Happy Memorial Day 2020!
We are recognizing this patriotic holiday with our red, white, and blue vintage wares available at Southern Vintage Table. Hope your Memorial holiday is fun-filled and safe!
America is hope. It is compassion. It is excellence. It is valor.
=Paul Tsongas
Happy Mother’s Day! My mother, Christine, was the most extraordinary person I have ever known. She endured incredible hardships and celebrated many triumphs, and her children greatly benefited from her love and wisdom. As a tribute to her, I’d like to share three of the many lessons I learned from her and give an example of how they have been helped me as a small business owner.
1. Only the boring get bored.
Ouch! Yep, this is classic Christine. We lived in the country on a dirt road, had one kinda-working car that mom drove to work, and 3 channels on tv. But, since there were 8 of us, we usually found something to do (or not to do, like housework!) We read, watched tv, listened to records, played outside, and, my favorite, searched for those good luck four-leaf clovers in the front lawn under the dogwood tree. If we got bored, it was our fault, or as mom would say, it was because we were boring, then she’d find something for us to do, like wash the dishes or help fix supper. So we learned not to be bored, or at least not tell mom. As an adult, yes, I sometimes get bored, but I mostly know how to keep busy, which has come in handy these past months during our quarantine.
Never be bored, and you will never be boring. –Eleanor Roosevelt
2. Go for it!
Recently my daughter said I was fearless because I had cut down some small trees using a chain saw. Even though it was not big deal since it was a small battery-operated saw, I loved hearing those words! After giving some thought to her comment, I realized that this can-do attitude was a gift from my mom. For those who knew her, her courageous spirit was contagious..
Southern Vintage Table began with this mantra. When my sister suggested that I start a vintage china rental business, I just knew this was a perfect fit for me. I had recently retired from teaching middle school and was ready for a new challenge. Did I have experience running a business or did I know anything about china? Nope and nope, but I didn’t want to regret not trying. Now, seven years later, I know my mom would be proud of me for “going for it.”
“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” = Nora Ephron
3. There is always a silver lining.
As I think of the countless conversations I had with mom about situations, predicaments, or hardships, she would always see that silver lining. She would magically dissect a negative and transform it into a lesson, opportunity, or gift to be revered.
While my business has come to a halt this spring, I have not faltered in my belief that things will work out, whatever that might mean. I’ve taken this time to work on projects at home, spend time crafting, and catching up on movies that I always meant to watch. I’ve gotten closer to my children, family, and friends via texts, phone calls and FaceTime, and have relaxed on the back deck with my morning coffee. I’m eager to get SVT up and running again, but I have also savored this quiet time at home.
There are always flowers for those who want to see them. —Henri Matisse
Three of the many lessons taught by my spunky, sassy, smart, and strong mother, Christine.
Happy Mother’s Day.
As mentioned in last week’s Sunday post, Stephanie Batten assembled a talented group of vendors to create this styled shoot at The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel. Invitations were extended to photographers to take photos for their portfolios and we reap the benefits by having a plethora of wonderful images to share! This week’s photos are courtesy of Kailen Elizabeth Photography and they are so lovely!
Thank you, Stephanie Batten, for creating this shoot and Kailen Elizabeth for sharing your photos. We hope this brings inspiration to the many couples planning for their upcoming wedding day!
Vendor Team
Event Planner/Designer- Stephanie Batten Photography @stephaniebattenphotography
Venue- The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel @theparlourchapel
Bridal Dresses- Oak City Bridal @oakcitybridal
Hair- Sarah- SMG Beauty Co. @smgbeautyco
Makeup- Sarah- SMG Beauty Co. @smgbeautyco
Florist- Florescence Floral and Events @florescence.design
Styling Boards- Styling Unmatched @styling.unmatched
Tableware- Southern Vintage Table @southernvintagetable2
Invitation Suites & Place Settings-
Em Paper Co. @em.paperco
Photographer – Kailen Elizabeth Photography @kailenelizabeth
The Artsy Acorn @theartsyacorn
Models-
Abbey Codling @jabbeyo
Amelia Fisher @ameliafisher
Candace Harris @candace_jane
Jewelry- Poppy Co. @_poppy_co_
Cake- Wicked Sweet Cakes @wickedsweetcakes
Rentals- DeeJay’s Event Rentals @deejayseventrentals
Rings- Alysha Whitfield Jewelry @alyshawhitfieldjewelry
Stephanie Batten Photography shared photos this week which brought us such happiness! This photo shoot took place right before the stay-at-home decree began and, although we couldn’t attend, our vintage tableware made its way to the Parlour at Manns Chapel for this lovely blue shoot.
There are so many details we simply love – the different hues of candle tapers and napkins, the layered blue and white place settings, and the greenery running down that gorgeous runner. And, of course, with the setting at this historic venue, our vintage ware was perfectly at home!
Photographers were invited to attend and today’s blog features those taken by Stephanie Batten, who was both the event planner and photographer for the event. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Vendor Team
Event Planner/Designer- Stephanie Batten Photography @stephaniebattenphotography
Venue- The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel @theparlourchapel
Bridal Dresses- Oak City Bridal @oakcitybridal
Hair- Sarah- SMG Beauty Co. @smgbeautyco
Makeup- Sarah- SMG Beauty Co. @smgbeautyco
Florist- Florescence Floral and Events @florescence.design
Styling Boards- Styling Unmatched @styling.unmatched
Tableware- Southern Vintage Table @southernvintagetable2
Invitation Suites & Place Settings-
Em Paper Co. @em.paperco
Stephanie Batten @stephaniebattenphotography
The Artsy Acorn @theartsyacorn
Models-
Abbey Codling @jabbeyo
Amelia Fisher @ameliafisher
Candace Harris @candace_jane
Jewelry- Poppy Co. @_poppy_co_
Cake- Wicked Sweet Cakes @wickedsweetcakes
Rentals- DeeJay’s Event Rentals @deejayseventrentals
Rings- Alysha Whitfield Jewelry @alyshawhitfieldjewelry
Today’s post is about a little known piece of tableware that most of us in the US have never used or even seen. On the contrary, on breakfast tables all over Europe and Australia, folks are enjoying their soft-cooked eggs in an eggcup. Many are dipping pieces of toast, called soldiers, in the yolk and loving every morsel. For someone who doesn’t like runny yolks, this sounds anything but yummy but we decided that we had to at least try it.
Following directions, we placed eggs in water, took them to boiling, then turned off the heat and let them sit for 3-4 minutes. After pouring off the hot water and cooling them down with cold tap water, we placed them in the egg cups.
Tapping around the top with a knife, we carefully pulled off the broken shell. We dipped one soldier in and tasted it. Not yucky but not good either. We sprinkled salt and pepper on top, added more butter to the toast, and tried again – much better!
Will we eat soft cooked eggs on a regular basis? Nope. But, will we use vintage eggcups in other ways? Definitely!! Not only are they adorable, but eggcups can also hold pretty things other than just eggs!
Our favorite use is to add small clumps of fresh green moss. Against the crisp white of the eggcup, the organic green just pops. Don’t you love it, too?
A petite floral bouquet can be the perfect detail for a tablescape. We love how this is illustrated in the last photo here, taken by Jackson Signature Photography. It’s a small yet meaningful detail for guests to enjoy.
Other ideas? Why not present a small edible treat in egg cups, or use pinecones or Christmas decor to create a festive table? So many possibilities! As you can probably tell, we adore these little things!
To close, we send Happy Easter greetings to all. Many will miss the family traditions of this treasured spring holiday this year; however, we’ll all remember this Easter for many years to come. Here’s hoping that along with our lifestyle adaptations, we’ll all be more aware of two things that bind us all – hope and love.
Read more about these vintage lovelies:
History of Eggcups -Replacements
I Suddenly Wanted to Eat All of My Breakfasts Out of Eggcups – New York Magazine
Reason 1 – Spring is here! So happy to see new growth on the trees, bright flowers, and longer days. Yay!
Reason 2 – We had a surprise delivery from Fernrock Farm! What a wonderful treat to find this assortment of blooms on our porch Monday morning. This floral package is a sample “make your own bouquet kit” that will be offered soon. Be sure to follow Fernrock Farm for the lastest in classes and offerings.
Reason 3 – We are planning to be busy soon because most of our spring and early summer clients have been able to reschedule their weddings. Thank goodness! Although we’ve had cancellations – all with good reason and sincere regret – we will be okay and even more ready to help you create a memorable, eco-friendly, vintage event!
We know you have reasons to be grateful, too. Take care and stay well.
The lovely floral pattern, SLM158 (not a suitable name for this work of art, huh?), has a lot of history. It was produced by the Salem China Company, which was founded in 1898 in Salem, Ohio. The American company manufactured china for over 60 years, ending the production in 1960 and then becoming a distribution, sales and service company until 2003, when the main building was destroyed by fire.
Their patterns followed the trends of the time, with elegant florals, art deco creations, and traditional scenic designs. Also, if you love Christmas china, Salem had an extensive line of this favorite holiday. One particularly popular design from the 1930s, the triangular-shaped Tricorne, is now highly collectible – this explains why we have not come across these! Click to see some of the most popular Salem China designs and advertisements found at Laurel Hollow Brook,
Our quest to learn more about Salem China started with this set of salad plates in the once-popular Mount Vernon pattern. Enamored by its artistry and condition, we learned how to gauge the age of this particular plate. The “52” reveals that it was made in 1952 and the three starts signify the quarter of the year. With this information, we looked through our collection to find more about this American china company.
Meet Sovereign, a gorgeous gold-rimmed pattern. We’ve actually had these for quite some time but now will certainly appreciate it more. We believe the V in the backstamp might reveal its age but we couldn’t find anything about the letter markings. We do know it had to be produced before 1960.
This gorgeous, delicate pattern is Sandra. Again, her mark includes a W which tells us nothing about its age. But, that doesn’t diminish how sweet she is. (So is my sister, Sandra!)
How in the world can a beautiful pattern with a green and gold encrusted rim and sweet lily of the valley have such a name? Certainly, we are perplexed but we do know from the backstamp that it was made in 1956.
Again, the name does not convey the gorgeousness of this pattern. From her mark, SLM158 belongs to a line called Quaker Girl, as homage to the Quaker residents and founders of Salem, Ohio. Her mark reveals that she was produced in 1952 during the first quarter.
And, on International Women’s Day, we serendipitously found this fascinating tidbit on Salem, Ohio on Wikipedia.
“In April 1850, Salem hosted the first Women’s Rights Convention in Ohio, the third such convention in the United States. (The first was the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848; the second was the Rochester Convention two weeks later.) The Salem Convention was the first of these conventions to be organized on a statewide basis.[17] All of the convention’s officers were women. Men were not allowed to vote, sit on the platform or speak during the convention. The male spectators were supportive, however, and when the convention was over, they created an organization of their own and endorsed the actions of the women’s convention.[18] “
Salem China, we salute you! Your patterns are unique, lovely, and timeless. We love that you were manufactured in the town of Salem, a place known for its progressiveness in the 1800s, whose residents fought against slavery and for women. Hurrah!
Have you been considering using vintage tableware for your wedding or dinner party and wondered how to create the perfect vintage tablescape? We want to show you just how easy and fun it is for you to see firsthand how it’s done at Hillsborough’s Southern Vintage Table’s studio.
Not only do we have all the dishes, glassware, and flatware you can possibly imagine, we have all the fixings’, too – candleholders and candles, fake flowers, vases, tablecloths, doo-dads – and we are here to help you see the many options. Ready to sign up? Read on!
First, we make an appointment for us to meet at the studio. We don’t have regular hours, but we are very flexible and try to meet at your convenience. We can meet after noon on most days – including weekends and early evenings – whatever suits your schedule.
After we chat about basics – date, venue, guest count, etc – the conversation turns to your vintage vision. We tour the studio rooms and highlight pieces that might suit your vision. Following our tour, the round or rectangular table is covered with a tablecloth of your choice, and the fun begins – you start setting that beautiful table that will wow your guests.
To help create the total look, we have an assortment of tablecloths, fake florals and greenery. and candles of almost every color. We want you to be able envision that final look!
The visit concludes with a listing of items you’d like to rent. In the following days, we’ll submit a rental proposal and contract for you to review. After approval, we ask for the signed contract and a fifty percent deposit to hold your pieces for your event date. Don’t worry if things change between signing the contract and the date – we’ll happily adjust the order accordingly.
So, connect with us either by phone, email, or through our contact page, and we’ll make a date. And, as you can see in our photos, you will have fun!
919 428 4502 – shelly@southernvintagetable.com – Contact
A rustic country venue, beautiful vintage place settings, and an oh-so-in-love couple were the exact recipe for this enchanting wedding. Alisa and Colin were married last August at the Barn at Valhalla and we are thrilled to share these lovely photos by both Emily Michelle Photography and wedding planner, Rachel Berglund.
This incredible cake perched on our vintage cake stand makes a stunning statement. And, to further impress, Colin is the confectionary artist!! Impressive, right?
Congratulations, Alisa and Colin! Best wishes for a life of love, joy, and yummy cakes!
Thank you for asking SVT to help with your wedding day and for sharing these photos with us. We are honored by your trust in our services!
Vendor Team:
Emily Michelle Photography
RM Event Management
Barn at Valhalla
Southern Vintage Table
Note – Photos not tagged were captured by Emily Michelle Photography.
A few new vintage treasures found their way into the studio this week and each of them have their own unique story! Starting with a timeless classic, these two vintage silver-plated cake stands are now part of our inventory. They arrived as a gift to SVT and we can’t wait to see the first cake or fancy dessert on them! (Thank you, Lucy!)
Brass candelabras are golden elegance and we are always looking to add to our collection, With the French blue candles, this funky ornate candelabra looks glorious. This find was in one of our favorite thrifting haunts – so sorry, we can’t share this secret!
Do you know how much we adore vintage scales? We have 4 vintage kitchen scales and 1 postage and what was missing is what we found – a vintage baby scale in the softest shade of yellow. Look at those sweet baby faces – adorable! (Thank you, Mary Beth, for letting this one come to us.)
Now for our last vintage find. When we found this in a Wilmington thrift store, we thought it was nice – and heavy – so we picked it up to add to our growing collection of vintage brass vases. Back at the studio, we were cleaning it before putting it on the shelf, and, voila, we found this secret note inside!
This nice, heavy, vintage brass vase was given by a husband to his wife for their 50th golden anniversary 75 years ago! Oh my goodness! Laura, if you should read this, please contact us – we’d love for you to have this family treasure. In the meantime, we will be sharing this story to everyone who places a bouquet in this vase.
As always, thanks for visiting today. In honor of Presidents’ Day, here’s a funny quote from the wonderful Jimmy Carter.
“My esteem in this country has gone up substantially. It is very nice now that when people wave at me, they use all of their fingers.”
PS – Yes, that’s my reflection in the vase. 🙂
