Sunday, May 22, 2011

Bridal Shower

All things yellow and yummy, thanks to family aunts, grandma, and cousins!  What a lovely bridal shower they created this Saturday for my future-daughter-in-law.

 Entry table, invitation and engagement photo

Outside to the beautiful long table, adorned with yellow, white and green floral arrangements


Flowers gathered from the garden and some from local market. What I think I recognized:  Forget-me-not,  White Trilliums, Fleabande Daisy, Casablanca Lily (my favorite flower), Delphinium, Viburnum, and Hydrangeas.








 Flower favor for each guest to take home.

Bar menu, Mango Lemonade, yellow peonies and jelly beans
 Sideboard with silver bowls of yellow taffy.  Love the simplicity of it.
Table begins to fill with luscious treats.
 What are those lovely, lustrous plates, I see?  That is no contemporary porcelain.
 Limoges Haviland France, unpainted white. Perfection in design, delicacy and craftsmanship.
Cupcake tower made by putting two cake plates on top of one another. Why did I never think of that?!
The food table complete with croissants, deviled eggs, pineapple slices, and chicken salad.  Lovely.

Behind the food table, the hostess displayed mounted photographs of wedding photographs of the bride and groom's parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents.






We all stand on the shoulders of loving families that began with loving marriages and weddings.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Ode to Marvel's Garden

When my mother retired from a lifetime of teaching, she became the librarian of the Newport Harbor Orchid Society, a long way from the one room schoolhouse she attended in remote Dead Man's Gulch, Montana.
Mom next to the Schoolhouse picture in the National Park Museum

Ohhhh, the beauty of her garden and orchids, nurtured and tended by a real farmer's daughter, Marvel Hoagland Carlson Ferrin, my mom.

Enjoy!

























Sunday, May 15, 2011

Vernon Kilns

So today begins a new adventure with a new pottery company, Vernon Kilns.   It started with the feeling of giddy glee that comes when I spy a treasure amongst the mass produced, plastic and otherwise not-what-I'm-looking-for stuff at Goodwill.  There among the dishware - a stack of 17 oversized plates with that cannot be mistaken glaze of the 1940s/1950s.  The backstamp read, "HAND PAINTED UNDERGLAZE VERNON KILNS CALIF. MADE IN THE U.S.A. ARCADIA."  I took a picture with my cell phone, came home to research, then went back and paid $1.99 for each.  I certainly don't need them....but felt obligated to rescue these relics of my favorite time period.

 Don't know where I'm going to put you, but look at your pretty edge so detailed and sweet.

The research begins.  Here's what I found out.

The pattern is "Arcadia" and was made between 1942-1947.  It has a cream background with a yellow and brown leaf ring going around the rim.

Vernonware began with Poxon China in 1916, located in Vernon, California. Later, in 1928, it became Vernon Potteries or Vernon Kilns. The company was bought out by Metlox in 1958 and became a division of Metlox. These pieces of artistry by Vernon Kilns, Melinda Shape from 1947.  The plate design was done by Royal Hickman.

These plates are huge - 10.5" - so I can use them as chargers.  Here are some ideas with some of my dishes sets.

Danish china
Contour China Japan
 Kensington Ironstone transferware

Vernon Kilns dinnerware was made by painting or applying various patterns onto molded blanks.  During the years that Vernon Kilns manufactured dinnerware, they created and used a number of sets of molds, and these sets are referred to as "shapes".  Thus, a "shape" is really a collection of related molded dinnerware shapes, similar in design details such as the edge detail.  

Vernon Kilns' History


Vernon Kilns was founded in July 1931 after Faye G. Bennison purchased Poxon China Company in Vernon, California. Poxon China Company was built at 2310 East 52nd Street, Vernon, California, now part of Los Angeles. Bennison continued to produce Poxon lines, using Poxon shapes for some time before an earthquake in 1933 forced Bennison to develop original shapes for Vernon. Two fires in the late 1940's almost brought the end of Vernon Potteries, Ltd., but Bennison decided to rebuild and continued to flourish during a time when imports were not available. The company was not able to compete when a flood of foreign imports hit the American shelves and in 1958 Vernon Kilns sold its holding to Metlox.  Metlox continued to market some Vernon shapes and patterns under the division Vernonware until 1989. The company produced dinnerware, art pottery, figurines, ashtrays and other popular lines. All products were of earthenware, with clays from Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and England. Glazes were developed from minerals mined in California and many patterns including all of the plaids were hand painted.
  

Welcome home Vernon Kilns "Arcadia." Glad to have you!

Don't know where I'm going to put you.....but we'll figure it out.








    

This listing is for a vintage Vernon Kilns dinner plate. The pattern is "Arcadia" and was made between 1942-1947. It is in VERY GOOD condition -no chips, cracks or crazing, just some light utensil marks in the center. I have many great, old pieces of decorative china and dinnerware I will be listing this week. This is a unique pattern and would be a wonderful addition to your collection. Please excuse flash in photos. Please check my store for more unique items.