Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Jane Becker Wallace--my memories in a tea set

 I've had this silver tea/coffee set since before I got married. My mom gave it to me and it belonged to her mother. I had it on display in our old house and then wrapped it up, hid it away in my trunk and moved. I had been meaning to get it out and polish it. 
This small cream and sugar set was also wrapped up in my trunk. It has her initials on it, one of the reasons I love it so much. 
My grandmother was a truly Southern woman. She was beautiful, educated, sophisticated and well traveled. She and my grandfather went everywhere. She worked in a planetarium at the local museum for years. She taught me all about history, the planets, the solar system, the constellations. She was an amazing wealth of knowledge. She sent me on a trip to Europe for my 16th birthday.

 This tea and coffee set was made in Mexico. My mom believes she bought it on one of their trips there. I love the lines of this set. I have a huge platter in the same pattern, but I didn't get to polishing it this week!
I used my mom's wedding crystal, my grandmother's silverware, Blue Willow plates and Blue Danube luncheon plates, Indies Blue bread plates, my grandmother's silver butter knives, Blue Danube cups and saucers, Russian napkin rings, and a recent clearance purchase...linen colored floral napkins from Target to coordinate with the Romanian linen place mats used as a runner.
 Oddly enough, no one in my family had blue and white china. My mom has Franciscan Apple, Spode Wickerdale, JB Regency White, Limoges, and Mason Ironstone all from her mother and grandmother that she has added pieces to. One of my cousins has another Spode pattern (orange and brown floral) from my grandmother. I adore blue and white. I love the crispness in the design, the elegant playfulness in it, the way it interacts beautifully with other patterns. I think my grandmother would have approved of and loved this. I really do. 

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5 comments:

Martha said...

What memories! A beautiful tea set, a lovely table and another Indies fan!!!! Love your blue and white table -- they (blue and white dishes) set a beautiful table don't they?

Alycia Nichols said...

No one in my family had blue & white, either! Weird....it's so pretty and classic, you would think the whole world would have it!!! The silver pieces are beautiful, and the monogrammed pieces...priceless! I wish I would have had the forethought to buy more silver when I was in Mexico back in the 70s. I was too busy chasing after cute boys! :-)

SwedishCorner ~ DownUnder...Pernilla said...

Absolutely stunning :)
... love blue and white!

Greetings from Australia♥

Kathleen said...

The tea set is lovely , a wonderful keepsake.
I love your blue and white china. I have some of the blue willow, but not the other pattern. But maybe soon!

Susan Nowell @ My Place to Yours said...

Meredith, I missed this tablescape last week, but I'm glad I didn't miss it entirely! I always love seeing your family treasures, and you've certainly introduced us to some beauties this week! I most definitely think your Grandmother would have approved. What a lovely granddaughter she has to continue her loving tradition of Southern hospitality and gentility!

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