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Saturday, October 24, 2009

If It Weren't For The Hand-Washing. . .on Sunday Favorites

Well, as I said in the title, if it weren't for the hand-washing, I'd use old, dinged-up silver plate flatware all the time.

But sadly, I am lazy, so it comes out for Thanksgiving, state occasions, dinner parties, and when I just want a bit of shine on the table.


I'm also lazy on Sundays, so I am taking advantage of the Sunday Favorites blog party, hosted by Chari at Happy To Design. Don't forget to visit!

I'm re-running a post from February 12, 2009, about my love of old silver plated flatware. I do love it -- I scored some more on Ebay today, which I'll show to you another time!



(From 2/12/09)
I found my favorite flatware on Ebay when I was looking for bargains
in elaborate sterling (which I never found!)
.

It's the "Georgian" pattern by Community, introduced in 1912.

All the knives are the Old French Blade style,
with wide silver plated blades, not stainless blades.


I have read that flatware manufacturers switched to stainless some time around the First World War. A shame. The
silver blades are razor sharp and wonderful to use! They slice through that Thanksgiving turkey like nobody's business.

I have service for about a ba-jillion, although I am still looking for unusual pieces --iced tea spoons, shrimp forks.

The silver boxes don't always look so messy. Well, OK, often they do. I didn't tidy up for your visit. When you see the "butler's pantry" picture, below, you will know for sure I didn't tidy up!

(At Thanksgiving this year (2008), our first in this house, I couldn't find the smaller of the two silver boxes. It turned up near Christmas in a box marked "Winter Coats." Go figure.)

Lots of old silverware has lovely old monograms.
Most of ours are marked with "L," the first letter of our last name.

Others have an "H" -- my husband's initial, or a "C" which is mine.
A few random little cream soup spoons have "D" on them.
The only one in the family with a "D" initial is our dog, Dion.
I love those gigantic tablespoons.
Check out their size next to the 9-inch knives!

I like using those huge spoons for soup.
It's flashback time; you are 5 years old and sitting at the grownups' table.
Sometimes it's good to feel small.

Here is where the silver lives, in what will eventually be restored as the butler's pantry. Right now it's an extraordinarily fugly passageway between my kitchen and dining room with a powder room on the other side of that door at one end.

See? I told you I didn't tidy up.

Someday, fingers crossed, I will be able to show "after" pictures, with glass-front wall cupboards, a mahogany counter with a small nickel bar sink, a built-in beverage center . . . yeah. Well, at least I can paint it and do something to make it look less like a scullery.

Any suggestions for a mini-makeover? (Other than storing the recycling bin in another place!)


Weekend plans! My mirror hangers arrived in the mail yesterday, which means we will attempt to hang our big mirrors (read about them HERE )without incident.

Or at least without a lot of incident. Wish us luck! We don't want to bring on 7 years of bad luck if we can help it.
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Update. . . from 10/24: The silver now lives on the sideboard in the dining room, and the butler's pantry looks even worse than it did in the picture above, because Anne took that dresser to use at her apartment, and now I've got boxes stacked there for storage. Still hunting for a sideboard to use there! Enjoy your Sunday; we are walking for an Alzheimer's cure today! -- Cass

19 comments:

  1. Hi Cass, Love your silver...it has gorgeous patina! Good luck with your walk...and bless you and your family.
    Susan

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  2. Oh, I do love all the old silver. It has the greatest patina and the best designs, ititials and history. What a treasure to have so much. Hugs, Marty

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  3. So glad you got to walk for Alz's. today. I hope the weather was good. The silver is great. We have lots of silver very tarnished. I have no idea where it came from.Just found it in one of moms many junk drawers. Someday I might shine it.

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  4. Your silver is beautiful. I need to get my Mom's out and polish it and start enjoying it more. Thanks for sharing.
    Molly

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  5. Hi Cass!

    I love your silver. It is stunning. I would love to get some nice silver but, don't even know where to start! LOL

    I just love visit "That Old House"! I always see some beautiful things!

    Thanks for sharing.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  6. Beautiful silver. I love how all the initials are different, but they each mean something special.

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  7. I love all your old silver! I hate to polish silver too, I think it's that metal smell! However I've found that when I use Wrights cream polish it doesn't smell near as bad and it does a wonderful job!

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  8. Cass, I always get a kick out of reading your blog. You are a hoot. Love, love, love your silverware. And I had to laugh about finding some in the "winter coats" box. Sounds like something I would do. You just reminded me that I inherited some silverware from my MIL. I should get it out to see what I have. But I'm lazy too, so I may get it out to look at it, but unless my hubby polishes it, we will never use it. But if I get it out, he will polish it. So I'm off to retrieve it. Thanks for reposting this story, I really enjoyed it.
    Kim

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  9. Oooh... I love, love, love your old silver... so beautiful. What a lovely collection you have.

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  10. Hi Cass, stopping in to say hello. I love your silver. What a treasure. Your butlers pantry is going to be wonderful. Looking forward to seeing the transformation..hugs ~lynne~

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  11. Hi Cass, stopping in to say hello. I love your silver. What a treasure. Your butlers pantry is going to be wonderful. Looking forward to seeing the transformation..hugs ~lynne~

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  12. Love the silverware...
    I have knee deep in cleaning the inherited silver this weekend! ugh.

    Bless you for walking for Alz. Please post about. Would love to hear all the news!
    Misha

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  13. Hi Girlfriend....

    What a fabulous post...thank you for sharing it with us today for Sunday Favorites! I love this "Georgian" pattern of silver...the shape and the little design at the bottom of the handles...just gorgeous!!! Okay...I have just decided that you can pack up all your fabulous silver and send it to me...did you know that my last name initial begins with an "L"? And of course, my first name initial is "C"!!! What are the chances? Hehe! Seriously, I would love to have a set of monogramed silver...I guess I will have to start watching ebay! Maybe we should take note though...would hate to start some "bidding war" with you over the "C" and "L" pieces! Hehe!

    Thank you, Darlin' for joining in with Sunday Favorites this week...I really enjoyed seeing your beautiful silver! And..I always love your "real life" photos...I mean, it's where we live, right?

    Have a super Sunday, my friend!
    Chari

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  14. You certainly DO have service for a bazillion!
    I love your honest pictures!

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  15. What does your Butler DO in his pantry?????

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  16. Cass-This is beautiful and you have so many different pieces! I found two boxes of unused Community silver plate when I cleaned out at my parent's house. I think we can safely bet I did not inherit my love of table setting from my mother. I am glad Dion got included in the monograms! :) Hope you had a beautiful day for the walk and raised lots of money!

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  17. Love your silver. I really enjoyed learning about it! :D Jewel

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  18. I like that pattern. I bought some pastry forks for my set years ago but everyone tells me they are just small forks that the machine didn't cut right leaving two of the tines a solid piece. I wonder?
    I look forward to seeing what you are going to do with the pantry.
    (hee I type panty first, glad I caught that)

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  19. Gorgeous,gorgeous silver. I love the older silver best..the deep rich loved look. You have such treasures.
    p.s. Good luck with your walk..I hope someday..that disease is a thing of the past..

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