Another woman's trash is another woman's treasure. When I was younger I used to get into everything and not in the annoying way, like, I would not just tear through my older relatives belongings and leave them strewn about. As a child I think I always knew there was something different about me, that something different being an empath. I had this desire to see, touch, and smell everything that did not belong to me to just get a feel for the person who owned it. Not just anything, but to me what seemed like "treasures". I was the youngest in my intermediate family. My oldest brother is 9 years older than me. I come from a huge family that is like a big oak tree full of history and years that date down to the late 1800's in Florida. A lot of my relatives were either really really old or they were my cousins my own age growing up.
I used to go through people's things. Not in a creepy way! I was probably like 4 or 5 years old. I would like to get into my mom, aunts, and grandmothers perfumes and lipsticks. I would open them and look, maybe touch, and then smell and think - "this is what it's like to be a lady"... a real adult woman. Usually, my aunts and grandmothers did not care. I was free to touch their things because I always put them back, but my mom hated it. She even locked her door probably from the time I was about five or six; even until now and I am 34.
BUUUTTTT, she had these items that I loved and she never knew!
She had a curio from a world I had never known. My family was a military family until I was born. My family lived in Europe and all my brothers childhood lives were spent there until they moved back to Florida and had me. With that came interesting things that I wanted to touch. She had things from England and Germany and Amsterdam that came along with stories and my dad loves to tell stories about their time in Europe. But tucked back away in a little cabinet was fine china. Now me, being a girl, a little girl, who day dreamed so much loved to open the cabinet and look. I looked so many times and they were still in the packaging and stacked up with cardboard in between each dish. Eventually, I touched them and I thought, I want these, I will be a lady one day...
Eventually, we moved from my childhood home and my mom left them there in our old home forgotten for years, but I never forgot. 2 sets of china that I loved and she never used my whole life. When I was 21 I was getting married and I asked can I have this china and she was like "Yea whatever". I left one set behind and took the coveted garnet flower blue set. Since then, I have moved so many times since then and carried it with me.
I have never used it because I am the type of person who loves some things so much I would rather keep them hidden than use them. One day I decided to look that china up and low and behold it was authentic German egg shell China that was worth money. Not a lot, but it was (at this time) 40 or more years old and I had it. This was my special treasure. I have been wanting to do a blog post where I do my table setting for so long showcasing my china.
In the move I lost a few pieces and I located some online stores that had replacements, but for the most part, my set is an original that my mom brought back from Germany. And get this, she had long forgotten about it and was chagrined when she realized I had it and it was worth money. I am so happy to show this to you guys! It's my treasure. There was a pink set, but low and behold my mom claimed it was gone and now she says she had it all along after she found out my blue set was worth money. I haven't appraised the pink set, but the blue garland was the most popular sold in Germany and in the United States up until 1989.
This is my Spring table setting featuring my original vintage John (Johann) Haviland Blue garnet eggshell china made in Brevaria, Germany during the time my parents lived in Germany also. There are many items I love that I cherish, but I think this china was something that everyday I just thought one day this will be mine and it is. How sweet!
My mom only had the 20pc set so I was able to find the sugar and tea set separately. The tea cups and saucers were lost or maybe broken over the years so I purchased 4 to complete the set I had. Is there anything more fab than an authentic vintage tea set?
Collectable Alabaster Easter eggs: Williams Sonoma
Vintage China: John Haviland
Round Placemats: Crate & Barrel
Napkins: Crate & Barrel
Napkin Rings: Crate & Barrel
Egg Holders: Crate & Barrel
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