. Owens developed a machine that could automatically produce bottles, tumblers, and glass chimneys. The company remains in operation in the twenty-first century. In 2004, it was the United States’ largest manufacturer of glass dinnerware, with plants in Louisiana, California, and Ohio, as well as in the Netherlands.”

Chivalry, dating from the mid 1980s, is available today in clear; however, the pink color is no longer manufactured. Source: Tias

Vintage Feature – Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day!

To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.
David Viscott

Love you forever, Christine.

Vintage Feature – Classic, Clean, White Vintage Stoneware

Vintage milk glass and weddings are meant for each other. These snowy vases, filled with colorful flowers, greenery, and succulents, create a wonderful look for this joyful occasion. We loved the wedding table centerpieces featured in a previous post, “Vintage Milk Glass is Perfect for a Wedding.” With Fernrock Farm florals in our vintage milk glass containers and the vibrant orange napkins, the guest tables were gorgeous and fun, befitting with this happy day.

We now have another option that will give you that same crisp look, but with a little variation – vintage white stoneware. The opaque white color, heft, smooth surface, and variation of sizes offer a style with a little vintage kitchen flair.

Currently we have over 25 pieces in multiple shapes, styles, and sizes available in our inventory. Whether you tuck a large or petite arrangement inside, the look is classic, crisp, and clean. Consider our vintage white stoneware for your tables as you plan your next event!

Vintage Feature – Our 3 Reasons to Host a Family-Style Reception!

Plated, buffet, family style – how will your guests enjoy that delicious meal at your party or reception? There isn’t a right or wrong answer, of course, but let us share three reasons you should consider family-style!

Reason 1 – Family-style dinners can feel more intimate.

A lovely memory most of us share is sitting down to a family meal. Home-cooked food, presented on platters and in bowls, are passed down the table as everyone fills their plate. Conversation flows and folks feel connected. This sense of communion is the first great reason to consider a family style dinner!

Reason 2 – Family-style dining is casual yet elegant.

With family-style dining, guests are all seated rather than standing in line at the buffet table, and eating at the same time. But, in contrast to a plated dinner, your guests can make their own selections and portions. You might also consider a combination plated/family-style dinner by plating the dinner salad or first course, and then serving the remaining menu items family style. Be sure to consult with your caterer about how the menu fits the type of reception dinner.

Reason 3 – Southern Vintage Table has a great inventory of vintage serving dishes!

Presentation is part of the dining experience and our vintage bowls will definitely add flair to any meal. We have more than 120 vintage bowls and platters (china, ceramic, & glass) in our inventory, not including our 12 deviled egg trays and we know how important that is on a southern menu!

Give us a call or send an email – we’re ready to help you plan your family-style dinner!

After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives.
-Oscar Wilde

Vintage Feature – Making Progress on our Linen Inventories!

We’ve been quite focused on our vintage linen collection and can proudly announce that 5 inventory slide shows are now available under our Vintage Linens tab. Yay!

Vintage Lace & Crocheted Tablecloth Inventory
Vintage Table Topper Inventory
Vintage Napkin Inventory
Vintage Doilies & Runners Inventory
Vintage White/Cream Tablecloth Inventory

An interesting thing happened along the way of our sorting, counting, and measuring – we discovered that we have amassed a very nice collection of vintage table toppers! These are small tablecloths or large doilies usually placed over a base cloth in the center of the table as an accent. Embellished with embroidery, lace, and/or colorful designs, these toppers add a dash of style to your table design!

Most are square but we also have a few round and rectangular ones. As an alternative to our vintage lace overlays, you may want to consider these lovelies as a backdrop for your table’s centerpiece.

Vintage Toppers - Southern Vintage Table — Photo by Katherine Miles Jones

There’s much more to add to our linen inventory – colored tablecloths, printed tablecloths, and placemats – so stay posted. We look forward to sharing these with you soon!

Vintage Feature – 6 Things You Want to Know About Napkins!

Vintage Napkins at Southern Vintage Table — Photos by Katherine Miles Jones

We’ve been sorting, counting, and photographing napkins this week and though we have made progress, we still have more to do. In the meantime, we did a little research about this seemingly ordinary household staple, but like everything, the napkin story is very interesting.

~ Here are 6 things we thought you’d like to know about napkins! ~

1 – The first “napkin” was not made of cloth but were nuggets of bread. The ancient Greeks used soft bread inside the crust to clean their fingers during a meal.

2 – Cloth napkins date back to the 14th century while paper tea napkins were invented by the Chinese in the 2nd century BC.

3 – Scott Paper was the first US company to sell paper napkins and, although they were produced in the 1930s, they didn’t become popular until the 1950s.

4 – Napkins come in different sizes, colors, patterns, and styles. The rule of thumb as far as the size of the napkin is this – the more food being served, the larger the napkin.

5 – Yes, napkin etiquette does exist. If you have good napkin manners you know when to pick up your napkin, how to place it in your nap, and where to put it when you’re finished the meal. You also know what not to do with a napkin.

6 – According to some sources, the expression “to make ends meet” is a reference to the use of a napkin. The origin of this phrase actually has many theories but this is our favorite. In the French court of 1729 men wore shirts that had stiff, ruffled collars. As the story goes, to protect their clothing, napkins were tucked in the neckline and around the neck so as “to make ends meet.”

There’s so much more to share but we’ve got to get back to our napkin task.
Have a nice week!

Sources:
Napkin Folding Guide
Clise Etiquette
Wikipedia – Napkin
Food Reference

Vintage Feature – Lovely Lace & Crocheted Tablecloths

We have long appreciated the romantic beauty of vintage lace and crocheted tablecloths. Our admiration for these delicate table coverings has been renewed this week because we have been working on sorting and photographing these lovelies for our recently published Vintage Lace & Crocheted Tablecloth Inventory page. Hooray!

As we pulled out them out of the bins our first decision was categorizing. We thought about arranging them by color but they are slightly different hues of creams and whites. Then we considered size but few of them have the same measurement. But, we noted three different weights – Crocheted, Medium-Weight, and Light-Weight – and that’s how they are presented to you. When mousing over the image on the Inventory page, the dimensions of each of the cloths are shown underneath. And, to further help, below the slideshow are two table listings by size.

Right to Left: Crocheted, Medium-Weight, Light-Weight

Take a look at our beautiful and unique collection. If you have any questions, please email us!
Now, onto the napkins…