Remember the Alamo - Remember the Spring...

Of 2010 that is.... It's safe to say that we barely had a spring this year. We had come of a long winter where we actually got a decent amount of snow one day and then basically by April we were already in summer. Oh I went through my usual diligent spring planting of annuals, but they didn't make it long in the Texas drought and 85 days of 100 degree weather this year (usually we have 12 days of 100 degree weather). I don't know why, but I failed to take any pictures of the spring flowers while they lasted. That's too bad really because I have acquired 6 more Alamo pots for begonias since the last time I took a picture of them back in spring of 2010. You can get an glimmer (or is it Gilmer,...haha inside joke) of an idea what my Alamo collection looks like from this picture, but you'll have to wait until next time to see the whole kit and caboodle. Trust me you do not want to see it right now, everything that is left  is barely hanging on.

But onto to sing the praises of Alamo. CollectoratorOne first discovered Alamo pottery several years ago, and I bought a large yellow one for the sake of having one. Well my mistake came when I bought the pink one and left them alone together. Now for some reason I have 19 pastel colored scalloped pots from both Alamo and it's step-brother Gilmer Pottery. CollectoratorOne and I mainly collect the scalloped pots they produced, but we have several other pieces from both Alamo and Gilmer as well. Such as this little tulip shaped pot and  deco-ish ashtray.  This is Texas-bred pottery, one of several companies I have been learning about and collecting over the years.  Alamo Pottery only operated from 1945-1951, but Gilmer came in tweaked the colors and molds and continued on with the scalloped goodness until 1965. You can tell the scalloped pots apart because Alamo Pottery is right, down to the right. Gilmer is down to the left. We used to despise Gilmer because we thought they were knock off pots, until we learned the full history. Now we embrace them equally which is good because they have some super cute items in their line including little scalloped pots with a scalloped base hooked on of which I have two! Can't be that. You can tell a piece of Alamo or Gilmer when you pick it up. It's super heavy for it's size as it was made out of vitreous porcelain of the ilk that is used in bathroom fixtures, not surprising given they also made bathroom fixtures! What we'd give to find a pink Alamo sink and toilet. egads.... It's safe to say that I've drank the Alamo koolaide, and I think that I need one more pot because 19 is just not a round number...

Oh before you go, Check out CollectoratorOne's Alamo/Gilmer collection here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/collectoratorone/sets/72157615605309033/

Crazy About Chartreuse Too!

Update: Finished my first box of packing!! I felt like when I taped up that box I sent the universe in motion to begin to locate my new house! Go universe go!

I don't know if it was just closing up the box up, or if it was the act of packing some of my favorite pottery into a box CollectoratorOne had labeled Shawnee Vases (one of the first boxes she unpacked into her new house), but I felt our always parallel universe working in my favor.

I'm excited to see what I'll feature and pack up next! Oh, and just in case you didn't think the first batch of chartreuse pottery necessitated the label "crazy," here's part two! Also a nice picture of my favorite round plant stands by the way. Two for one!

Crazy about Chartreuse

Not so crazy that I am going to dye my hair chartreuse like in the Louis Jordan song BUT I have collected chartreuse pottery beyond my fair share most likely! When I was looking for my current house, I had to put a dining room set on layaway  because I hadn't found the house yet. Thank goodness for layaway because this was the perfect dining room set for me. 1960's  honey colored wood and chartreuse covered seat cushions, so I couldn't pass it up just because I didn't have silly thing like a house for it! Now normally I like dark wood which is kind of anti-mid century modern I'll admit, but I inherited a few pieces of dark furniture so I've built around it. I've done just fine in finding darker wood pieces in the era, but I drew the line at the dining room set. Regardless of the color it was coming home with me. Once I settled on the house, I realized that the existing paint color in the dining room lent itself quite perfectly with chartreuse. For those who want to know, the paint is Kelly Moore Everglades. Kind of a greenish bluish medium grey (it looks bluer than it is in the pictures).  I highly recommend it for blonde or honey colored wood, although i do rather like the color CollectoratorOne chose for her new dining room, that same medium grey but with more turquoise.

In any case, upon move in I had NOTHING that was chartreuse to decorate with. GASP! So I promptly remedied it and bought several pieces to display. I've slowly expanded my collection to the current state.  I really wish I knew who the manufacturer is of the set on the left in the picture. Can't seem to find anyone that knows. My favorite piece is in the center which is Claire Lerner California Pottery.  I'd like to find the free form shallow bowl to stand the birds in, someday. Lastly there are two Bennetts California Serpentine vases. I've seen a 4 inch tall one as well...next on my list!

As much as I love looking at this cheerful chartreuse pottery I am packing most of it away. Yes, you read that right packing it away because I have started the tick tick tick of the moving timeline! It's time that we found a bigger house, only partially due to my Collectorating habit (is 80% really partial?) Granted, it may be six months to a year before we move, but I want to be ready to move fast when I find that perfect house. It's also the perfect opportunity to start a new blog series to highlight everything I'm packing away! I'll think I'll leave the Claire Learner birds out for staging so someone else sees how perfect this paint is with chartreuse!

Extreme Collectorating = Tablescapes!

Well meaning friends say there is a fine line between collectorating and hoarding... To them I say you haven't found the beauty of well functioning tablescapes yet!!! So there... cough... In any case, my new favorite thing of late is creating works of art with my favorite collectibles. Only trouble is it gives me more excuses to buy more things (like I need anymore excuses). Case in point these two lovely birds. I can honestly say I bought them for the sole purpose of standing next to this McCoy Floraline vase.


A worthy purchase I think.  My favorite trio of late though is one that came together on its own over time not through a tablescape-need-justification. A nice, sunny yellow combo of Alamo and Shawnee vases and a Maddux Chinese Pheasant. It makes me happy just looking at it even though the bright yellow reminds me that it has been exhaustingly sunny for waaaaaay too many days this summer. What would make me feel better is if I could find the running pheasant in the same Maddux series which still frustratingly alludes me! Ok, I'd settle for 80 degree weather for awhile instead.

So what may seem on the outside as over-collectorating is really functional on the inside. I found that I actually make the effort get the pieces out and arrange them in new ways and funny so does "the boy." I'll come home and find his own carefully assembled scape filled with flowers. Now that's love. So not only am I enjoying all the pieces I've found, I'm actually using them too which makes me very happy even if I don't have the Maddux running pheasant! oh that fast 'scaping bird... Tune in for more tablescapes coming soon!