Did you miss us at Smorgasburg LA last Sunday? No worries, we’ll be there again this Sunday from 10-6. Stop by, we’ll show you a magic trick.
But even bigger news: Our ONLINE STORE is live. Now you can shop our lovely wares anywhere, anytime.
Greeting cards by LA artist, Laura Plansker. Our line of Miss Havisham’s dinnerware. Antiques. All manner of tea related items.
xoxo
Come find us at our booth this Sunday at Smorgasburg LA. Our custom line of teacups will get your point across.
A lady must always speak her mind.
Food and dishwasher safe, our dinner plates have been known to cause more than a few dinner parties to go sideways. Decorum, darling. Always maintain a modicum of decorum even when dining with the worst characters.
746 Market Ct., Los Angeles (parking lot and entrance off Alameda Street).
Very pleased to announce that Miss Havisham’s Curiosities will be at Smorgasburg LA every Sunday beginning June 19th at the Alameda Produce Market in Downtown LA.
Antiques, housewares, local artists, and tea!
Come visit us and sample her fine wares, darling. Miss Havisham does not disappoint.
We have been remiss in our correspondence as of late but with good reason!
Darlings, Miss Havisham’s Tea is dipping our toe into new waters.
Firstly, we are moving our blog to www.MissHavishamsCuriosities.com.
Because we’re really more of a lifestyle movement after all, aren’t we dearies? Why limit ourselves to tea and gossip?
All of our content, social media, and discussion forums will now be in one lovely little hub.
Secondly, and this is a big one, we will be adding an online store in the near future.
So many of those trinkets we’ve showcased will eventually be available to you online. How else can a lady support her weekend flea market addiction?
And so it is out with the old and in with the new including our fancy new logo courtesy of Mr. Havisham (Thank you, Tim).
So please visit us at our new home, subscribe to our newsletter, and look out for more exciting announcements soon.
xoxo
Miss Havisham’s Curiosities
We’re getting curiouser and curiouser…
Oh hi, April! Ever striving to approach the majesty of Martha Stewart herself, I humbly submit my own schedule for your eagle eyes. Here are the LA events I will be attending in the next few weeks. Maybe I’ll see you there, dearies. No foolin’.
Friday, April 1
April Fool’s Day! Avoid the internet, it is full of lies today. Fish don’t typically wear hats, for example.
Friday, April 1
The Great Horror Movie Night: Watch Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, The Shining, under the stars in the Griffith Park old zoo. Bring your blankets, bring your snacks, bring a flashlight. We’ll all be there, will you?
Friday, April 1
First Fridays at the Natural History Museum? Movies and science? Yes.
Give me any excuse to spend time there, I will take it.
Friday, April 1
Don’t miss this book signing and a chance to meet the author of Deceptive Desserts: A Girls Guide to Baking Bad, Christine McConnell, at Barnes and Noble at The Grove.
I love her instagram. I love her vision. Apparently she is baking cookies for the event.
Saturday, April 2
Missed her at The Grove? You get another chance. You can drive on down to Riverside and meet Christine McConnell and buy her book, Deceptive Desserts: A Girls Guide to Baking Bad.
Saturday, April 2-3
Theodore Payne’s annual native garden tour.
This is a fantastic event. Tour gardens all over LA and see how drought tolerant, native gardens can rival even the most manicured lawns. I’ve gone every year since I moved to LA. One day showcases the coastal and mid-city gardens and the other day showcases the inland and valley gardens so whatever your micro climate, you’re set.
Saturday, April 2
Yet another great event by Atlas Obscura. Take a tour of a miniature and prop shop.
“LA-based artist Calder Greenwood is a prop-maker, set builder, model maker, director, writer, and production designer who creates larger than life installations and truly magical spaces, all from a single material—cardboard.” Tour his studio in downtown LA.
Saturday, April 2-April 3
A Current Affair Vintage Pop Up.
This beckons to me and will surely do damage to my bank account.
“A Current Affair is a major source of inspiration for designers with teams from Opening Ceremony, Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Band of Outsiders, Trina Turk, Ralph Lauren, Free People, and Mara Hoffman all regularly shopping the event. Prices range from $30-$3000, reflecting the vast array of goods on display- from heritage denim to estate jewelry.”
All the gowns and glitter you need from times gone by. However will I show restraint?
Friday, April 1-April 3
For those of you who want to dance dance dance, check out The Roaring Twenties Street Jam.
Dance classes and events all over the city all weekend ranging from speakeasies to carousal rides with music accompaniment. I’m going to try to squeeze in an event.
Thursday, April 7th
“Pop–Up Magazine returns to The Theatre for an evening of storytelling, documentary film, radio, photography and performance. Some of our favorite writers and storytellers will perform never-before-seen work on stage, accompanied by visuals, recorded audio and live music. Nothing filmed, nothing recorded.”
Saturday, April 9-10
Wanna relive your troubled teens? Like to cry? Then head to this.
Sunday, April 10
The one, the only…Rose Bowl Flea.
Tuesday, April 12-14
Dita Von Teese Burlesque: Strip, Strip, Hooray! Variety Show.
Fashion and burlesque icon and poster girl for an alabaster complexion, Dita Von Teese performs.
Friday, April 15th
Flea markets abound! Crafts, food vendors, live music. And who doesn’t love a cowboy museum? Select galleries will be open as well.
Saturday, April 16th
If you do one thing this month, make it an event through Atlas Obscura. Atlas Obscura hosts events across the globe today.
More than 150 events in 35 states and 25 countries. All in one day.
There’s something for everyone. I’m really looking forward to a visit to LA’s ethical taxidermist Allis Markham of Prey Taxidermy.
I’m also going to the LA closing party and so should you. Check it out here. It’s taking place at Valley Relics.
Sunday, April 17
By now you all know this is my favorite flea in the city. You can read about some of my favorite finds here. I actually just bought a sun hat and a collapsible wagon. It’s on.
Thursday, April 21
“A sophisticated cocktail lounge with a Mediterranean-style menu that caters to L.A.’s most discerning clientele, Riviera 31’s stunning and thought-provoking decor takes visitors on a visual journey through the evocative history of the French Riviera with photography by the legendary Edward Quinn. A unique mixology program includes masterfully crafted cocktails prepared table-side and the menu takes visitors on an epicurean journey through French coastal cuisine.”
All benefits are a donation to City of Hope.
Friday, April 29-30
Bob’s Burgers Live. I’m going to let that just sit there for a minute.
I love this show so yes, I want to see what the hell a live version of it is.
Pretty much anything Loren Bouchard creates is pure gold so sign me up.
Saturday, April 30th-May 1
Tired of flea markets yet? Me either. Head up to Paso Robles for the Three Speckled Hens Antique fair. Tickets are on sale now. Make a weekend of it.
Have a lovely April and remember, make time for a calming cup of tea. xoxo
When I was a kid we lived for a short time in the house my great-grandparents bought when they immigrated from Lebanon. It was a dark and foreboding structure at the end of dead end street with woods on two sides of it. The street actually doesn’t even exist anymore. The house looked a little bit like this one though not as beaten up.
That house was full of mysteries. Trunks in the attic were full of tintype photos and old glass perfume bottles. There were giant wooden wardrobes to hide in and a basement so terrifying I used to run by the door to it as quickly as I could for fear something unearthly would reach out and grab me. In truth, it was just a creepy turn of the century cellar filled with old tools. That house imprinted on me. It has influenced most of my design choices as an adult. Thanks, great-grandparents.
During Prohibition my great-grandparents supplemented their income by being bootleggers, though neither of them drank. Apparently the neighbors did the same and soon enough they became competitors. I’m told the competition escalated to a full on Lebanese Hatfields-McCoys rivalry.
You can read all about it in my memoir once it’s finally finished, but for now dearies that’s all you get. I only bring this up to explain the existence of a secret door in the floor of the house’s dining room. Under the rug there was a small door with a metal ring for a handle. The door led to a series of tunnels out into the backyard where the original copper still was stored along with 60 year old bottles of hooch. So that’s where all the magic moonshine happened. From the day I learned of its existence I was hooked on secret hiding places, convinced it was my sole responsibility to safeguard our family jewels (I was 4 and there were no jewels).
Most of my childhood you could find me hiding inside a wardrobe or closet with a flashlight and a book or “spying.” Other days I was in the backyard with the dog digging holes to hide our valuables from potential jewel thieves (always up against those pesky jewel thieves). I left crayon maps around the house with secret codes on them, left trails of clues, and I watched way too much Fantasy Island. I also read too many Nancy Drew mysteries after I learned to read, of course.
(Note: That last cover may not be a legit Nancy Drew book title but it made me laugh)
My love of secret lairs, hidden doors, and decoder rings grew strong during the years we lived in the creepy ancestral home and hasn’t really died out yet. Just recently, I took my car in to be serviced and the mechanic asked if I knew about the secret compartment in my Mini Cooper. I did not. I’m not ashamed to say I cried a little. It now holds bandaids. I like secrets. Here are a few of my favorite hiding places.
An antique wardrobe as a portal to a workshop from House Beautiful. Apparently this is the home of designer couple who couldn’t agree on how to deal with the husband’s workshop. Brilliant.
And more.
I’d prefer it if it were a secret laboratory behind these bookshelves instead of a conference room but alas.
More secret doors in antique wardrobes hiding private rooms.I think Tim needs a secret evil magician’s lair.
I would have loved this wardrobe/secret play room as a kid, very Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, another childhood obsession I might add. Found on Odee.com.
Secret staircases? V.C. Andrews would be so proud.
The Hidden Passageway Company will actually build you a secret room or a safe behind a painting. I think their bookcases are the best option. I imagine, with a little design nudge in the right direction, they could create some really unique pieces.
Tangent! Download this video on how to make a portrait that appears to follow you with its eyes then line your hallway with them or hang one in your guest room.
Before there were safety deposit boxes, there was trick furniture. Valuables were stashed away in secret drawers. The most famous of which can be viewed in all its mechanical clockwork splendor here. You have to see it to believe it.
The most brilliant pieces of secret compartment furniture ever made were created by the Roentgens, father and son, who engineered pieces for Europe’s royal families. They’re who Marie Antoinette went to when she wanted a desk. Several of their pieces were on display at the Met and one sold at Sotheby’s recently for 133,000 pounds.
After I read this article from Collector’s Weekly on how to find secret compartments in antique furniture, I went home and inspected all my furniture. My lips are sealed, but let’s just say if you have the choice between buying an antique and a new piece of furniture, always go antique. You may find a surprise.
Traveling was especially dangerous in ye olde days so a lady needed to hide her valuables. This vanity case with a secret drawer sure is pretty, if impractical by today’s standards. It recently sold on Ebay which has quite a few antique boxes with secret drawers for sale.
You can always hide your goodies in your expansive library of first editions. Easy enough to carve out the pages or purchase one pre-made like this ca. 1889 copy of Montaigne on etsy.
Poison Rings: I loooooove these. Want to poison your enemy but remain stylish? Are you worried you might need to take state secrets to your premature grave? I’ll never talk! Poison rings became popular in Europe around the 16th century when just about everyone poisoned everyone. It was all the rage.
A triple compartment enamel poison ring ca. 1840 found on Antiquejewel.com.
This ring found on Collectors Weekly is actually a series of interlocking rings or a Gimmel ring that hides a secret message, albeit a sweet one.
Sometimes the message isn’t so sweet as in this ring which bears occult symbols and has a poison chamber. No one sends a nice message with a ram’s head.
Another interlocking Gimmel ring, this one with a message that life is short. Gather ye daisies, friends.
More poison, more!
And this one belonged to Queen Elizabeth I. A sassy gal she was.
Jewelry with secret compartments was the precursor to mourning jewelry where pieces of hair were kept in lockets, pins, rings etc. Read all about it in my former post on mourning, “Death Becomes Her.”
And here’s more gold from Collector’s Weekly. These sure are clever, consider them day-to-evening-wear earrings. The covers come off to reveal the diamonds inside. Also handy for fooling jewel thieves!
This intricately carved ball from the 16th century holds layers of biblical scenes and was used for prayer.
Last, but certainly not least, the nineteenth century invented pocket watches, clocks, compacts and, even cane handles with secret compartments to hide pornographic paintings. Early erotica at its most clever. Check out this recent auction for examples that will make you blush. Definitely not for the shy or prim. Here’s a fairly tame one.
May all your jewels be safe and all your secrets well kept. xoxo
This is my love letter to the Queen Mary.
Docked in Long Beach, the Queen Mary is rumored to be one of the 10 most haunted sites in the country and for a small fee you can take one of her many tours including several night time ghost walks.
I’m not going to lie, whenever we go to the Queen Mary, we are usually the youngest people there by a good 30 years, but that’s probably part of why I love it. There are a number of exhibits that, frankly, I am not the target audience for like the Princess Diana exhibit, but just walking around the ship and looking at the art deco interiors is enough to keep me coming back.
The Queen Mary made her maiden voyage in 1936 and was considered the height of luxury. “She boasted five dining areas and lounges, two cocktail bars and swimming pools, a grand ballroom, a squash court and even a small hospital. The Queen Mary had set a new benchmark in transatlantic travel, which the rich and famous considered as the only civilized way to travel. She quickly seized the hearts and imaginations of the public on both sides of the Atlantic, representing the spirit of an era known for its elegance, class and style.” -QueenMary.com. Photos are also from the ship’s website.
My favorite exhibit is a display of the collected memories of former passengers. It’s a poignant look into life during the war because after those first three glamorous years, the Queen Mary became a warship transporting soldiers to Europe for World War II. As many as 16,000 soldiers were transported during the war. Painted to camouflage her from enemy sights, she was nicknamed “The Grey Ghost.”
The ship’s website also tells us that “Adolph Hitler offered $250,000 and the Iron Cross to any U-boat Captain that could sink the Queen Mary.”
After the signing of the armistice in May 1945, the Queen Mary was dedicated to bringing US troops home and, more interestingly, carried thousands of war brides and children born to American soldiers to the US to begin their new lives.
One woman recalls leaving England to join a husband she hadn’t seen in two years. She said she didn’t recognize him out of uniform. Watch her story here.
The following pages are taken from a promotional pamphlet for the Queen Mary who was bigger and faster than the Titanic.
A few of the deco details (pictured above) that were restored to the ship after it was decommissioned in 1946. It was returned to its former glory and sailed for nearly two more decades of commercial use.
With the rise of commercial airlines and the decline in the market for luxury sea travel, the ship was sold to the city of Long Beach in 1967 for $3.45 million. She docked in Long Beach after her final cruise and she has remained there ever since as a hotel, museum and events space. She was even in an episode of Arrested Development. Lucille Bluth hijacks her and there are gay sailors. Heaven.
While a bit shabby, the rooms still maintain their original charm. Just go in with an appreciation of what the lady’s been through and what she’s done for so many people. Aging gracefully is a bit rare here in LA so let’s embrace it, hmmm?
We had tea on the ship twice. It was great. The waiter, clearly accustomed to explaining every single detail of the tea service, was so delightfully bored by his own talking that I wanted to wink at him and say, “Shhhh, it’s ok. We don’t really care, just bring me all of it and I will eat it.”
He seemed to sense it though and did exactly that. I left feeling like I had willingly done terrible things to myself by eating so many scones, but then returned and did it again recently and will surely do it again soon. Make reservations and try to go on a weekday or you’ll be surrounded by screeching bridal showers and fussy groups of ladies asking all those questions our waiter friend is so very tired of answering.
There are any number of events throughout the year you can use as an excuse to visit the ship. The Fourth of July is a big one and usually sells out right away. I hear the fireworks are to die for and yes, there are themed old timey sections where you can drink and get rowdy. Valentine’s day is another one, bask in the vintage romance. Halloween is a bit crazy there so be warned. There are lots of teenagers going to the haunted house, loud music. Meh. We recently went to a flea market next to the ship which was small but fun and came with free admission to the boat. Check out their calendar of events here, you’ll find something to do, I’m sure.
The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles apparently hosts an Art Deco Festival on the ship in August. Side note: the society also seems to host a lot of drinking events at historic bars…interesting. Cocktails and pretty? Yes.
Now the big question, is The Queen Mary HAUNTED?
There have been numerous sitings and as many as 150 different spirits have been “documented.” At least 49 people have died on the boat. If ever a place SHOULD be haunted, it’s this one. The engine room is supposed to be the hotbed of paranormal activity. It is definitely creepy.
Also on the haunted list: both of the swimming pools. A young girl is said to have drowned in one of the pools. Again, it is creepy.
And here it is empty…even more creepy.
The number of spooky stories is countless, doors slamming, phones ringing, a phantom baby that cries. Stateroom B340 is no longer rented to the public because of its supposed paranormal activity. Faucets are said to turn on by themselves and the bedsheets fly across the room.You can read all about the ghosties on Haunted Honeymoon.
So is she really haunted? Rumor says yes. I can’t confirm it. While I barely slept the night I spent there, it was largely due to the air conditioning vent being aimed right at my delicate little face and the sink drip drip dripping and…my waiting for the ghosts to come. No ghosts came. It should also be noted that Tim slept like the dead.
The boat does offer their own ghost tours…plural. I haven’t done any of them. If you do, email me because I’m curious about all the secrets that lurk inside The Grey Ghost. It should also be noted that this is the first in a series of haunted hotel reviews. Stay tuned.
May your nights on the ship be spine tingling. xoxo
I have to be honest, when friends come to visit me in Los Angeles I feel a little pang of anxiety. I still don’t know where anything is here and driving still stresses me out. Don’t even get me started on parking. I know change is hard but I knew New York, I know it still. Everything is accessible by public transportation there. I knew New York so well I even knew tiny off beat places to go. In LA, you really have to know where you’re going and while there are things to do, they’re not always easy to get to. Truthfully, after about twenty-five houseguests, I feel like I keep doing the same things over and over.
So when one of my favorite people on the planet came to visit recently, I decided this time we were going to take a road trip. It was time to see something you can’t see in New York and I really couldn’t look at the Venice canals again.
While I lack the ability to parallel park, I do have a husband who doesn’t mind driving, loves adventure, and has a fantastic sense of direction. Lucky for me or I would have gone mad within a few months of living here. So, armed with road snacks and a destination, off we went.
To Hearst Castle:
If you haven’t been to Hearst Castle, go. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. Perched high and overlooking a remote section of the California coast, every bit of it is jaw dropping. When I visited I kept thinking I should just sneak away, hide in some quiet room, and spend the night because it really should be my house, guys. It’s such a powerful impulse that the second time I visited I actually started looking around with intent to stow away. If I disappear one day, you’ll know where to find me.
You can imagine that the home of William Randolph Hearst, media magnate and the inspiration for Citizen Kane, might be something unusual and you would be correct. No expense was spared building the house in a time when the rest of the country was suffering from the stock market crash and the Great Depression.
“Hearst Castle’s history begins in 1865, when George Hearst purchased 40,000 acres of ranchland. In 1919,William Randolph Hearst inherited what had grown to more than 250,000 acres, and was dreaming of ways to transform it into a retreat he called La Cuesta Encantada—Spanish for “Enchanted Hill.” By 1947, Hearst and architect Julia Morgan had created Hearst Castle: 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways—all built to house Hearst’s specifications and to showcase his legendary art collection.” So sayeth the Hearst Castle website.
First, let’s take a moment to appreciate that Hearst hired a woman architect. Interesting. Second, consider the lengths Hearst went to; he even went as far as to have whole rooms from great houses in Europe purchased, shipped, and reassembled as part of the construction process. So elaborate were his building plans for Hearst castle, they were never fully realized in his lifetime.
The castle served as a playground for Hollywood’s elite who were bused in from Los Angeles each weekend to dine, drink, and dance the night away. When you were at Hearst Castle, you wanted for nothing; evening wear was even provided if you forgot yours. You could swim in either the outdoor pool or the indoor pool, play tennis, stroll the gardens, view the private zoo, or catch one of Hearst’s latest films in the movie theater.
There is a guest wing for both ladies and gentlemen, never the two shall meet (wink, wink) and a number of guest cottages around the property. The guest cottages are bigger than my house, by the way.
My favorite room has to be the gothic study.
Not to be confused with the library which is filled with antiquities. Those vases along the ceiling? Those are Greek and Egyptian.
And let’s not forget the great room.
Now for the juicy part. Hearst was married to a former vaudeville performer, Millicent Veronica Willson who he fell in love with when she was a mere sixteen years old. She bore him five sons, one of which is the father of Patty Hearst who was famously kidnapped in 1974 by the Symbionese Liberation Army, a cult. Under the influence of the cult, Hearst assisted in a bank robbery. Her sentence was commuted by President Carter and she was officially pardoned by President Clinton. She has gone on to appear in a number of John Waters movies including Serial Mom, Cry-Baby, Pecker, and Cecil B. DeMented. This only makes me love her and John Waters more, but back to Millicent Hearst.
Poor Millicent rarely stayed at Hearst Castle though. She and her husband lived very separate lives. She lived in New York and became a great philanthropist. Her husband lived in California at Hearst Castle with his mistress, actress and comedienne, Marion Davies. They lived together quite openly though he and Millicent remained married until his death. How modern.
Millicent and Marion:
It’s said that the portrayal of Marion Davies in Citizen Kane so enraged Hearst that he launched a full on attack against the film and its director, Orson Welles. Even Welles later admitted that his depiction was unfair to Marion who was a very talented actress. Marion actually supported Hearst in later years when he hit hard times financially and was forced to sell off much of his art and property. She married eleven weeks after Hearst’s death in 1951. Read about the battle over Citizen Kane here.
Hearst Castle and its impressive collection of art and artifacts was donated to the state of California and is a museum now but I have grand plans to occupy it. They’ll never find me. Never! I highly recommend the evening tours which aren’t offered year round so do your homework. The entire estate is decked out for an old Hollywood cocktail party and it all feels a little bit spooky. As an added bonus, it will be easier for me to sneak off and hide in the shadows in the evening.
Four hours from Los Angeles and you feel like you’ve escaped the city. You feel like you’ve escaped back in time. Well played, California, well played. As much as I hate to admit it, you definitely can’t find Hearst Castle in New York.
It’s a non-profit so go support your local castle. Hey Hearst Castle administrators, just list the guest rooms on AirBnB already. See? Fundraising issue solved.
Rather than having strictly matching sets, my cupboards are filled with one-off antique china plates that I happen to fall in love with. They’re inexpensive and it’s like having ten different china patterns. If one breaks, you move on. I’m not the only one who feels this way, have a look at the brilliant Cake Stand Heaven blog and shop. You can buy whole mismatched sets grouped by era and color.
Not everyone enjoys finding plates at flea markets and antique stores, however, and even I have succumbed to wanting a whole set or two of some patterns.
I have a nearly complete set of Blue Heaven. What’s great about this pattern, aside from it’s mid-mod vibe, is that you can find pieces of it everywhere: etsy, ebay, flea markets, and even on the Replacements site.
At the request of the lovely and talented author Susan Elia MacNeal, Miss Havisham has compiled a smattering of beautiful dishes for your table. They are dishwasher safe for the most part because we certainly don’t have time for anything else. Some are steals, some are extravagant, all are special.
These Pavoes plates feel like they were stolen from the Russian Tea Room. They are, in fact, based on a 17th century Portuguese design. Bring me a rustic boule and a flagon of wine now please.
This Adelaide pattern also comes in both pink and blue, but I prefer the black which can be tricky to find. It looks like pen and ink. The blue and pink are available at Macy’s.
This minimalist, yet haunting, every day set by Corelle is a steal. Act fast, they’re on sale. You can also have a custom set of plates printed to your specification at Zazzle. Dishwasher safe!
These Masked Skull plates by Rory Dobner are available online at Liberty London. Gold trim, darlings.
I also love his Fantastic Mr. Fox plate, his bee and pirate plates.
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I can see these exquisite Firenze Medici plates by Juliska moldering away on the table of Miss Havisham. They are inspired by handmade Venetian paper and available from Neiman Marcus. I encourage you to zoom in on the details.
I love these happy botanical plates also by Juliska.
The Simply Fine Chirp series from Lennox is available at Macy’s. This set has the advantage of a wide array of accessories from serving platters to table linens. You might also enjoy the Flutter or Curious Toille series from Loveramics.
Who knew Christian Lacroix designed china? Save your pennies for this flight of fancy. The Vista Alegre Series.
A dish for every occasion. Sometimes a lady needs to go on safari and when you do, I hope you dine on Lynn Chase’s Jaguar Jungle.
If you’re lost in the woods, I hope you remember to bring your Dupaquier Dinnerware by Mottahedeh and if you are off for a horseback ride, snack from these pony cocktail plates from Pottery Barn.
And, of course, if you are slaying a dragon, please dine heartily on the Red Dragon plates before the kill; you’ll need your strength.
I was happy to see these at Pottery Barn right now. Poppies!
And this whole setup is fantastic. Spring has officially sprung at Pottery Barn. There are also table linens for all your spring desires.
I got these Jason Miller plates as a wedding gift and they are now in everyday rotation. I hate having to choose one thing definitively thereby excluding all my other options, so these were perfect, half china pattern, half black crow.
Seletti also understands my ambivalent nature. I might have to splurge on these hybrid masterpieces.
And I love pretty much anything that comes from Pipstudio especially their Royal Collection. Happy happy happy.
Melody Rose in the UK has some whimsical offerings. The trapeze plates are my favorite.
Whatever your pattern, whether it’s vintage or new, expensive or thrifty, don’t save your pretty dishes for special occasions only. I purchased a set of Jadeite dishes and cups a few years ago and they sat in my cabinet for way too long. The set was piecemeal, three cups and a few plates and eight, no NINE saucers. I couldn’t turn them down yet they sat unused for years. Finally, I just started using the extra saucers to feed the cats. It makes me happy every day. Life is short, don’t eat from ugly plates.
Want more inspiration? Follow Miss Havisham’s Tea on Pinterest.
PS: These only cost me five dollars. DEAL!
Miss Havisham's Tea 