Bowls and More Bowls

Mugs and cups are cool.

Plates are great.

But a bowl greatly satisfies me.  

These cream-colored bowls are made by a local craftswoman.  Unfortunately, she "retired" from the business several years ago.  I have several other bowls in my collection.  I can't decide which ones I love best.

This sweet little bowl is from Fitzgerald Pottery. Each year during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts I beat a path through the throngs of slow-moving tent gazers to get to their shelves while they are fully stocked. Love these colors.

Our everything bowls from Target.  These things take a beating.  I love my black dishware and my black countertops.  Get granite countertops they all said.  Way too expensive I said.  We settled for laminate -- still going strong 14 years later.

Casseroles

Cookie dough

Veggies from the garden (probably someone else's)

Yarn

Soup

A bowl is for everything.  A bowl holds comfort.

House Of Chocolate

If I were to ever start a business, chocolate would have to be involved.  Yes!  I could be a chocolatier.  One for me.  One for you.

No, these are not gourmet chocolates in this photo.  I've already eaten those.  These are the backup team.

I do love silver vessels, although I hate to polish them.  I'm sure the piece on the left was a very inexpensive Ebay purchase.  The cup on the right is my husband's baby cup.  I'm sure he never used it as a child, so I'm putting it to good use now.

This is a photo of my kitchen shelves.  I'm hoping that the dust and peeling paint are not TOO obvious.  We like that lived-in look.

Even the Butter has a Home

So, my goal for the year to not buy things I don't need has been spoiled already.

The old dish was a hand-me-down that we have owned for 20+ years.  It is chipped, stained and deglazed in places.  It rests in the garbage as I type.  It was ceremoniously replaced with this happy piece from West Elm.  The butter would still be residing in its old, decaying dish if West Elm had not offered free shipping.

I've read the Paula Deen fat flak these last few weeks.  If Paula goes down, I sure hope she doesn't take butter down with her.  Butter is very important in my family.  We'd keep it on a pedestal, as long as the pedestal would fit in the fridge (it would not).  I remember the butter of my youth.  A usual breakfast at my grandparent's house would consist of eggs, bacon, biscuits and a big ol' round of butter on a plate.  No margarine there!  Frankly there's no better smell than butter melting in a frying pan.

Winter Window

Yes, the Christmas decorations are still up for the most part.  The tree (or should I say trees) are down, but the garland, wreaths and doodads remain.

Aside for the purchase of a new ornament for each family member, little else was bought for the holidays.  However, I could not resist these little silvery wreaths.  I placed them in my kitchen window beneath little silver cups given to me this year by my mother-in-law.  They were souvenirs from my in-laws years spent in the middle east.  Naturally, the drying sponge brushes remain in the photo.  I didn't even notice when I took the photo that the usual bits and pieces were in the window.  There are always vases, brushes and art stamps drying on the windowsill.

Obviously, I don't believe in cutting back the garden until spring.