A Study In Blue

Even though we do not have snow on the ground and the sun is shining brightly, the outside thermometer reads 8 degrees and there is a brisk breeze. Not a day to take my camera and look for outdoor photos. Instead, I will share some indoor items.
The first thing you would notice as you enter my condo is that I like blue. Yes, indeed, it is my favorite color. Though I seem to be gravitating more to purples, pinks, and reds in my wardrobe, blue definitely dominates my home décor.

 I especially like looking up from reading and seeing the light shining thru this vase I bought at Alley Cat Antiques in Leesburg, Indiana.
The swirly stripes are white (not discernable from the photo) and create an interesting pattern.
                                              
I do most of my browsing in antique stores and consignment shops these days. Many Northern Indiana antique stores have very few real antiques. They tend to have collectibles and decorative items. The little square-shaped glassware was $2 and labeled “shaker”.
I wondered a shaker for what? The “holes” on the top are pretty large. I bought it thinking I might put flowers in it. Then it hit me; aha, that metal top probably was a floral frog to hold up and arrange blooms. A search on ebay confirmed that. A couple was retiring and selling off the inventory of their floral shop. There was a blue “vase” just like mine being auctioned.

This cute miniature cream and sugar set I received as a Christmas present after telling my husband about seeing it in a Dallas store.
It complements nicely this lidded jar from a consignment shop in Warsaw.

This Dick Lehman vase was more of a splurge. He has such interesting techniques. You can read more at his web page. He displays and sells at the Old Bag Factory in Goshen, Indiana. I used some of my money from working election board for this treat.

I received these Blue Danube salt and pepper shakers from my sister over 40 years ago. I just looked on replacement china websites to see availability. These were not available currently so I don’t know the value, but plenty of other pieces in this pattern are for sale.

I really liked this tissue box cover in a Berlin, Ohio store. It is a fun town in the middle of Amish country. Don’t miss Heinis Cheese Chalet where you can sample all kinds of cheese.

I’ll finish with my counted cross-stitch picture stitched by yours truly. A big time investment, but I do love it.

For so patiently looking at my blue items, I will reward you with an easy recipe from Better Homes and Gardens January issue. I had some red grapes that had been in the refrigerator a few weeks. They had mostly fallen off the stems. Fixed them this way and served with chicken sandwich, and they were tasty. The magazine suggests serving them at a party along with cheese and nuts.

Balsamic Vinegar Grapes
Place a bunch of grapes on a foil-lined baking pan. Splash with about a tablespoon of balsamic or sherry vinegar. Pop under a preheated broiler for 8 to 10 minutes.
Happy eating.