Wednesday, March 05, 2008

My Favorite Things, Part 2

Continuing through my kitchen, here are a few of my favorite things: I purchased this for Dave on ebay. It's a two cup teapot, teacup and saucer. I just love the pattern, color and shape. The platter was a gift from our Colorado friend, Joann. It's from Italy, a place I hope someday to visit with my dearest love before we pass this world. Oh, yeah, I'll bring Dave along too! Ian carved the plaque in wood shop two years ago. It was my Mother's Day present. Quite appropriate. He knows me well.
I think this is my most favorite piece of furniture. After we moved to Sparta (the Summer of 2002) I went on a crazy decorating-crafting spree. Dave and I bought this table when we moved to Colorado back in 1991. It served us well. Then Emma and Hannah spilled nail polish remover on it! But anything can be redeemed. I was sorting through packed boxes in the basement, after moving in, and came across my childhood stamp collection. I was also trying to decide how to store our collection of foreign money. I don't know where the idea came from, it just popped into my head. I decoupaged, or modge-podged the map on first (after cutting it up). Around it I glued the international stamps and framed the entire table in bills from Mexico, Uzbekistan, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Russia, Syria, etc. Some of the money came from places we've been to and others were given to us. I then added pictures from our own journeys and National Geographic magazines. Finally I polyurethaned it with four coats. This table has been a fun tool for learning the countries, remembering exotic places we've visited and reminds me to pray daily for the world.
Suzanne, or Oma (my mother-in-law) brought this teapot back from England for me when she and John and Emma spent the Summer in Cyprus and traveled around England. She knows I love teapots and I especially am attracted to the colors and patterns of this one. The spoon rest and bowl are Polish pottery. I found pieces at T.J. Maxx a few years ago and had aspiration for collecting but my minimalist tendencies kicked in so I gave up with just these two items plus a letter hold and pitcher. I love the deep lapis blue of the three pieces against the papaya wall.
Finally this wood cutting, or speculaas mold. I picked this up at a flea market which Ann and I biked to on our second-to-the-last day visiting the Bennetts when they lived in the Netherlands. That was such a blast of a day. Ann had been bed-ridden with morning sickness and finally was feeling well enough to get out of the house. The weather was beautiful for a Dutch-November day - sunny, chilly, crisp. Ann and I bought more than we could carry back on our bikes but somehow managed to cram it all into our backpacks and bags.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love your stuff! I wish we could come visit you guys...and you visit us too!!
P.S. Sorry about the nail polish remover spillage...I have no recollection of that. :o)

Barb said...

I've been waiting for you Hannah. The nail-polish incident of 2001, i think. If I recall it was after one of our tea parties. No hard feelings though - look at the outcome. I love it.

Anonymous said...

Oh! I loved those tea parties! I remember on more than one occasion us coming over, braiding our hair, painting our nails (hence, the spillage), and me going home with some more sugar cubes for the road!
And yes, the table is be-a-u-tiful now!!