Sweet, romantic, and beautiful! With vintage vignettes down the tables and throughout the venue, the celebration of Katie and Ryan’s wedding was ready to begin. This week’s post features a quick peek of last night before the guests arrived – more coming next week!
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It’s time to check off the second of our three goals we set at the start of the new year! Southern Vintage Table is now offering our collection of cool and wonderful doodads and small linens in a “per table” package so you can customize your own vintage look. Announcing… (Drum-roll, please…)
You have your guest list finalized and now you’re ready to design your vintage table centerpieces. You want something different for each table but you also want the tables to look coordinated and you don’t have time to scour the thrift stores for cool vintage stuff. No worries! We’ve got you covered in 5 easy steps with an example to boot!
Step 1: Determine how many clusters you’ll need for your vignette.
To follow the decorating rule of odds, you’ll need 1, 3, or even 5 clusters depending on the size of the table and the size of the bouquet. Of course, the rule of odds can be ignored but it’s a good place to start.
~ For our example, we are using a small bouquet in a milk glass vase as one cluster and need 2 more.
Step 2: Decide on the number of different groups of vignettes.
This step is to help you get organized with the details. If you have 3 tables, maybe you want a different vignettes for each table. But if you have 8 tables, maybe 4 different vignettes times 2 would work best.
~ For our example, we have 9 tables and we are going to use 3 different groups of vignettes (Groups A, B, and C).
Step 3: Create a formula for each vignette grouping.
Here’s where the creativity comes in! To help focus choices, we have categorized our vintage items by the material they are made of – metal, organic (wood, paper, cloth), and glass/ceramic.
~ For our example, the goal is to represent each material category and vary the heights. We also want to include a small bouquet and some form of candle lighting. Here are our example formulas. Note that each grouping has a different number of items but still have three clusters in the vignette.
Step 4 – List the items needed by their three groups.
~ For our example, we’ll need the following for our 9 table centerpieces. Although we are using the same basic items in the groupings, each vignette will be a little different! How wonderful is that?
Step 5 – Let Southern Vintage Table select, pack, and deliver your items!
Ready to get started? We can help you create your own “formula” and suggest items for your unique, fun, and charming centerpieces!
Metals – frames; postcards on fork stands; candle holders (brass and silver); candle stands; small metal boxes; small metal pitchers; alarm clocks; sifters; kitchen scales; decorative tins; brass animals; silver-rimmed coasters; small silver trays; sad irons and trivets
Organics – books; doilies; wooden boxes; wooden frames; sedum teacups; baskets; pine cones; shells
Glass/Ceramics – milk glass vases; blue, green, and clear glass vases; ceramic vases and planters; votives; bottles; glass candle holders; ceramic figurines and boxes; salt & pepper shakers; petite teacup & saucers
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The snow is gone, spring is almost here, and it’s time to do the thrift store circuit to uncover vintage gems for Southern Vintage Table. And, what would make a great day even better? Browsing my favorite thrift stores with Jami! Little did we know we would find something really, really wonderful.
So, it was our third stop and as soon as we opened the door to the old-house-turned-thrift-store, I spied these cups on the table. Neither of us could read the mark without our glasses, but even with our blurry vision, it had that distinctive vintage look. I bought them and couldn’t wait to find out more.
Although I couldn’t find a photo or pattern name, I did discover more about the company that made them. Here’s a bit of their story.
The pottery company is Edwin J.D. Bodley from Burslem, England. Edwin was the son of Edward Fisher Bodley and originally the two worked together but later the father retired and Edwin took over. According to thepotteries.org, these are key dates for Edwin’s company:
So, using a little bit of math, this means these teacups are at least 123 years old! Holy moly! This advertisement from The Pottery Gazette, American and Canadian Edition, January 1st, 1880, also from thepotteries.org site, gives some insight into the company’s business plan. I definitely appreciate Edwin’s quest to create “fancy goods” for the American market!
My guess is these were made for the American market in the 1880s, with all their fanciness, shape and decorative style, and bought somewhere here. Who bought them, where they lived and how many cups of tea were stylishly served in them – alas – that’s all left to our own imagination. But, we do know they now reside at Southern Vintage Table for all to joyfully admire! Aren’t they fabulous?
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One of life’s happiest events is a wedding and right up there with it is the traditional celebration for the upcoming nuptials – the time-honored wedding shower. And, Katie and Ryan’s shower was even more special because Katie is our delightful niece. She and our daughter, Taylor, grew up together which means this day was pretty special for many of us!
The event took place at the Schley’s Grange Hall – a wonderful facility north of Hillsborough that is an affiliate of the NC State Grange and National Grange organization. Their mission is to serve the local farming community and their building is available for groups to use and rent. It was perfect for our large gathering of 60+ friends and family who wanted to share their good wishes with Ryan and Katie.
To add extra sweetness to the occasion the date for the shower was set for Valentine’s day. Our color scheme featured pinks and blues with a splash of Valentine’s. Katie’s sister, Lauren, sewed light blue base cloths to peek through our beautiful, vintage laced overlays. Bouquets of roses, baby’s breath, and tulips added a fresh spring look in our vintage milk glass vases. Final decor touches included vintage frames, postcards, votives, glass candle holders, and – yum – Hershey’s kisses.
The tables were set with mixed and matched vintage china teacups with a tea napkin tucked underneath, and our lovely vintage patterns of silver-plated flatware. Vintage blue, clear, and pink goblets added the colorful sparkle. Since the delectable treats were served as a buffet, our vintage luncheon plates were beautifully stacked and ready for guests.
As a “Thank You” to her guests, Katie baked sweet favors and shared their personal meaning with us. Last Valentine’s Day on the way to a game, Ryan presented her with a box of chocolates. Now, this was no ordinary box; it contained dark chocolate turtles! As Katie shared in her story, she had mentioned how much she loved dark chocolate and Ryan remembered this. But, the other part of Ryan’s choice is they were in the shape of Katie’s beloved animal, a turtle. So, as you might guess, Katie loved his sweet gesture! This is one of their favorite memories together, and now it is also one of ours!
“Best shower EVER!! Everything was elegant and so beautiful! Shelly did a great job picking out the right china and glasses for the shower; all of the colors worked perfectly together. The Valentine’s Day theme came across well in a subtle way while still feeling like a bridal shower. I loved everything about it! Shelly even remembered a few of the pretty vintage post cards that I like and she included them in the centerpieces as well! It was a perfect bridal shower and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family that each worked so hard to help bring it all together. I had a great time celebrating with and seeing so many of my friends and family! After seeing how beautiful everything was at my shower, I’m even more excited to see the final outcome of the centerpieces at our wedding reception. I know Shelly will make it just as lovely! Can’t wait for our Big Day!” – Katie
My pleasure, Katie, and thank you! I join Katie in thanking all who put together this joyous occasion – bridesmaids, Heather, Katie, Sarah, Brittany, Krystle, and Megan – sisters, Lauren and Andrea – mother, Joy – and family friend, Cynthia. More photos will be forthcoming from photographer and friend, Jenny Swanson, and we’ll be sure to share!
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This past week I have been working on my new website. One page I have wanted to change and update is “Our Story.” So after researching effective “About Me” pages, I hit on this idea. The page title is simply “About.”
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Hello, I’m Shelly.
I’m the owner of Southern Vintage Table, a vintage tableware and decor rental business. After two years of scouring thrift stores, estate sales, antique shops, auctions, craigslist and even my own home, I have collected lots of vintage china, glassware, flatware, serving dishes, linens, and accessories. Many things have been generously shared by friends and family. Our collection spans the 20th century and everything is available for hire.
Here are a few things about me – in no particular order.
~ I’m an optimist, like my mother, and believe things have a way of turning out okay. Maybe not in the way you envisioned but perhaps how it must.
~ I’m a retired middle school teacher, wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, niece, and friend. I am a twin with 7 siblings and have two children. I met my husband in the 6th grade.
~ My alma maters include Orange High School, Western Carolina, and UNC-CH. I have a masters in education and earned National Board Certification.
~ My last teaching assignment included a video/news program class called MNN, a web graphics course, and yearbook. I taught 6th, 7th and 8th graders and sometimes had a student for all three years, which always delighted me.
– Whenever I can afford the time, I take the scenic back roads. Thankfully, I usually have the time.
~ I especially love candlelight, potted plants, flowers, pretty china, and wooden boxes. My hobbies have included sewing, playing tennis, making mosaics, and rearranging furniture.
~ As the owner of my business, I have learned how to drill holes in china, get rid of stains in china and linens, and – gasp – properly set a table. And, I love setting tables!
~ When I go thrift store shopping, I’m not necessarily thinking about what the item is, but what it can become or how it can be repurposed. Sometimes I can see it right away, and other times I buy it knowing the vision will come eventually.
~ I’ve started reading a few pages of a book before I go to sleep. I’ve almost finished “Bossypants” by Tina Fey, which I highly recommend. Witty and profound.
~ I’ve written a country song I want Miranda Lambert or Kelly Clarkson to sing and have a movie I want Reese Witherspoon to produce. I’ve messaged the cosmos to help me with these two projects. Hey, it can’t hurt and it just might help, right? That optimism my mother gifted to me is kicking in here.
~ I love meeting new people and listening to their life stories. I especially enjoy hearing the names of their children, parents, grandparents, and even further back. Makes me feel like I’m time traveling with them.
~ I am so grateful for my friends and family. Their wisdom and stories have infused my life with joy and love.
~ I’d love to talk with you and promise our Southern Vintage Table collection will create a memorable, lovely affair for your special guests!
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Let me know what you think about my new “About” page. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or additions, I’d love to hear from you. Really, I mean it…
New website is well on its way – should be unveiling it soon! Here are some photos I took this past week for it.
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A new year is the perfect time to set a few goals and we have three major ones on our list at Southern Vintage Table. Here they are!
We have collected all kinds of cool, wonderful vintage doo-dads and small linens – tins, vases, books, postcards, coasters, votives, doilies, hats, gloves, small purses, small stands, candle holders, small frames – to use as table decor. Our next step is to put together a “per table” package so clients can customize their own vintage look for their guest and serving tables. If I haven’t checked this off my list and you would like to know more, please let me know! I’ll get right on it!
This one may be the most fun goal of the three but figuring out which ones to tackle first will take some time. For instance, I found two 3-paneled dividers but both of them need a little work – one needs embellishing and the other needs to be repaired. We also have a few wooden items that would look so much better with a distressed look and a couple of trumpets just waiting to be upscaled into something unique. Just waiting for some cosmic inspiration…
H-u-u-ge job, I know, but it’s time for a fresh look and we now have lots of terrific photos from this past year to showcase. I will be moving my business site to Wordpress but I have a lot to learn about how to do it.
Okay, my goals are out there which means I better start checking them off. In the meantime, sending you wishes for a wonderful, happy and prosperous new year from
Southern Vintage Table!
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I’ve been working on an upcoming new Pinterest board featuring vintage kitchen ware decor and created this lovely holiday vignette using three vintage candlelit shredders. Although I’m not quite ready to unveil my board and post, I thought this photo would be perfect for my holiday wishes to all our friends, followers and fans of Southern Vintage Table.
~ Wishing you all a blissful holiday and new year ahead! ~
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This week’s post is simple – one photograph of three vintage white pieces. The story is so much more but I couldn’t pull it all together this week because sometimes, as I recently have been reminded, life happens.
In a future post, I want to tell you more about these vintage white teapots and sugar dish a dear friend shared with me, as well as other pieces in our collection at Southern Vintage Table. In the meantime, I’m certain you will see the pure vintage beauty in these three.
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Oh, my gosh – I absolutely love this floral vintage china pattern! It’s a creation of the Pope-Gosser China Company, an American company once located in Coshocton, Ohio. The Pope of the company was I. Bentley Pope, a master potter who immigrated from England and the Gosser was Charles Gosser, a jeweler from the area. Their company, Pope-Gosser China Company opened in 1902 and ended production in 1958.
During their five+ decades of production, Pope-Gosser made beautiful china. They earned a reputation for making elegant yet durable china, creating a market beyond the shores of America. According to the Ruby Lane Blog, some of their artful pieces are displayed in the British Museum. The company survived the Great Depression by joining the American Chinaware Corporation which lasted for only two years. After its bankruptcy, the Pope-Gosser China Company reorganized and began producing some less expensive dinnerware patterns that were marketed in dime and hardware stores. Finally, in 1958, Pope-Gosser China Company closed it doors, partly due to the influx of cheaper china from post-war Japan.
Alas, after searching online, I couldn’t find the name of this quintessential vintage pattern. The only clue about its age was the mark on the back. This passage indicates it must be from the late 1920s – 1931.
“In 1920, the lettering on the mark was changed again to ‘POPE-GOSSER CHINA’ in all capital letters. Pope-Gosser began including “MADE IN U.S.A.” in the late 1920s through about 1931.” – Ruby Lane Blog
We also have a pattern in our Southern Vintage Table collection from Pope-Gosser China’s final decade. Although I don’t have the exact date of its production, again the mark gives a hint, “Futura.” Ironic foreshadowing, I’d say, as it was most unfortunate this company’s future ended soon after in 1958.
These lovely, vintage Pope-Gosser China patterns are available from our Southern Vintage Table‘s china collection! And, we’ll be on the lookout for more from this vintage American china company!
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This past weekend I went to the opening of a new thrift store, TROSA Thrift Store, in Durham. (Thank you, Linda, for sending that text!) For me, this may be one of the most exciting events I can imagine! I realize some folks would just shake their head in amusement at this declaration but there are many others who totally get the magnificence of a thrift store, especially a new one. And, this place is huge – housed in a once-vacant box store – with so much to see and admire. More about this terrific organization, TROSA, at the end of my entry.
I claimed my cart and made a beeline to the houseware’s department. Of course, I get that one annoying, thumpidity-thump-thump cart but by the time I realized how bad it was, I couldn’t turn back and pushed it onward to the back of the store. Even though there weren’t gobs of plates on the shelves, I quickly saw there were many patterns I had never seen. I stood there and took a deep breath because I knew I had arrived at thrift store heaven!
Trying to act as nonchalant as possible so as to not attract attention to my little goldmine, I began pulling plates off the shelves. For most of the patterns I found only one plate, which makes them even more special, but some had a couple and I did find four dinner plates in one pattern. There were also some Blue Ridge dessert plates, definitely a find, and a few more of one pattern I found early in my collecting but hadn’t seen since. What a joyful rush!
My cranky cart, filled with vintage china plates, was now clinking and squeaking as I moved through the other departments in this vast store. This store has everything – clothes, toys, housewares and books – but I think the best stock is their furniture. If you are in the market for shelving, chairs, tables or desks, this is the place to look.
After I checked out all of the departments and made one last inspection of each plate to check for chips, I paid for my treasures. Although there was a bit of line on this busy opening day, it was very organized and the staff quickly helped their customers. This is one consistency about my encounters at a TROSA event or store – the folks are polite, helpful and very appreciative you are there.
Here’s a look at six different patterns I found that day. From muted to striking, each of them has its own unique history. Two patterns were made in America, four are from England and collectively they span decades.
These two American patterns have a soft, gentle look. The first one is called Classic Flower Vernon Ware by Metlox of California. This pattern dates from the 1970s and has an understated beauty about it. I love the textured rim and the center design is very pretty.
The second pattern is Foliage by Canonsburg. This lovely fall-inspired pattern was made in the Canonsburg Pottery kilns in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. This china company was founded in 1900 and closed in 1978.
These two English patterns are strikingly beautiful. The first one, Spodes’ Tower-Blue, is gorgeous with beautiful details. In this lovely outdoor tower scene, there are birds, cows and even a couple of fishermen. This pattern, made from 1902-1970, also has a textured rim known as gadroon, which means decorative edging.
The second pattern, Historic America by Johnson Brothers, was produced from 1930-1974. I only found this one plate but when I looked it up, I discovered it’s a multi-motif pattern which means each piece of the pattern features a different scene. The dinner plate is called “View of Boston.” Don’t you think it’s a bit ironic this American historic series was created by an English china company?
The third English pattern is Tintern by Royal Doulton. Manufactured from 1935-1960, this creamy pattern is colorful and dramatic. I was thrilled to find two of these! According to Wikipedia, Tintern, a historic village in Wales, is known for its natural beauty and the ancient 12th century Tintern Abbey. Interestingly, Tintern and another historic village, Chapel Hill, have merged to form a larger province. Perhaps a cosmic message for me to visit, huh?
The final one from England, also a Spode pattern, is called Primrose-Blue and Yellow. With its scalloped edge, textured rim and colorful center motif, this lovely pattern was produced from 1954-1969. Wish I had these for my daughter’s wedding party with our blue & white with yellow color scheme!
As you probably figured out, I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon finding these treasures. One shopper, after taking a look in my cart, commented to me, “You have quite an interesting collection in there!” “Indeed, I do,” I replied. Interesting, lovely additions to Southern Vintage Table‘s elegant and casual vintage china collections, now available for your next gala event.
More about TROSA –
TROSA, Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers, is a highly successful non-profit organization that supports people who want to make a positive change in their lives. They have several different businesses to help with job skill development including two thrift stores, holiday tree lots, lawn care and moving services. Each time I visit their work sites, I am impressed by these folks who are always pleasant, hard working and appreciative. Take time to visit TROSA’s website to learn more about their mission and work.
China pattern dates – Replacements, LTD
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