CHRISTMAS IS HERE...FA LA LA LA LA

 Thanksgiving came and went without much fuss, and ushered in the Christmas season with all its glory.  I love Christmas.  I have made it mine by eliminating stress and focusing on what is important.  My daughter, my husband, home decor, and food.    At the beginning of December, I sent gifts to my daughter, and baked cookies for gifts: peanut butter and oatmeal/pecan.   Just for fun, I made a coconut cake the weekend before the holiday, and for Christmas Eve, we'll enjoy a red velvet cake.  By mid-December, the tree was up, and the fireplace was adorned with an evergreen garland, angels, lights, and ornaments.   In the morning when Sadie and I come downstairs, and the chores are done, I play Christmas music instead of turning on the TV.   It's a wonderful time of year.

I was with my Mom when I purchased the angel tree topper. It was the early '70s, so she's seen a lot of Christmases perched atop the tree.

Dining Room

Sunroom. Candle from Melanie

The silver is polished and on the kitchen table. The dining room had a pre-Christmas deerscape table setting, and tomorrow I will replace it with Old Country Roses as I get ready for Christmas Eve and day.

Dining Room:  Deerscape

I love a silver tea set, and my Mom's Johann Haviland, Petit Point tea cups coordinate nicely with it.  The tablecloth is April Cornell, Merry Black, and that pretty silver tray was a bargain find at a nearby estate sale. Vintage white linen napkins were my Grandmother's.  

Kitchen:  Coconut Cake and Silver Tea Service

It's Christmas Eve, and our dinner tonight will come to us from D'Franco's, our favorite local restaurant. Starting with a tri-color salad and clams oreganata, we'll finish with mussels fra Diavolo over pasta.  To compliment this lovely meal we'll sip a chilled, bubbly Cava.    I made peanut butter cookies for Santa today, and we have coconut cake for later.   The table is set with Royal Albert's Old Country Roses atop a black velvet tablecloth.  

Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner

Surround yourself with what you love...

FALLING LEAVES...AND BEES

 Yes, it's that time, Fall.    I love the fall because the weather cools and the colors change to beautiful hues of reds, oranges, and yellows.   Nature's colors inspire my home decor. 

One of my favorite collections is Boston International's, Honeycomb Bee. Not only for its warm caramel-yellow color but also for its rich texture.

I discovered this pattern on Pinterest from a blogger's posting of a beautiful bee-themed table setting six years ago.  I was able to buy six dessert/salad plates from Bed Bath and Beyond, but much to my dismay, the dinner plates were nowhere to be found.  The set was initially sold by Horchow, but by the time I discovered it, none were available.  There were various pieces on Ebay, but they were overpriced.  Bed Bath and Beyond and Amazon carried some pieces including a beautiful little teapot, and in 2019, my friend Rosemary gave it to me for my birthday.  In 2020, Vinnie gave me the Wallace Napoleonic flatware with gold accents (Horchow).  This year I made the leap and purchased the creamer/sugar, two mugs, and two tea cups with saucers.     The only possibility of another purchase would be the dinner plates should they show up somewhere, but it's ok if they don't.  My obsession with honeybees doesn't stop at dishware.  I recovered a footstool with a beautiful bee fabric, made bee napkin rings and a bee tea box, a bee table runner, and last Christmas my girlfriend, Diane, sent me a beautiful beaded bee throw pillow.

I had to have the neutral straw ruffled placemats for this set and searched for them for 5 years.  I finally found them on ebay.    The tablecloth in the picture is April Cornell and has nothing to do with the bee theme.  I happened to have it and loved it with this set.

This brings me to my latest project.  I painted 4 juice glasses in a bee motif.  Full disclosure, I used a bee stencil.  I did this for consistency in shape and size. I had the stencil which I used previously to make the tea box.  I had to mix the paint to get just the right color which is a soft caramel yellow.  For the napkin rings, I bought bee pins on ebay, cut off the pin and catch, and glued them to a wood ring (from Amazon).

When I need a dinner set with this collection, I use my Mikasa Fine Ivory Royalty.  It's a beautiful compliment to the bee collection. The setting below was a spring table.

Spring, summer, or fall, the bee collection 

is right up there as one of my favorites!

Winking Girl

 Every October I bring out my winking girl tea set.  I received one cup from my MIL years ago.  It was on a shelf in my dish storage area, and would always catch my attention...as though she was looking at me.  I know, spooky, but in a good way.   So I decided to give her three companions and a teapot.  There are winking girl and boy teapots to match, but I prefer the polka dot because it matches her eyes.  I had the reticulated plates which coordinate with the set.   And the tumbling baby Pierrot clowns?  They have similar faces and add whimsey.  It's just me being quirky.

it's Finally Fall!

 Lots going on in these first days of fall.   Watching Hurricane Ian destroy Florida has been gut-wrenching, but it does make one thankful for shelter from the storm.  A friend of mine spent the night in her attic with her life vest on.   I can't even imagine.  She was with her husband, dogs, and a neighbor for whom she gave shelter.  Her good deed was rewarded by making it through 155 mph winds and an 18-foot surge.   She has to redo her yard and fencing, but it looks like everything else is intact, including her life!  Thank God🙏

That brings me to my latest endeavors.

First project:  Rooster Table!   Yes, I love to create a rooster table in the early fall.  This year I wanted coffee/tea mugs to match the theme, so I found a set of four on Etsy:  Ordered them;  two of them were broken in the shipment; reordered 2 more, and am waiting for them to arrive.   I haven't had a broken shipment in several years.   I hope to get a refund from the shipper. Here is the table setting:

I made coasters to use on the bare table:

The other project I've been working on is refinishing two fronts in my kitchen.  I use these two the most, as the small drawer has silverware for cooking and various prep items, like peeler, bottle opener, can opener, scissors, etc.   The pull-out below is for the trash and recycling bins.  On both, the finish around the knobs had become soft and pulled away from the wood.   I didn't take a before picture, but this is the project so far.  I'm almost done with the utensil drawer and need to apply several more coats to the bin front.  Thank goodness they look nice and you can't tell I have refinished them.

I learned something important from this project.   NEVER SHAKE A CAN OF POLYURETHANE!

Shaking will cause bubbles that will look bad when you apply the finish.  I also had to be very gentle and careful when applying with a brush.  Well, yes, I learned this because I shook the can, but luckily I found out about the bubbles before I applied the product, so I let the can sit for 24 hours, and the bubbles did dissipate.  However, you should gently stir...but don't shake!!   Lesson learned.   Also, I learned about the grit of sandpaper.  The higher the grit number, the finer the sandpaper.   I used 320 between coats and 400 after the final coat.

FAUX BREAD AND NEW YEAR'S EVE! WAIT...WHAT?

 Nothing like a great food prop to make a table look more inviting!   I thought I'd start with bread.  After researching, I found a simple way to make a faux bread food prop.  One, buy a pretty loaf of bread.  Two, dehydrate it in a slow oven: 180 degrees for 2 hours.  Three, let it cool and sit for a couple days.  Four, give it two coats of polyurethane.   Make sure it doesn't get wet or damp, and if you store it, throw in some silica packets to keep it dry.   And voila!   Here it is.

Faux Bread!

My thoughts about a New Year's Eve placesetting.   I decided to look for plates with a clock face to use for NYE.  The items that came up were very expensive, and frankly, not very cute.  So, I decided to resurrect an idea I had last year which was to place a paper clock face under a glass plate.   Easy and budget friendly.

New Year's Eve Clock Face

PIZZA, WINE, AND THEE

In the Northeast, August is the warmest month.  The stores are ready for back-to-school shoppers, and the late afternoon shadows are getting longer.   My husband and I enjoy pizza on Friday nights regardless of how hot it gets.  It has become a tradition, and I make our pizza from scratch, including the dough for the crust.  My favorite toppings are Hot Italian sausage (crumbled), peppers and onions, sliced olives, and thinly sliced fresh tomato.  I precook the sausage, onions, and peppers.  Under these scrumptious toppings is a layer of sauce topped by a layer of mozzarella cheese, and grated cheese completes the pie.

Now, how to set the table?   I put the question out to my BTS friends on Facebook and received many answers.  The most popular was the traditional red checkered tablecloth with candles in empty wine bottles.   Some use clever triangular plastic dishes, some paper, and one lady serves her pizza on parchment paper.   Meanwhile, I set out to create a tablescape.   I found some lovely reticulated (pierced) plates with grapes and grape leaves, the seller sent the wrong plates and I ended up getting a full refund and two plates that I did not want, sigh.  I finally found a pretty lattice-edged plate, lovely grapes and leaves salad plate, napkins, napkin rings, and 4 more napkins that I will make into a table square.  Everything else, I have in my arsenal.  I began my journey with a collage, and as I added to the collection, I use the collage to see if an item will work.  I love the process, and here is what I came up with:

The Table

The Pizza

Design Collage

SUMMER COCKTAILS

 An icy cocktail hits the spot on a warm July evening.   We had tacos tonight, and I wanted a Margarita after dinner, so I found a fabulous recipe that tastes like the real deal and is easy-peasy.

Recipe:

            3 parts Tequilla (Patron Silver)

            2 parts Cointreau

            1 1/2 parts freshly squeezed lime juice

            1/2 part simple syrup

             slushy ice:  process ice and water in Vitamix, until slushy, and drained in sieve

             Coat rim of glass with lime juice then sugar. Garnish with slice of lime.

              

Pickled Green Tomatoes!

 I purchased one tomato plant at Home Depot and it has been a winner!  Tomatoes galore.  We had to rescue a batch of green tomatoes because two branches broke (I think from the squirrels).  So I pickled them.  

Here's the recipe:

                        1 part white vinegar

                        1 part water

                        1/2 part olive oil

                         Salt, sugar, and seasoning to taste

                        I added carrots, 1 hot cherry pepper, celery, and red onion with the green tomatoes.

As of this posting, we've already eaten 1 jar!   So yummy

JULY...ALREADY?

 Somehow I missed posting for June.  The month was full of repairs.  Two visits by a repairman to fix our AC, two visits by another repairman to fix my washer/dryer, and a plumber to replace two faucets.  All seems to be working well now as I stay cool and dry while I do my wash.  Oh my!

And all of a sudden it's July 4th weekend.  I managed to change up the dining room and adorn it with a red, white, and blue tablescape.  I use colors rather than flags, stars, stripes, etc.  I love color blocking.

FACINATED WITH CHINOISERIE

I continue to dabble in Chinoiserie, perhaps my interest was piqued by the stories I heard as a child about my Great Aunt Beulah who traveled to East Asia in the 1920s to collect furniture, antiques, dishware, and much more. I remember her house so crowded you had to walk sideways through the living room. Her husband's niece inherited most of her belongings, and the few things that I have she gave to my Grandmother. The gold snack set was hers and is from Japan. The glass jade Bonzai trees were my MIL's. The rest of the collection is mine which includes the Satsuma Moriage Tea Set (red) in the table setting. The white teapot is Japanese from Franklin Mint, and the footed teacups are also Japanese. My favorite is the Foo (Fu) Dog. He's the lone survivor of a pair. Finally, I painted the stemware based on the pattern of an at-auction Chinese urn that went for $14,000+. Life truly is about the journey.

Center:  Gold snack set from Japan and Satsuma Moriage tea set.

Franklin Mint teapot and stand Japan.  Footed teacups, Japan, unmarked

Foo Dog, Japan. Japanese bonsai glass jade trees from Anna.

Chinese urn, $14,000 at auction, not mine, but I used the pattern for my handpainted stems.

SATSUMA MORIAGE

 I remain in Chinoiserie mode and have almost completed my Meiji period Satsuma Moriage collection.  I have a beautiful eggshell teacup and a creamer/sugar geisha girl set with the same backstamp signature.   I would like to have one more teacup, but I won't pay a premium, so I'll have to be patient.  On the way is a teapot featuring poets that have no backstamp.  That's not a good thing, because its origin and authenticity cannot be verified and it lessens the value.  I got it anyway because, despite an extensive search, it's the only teapot I found that coordinates with my set, I love it, and it should be here next week.

My search for more information about these pieces was lackluster.  They look as though they are from the Meiji period (1868-1912) when Japan began to immerge from its isolationism.  That said, I wasn't able to find specifics on the pieces, and they may have been produced in the mid-20th century. Satsuma is a region in the southeastern tip of Japan where Satsuma pottery was originally manufactured.  Satsuma pottery has a classic crackle glaze which these do not.  Later, Japanese porcelain artists used designs on fine porcelain that were influenced by Satsumian artists, but not necessarily from the region. Fine porcelain was manufactured in other cities or regions such as Kyoto, Imari, Yokohama, or Tokyo (Edo) and is most likely where my pieces were made.   Two design features suggest that these are original pieces:  1)  The washes splash outside of the outlines (a good thing), and 2) the crosshatching is classic Satsuma.  Moriage (pronounced more-ee-ah-ghee with a hard g) is a technique used to apply raised enamel designs to the piece, especially gold.  The pieces are multi-colored, but the predominant color is red sometimes referred to as "iron" red, often with dark or cobalt blues, and most pieces are loaded with gold accents.  The teapot, however, has some red, but most of the washes are pastel and dominate the piece.  As I mentioned earlier, the teapot features noblemen, scholars, or poets whereas the cup/saucer and Creamer/sugar feature geishas.  Here's the seller's ebay photo of the teapot.

LEMONS TO LEMONADE

 This story begins with an ebay purchase gone awry.    I ordered two beautiful pedestal teacups and when they arrived, they were little teacups that held about 3 tablespoons of liquid.  I was so disappointed that I contacted the seller and asked for a refund which she accepted.  The more I looked at these beautiful little teacups the more I wanted to keep them.  So I decided to put together a child's tea set.  Rather than a teapot, I found these beautiful figural creamers.  I am so pleased with this set.  Now I need some little plates which I found but am waiting to make the leap.

MOTHER'S DAY

Feeling blessed because I have such a beautiful daughter.  She makes me feel so special on Mother's Day.    I also had a wonderful mother who now celebrates with the angels. The dining room decor and table setting are my "lite" version of Chinoiserie.   My choice was to stay home for dinner and cook. 

The menu:

Prosecco Aperol cocktail

Baratta & pickled beets on arugula and red chickory with walnuts, lemon dressing, & a drizzle of honey

Ribeye steak, grilled with mushrooms and onions

Twice stuffed potatoes

Fresh corn on the cob

Fresh sauteed spinach with shallots and bacon

Fresch strawberries on pound cake with whipped cream.

Coffee/Tea

Full disclosure:  We were too full for dessert...we'll have it tomorrow.

MORE CHINOISERIE

This seems to be my blue and white period, or better yet, I have immersed myself in Chinoiserie which became popular during the Georgian period in England and France.  It is the Western interpretation of East Asian decor.   Ever popular green rooms with lots of gold gild and blue and white vases, planters, bowls, and ginger jars with classic Chinese architecture reflected in molding, picture frames, mirrors, and furniture.  The rooms are usually painted a light green but sometimes are "Chinese" red.   Chinoiserie lost its popularity in the early 20th century.  It remains a classic style and can be found in some home decor.   In my previous post, you will see a room designed by Carolyn Roehm in classic Chinoiserie style using all the classic colors.  She takes artistic license and uses a pretty magenta instead of "Chinese" red for the silk accent pillows.  Here's a great example of Chinois fabric:

Fabric sample from Post House: $58/yd

I had fun transforming my dining room into a quasi Chinoiserie style.   My room has red walls. The color is Benjamin Moore Persimmon which leans to a pinkish-red color and blends well with other reds.  The dining room furniture is far from Chinese, or Asian and in fact, is Biedermeier (art deco), but I'm not looking for a complete transformation.  The collage below is the way I play around with colors on the screen before I apply the design.  I didn't include the crinkle green tablecloth, but it's a consideration.

My table is set with blue and white Fine China of Japan, Royal Meissen. I cleared the cloches off the teacart and decorated it with an imari bowl filled with nesting teacups and a rice eyes teapot.  I've dotted the room with blue and white porcelain and resurrected a birdcage, placed it on an Asian-style accent table, and filled it with fairy lights.  I do get a little carried away, and my husband just shakes his head. I find the process fascinating. 

I've spent the last few days procuring several pieces to add to my collection. The most difficult to identify were the red, blue, and gold pieces with raised enamel (moriage) over the glaze.  I found a sugar, creamer, and teacup/saucer in this gorgeous design, and upon researching, discovered that they are Meiji Period Japanese Kyoto Satsuma Moriage, circa 1868-1890.  Amazing Japanese porcelain art.

Meiji Period Japanese Kyoto Satsuma Moriage, circa 1860-1890

I can't help myself with the birds, so I found this figural teapot.  It's American, but the blue is what works with Chinoiserie.

Meridian Ceramics, Kingfisher

And finally, I'm waiting for an auction to end for 2 Imari plates.  I bid $0.99!   I have a 6 1/2" plate, so why not expand the collection for such a bargain.

Japanese Imari Dragon Plates, ebay bid, $0.99

COMING UP: Mother's Day, and photos of the dining room.   Have a good night!

BLUE WILLOW

 Having received the Fine China of Japan, Royal Meissen plates (4) from ebay, I set my table in blue and white which Vinnie loves.  He said it's his favorite table setting.  

Upon ordering the plates, I dove into research about the dishware.   It was produced in Japan in the mid 20th Century, and was popular in the 1970's.  These dishes should not be mistaken for Meissen porcelain which is quite valuable. The Fine China of Japan, Royal Meissen pattern was discontinued, and can only be found on resale sites.   Price wise, my newly acquired set is mid range, but I had to be careful in my selection because the costs were all over the place on ebay.  In the end, for six bread and four dinner plates, I spent $121 all in.  I like this pattern for two reasons: It's a pretty shade of blue that blends well with other blue and white patterns, and the plates have a scalloped rim which adds interest.

My table is set with a Blue Willow teacup (England) and saucer (Japan) which led me to research this pattern.  Created in England in the mid 1700s the pattern is essentially a knock off of Chinese Nanking porcelain.   The creator, Thomas Turner, also made up the Blue Willow Legend as a marketing ploy.  The pattern became wildly popular as part of the chinoiserie decor movement of the Georgian Era. While chinoiserie decor died out, Blue Willow and other blue and white patterns remain quite popular.  I love an eclectic table, so I mix and match.  The teapot is a Chinese style called Rice Eyes, or Rice Grain, because there are little rice-shaped divots in the porcelain that lets the light shines through. Again, mix and match for interest.  

The photo under my table setting is Carolyne Roehm's Weatherston home in Connecticut.  A famous designer, artist, and author, she has a vast collection of blue and white porcelain with many large pieces displayed in this chinoiserie room.  Chinoiserie still exists as a specialized decor style.

Plates: Fine China of Japan, Royal Meissen.  Tea cup and saucer: Blue Willow

Carolyne Roehm's chinoiserie room at her Weatherstone Connecticut home

IT'S COCKTAIL TIME

 Ahhhhh, that time of the day when I can relax and enjoy a cocktail.  I made a cherry cosmopolitan.  Here's the recipe:

            In a martini shaker combine:

            2 parts Cranberry-Cherry juice

            2 parts Skyy vodka

            1/4 part Cointreau

            juice of one lime, reserve 2 lime slices for garnish

            splash of marichino cherry juice, reserve 2 cherries for garnish

            3/4 cup ice

            Shake until ice cold.  Strain and pour into martini glass.  Add garnish

I love cherries, and this is delicious.  Cheers!

Cherry Cosmo

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

 Thands to family and friends, had a wonderful, quiet birthday this year.  Received lots of well wishes on Facebook, a few cards and two bouquets of flowers, one from my beautiful daughter, Melanie, and the other from my girlfriend, Rosemary, and an adorable beaded bee pillow from another girlfriend, Diane.   Vinnie took me out for an early supper to Rosie's Bistro in Bronxville which was lovely.  It's been many years since we dined at Rosie's, and it lived up to our previous experience.

Flowers from daughter, Melanie

Flowers from girlfriend, Rosemary

Beaded Bee Pillow from girlfriend, Diane

BIRD MODE

 As you may have guessed, I'm in full bird mode.   I finished the birdhouse.  Rather than paint it, I decided to decoupage.   This is Easter week...already!

THE BIRDS AND THE BEES...

A slight shift from bunnies and birds.  It's early spring, Daylight Savings Time has kicked in, and Easter is around the corner.   My latest obsession is birds.    I put together a collection of 4, two-piece place settings of bird plates, Spode, Ray Harm's Birds 9" luncheon plates, and Limoges Bird 6 1/2" bread plates.  I have a pretty floral/bird table cloth, and Wallace Napoleonic Bee flatware that I will use, but I also found that blue and white are nice with this collection. Below are two collages.  

What do you think?

SPRINGTIME BRINGS BUNNIES AND BIRDS

 St. Patrick's Day came and went.  I made the traditional corn beef, cabbage, and potatoes, and we enjoyed a festive table.  No doubt we drank pale ale - Guinness Baltimore Blonde - our favorite!

And today, the table changed to Bunnies and Birds celebrating tomorrow's Spring Equinox and April's Easter.  I found the chargers at Hobby Lobby.  Even though they're vinyl, they are so lovely and are the perfect backdrop for my Arcoroc Crocus plates, made in France. With spring, comes pink...lovely pink napkins from Amazon.    Everything else was in my arsenal including the Williams-Sonoma tablecloth and my three darling moss bunnies.

OCR NAPKIN RING and KING'S RANSOM by ROYAL ALBERT (update)

After searching ebay, Etsy, and Pinterest for the perfect napkin rings for my Old Country Roses table setting, I concluded that I would have to make them because anything that came close to my vision was overpriced, and not exactly what I wanted.  The burgundy napkins make a nice backdrop for the napkin rings and are reminiscent of a bridal bouquet.

In my previous post about my collection of Royal Albert's Old Country Roses, I wrote that the 1921 RA pattern, King's Ransom, was Harold Holdcroft's inspiration for OCR, and how I was on a quest to find a King's Ransom teacup and saucer.   I found them on ebay and put in a bid.   The item had three more days of auction, and I was outbid the day before the auction ended which was scheduled for 7:00 am the next morning, so rather than immediately rebid, only to be outbid and jack up the price, I set the alarm for 6:30 am so I could make a last-minute bid.   If the other bidder was online and outbid me, I'd let it go, but not everyone is a nut job like me.  Lo' and behold, my strategy worked!  I made my blerrie-eyed bid after the alarm so rudely woke me up and won the cup and saucer!  They're miiiiiine.  Now I have another piece of the Old Country Rose Story.

Royal Albert, King's Ransom

True Confessions: Royal Albert, Old Country Roses

It started innocently back in 1990 around Christmas time.  I was shopping and stopped to admire a pair of pretty Christmas mugs on display, Old Country Roses Christmas Magic by Royal Albert when I was approached by a salesman.   He asked me if I would like to take them home, and I said, "Yes, can I buy just one?" I was a single mom at the time.  

He looked at me and asked, "Why don't you buy the pair?  You never know what the future brings." 

So I bought the pair.

Five years later I remarried and have since enjoyed sipping coffee, tea, or sometimes hot cocoa from the mugs every Christmas season with my wonderful husband, and I reminisce what that salesman said to me every time we use them.

Then it began.  A year ago I thought, wouldn't it be nice to have two dessert plates that match the mugs? We could have a sweet nosh on them with our coffee.  The rest is history.   I now have four, five-piece place settings in the lovely Royal Albert, Old Country Roses pattern.  I bought them piece by piece on ebay, and all were made in England.  The dinner and bread plates (or pie plates as they are sometimes referred to) were manufactured from 1962 to 1973 and are considered the most valuable.  The teacups, saucers, and salad plates were manufactured between 1993 and 2002 and are also desirable.  These dates are determined by the back stamp or maker's mark.* When I touch these pieces I can feel their history.

The pattern was launched in 1962 and was designed by Royal Albert's Art Director, Harold Holdcroft. His inspiration for Old Country Roses was based on the 1921 Royal Albert pattern, King's Ransom.*  I found a teacup and saucer in the King's Ransom pattern to round out my collection.  King's Ransom is the true beginning of  Old Country Roses' sixty-year journey.

The Inspiration: Royal Albert, King's Ransom

The original factory was founded by Thomas Wild in 1896 in Longton, one of six towns that make up Stoke-on-Trent.  A family business, Thomas's sons subsequently ran the pottery.  In 1928, Thomas Wild's son, Thomas C (Clark) Wild retired from active management of the business and was appointed Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent. Thomas C's sons, Thomas E. and Frederick J. were appointed joint managing directors in 1932. The Company underwent many changes after World War II, and the Wild family involvement ended in 1969.  In 1970, Allied English Potteries changed the name to Royal Albert, Ltd.  The factory in England closed around 2003 and all production thereafter was transferred to Indonesia and China.**

Enamel Kilns at Royal Albert Works, 1913***

Old Country Roses are manufactured today in Indonesia and China, and a new five-piece place setting sells retail for $100 to $145****  It would cost over $600.00 (before taxes and shipping) for four, five-piece place settings, cookie jar, teapot, creamer, and sugar.  In the resale market, the pieces made in England are the most desirable and valuable. I spent hours, days, weeks searching for the best deals...a labor of love.   The total cost (with taxes and shipping) of my collection which also includes a cookie jar (the only piece made in China), teapot, creamer, and open sugar, was $445.37.

Royal Albert, Old Country Roses

CREDITS

*Royal Albert (royalalbertpatterns.com)

**Thomas C Wild & Sons (thepotteries.org)

***Royal Albert History (royalalbertpatterns.com)

****Wayfair.com, Replacements.com, and ebay