IN A QUANDARY ---

I crave change -- After all of these years of collecting and changing out stuff, I still want something different to look at in our home.

The problem is that I really do like the things that we have inherited and accumulated over our 56 years of marriage, and hate to pack anything away.

I love my great-grandfather's lamp sitting on a textile I purchased on Portebello Road in London.

Everyone knows I'm crazy over brown transferware, and love looking at it every day.

I'm sold on wool, handwork, plaid, and texture.

And, I can't live without color plus wood that has lived a previous life.

So, I guess I don't really want change -- just would love to add a HUGE addition to the house so that I could look every day at MORE of the stuff I love.

In the meantime, I guess the least I could do is put the Valentines away for another year.And pull out part of another collection that hasn't seen the light of day for awhile --- antique silver.

A sugar bowl with a birdie on top with slots to hold teaspoons.

A spooner with a collection of sugar spoons.

A covered butter dish with a butter-knife holder.

And, a beautiful little creamer.

I remember now why they were hidden away --- they really need polished!!!  A project for another day.
At least, tarnish is something different to look at for awhile.

I'm joining the following:
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Pieced Pastimes for Saturday Sparks
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays At Our Home
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesdays
Green Willow Pond for What We Accomplished Wednesday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
Common Ground for Share Your Style Thursday

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY

It's not Tablescape Tuesday anymore, but here we are at Tablescape Thursday!! Check out Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for a wonderful selection of tablescape participants.

I'm finally in the Valentine's Day mood and have pulled out some of my antique valentines to dress the table.

The dishes are among my favorites for this season. The white plate is Mikasa Italian Countryside - a recent consignment store find of service for six for a total of $28. All of the red glassware and plates are from my Fostoria Argus pattern collection. Valentine's Day would not be complete without some red transferware. These salad plates are in the Romance pattern from Alfred Meakin & Co. The monogrammed napkins with an "S" can stand for Sally, or Salmagundi, or our last name, or just for "Sweet"!!

From Hobby Lobby's after-Christmas sale, I picked up these red and Mercury glass votives for 80 cents each. They are just as great for V Day as they will be for Christmas!

The Valentines are some of the ones I discovered in my Great Grandmother's belongings. They are wonderful die-cuts with movable parts. We also have quite a few antique Valentine postcards from the late 19th century.

And you have to have chocolate hearts to finish off a celebratory meal!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally