Collections: Lu-Ray Pastels

You may have noticed in some of the pictures of my kitchen redo found in this post, were some lovely, soft, bright, happy dishes called Lu-Ray Pastels. I personally call them my "beloveds". They are pretty, add a bright freshness to my kitchen, they make me extremely happy and if you can't tell by now I am madly in love with them. 

Beautiful new kitchen

This madness started way back in 1996 when I was a new mother and started receiving Martha Stewart Living Magazine. (which I also collect, but that's another story of crazy) The issue was April 1996. Once I opened to the page that showcased this dinnerware reminiscent of Easter goodness I was hooked. I had to find them. I needed to find them. And soon!

Here is the magazine article that started the crazy...



All photo's above are from Martha Stewart Living Magazine; April 1996: Number 38

They were made by the Taylor, Smith and Taylor Company from 1938 to 1961. The four original colors are Surf Green, Windsor Blue, Persian Cream and Sharon Pink. The color Chatham Gray was added in 1949 and at the time proved not to be popular and was discontinued in 1952, which now makes this color extremely rare. What is fun about this collection is that when you find a piece all you have to do is flip it over and you can tell what month and year it was made. Unfortunately towards the mid to late 1950's they stopped marking some of their pieces this way.

This "after-dinner coffee cup" shows a manufactured date of January 1942.

Here it is next to an average sized tea cup, so cute.



I received my first Lu-Ray Pastel from my ex sister-in-law Deb as a housewarming gift when my ex husband and I bought our first house in 1999. She had gone to an auction and found a beautiful set of Windsor Blue dishes.

After receiving those dishes I purchased the book Collector's Guide to Taylor Smith and Taylor "Premier Potters of America" Lu-Ray Pastels U.S.A.: Featuring Conversation, Pebbleford, Vistora and More by Kathy and Bill Meehan. To this day it is still considered the "bible" to all collectors of this dinnerware.





As the years have gone on I have found different dishes at several antique stores. Once scoring a Chatham Gray platter for only $14 because the store owner thought it was Windsor Blue. In reality it was worth quite a bit more!! Win for me! Jeff has given me a few expensive pieces for our anniversary (that I just couldn't convince myself to purchase) such as this Sharon Pink flower vase known as an "Epergne". 



Epergne



I don't buy pieces off of Ebay myself, I'm not sure why. My guess is that somehow I feel it's "cheating" when it comes to the "hunt" of collecting. I have been lucky enough to find a few pieces at my local Salvation Army and Thrifty Shopper for mere pennies! Like this small Sharon Pink bowl called a "36s" which I had never ever seen in an antique store, even at an outlandish price!

Sharon Pink  36s sitting atop of a Chatam Gray saucer.



I'm not sure what my favorite piece is.... I do love my covered casserole, it was part of the set that Deb had given me all those years ago. I really love them all. =)

Covered casserole and salt and pepper shakers

Dinner plates in all four colors with a Windsor Blue sugar bowl on top. A Surf Green salt and pepper shaker. In the back is the awesome find Chatham Gray platter. In front of the platter is a Surf Green juice jug, Sharon Pink egg cup, Windsor Blue sauceboat with a Persian Cream butter dish underneath.

Cups and saucers in all the colors with bread and butter plates in the back.

Persian Cream water jug, Windsor Blue sugar bowl and platter.

Notice the difference with the Chatham Gray platter and the Windsor Blue sauceboat?? What a score!

Persian Cream Nappy (veggie bowl) with Sharon Pink creamer (sitting inside) and baker in the back. Windsor Blue teacup sitting on a Surf Green pickle dish.

Sharon Pink sauseboat and a stack of fruit dishes, the top dish is in Chatham Gray.

Two bakers in Surf Green and Sharon Pink and also a creamer.

I just love the top of the lid, like a dollop of cuteness.

There are still so many pieces of Lu-Ry that are yet to be found, the hunt will always continue.... they just make me smile. =)



Mad Men Dress Challenge 2

Okay so I'm in!! For those of you that don't know I absolutely love to sew!! I just never have the time to do it. Always working on some other project, usually for someone else......so one of my New Years Resolutions every this year was to sew something for myself. Enter Mrs. Julia Bobbin's Mad Men Dress Challenge 2!! I eyeballed the challenge last year and loved what everyone came up with. So this year I'm going to participate damn it! Here is her link for those interested.

My favorite character on Mad Men is Joan Holloway Harris, the sexy bombshell that she is!! I also have a big time hubba hubba crush on Christina Hendricks ;)

But I would be wearing this dress to work (salon) so I need to be comfortable and able to actually sit in it. Also, not sure if my client's would appreciate the hubba hubba.  So I've decided to go the Betty (Draper) Francis route and picked a pretty little number she wore in the 4th season.

A lovely blue floral pattern fitted dress. The last few days I have been scoping out dress patterns and have decided to go with New Look's 6910.

I will be using the pattern for option C and add the cute cap sleeves shown in option B. I also have been researching a number of different blue floral fabrics, such as.....

Fabric.com- Jonquil Shirting Floral Grey/Royal

Fabric.com- Amy Butler Midwest Modern II Fresh Poppies Linen

Fabric.com- Amy Butler Midwest Modern Fresh Poppies Green

Fabric.com- Nicey Jane Church Flowers Blue

Fabric.com- Treasures by Shabby Chic Wildflowers Large Floral Blue

(my fav so far, of course they are out of stock)

I will also go to my nearest Joann Fabrics and see what they have in person. I can't wait to get started!



Kitchen redo!

We have been in our house for 5 years. Slowly but surely we have tried to get each room to reflect "us" and our personality.

Our house was built in 1978 and is the typical raised ranch style you find in older developments throughout Upstate New York. Our kitchen was remodeled in 1993 by the previous homeowners which had oak cabinets and ivory/bone colored appliances. It just felt dreary and sad. Nobody likes a sad and dreary cook! We I lived with it for 3 1/2 years...and then I just couldn't take it anymore!! After major hunting for ideas all over the blogesphere, ahem....Pinterest, I decided that white painted cabinets were just what the doctor ordered.

The previous owners kitchen

First I painted the walls a dark gray called Creek Bend by Behr. We purchased new stainless steel appliances and Jeff installed a dishwasher as the kitchen didn't have one before....best.thing.ever.

I decided I wanted open cabinets on one side of the kitchen, the other side near the fridge would keep their doors. I just love the look of open cabinets! So I took almost everything out of each cabinet and then all the doors off.





The white standing cabinet in this pic housed my colletion of Lu-Ray Pastel dinnerware. I got rid of the cabinet and those dishes now live in the open shelves.

Where the wine lives ;)

The paint I chose for the cabinets was Powdered Snow also by Behr (with the primer included) BUT the freak that I am also used primer by Zinsser first. It was a long process but totally worth it!

Cabinets before trimwork

Ahhh, my beautiful Lu-Rays!

Next came the trim I added to the tops of all the cabinets, I really like how they turned out.

So we lived with that for almost a year then I FINALLY finished the shelves I had wanted to put up inbetween the cabinets above the sink! That will be where my everyday dishes (Fiestaware) will be stored. I purchased four shelf brackets, two wood boards and trim for the front of each shelf from Home Depot.

Shelves being installed, new sink, faucet and door hardware.

New fridge and pantry

The keeper of all things important!



My new beautiful bright cheery kitchen. I love you. I love you. I love you!!

We kept the tile floor because it was in great shape and I am living with the countertops we had before. New countertops not really in the budget for now and I would really like to tackle the master bedroom next, so tag this baby DONE!!

Shared on......

       

Side swiped!!

Soooo, I got some guts recently and made the plunge! I had my friend and hair stylist that works at the salon with me cut some side swept bangs on Thursday!! I have not had bangs since 1999!



I have been following the pinup model Cherry Dollface on youtube and she has some amazing vintage hair (and makeup) tutorials. That is what prompted me to cut my bangs, to be able to try some of her hairstyles. If you haven't yet checked out her videos I suggest you do! She's so sweet and the tutorials are easy to follow. Here are some of my favorites.

Vintage everyday beehive bouffant

Vintage Mod side ponytail bouffant

Vintage 1950's curly hair

The Cherry Dollface channel

I'm not used to the bangs yet and I have come to realize that I now need a few extra items in the bathroom to make them manageable such as a flat iron and stronger hairspray!  They fall into my eyes a bit while I am working but I just need to get the hang of styling them. I can't wait to try some new hairstyles and I will add some pictures here if I'm successful at all!

New hobby: Letterboxing

Okay, If you don't know this yet, I have quite a few hobbies that keep me busy. Genealogy, sewing, collecting, DIYing etc.
Enter Letterboxing.

It all started on the 4th of July at my husbands grandparents house. Waiting for us were his cousins and Aunt. They couldn't wait for us to get there to tell us (me) about their new hobby. Once they explained it, I said "lets go", and out the door we went. =)

It's basically a scavenger hunt, throughout the country and actually worldwide! People make a rubber stamp or they buy one and they also include a logbook. These items go into a hard, plastic "letterbox" (usually Rubbermaid type box). Then the "planter" the person planting the letterbox, writes up clues for you to follow and posts it online. There are two major websites for letterboxing. Atlas Quest and Letterboxing North America. Just do a search (usually by zip code) of what area you are looking for and you will finds TONS! and I mean TONS!! of letterboxes in your area!

All that you need for this fun adventure is an unlined logbook or notebook and a pretty cool stamp of your liking, this is your "signature stamp", an ink pad and also a "trail name" that you register on the website. Once you find where the letterbox is hiding, empty the contents of their box. Stamp your signature stamp into their logbook and sign your trail name and date, also the area where you are from too if you like. No personal information! Then take their stamp and do the same with your own log book. Make note of the date and the letterboxes name in there as well. Then close up their letterbox and hide it back in the spot you found it. As discreet as possible, we don't want any passersby to realize what you are up to. =)

 Basically you are collecting stamps that are secretly hidden. And I am HOOKED.

Usually the clues to where the letterbox is hidden takes you on a journey to beautiful places, quiet spots that you didn't even know where in your area. Some are historic and some are brain teasers that really make you think!

Butternut Creek Recreation and Nature Area

Old Orville Cemetery

It's a fun activity to do with the kids or family. My son and husband enjoy going with me. I've even got my sister hooked! It's a cheap date for sure, and we are spending our time together outside in the beautiful weather. Making memories, I think that is my favorite part.

My sister Lisa and I

Some of my favorite stamps so far:

These were hand carved!



My trail name is "Love Mom" which is one of my tattoos in my mothers handwriting that I have on my right forearm. My signature stamp is a picture of two vintage women with a background of a dress pattern instructions. =) Totally me!

Once you and your family start Letterboxing, I guarantee you will not want to stop. You will be jonesing for another find! Next up I plan to carve a stamp for my sister. We shall see how that goes!