Something's simply never change. I was running errands on Castro Street, minding my own beeswax, when I was sucked into the vortex of a huge garage sale. Two queens who had been antique dealers were cleaning out their backrooms . Fabulosity ensued. I apologize publicly now for cheating on Diane von Austinburg by running around to a tag sale without her.
I was poking around looking for a lampshade when I ran across a bread plate and then, later, a small salad plate both in a pattern that matched some cups and saucers I had inherited from my great aunt, Lucille.
Lucille, I should mention, was a firecracker. Her father was a butcher and worked for the railroad and was generally a small step above actual poverty. Lucille (my family always called her Ciel) had had enough of that by the time she grew up so she got herself a rich husband, got the hell out of south Texas, never looked back and proceeded to fill up her house with Nice Things. She is a hero to me.
Anyway, I was standing there admiring the china (which is Royal Albert china. A very fine line that i always get confused and call Prince Albert,
which I shudder to bring up knowing all the low class piercing jokes that opens itself to) when one of the guys running the sale volunteered that they had a bunch more. The next thing I knew I had sprung $80 for 14 luncheon plates, 4 dinner plates, 5 cups and saucers, the salad plate and the bread plate. He actually only asked $75, but I didn't have change.
Do I need any more china? No I do not need any more china. R Man enjoyed giving me very nice china and porcelain as a presents and I have a sizable closet filled with it. And now I have some more. The pattern is called Canton.
And then, because I was on a roll, I snagged two very pretty silk damask curtain panels.
Have I mentioned our house is very Brady Bunch plain ass modern and is NOT THE PLACE for silk damask and mahogany Georgian furniture, but that's what I keep dragging in. Still, I talked the guy down to 15 bucks for the pair, they're beautiful heavy fabric, lined with silk and in good shape, except a little musty, but I'm airing them out on the patio, so I expect that to pass. Saki seemed very interested in them when I brought them in, and I noticed a tore up place on the lining right at cat level, so I assume they have had a Kitteh-centric existence. Again, OK by me.
All is forgiven; any score that great can't be resented! And I can't wait to see the loot!
ReplyDeleteThat china pattern is GLORIOUS!!
ReplyDeleteI was talking about your house to someone just today, trying to do it justice with words.
ReplyDeleteI just couldn't.
you were smart to buy what
ReplyDeleteyou don't need. brilliant, actually.
Note how Saki cleverly has written this post in a way that suggests Peenee penned it himself?
ReplyDeleteWaiting until the last minute to make mention of himself.
Clever.
Oh, darling, rest assured you did the right thing.
ReplyDeleteMy advice is buy what you love, and don't bat an eye toward eclectic pairings.
ReplyDeleteRemember - a Roseville Carnillian vase was modern, once, too.
Now if you spenting your money on things like paper plate dispensers at Wal-Mart or a mobile home in a flood plain, then we would have an intervention.
But these buys are lovely!