Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

A Vintage Adventure – Thrifting with a Kindred Friend is Twice the Fun

I really do enjoy looking for vintage items for my business, Southern Vintage Table and actually like going solo. I don’t have to consult with anyone about where I’m going, how how many times I walk down that same aisle of china or whether I want to stop at just one more store. But, no doubt about it, it’s tons more fun when you get to share the experience with someone, especially if it’s a friend who loves thrifting as much as you!

Last Friday, Jami and I explored my favorite haunts in Burlington and Mebane.  At our first stop we found some vintage wheat china and Jami’s keen eye spotted a beautiful blue and gold china pattern.  At the next store Jami found a pair of Golden Wheat glasses and I mulled over whether to pay $15 for a vintage school desk. As far as the desk, I decided that I’d keep looking.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
The gold on this vintage wheat pattern sparkles!
Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Two Golden Wheat glasses that once came in Duz detergent boxes!

We toured a used furniture store and then went to the place where Jami would find the best deal of the day – the child’s metal school desk – for only $5.  It’s perfect for displaying a bouquet of flowers, a potted plant or even a sign. I got a few other things and Jami bought her major purchase of the day – a $1 plastic container with a lid for her paints.  Talk about thrifty!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
A greeting for your guests on a vintage school desk!

Clay Street in Mebane was our last stop and after eating a late lunch, we walked through Melville’s Trading. I knew Jami would love this place and she did.  It has a little bit of everything with different vendors renting spaces throughout the building.  I left with a vintage file box but also with visions for future projects.

It was a great afternoon – exploring, admiring and finding treasures – with my kindred friend.  Thank you, Jami!

Check out Southern Vintage Table for beautiful vintage rental china as well as unique vintage decor for your next event!

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

A Vintage Adventure – Vintage China, A Cup & A Business Friendship

This vintage china rental business is a perfect fit for me.  I love vintage stuff – love the smell, the feel, the look, the beauty, the energy encapsulated in it, the history.  I also love to go hunting for it – what a thrill when you find something interesting and imagine sharing it with others.

One day I was looking carefully at each piece I had placed in my shopping cart at a Durham thrift store and an attractive woman approached me.  She commented about the array of dishes in my cart and I mentioned to her that I was looking for china for my vintage china rental business, Southern Vintage Table.  We chatted a bit and she went back into the china aisle.  A few more minutes later she returns with more pieces of the same pattern I had showed her.  The kindness of strangers – don’t we all love that!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
This is vintage china pattern I showed Terry in the thrift store. It’s Trent by Homer Laughlin.

The next time she came back to my cart she was holding a coffee cup with “Terry” on it.  It turned out to be her name.

Now, here’s the beautiful, eerie part – as she’s showing this cup to me, she’s explaining that it must be a message from the cosmos to talk with me about Southern Vintage Table.  She shared that she had worked as a consultant with some prominent local companies in the area, which certainly caught my attention,  My cosmic antenna was also up that day and I deeply felt this was not just a chance encounter.  We exchanged names and numbers.

Our fateful meeting turned into a wonderful business collaboration for which I am very grateful.  Her insight, experience and expertise helped get my business up and ready.  Thank you, Terry Melville, for understanding the message in the coffee cup!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Here’s Trent all dressed up with a vintage dessert plate and compote!

Southern Vintage Table is ready to help you with your next event – birthday, shower, anniversary, wedding reception, dinner party, tea party and any other gathering – with beautiful, interesting vintage china!

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – Three Vintage China Patterns and their West Virginia Connection

As I have researched the vintage china patterns I have collected for Southern Vintage Table, I have also learned about the companies that designed them. Here are three wonderful vintage china patterns with variations of lovely pink flowers. The three patterns were produced near West Chester, West Virginia by three different pottery companies, none of which are in business today.

Rosebud Bouquet by Harker Pottery Company

I remember the first piece of Harker Pottery I found years ago when I was collecting plates to break for my mosaic projects. The pattern was teal green and had this rope design around the rim. I fell in love with it, and even though it had obvious defects, I could never bring myself to break it. Since then, I have collected more Harker pieces and still marvel at their story. Touted as the oldest pottery company in the United States, Harker Pottery started in a log cabin in 1840 in East Liverpool, Ohio. In the 1930s, it moved to Chester, West Virginia and remained in business until the early 1970s. This pattern, part of a series called Royal Gadroon, was popular during the 1940s-1950s.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Rosebud Bouquet by Harker

Green Arbor by Continental Kilns

This lovely hand painted pattern was one of the first pieces I found for my vintage china rental business,  Southern Vintage Table.  I love not only the raised design but also the pink and green color combination.  Continental Kilns was based in West Virginia and operated during the 1940s through the late 1950s.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
This vintage china pattern features hand painted flowers.

Appalachian Heirloom by Taylor, Smith & Taylor

I remember the day I found a set of this china pattern at the thrift store. They were dusty, dirty and priced to sell. When I brought them home and washed them, the stunning beauty of the pattern emerged. The company, Taylor, Smith & Taylor, existed from 1899 until the early 1980s in Chester, West Virginia. I couldn’t find the date of this pattern but I believe it’s from the 1950s.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
The band of dark teal sets off the pink flowers of this vintage china pattern.

Three beautiful vintage china patterns, all produced in West Virginia by three different pottery companies, are part of our dinner table past. Pieces from each of these vintage patterns are available for your next gathering from Southern Vintage Table!

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Tips – Pinterest Tip for Rearranging Pins

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Here is a screen shot of Southern Vintage Table’s Pinterest Boards

One of the key web tools for sharing inventory of my vintage china and accessories is Pinterest.  I love this site! It’s easy to import, or pin photos, and organize them onto boards.  Plus, the presentation is professional and, with great appreciation, free!

When I first started using Pinterest, I uploaded photos from my website, Southern Vintage Table, and from my computer.  I wasn’t thinking of the order of my uploads because I thought I could later reorganize them on my board.  As I added more photos and looked back at the board, I realized there were large clusters of the same type of photo and I wanted to mix them up a bit.  When I looked up how to do this, I discovered you can’t rearrange pins within a board.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
At the bottom of my board there were five layered vintage china settings in a row. I wanted to move two of them to break up this cluster.

But, I found a semi-solution that helped break up the clusters.  I chose a pin within the clusters and reassigned it to another board.  (Click on the pencil/edit icon in the upper right of the photo. Next to the board field, scroll to find a board to temporarily pin the image.) Then I opened the new board with the moved pin at the top and re-reassigned it, pushing the pin to the top of the original board.  With repinning to another board and then re-repinning to the original board, the end result is a better mix of photos and an overall more attractive board.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Now there are 3 layered vintage plates together here and at the top of the board.

Using this technique, you change the order of an entire board.  Just start a new empty board and repin your photos from the original board in the order you want them to appear for your viewers. Remember to think backwards with the pin you want to be seen first being the last one you move.

(FYI – Pinterest lets you easily change the order of boards.  Just click on the board and drag it to the new position.  Hopefully, they’ll make it just as easy to move pins!)

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage Rental China NC

Vintage Feature – Remember the ’60s Jingle, “Mix and match, it’s fun to do…” ?

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
These three floral vintage china patterns are lovely!

Okay, I’m revealing my age a bit, something that doesn’t bother me at all, but this 60s jingle has stuck with me for over 50 years!  I was really into Barbie when I was young and I loved to change her outfits.  “Mix and match, it’s fun to do, what Barbie wears is up to you…” spoke to me as a young girl of the 1960s.

Well, this jingle now goes perfectly with the table philosophy of Southern Vintage Table – love to mix and match patterns in every color, in any pattern from every decade. It’s like bringing together generations of families who sat at their dinner table throughout the century.  Mix and match is still fun to do!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage Rental China NC
The vintage glass bowl gives you a peek of the rose in the china pattern underneath!
Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Three charming vintage patterns look sweet!

Visit us on our website, Southern Vintage Table, and check out our inventory on our Pinterest Boards!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Mixing and matching three fabulous brown vintage china plates!

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage China Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – Wisdom from Ronald Reagan

All great change in America begins at the dinner table.
– Ronald Reagan  (www.brainyquote.com)

Southern Vintage China Vintage China Rental NC
The perfect setting for great conversation with this beautiful blue vintage china patterns!

Southern Vintage Table is ready to help you plan for your upcoming events this fall.  Have a wedding, anniversary, birthday party, baby shower or a dinner party coming up?  Let us help you set the table and get the conversation started!

Check out our inventory of vintage china and accessories on Pinterest!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Tips – Three Cleaning Products for Thrift Store Vintage China (and other stuff, too!)

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Molly from Moishi Moishi told me that her grandmother Myrna would say, “The higher the hat, the closer to heaven.”  Well, I’ve got some heavenly thrift store cleaning tips for you!

When I first started my vintage china collection for Southern Vintage Table, I labored over removing the stickers, tape and permanent marker prices.  I would peel, scape and soak every dish to get that mark off!  Now, I use three products that make cleaning thrift store vintage china a breeze!

1.  Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.  This product is fantastic – it will quickly remove the permanent ink some thrift stores use for pricing and easily takes care of sticker glue and tape residue. It also does a terrific job of cleaning the bottoms of plates and other china so that when you are finished, the plate looks almost brand new!  Do be gentle with some china patterns, especially if they have gold layering.  I also use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for other cleaning tasks.  Today I cleaned the outside of two vintage suitcases and removed most of the scuff marks.  They both look amazing all cleaned up and are now ready for my next event!

2.  Eucalyptus Oil.  This stuff will also remove sticky stuff on dishes.  Sometimes the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser won’t get the mark off so I’ll dab some eucalyptus oil on a paper towel and wipe it off.  It also smells nice and clean.

3.  Very fIne sand paper.  Some of the older china that’s crazed or china that’s unglazed on the bottom will soak in the permanent ink pricing.  Using a very fine sand paper and lightly sanding can sometimes do the trick. Be gentle. I have also sanded down chips or sharp places on glass dishes and some china so that the imperfection is almost imperceivable.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
These beautiful plates are clean and ready for your next event!

Hope these tips work for you. If you have any other hints or advice for cleaning thrift store finds, please share!

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature: The Blue Vintage China Table

blue willow set
Clementine would be pleased that her Blue Willow teapots will be enjoyed by many admirers of her favorite china pattern.

What do The Andy Griffith Show, The Munsters and old Westerns have in common?  Well, yes, they are all midcentury classic television but there’s something even cooler – they share a common dining table setting,  the Blue Willow vintage china pattern. These famous shows set their table with this blue and white pattern because it is crisp, vintage and full of history. First designed in the 18th century, Blue Willow has been on generations of family dining tables and continues to be popular today.  Read more about this fascinating pattern on Wikipedia.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
As told in the Blue Willow legend, star-crossed lovers were transformed into doves after their tragic deaths. According to Wikipedia, these birds did not appear on the early willow patterns.

There’s something special about blue vintage china that many folks appreciate.  Blue Willow features dark indigo against white that’s so striking. Blends of light blue vintage china are soothing and inviting.  Vintage turquoise has a romantic flair while blues with greens, pinks and yellows present a cheery table.

Whether it’s the classic blue and white vintage china table setting, a myriad of blue vintage china stoneware patterns or a mingling of soft elegant blue vintage china patterns, your guests will love it.  Check out more blue vintage china patterns available at Southern Vintage Table on our Pinterest Board! plate

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

A Vintage Adventure – Sold to Number 268!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
I found this in the box lot of dishes I got for $5.00. This certainly made up for the chair I didn’t mean to buy!

The seemingly small place was packed – with stuff, people and lots of chairs. I signed in and then made my way up to the front to take a look at the box lots. The items I came for were listed to go first so I wanted to make sure I was ready.  I sat down, listened and absorbed all the sounds and sights of the auction house. A gentleman sat next to me in a chair that was marked with his name – definitely someone who knew what he was doing – and I would be quickly thankful he did.

My hats came up. I raised my card with the number 268 but the auctioneer didn’t see me at first. Some of the folks at the front got worried for me so they let him know I was there. The rest was a bit of a blur, but I did end up winning the bid.  I wish I had a picture of my face when he said, “Sold to 268”.  I bet it was hilarious!  My friend then advised me to let them take the stuff to the side room so I could pick it up when I was ready to leave. Good advice.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
My husband remarked that this orange beauty was a bit over styled. Well, not if you want to be noticed!
Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental
Classic red and black with a little veil

He then showed me on the ticket where you could keep track of the items you won. He said it helped him keep from overspending his budget.  Yep – more good advice. My hands were shaking as I wrote down my first auction win.

I was a quick learner and started bidding on the other items I had seen in the box lots.  The pace is fast and you’ve got to have quick reactions.  I was so quick that I ended up with something I didn’t mean to win – don’t know how that happened – but I was thankful it was only $7.50.  I also learned that you don’t go back in the room to pick up your stuff but you have to wait outside the door – that lesson came a bit harshly but the lady brought my stuff to me with a somewhat apologetic face.

In addition to the hats, I also got a box lot of miscellaneous china and glassware – well worth my $5 bid, a chair – which I didn’t mean to win, and a $5 wrought iron aquarium stand that I’m going to turn into something cool.

I decided to leave before the big ticket items came up.  Baby steps, I thought.  It was my first auction, and undoubtedly, won’t be my last.  As I was leaving with my arms full of hat boxes, another gentleman said to me, “I could see you were having a good time in there!”  He must have seen my face…

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
These plates are incredibly beautiful and the teacups are nice, too!

These hats, plates, bowls and cups are available for your next tea party or family dinner at Southern Vintage Table!

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

A Southern Vintage Table Event: A Family Dinner

Image
The Riley’s celebrated Jamie’s life with his family at their home with his favorite meal.

Jamie was a dear friend of my sister’s husband. They had been best pals ever since they were toddlers and had remained friends through their teenage years and adulthood.  They were at each other’s weddings, coached their sons’ baseball’s teams together and played golf on weekends.  When Phil heard that Jamie had passed away one morning, it was a life changing moment.

In a flurry, Jamie’s boys were coming home with their families and arrangements had to be made.  My sister wanted to pay tribute to her husband’s best friend and his family in a way only she could do  – prepare her home styled meal she had made for Jamie every time he came for dinner.  The menu was meatloaf, pinto beans, squash and biscuits.  She asked me to set the table for her special guests which I really wanted to do, especially for Marie.  You see, Marie, the mother of Jamie’s three boys, helped our family through our most challenging months when my twin brother passed away last year.  As a masseuse, Reiki master and family friend, Marie’s healing methods helped all of us cope, including my brother, Mike.  We will always be grateful for her calming guidance and spirituality.

Sharon prepared the meal, rented the tables and chairs and we set the table for her guests.  This evening will be forever remembered by Jamie’s family as a time of deep sadness yet also of beauty and love, as their family begins their path to healing after losing someone they all dearly loved.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC