Managing the Overblown Ego of the Parrot Tulip

by Helen Kain | Feb 14, 2019 | Accessories, Blue, Spring Tablescapes, Vintage china, White

The bouquet of icy white parrot tulips had exploded into a mass of crinoline-like blooms, tossing their elegant heads like a woman emerging from a high-end hair salon.  There was no ignoring them. They craved attention. They demanded attention. Something had to...

A Scottish Themed Tea with Paisley and Spode

by Helen Kain | Jan 6, 2019 | Appetizers, Pink and Red, Sweets, Tea, Vintage china, White, Winter Recipes, Winter Tablescapes

For the Scots, Hogmanay, or New Year, is a much bigger celebration than Christmas and is marked by much feasting, often over several days. I thought it would be fun to pay homage to this tradition with a Scottish themed tea. Daughter Kirsten, son Adam and Papa...

Vintage Elegance with Pekin by Royal Doulton

by Helen Kain | Sep 20, 2018 | Amber, Fall Tablescapes, Green, Summer Tablescapes, Vintage china, White

There is something very regal and dignified about Pekin, a vintage Royal Doulton pattern. Produced between 1916 and 1941, its muted shades of brown and grey are enlivened with apple green and rose accents, set within an octagonally shaped plate. A large Bird of...

Paisley Linens with Vintage Faience and Pewter Soup Tureens

by Helen Kain | Aug 21, 2018 | Fall Tablescapes, Green, Grey and Pewter, Pink and Red, Summer Tablescapes, Vintage china, White, Yellow

Though it’s possible to get most fresh fruits and vegetables year-round now, there is something very special about fresh, local corn on the cob. At its peak, it’s tender, crunchy and dreamily creamy. It’s ridiculously inexpensive, too, begging to be...

Indian by Royal Doulton

by Helen Kain | Aug 19, 2018 | Fall Tablescapes, Green, Orange, Summer Tablescapes, Vintage china

Vintage octagonal plates in a rich palette of greens and deep oranges. Sounds like late summer would be the perfect time to give those an outing, doesn’t it? Indian by Royal Doulton swam into my consciousness as I was tracking down Nankin, a similar design...

Ningpo (Pareek) by Johnson Brothers

by Helen Kain | May 31, 2018 | Green, Spring Tablescapes, Summer Tablescapes, Terracotta, Vintage china, White, Yellow

Old Staffordshire “Ningpo” by Johnson Brothers is a fabulous example vintage china at its most romantic. Information on the pattern is a bit scarce, but I gather its heyday was the 1930s. Something to brighten that time of austerity, certainly. The...