Thursday, January 19, 2012

My Silent Love Affair With Glass

**We sadly lost a legend and a great in the music world today to complications with leukemia. Etta James. I grew up listening to her music as my parents loved blues and jazz of that era. Her rendition of "At Last" has always been my favorite by her...**

I love glass. For me it is the sparkle in the house...the bling when the light catches it just right... When we lived in Manassas, Virginia, almost every Saturday hubby and I and sometimes the children, would head over to the most wonderful antique market I have ever been to! Laws Auctions. They held regular auctions of which I/we were a regular bidders, but most Saturday's and Sunday's the whole place was opened up to antique vendors. This was in the 70's. I ohhhed and ahhhhed over depression glass which was expensive, even then, I might add. Hubby was not impressed with it or the prices, as he remembered his mom building sets of glasses and dessert dishes from laundry detergent boxes and from movie tickets. I found that to make it even more desirable and....romantic!

Isn't this cool? I found this years ago and felt rather blessed as you don't see this type of thing often...When I found it, the antique vendor told me it screwed on to something that released the soap powder. For the life of me, I can not remember his explanation and probably I wasn't paying close enough attention as I was too enthralled with the piece.

I don't have any memories of soap boxes and the such, but I do remember one grandmothers sugar and creamer in a delicate pink and in her butlers pantry sat a beautiful pink glass cookie jar always full of her delicious cookies. My aunt Ethel, who was educated in Paris, has some lovely art glass by Tiffany and an amber glass bowl with a beautiful design. That gorgeous bowl sat in an East facing window in her gorgeous home. She knew I loved that bowl and among all her china and many other treasures, she left that bowl to me. I treasured it and it always brought back such happy memories when I looked at it, but one move, it did not make it and broke into four pieces. I cried as I threw them away.....such a loss! But that bowl lives on in my mind!

I don't have anything rare or expensive....I pick up pieces that touch my heart for one reason or another...And I like to put them in groupings or alone to stand out.


The above, olde medicine bottle was a buried find and after many soakings, whatever is in the bottle is just going to have to be part of its charm, as I could not remove it.

This Peanut Glass olde oil lamp has turned purple with age. This was one of my wins at an auction at Laws. The catalogs listed it without the matching globe at $500.00. I found one of these, in clear, for each of my children. I just loved the pattern. When the children became adults, some wanted theirs, others did not....

I have no idea about the small perfume bottle above. I just liked the etched design. I found it on a table in a deplorable yard sale for a dime....I need to find a pretty stopper for it. I like to think I rescued it!

This sweet little hand blown glass paper weight was found in Vermont with the grandchildren and our daughter one hot summer day. There were two and and Miss A. the oldest of the girls got the other one as it says St. Clair on the bottom. They lived in St.Clair Shores, just below us, before they moved to NY and she got excited thinking it was from there.....in time she will get this one, too.


There is a story about these two pieces...
When we were in Texas, on our last trip to see our son and family, I found these in what was once a great antique store. The store had closed and a kind of flea market junk store had opened, but.....sitting on an incredibly dusty shelf were a wonderful collection of olde glass bowls and compotes. One bowl was especially lovely and I saw the double H on the bottom for Heisey. Each of these bowls was ten dollars!! What a steal! I brought home five and gave the Heisey bowl to my daughter-in-law as a gift from me. We looked it up on line and sure enough, there it was. She wound up with quite a treasure!.
I am enjoying these two, one in the window and the pedestal bowl or compote filled with fruit and sometimes floating flowers....

And just up the street, not many feet, was a real antique store and I found ten of these. I purchased them for my website, but so far have not been able to part with them...a very real problem with me!

A darling little creamer I keep sitting in the purple creamer below...

My husband is an avid flea market person. Before I joined him in his enthusiasm I tagged along one day. This was in San Diego when we lived there. The flea market was huge and held regularly in the parking lot of the stadium. Some vendors had their wares spread out on cloths on the ground and that is how I found this. It was already lavender, but I have always kept it in a window and the purple is slowly deepening....

This little lavender sweetie was found in Canada on the North side of Toronto. There is a big apple alongside the road advertising apple pies made right there. The big apple, when open, has winding stairs to the top for a pretty view of the countryside and highway. There is a newly discovered antique store on the turn off to the apple store. Outside they have tables of many things...glass, pottery, china and here and there was something of interest and charm and for mere pennies....I found this...I love the shape and the scalloped foot. Inside the store were many beautiful treasures and it was featured on a past blog post....

This pretty milk glass hobnail bottle, once held heavenly Lily Of The Valley cologne long ago. I remember as a little girl, going with my Dad to get Mom a present for her birthday or Mothers Day and getting her a whole set with this pretty bottle. I loved those bottles then and I do today. They are just plain pretty! I have a granddaughter, Miss J., who liked this bottle on a visit here, last year, and it will someday become hers...

This beautiful olde Venetian glass apple was my mothers...I am guilty of breaking the stem, but I can not, will not, throw it out. This is over fifty years old now and the gold flecks throughout the apple are flecks of real gold....

I found the tall pink depression glasses in Kentucky twenty two years ago and have eight. The other glasses I have several of each and were found exploring back roads and antique stores when we lived in Manasses. They give such pleasure to just look at and especially to use!
I could share more with you, but I think this is the longest post I have ever written and hope it was not too long for you all....since there is a bit of pink here and there this will also be my Pink Saturday post over at Beverly's on Friday starting at 3:00pm. Be sure and come join the party as there are so many fabulous blogs celebrating our favorite color...PINK!

As I come across more pretty pieces of glass, I will be sharing my finds, here, with you all!
Have a happy day and thank you for stopping in! I love reading your comments!
Jil ♥
Maybe a glass loving party would be fun???

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love glass as well. I have always loved pretty pieces of glass with light sparkling off it. My grandmother had gorgeous pieces of depression glass when I was a little girl. As an adult, I have become a glass artist. I work with traditional stained glass, as well as fusing. All of your pieces are gorgeous and tell a story.

Unknown said...

Thank you for showing us your collection. I have 2 milk glass hand dishes. One is 2 hands cupped together and one is a single hand. They are so whimsical and cute. I hate that I missed the times when utilitarian items were crafted to be functional and beautiful.

Past and Present said...

Just love your collection of glass. I love collecting Green depression glass. Just starting to collect milk glass. But I am fasinated with your purple/lavender glass

Love the stories to go with your collection Collecting Kitchenalia is so exciting find that special item.
Greetings from Astralia

The Cottage Market {Andrea} ♥ said...

SIMPLY GORGEOUS!!!! love each piece -- pictures are amazing and the finds sensational! thank you for sharing with us! : ) hugs...keorp

Eileen said...

I love old glass. My grandmother has given me some of hers over the years and I treasure it. You have some lovely pieces.

Sandy said...

I can see why you have a love affair with glass with all these lovely pieces! Enjoyed reading your post and looking at everything.

fannipauline said...

I use to collect depression glass in the pinks and the greens. I loved them. About 3 years ago I split all of the pinks with 2 of my daughters and the green with another daughter........They now have all of the "beauties" and love them as much as I did. I do not collect alot of glass as I have lived in Imperial Valley for 81 years and we are very prone to earthquakes........Love your blog Jil..........

fannipauline said...

I use to collect depression glass in the pinks and the greens. I loved them. About 3 years ago I split all of the pinks with 2 of my daughters and the green with another daughter........They now have all of the "beauties" and love them as much as I did. I do not collect alot of glass as I have lived in Imperial Valley for 81 years and we are very prone to earthquakes........Love your blog Jil..........

Michelle said...

Amazing finds in your collection. I really like that perfume bottle. Yes, what a musical legend who has passed today.

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

Jil, I have always loved glass too. That little perfume bottle which you hope to find a stopper for is adorable. Love the creamer too. You have so many wonderful pieces! I adore pink depression glass and here where I live, there is very little of it to be found.
Thanks for sharing your little treasures and Happy Pink weekend.

Blessings,
Sandi

Sherry from Alabama said...

What beautiful glassware! I love the blending of green and pink. Happy Pink Saturday!

Celestina Marie said...

Hi Jil,
Oh I so enjoyed this post as I love glass accent pieces too and for me just finishes a room.
Your glass is lovely and you certainly have some gorgeous treasures in your collection with special memories to go with them.

Thank you for sharing.
Thank you also for stopping by and your kind comment. Sounds like you and your hubby enjoy the redos too. Isn't it fun?

Have a nice weekend and blessings to you.
Celestina Marie XO

J.Rylie.C said...

So pretty!

Come and see my PINK, you can also link with my Color Connection meme. Happy Pink Saturday.

Cindy Adkins said...

Hi Jil,
I love pretty glass, too, although I don't have a lot of it. My Mom collected pink depression glass. Of course, she could remember when it came in detergent boxes, etc., but started collecting when she was older. One of my aunts collected Carnival Glass. You have some very nice pieces! Thanks for sharing. Hugs, Cindy

Nancy said...

I love glass, too. I'd prefer my regular dishes were just glass!

The little creamer is my fave. We could analyze that or just enjoy. :-)

Happy Pink Saturday!

Jillian's Bella Rosa Antiques said...

I enjoyed your post today! Being the avid antiquer, fleamarketer, yard-saler, and estate saler I could relate to your joy in looking for these fun pieces. The memories are the best. Lovin' that apple as I went to Venice twice!

ShabbyESP said...

I love your pink and all your beautiful glass you are sharing with us today!!!
Happy Pink Saturday!!!
Suzann ~xoxo~

Mrs. White said...

Thank you for visiting me!

This post was lovely! I enjoyed reading all the memories and stories you shared. The pictures are charming! You have made me want to go decorate my house and make everything look extra pretty!

Have a very happy pink Saturday!

Blessings
Mrs. White
Vermont Sewing Cottage
and The Legacy of Home

Mrs. White said...

Oh, I forgot to say that I was sorry to hear of the death of Etta. "At Last" was one of my favorite songs.

Blessings
Mrs. White
Vermont Sewing Cottage
and The Legacy of Home

Lisa said...

What a beautiful collection you have! My daughter collects depression glass so I am always on the lookout for pieces to get for Christmas or her birthday. I love how each of your pieces has a sweet story to remember it by.:)

Grace said...

What beautiful glass pieces you have. I enjoyed reading your post. Havea wonderful weekend Grace

Unknown said...

Hi Jil! You do have a lovely collection---thanks for sharing it with us! I'm curious about the purple glass--- Will any sort of glass turn purple if it sits in the sun long enough or is it just a certain kind? I have one little purple bottle that I just love and would like to "make" more! :)

Have a lovely weekend! HaPpY pInK sAtUrDaY!

Mrs. Sarah Coller

Cindy Adkins said...

Oh WOW, this is soooo gorgeous! I love it all!!! Happy Pink Saturday!!!
XO
Cindy

Michele said...

i am impressed by all your beautiful glass, especially the way you arrange everything. just gorgeous. i love glass, too! i will also miss Etta. she was a class act, full of soul and depth. thanks for stopping by my blog today and i wish you a very happy pink saturday weekend! xo from michele

Antiques And Teacups said...

What a wonderful and varied glass collection. Just beautiful!
Ruth

Linda M. said...

Happy Pink Saturday, WOW you really have a big collection of pretty glass things. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy and have a wonderful week. Joyous Wishes, Linda

Blooming Rose Musings said...

You have very lovely glass pieces. I agree with you, I love to see glass near a window and catching the sparkle of light. I also collect glass and right now I especially like lavender glass and pink depression glass. Wonderful to see your lovely collection.

Gypsea Nurse said...

Lovely collection.. but no worries.. there are others with the same obsession..mine goes from Milk glass, depression, apothecary to sea... and have tons.. I think a glass party is in order...smiles:)
xoxo
C

Francie...The Scented Cottage Studio said...

My dd and I are glass lovers too.
Wish you had kept the pieces of the bowl I could have made something for you from it..
Love all your treasures.
Happy PS !

Gabriela Delworth - Instructional Designer said...

HPS!

I also love glass. Your pieces are fabulous. My favorite is the apple!


Gabriela

Pink Roses and Teacups said...

Hi Jill,

I haven't been here to visit in awhile! I have been a follower for a while now. I love all of your pretties. That soap jar is so cool.
My father in law collected antique milk bottles, and with the old glass he used to put them in the sun to turn them lavendar too. Hummm, wonder if lime away would take out the stains in the medicine bottle. That's cool too. Thanks for sharing you nice collection.

Debbie

bohemiannie! art said...

You have quite a collection of beautiful glass. I lived on the Virginia Peninsula for years and miss the antiquing in that area!!!

Marti McClure said...

Your glass pieces are amazing. Happy Pink Saturday, ~Marti

Sue McPeak said...

What a beautiful collection of glassware and each piece with a special story. As a glass collector, I so admired the way you have them displayed and used. Isn't it fun to rearrange and show off individual pieces? Lovely photos as well. Very nice. Thanks for visiting CollectInTexas Gal...hope to see you again soon. I thought I was already a follower, Jil, as we have been on Pink Saturday together for so long. I checked and I wasn't, but I am now.

Blessings from Cindy said...

Your glassware is lovely! I also love the stories behind why you find them so special! Thanks for visiting my blog & your sweet comments!
Blessings,
Cindy

Daniella said...

Awesome glass!!
I have been collecting depression glass about 18 years, and I love it!! You have many awesome pieces, and patterns. The white hobnail piece is gorgeous!!
A glass loving party? I would be very interested!! Just let me know!!
HPS!
xxDaniella

Loretta said...

What a scrumptious post!
I loved all your pretty things.
Your blog is so lovely.

Your Craft Book said...

Jil, I love your glass collection. For me there is something very tactile about glass and I love the feel of it in my hands.

I especially love your collection of lavender glass, so pretty, thank you so much for letting get a little peek at your collection.

Blessings always dear friend, Maureen.

Olivia said...

Oh my what gorgeous glassware you are sharing! I pick up what I like too! So fun to wonder about who used it and for what! I don't mind chips, I just glue it back together if it breaks lol. Anyhoo, thank you for stopping by to visit with me!
Hugs,
Olivia