“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost
Showing posts with label spring cleaning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring cleaning. Show all posts

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Shawnee Pottery Collecting

Here are a few of my favorite Shawnee Pottery Company pieces. These items have been collected over the past twenty years. One piece I inherited and didn't even know it was Shawnee. These items did not actually start my collection though, it was a single teapot found in California. Then it was another, and another and well you know how it goes!

In April and October I do a complete cleaning of the top of the cabinets in my kitchen where my collections reside. In between I do a little bit of dusting, but twice a year I haul out the ladder and climb up there to remove everything from the top of my cabinets. I run them through the glass cycle on my dishwasher and they come out beautifully clean. My pottery has all the paint under the glaze so I don't worry about hurting it. I also do not use the heat cycle on the dishwasher. Since they were all so clean and shiny, I thought it was the perfect time for them to get their pictures taken.





These are the Puss-N-Boots cats. The two little ones are creamers and the large one is a cookie jar. They are probably the most valuable  pieces I own.  My husband and I found them over 15 years ago in Missouri. I took the color from the pottery for my kitchen cabinets and I hand mixed the blue paint for the trim to match the blue in the teapots and kitties. I just love the colors of the pottery and their cute little kitty faces!



The Little Chef cookie jar belonged to my mom. She had it on her kitchen counter for forty some years and it was always filled with homemade cookies!  Only after she passed away and I inherited it did I look at the bottom and realize that it was a Shawnee piece.


Teapots started the collection over 20 years ago in California.












This teapot has gold trim and gold decals.


Shawnee Pottery was started in Zanesville, Ohio in 1937.  The company closed in 1961.  Most pieces had paper labels to denote their origin, however most of those have long since disappeared. Many pieces have USA incised into the bottom of the pottery.  Shawnee Pottery was sold at the local Five and Dime store very inexpensively.  Pieces are becoming more collectible over time, especially the cookie jars and gold trimmed items.




The kitty on the right is wearing a pink straw hat, just because!

I have three teapots that have a blue and pink flower on them.

I have four teapots with blue flowers.


Notice the different handles on the teapots. Also the styles of the base are different, some have a scalloped border and others are plain or have a horizontal border.


The top of the wall between the kitchen and living room is open. It's the perfect place for my teapots! I have a total of twelve teapots, plus one without a lid that I use as a pen/pencil holder. I also have several Shawnee salt and pepper shaker sets, but I will save them for another time!





I am happy with the size of my collection and don't plan on adding anymore teapots or Puss-N-Boots. Sometimes it's just good to enjoy what you have and be satisfied.

Hope  you enjoyed my collection. Until next time!
Diane

Thursday, March 22, 2012

It's Not You, It's Me... Actually It IS You!

Now that spring/summer is here. Not to complain, but 78 degrees in Minnesota in March...Really? Anyway after roasting in fleece for a day, I decided to unpack my summer clothes. Since I do not have closets big enough to accommodate a huge wardrobe, the winter sweaters, winter fleece ( not to be confused with Minnesota summer fleece) had to be packed away. While going through my closets I decided it was time to make a clean break.



I am sorry puffy hangers, but I have no room in my life, err... closets for you anymore. I have moved on to someone who is slimmer, sleeker and just all around better than you.


Goodbye old puffy hangers.


These new faux suede or "velvet flocked"  hangers are my new love! They are slim, pretty and treat my clothes so well. Where have you been all my life! I first bought a few last year a bit timid and not sure how I felt about them. Now I must confess I am in love! I now buy them whenever I find a good sale and have been replacing my old nasty metal and plastic hangers (and now the puffy ones). My clothes are much neater and my closets much roomier! So goodbye puffy hangers, off to the charity box you go.





Does anyone out there have any great spring cleaning tips that have made your life better? Please share with us!


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