Confit Pots

Confit Pots by Kristin Corlett

While in Alabama my Mom and I went to Fairhope, AL for a little shopping and dining excursion.  Hands down, Fairhope is one of the loveliest towns.  Even in the winter time the downtown area is full of flowers, the trees are decorated with lights and almost every building has a unique shop.  This time we shopped the main road and some of the side streets.  On one of those side streets we found an incredible antique shop called Aubergine.  They had just received a shipment of confit pots, straight from France and I admit, I was instantly in love.

When I inquired what a confit pot was I learned that they were pots where meats such as duck and goose were preserved.  (This is where we get duck confit!) They would bury the pots in the ground all the way up to the glazing in order to keep the contents cool and fresh.  This is why so many of the confit pots have dirt ground into the unglazed portions of the pot.  The chips and imperfections are common as they were used regularly in the South of France.

The pots, so gorgeous, were out of my price range, so the only part of them that I came home with was this photograph.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Gifts and Goodies

I think I'm back to life.  

I swear, working the home show just sucks the life out of me.  I don't know how in the world people can work those things week after week.  Maybe a person can get used to it.  Well, I'm not going to try!  The whole reason why we do the home show is to promote the Monkey Bars Garage Storage System and to drum up interest in the product - ultimately giving estimates and installing.  The show has so far been a success.  We didn't get as many estimate sign ups as we have in previous shows, but nearly all have requested Tom to come out and give an estimate this week and he already has a job scheduled for tomorrow morning.   Life is good. 

Now that I am back in the land of the living and not off vacationing with Bob I can finally show you some of the delightful goodies she brought with her on her visit.  She knows me so well, that of course I loved every little thing.

I have already started reading Tim Gunn's book - Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work.  I love little lessons and Tim - perfect combination.

I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've watched these two movies. I do already own Music and Lyrics, but I'm going to take this copy to Gulf Shores and leave it in the condo there.  Overboard was recorded on VHS so many many years ago by my sisters, then I'm sure I recorded it on VHS for my own place and now I think I may have it on the DVR.  I'm so happy to have it on DVD :)

The shark in a hula skirt is just so Bob, that's is perfect for me, too!  If she has a shark mailbox it would one day be dressed like this.  If she had a manatee mailbox it'd be dressed like this!!   We have exchanged Christmas ornaments in the past, but I don't recall that I sent her one this past year.  Well, our gift giving has been pretty sporadic the past few years, so I don't think I did. 

Then if all of that wasn't enough, she gave me this gorgeous purse!  It's leather, with pockets and a plaid interior and has a long strap, a very long strap :)  I love it.  I don't have a small purse like this anymore and I've been wanting one - so this couldn't be more perfect.

While we were out and about the very first day of our adventures I found some pottery.  Both of these pieces were found in galleries just a block of Centre St in Fernandina Beach.  There were three galleries in one house.  I got the plate above in the one called "Slightly Off Centre" and the red bowl below was from the Amelia Gallery.  I think my husband has used this bowl a dozen times since I brought it home.  He just loves it.  I guess I made a great choice.

The plate is something I've been looking for for years.  One of my very first blog posts (Broken Pottery) I talked about how I cracked one of my favorite plates.  I've been looking for a fairly deep plate, in a beautiful glaze, that could be my dinner plate.  I have not broken the other pottery plate, so I only neeed one.  This one isn't as thick as my originals, so I'm going to have to be a bit more careful, but it is lovely and just what I wanted. 

So the pottery I bought for me.

and the gifts were given to me.

I guess this post is all about me!

Thanks Bob!!  I love the gifts. 
(Someday I'll get that chicken photo in the mail to you)

Hope you have a great day!
Kristin

Salad bowls

What a great day I had today. 

I mentioned back in June in my post, A shopping trip is in my future, that I had broken my last salad bowl and that I needed to get another one.

The past few months I have looked for replacements.

I have scoured art galleries, craft shows, antique malls.

My favorite Jacksonville location is the Riverside Arts Market, but the pottery people just haven't had the perfect selection the weeks I was there and I have come home again and again with nothing.

Today was different.

Lamb's Pottery was there and Gale Lamb, the potter, had exactly what I wanted!

She had a sale rack and I found a large deep bowl in a creamy color that I couldn't pass up for $9. (Gale told me that she was just rotating inventory and that nothing was actually wrong with the pieces on sale. I couldn't have agreed more! There was indeed nothing wrong with them.)

I'd already picked out one bowl and put it in my "bucket."

She makes the most beautiful cobalt blue bowls that were silky smooth and one of them was nearly perfect for the "I want to have a large salad for dinner" bowl.

Aren't these bowls beautiful?

The smaller green one was incredibly heavy and had a neat circular design in the bottom. It fit perfectly inside the cobalt blue bowl, so that was a bonus.

I think I'm set for many years now - let's just hope my dropping dishes days are over.

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Italian trees

POTD - Italian trees

Actually, I have no idea if these are Italian trees, but on the bottom of this little piece of decorative pottery it says ITALY 2570.  I've seen Italian trees but not all of them, obviously, so I am not exactly sure.  The little pottery piece is about three inches high and just about as wide.  I have a small collection of these Italian pieces (I think I have six pieces) and this is the only one where the image isn't scratched into the wet clay first, then glazed and painted later.  I used to go to antique shops on a fairly regular basis and that's when I picked up all of these pieces.  It seems like a lifetime ago.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - It's a pot

POTD - It's a pot

A neglected plant in a beautiful blue and yellow pottery planter.  I think that the restaurant that probably owns this pot just throws water at it every so often when they are mopping their patio.  This pot was outside the restaurant on the other side of the gate, so it truly was neglected.  I almost wanted to get a few containers of flowers to plant in the pot, but then decided that the scrubby bits that were left were probably the best it was going to look.  When I realized that, I was fine with the way things were. 

Have I ever mentioned my love of pottery?  Did you notice that this one has a cut out at the top.  Totally cool!  swoon.

Enjoy!
Kristin

A shopping trip in my future

If you have a fragile stomach I would suggest that you avert your eyes.



Seriously.



It's an ugly sight.




It nearly made me sick when it happened.

This was my salad bowl.

This is the bowl that I would prepare my "I'm having a large salad for dinner."

It has been around for a dozen years or more and used at least twice a week but probably more like five times a week.

This lovely purple bowl used to hold our veggies for dinner or was the bowl to make chicken salad.

It slipped out of my hands when I was rinsing it off and crashed into the sink.

We are now out of large salad bowls.

I broke the other one last fall.

I got a new bowl for Tom at the Riverside Arts Market a few weeks later.

OK, technically we aren't out of large salad bowls, because I clearly just stated that I replaced Tom's bowl that I broke.  However, that bowl is giant and it's too big for my salads.  I need a smaller, more functional one.  So in that respect, I'm out of large salad bowls.

Now I'm going to have to replace this one.

The thing is, I don't want a new bowl!

but I'll just have to make an effort to find a replacement. :)

Shopping for pottery is fun afterall.

I'm not the only one in my family that loves her pottery bowls.  My sisters and my mom have quite a large collection of them as well.

My sister is bringing her girls up right, as you can see from this photo.  (I took this when I was there)
Each kid has three pottery bowls in front of her with their lunch.  :)

Here's Stella with her bowl of green beans,  bowl of pasta, an empty bowl that had fruit in it and a few cucumbers on the placemat that didn't get a bowl.

All you have to do it teach them young that eating out of pottery bowls is great and they'll respect the dishes.

Alison says that they've lost a few bowls and she's bummed but it's worth it.  I know I've dropped enough glassware in my days.

Pottery is no different.

I'll be sure and blog about my new salad bowl when I get it!



I hope you enjoy your day!
Kristin

Grandma's Chair

I Am In Love.

Head over heels in love.

Seriously, I even became a bit of a stalker - good thing it was an art fair - you're allowed to stalk from 10am through 5pm on art fair days :)

Julie Schwarz in her booth
photo by Leigh - Thanks Leigh!

This is what has just about sent me over the edge.  It's the art, the artist, the booth design, and the personality of the prints, the artist and the booth design!  The artwork is hanging from old ladders.  I didn't notice that the first day I met Julie, but I did notice it after the second time.  By the third time I saw Julie I was an expert.

See?  I'm in love :)

The artist is Julie Schwarz and she's from Michigan!  I first met her at the Orange Beach Art Fair in Alabama.

She explained that each photo is actually a Polaroid photo that was "smushed" (her term) before it completes the photographic process.  She'd use things like her fingernails, cuticle sticks, golf tees, etc to make marks on the newly emerging image. This gives such an interesting look to each photo, which just can't be replicated.  She then scans the Polaroid to make an e-negative so that she can print them like you would any other type of photo.

I wanted to buy on the spot, but couldn't make up my mind.  I was torn between two photos. Grandma's Chair and Pottery Barn.

Grandma's Chair

I took this photo at the art fair, so the light was bouncing off the glass like crazy.  But I have a little red and white step stool chair that was my grandmother's, so I was immediately drawn to this one.  The frame was red barnwood, which complemented the red in the photo which would fit right into my home because I have a lot of red tossed about :)

This photo earned Julie an award at the Orange Beach Art Fair, so that's very cool, too.  It means that she's invited back next year.  Guess that means I'm coming back next year, too!

Pottery Barn

I love love love pottery.  I eat out of pottery bowls or plates every day.  I love the feel of silky smooth glazes.  I love the colors and and and, I can go on for years about the things I love about pottery.  The one thing I don't have is a really cool photo of pottery.

So, I left the Orange Beach Art Fair knowing that I'd go to the Fairhope, Alabama Art Fair the following weekend and Julie, we're tight friends by this point, said she'd be there all weekend.  All week I thought about those photos.

Which one?

The chair or the pottery?

Chair or Pottery?

Red frame? or Black frame?

I still had no idea which one I would choose until I finally arrived at Julie's booth a week later at Farihope. Then as I was looking at both of the photos I realized that one place that I still hadn't placed a piece of art was at the front door.  It's a red wall and that black frame would be perfect.

But I still really loved Grandma's Chair!

Julie then told me that the Pottery Barn photo was #1 out of 500.

SOLD!

It's not very often when you can get the first one of an edition.  I mean, you have to be first!

Here it is, in place at my front door.  Beautiful!

Click on the photo to enlarge so you can see the gorgeous wood on this piece of art.  Julie's husband, Daryl Schmidt,  makes the frames for her artwork out of barnwood, old ladders or other rustic woods.  

Love it!

The first day I met Julie, I was gushing so much about how much I loved her work that she gave me this magazine.  It is the 2009-2010 Guide to Harbor Country.  It serves the Michigan cities of Michiana, Grand Beach, New Buffalo, Three Oaks, Union Pier, Lakeside, Harbert and Sawyer, where Julie lives!  The guide featured Julie's work throughout the magazine and on the cover, shown above. 

Each new topic in the Guide had a little blurb to what could be found in that section and then three Polaroid shots of Julie's work. 

And look!  Under the shopping topic is Grandma's Chair!  I may have to frame this page.

I went back to the Fairhope Art Fair with Leigh (Tales from Bloggeritaville) and Jennifer (Dust Bunny Hostage) and we spent a good 30 minutes in Julie's booth.  Both Leigh and Jennifer bought the book that she had and we all admired the beautiful artwork and frames.  I contemplated buying Grandma's Chair again.  I realized that it was #22 of 500.  Twenty-two being my favorite number, but I resisted, kicking and screaming.

I'm so pleased with my purchase and it was worth the three trips combined to both art fairs to get to know Julie Schwarz.  She was so much fun and infinitely interesting.  I can't wait to see her again next year.


Have a wonderful Monday!
Kristin

Bunny Tail

I went to the Sugar Bear Antique Mall today.  I hadn't planned on going - as a matter of fact, I had no idea that this particular place even existed.

OK, let me start at the beginning.

A friend of mine was going to show some of her handmade items at a craft fair at Whole Foods.  I didn't even know that we had one in our town, so I decided to go find it.  It was on a side of town that I didn't know at all so making a dry run is a good thing :)  Wednesday I went to find the grocery store.  I saw the space where it used to be and looked on the door for the new address for their brand new location.  I drive another two miles down the road and finally find it!

I go in, I make a few purchases, I use my debit card, click the little button for $20 cash back, and finally ask the cashier what time on Friday the handmade show starts.  She says to me..."Oh, that's at Whole Foods." 

Where am I?  Oh, I'm at Fresh Market.  I thought it looked awfully familiar to the Fresh Market that I shop on the other side of town.

So I leave and find the Whole Foods, turn around in the parking lot and go home. 

As I get about a mile from my home I realize that I never got my $20 from the cashier.  Oy.  I called the store and they told me I could just come back and they'd cash out the drawer.  I explained that I was now about 20 miles away and I wasn't going to turn around.  They were going to need to hold it for me.  I'd be back on Friday (because I was coming back to go to the craft thing at Whole Foods.) 

Fast forward - today.  Friday.  I drive over to Whole Foods.  No craft fair.  I go inside.  It's giant!  I might make a trip over to this place again, like maybe on Sunday when the craft fair will be taking place. sheesh.

I leave there and head over to Fresh Market to pick up my $20.  I got my money and noticed these GORGEOUS flowers at their entrance.  I never did look to see the name of this particular flower. Then as I was leaving the parking lot I noticed this little antique mall across the street.  I decided to go in.

I had so much fun at the antique mall.  The Christmas items were out in full force and I got a lot of really lovely photos.  I'll be showing the Christmasy items in December, but remember that little bunny at the top of this post?   It spoke to me.  It was about 5" high and was green pottery (always a hit with me) and when I turned it around, it had a little cotton tail.

At first I made a little sigh that his little tail was torn off - then I realized!  This little bunny HOLDS cotton balls!  You pull the bunny tail to get them!  hahahahaaa  What a hoot!

The little green bunny will hopefully be a lovely addition to someone elses home, as I only took its photo and wrote a blog post about it :o)   (by the way, he was marked at $30.)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Kristin

Saturday at the Market

I've been home a week and a day now.  Well maybe a week and two days.  The day after I got back I hardly moved off the couch so I really wasn't counting that day.   But now that I'm officially home and off the couch, I was able to attend the Riverside Arts Market on Saturday.  It was Fire Department day so there were lots of kids at the market, lots of little plastic firemens hats and two fire trucks.

I love it when you can see that an old car or in this case fire truck was actually used.  The grill is dented, banged up and used.  The paint is such a deep red color.  It was just beautiful. 

Here's what I could get of the antique truck.  There wasn't a moment when this truck wasn't surrounded by men.  They loved this old gal :)  (Are firetrucks gals?)  Anyway, I decided to just take a photo of the truck with all the guys standing around it. 

I watched this Fireman climb up this ladder and I have to tell you that my knees got weak.   I'm not afraid of heights in general, but I am very very very uncomfortable on a tall ladder.  I get pretty shaky climbing up one over 5 feet or so.  It was truly terrifying watching him climb all the way to the top.  I wondered what the people driving by on the highway above thought when they saw the fireman at the top of that ladder! 

The sign in front of this juggler said that he was 15 years old.  He did a pretty good job!  He juggled those fire batons  up and down, around his body, through his legs, high up in the air and twirling around - pretty fun.  He had a lot of props behind him, so I bet he's going to put on a pretty good show.  I didn't stay for a whole lot of his performance, but I tossed a dollar into his bucket all the same.

I asked the woman who was the creative force in River City Artworks if I could take a photo of her Let It Snow collage.  I just loved it!  I asked her if she had it listed on her River City Artworks Etsy site.  She said no it wasn't but she'd list it.  I still don't see it there, but she may have sold it.  It was darling.  I'll have to send her an email and tell her that I've blogged about it and if it's still for sale, to get it on her site!

Her business cards were just genius!!  I loved this.  She just put her stickers on playing cards.  They weren't new cards either, they were well worn.  I bet she picked up the cards for a song because she didn't need to have a full deck.

A few weeks before I went to Michigan I took these photos.  I totally forgot about them, but while I'm talking about the market I decided to pull up these photos.  The guy in the photo above is named Richard.  He and I were joking around and I told him I blogged.  He said that he was blogworthy, so I took his photo!  Hi Richard!!

I love pottery bowls.  You all already knew that I'm sure.  I'm not shy talking about my love of them. :)   My family is also pretty pottery bowl crazy, so I took my rolling bucket with me to the market and made a bee line to this booth and bought up a bunch of those bowls and several of the little plates.  All of the bowls I purchased are marked with a black dot.  You will notice that I picked one from nearly every color!   The bowls were $5 a piece.  That is just an incredible price!  I love this vendor.

I brought all of the bowls and plates to Michigan and one night we all sat around the dining room table and they picked out the ones they'd like to own.  This was my Christmas gift to them and it was perfect! 

The last thing on my list from the arts market is this great product.  I love the name!  I wear my keys on a purple lanyard around my neck.  I'm used to it now and don't think I could go back to having them around my wrist, but....

with the cute factor of these little wristlets, I could change my mind.  They are very well made and the fabric choices are wonderfully varied.  Your favorite team colors are included!  At $5 a piece, these would make great stocking stuffers. 


Well, that's what I did on Saturday.  Thanks for joining me on my journey.    The market is only open a few more Saturdays then it's over until next April.  I wonder what I'll find to do on Saturdays.  You all will be the first to know!

Hope you have a fabulous week!
Kristin

Broken Pottery - Looking for the potter

Once upon a time in a land far far away a newly smitten couple went shopping in a pottery studio/gallery and fell in love with a pair of plates.

Once upon a time - June or July 1995 - in a land far far away - Lansing, MI - a newly smitten couple lol my husband and I - went shopping at Reynolds Art Studio on Lake Lansing Road and purchased these awesome plates. I am such a forgetful one that I suggested to my husband that he could just wrap up the plates and give them to me for my birthday in October and I'd never remember that we bought them and I'd love them all the same. Knowing he had a good thing, he did just that... He listened well at the time. haha


We have used these plates nearly every day - mostly for dinner - they were great for eating on the couch, because they were deep and stuff wouldn't spill off the plates it you happen to move funny. Just before Christmas 2007, just over a month ago, I smacked one of the dishes on the center divider of the kitchen sink, as I was gently handwashing and rinsing my beautiful plate. Not sure if I had a spasm or what, but I smacked it pretty good. Then I saw it - the crack. It was hardly visible, but I could see it - on both sides of the plate --- it was a goner. I knew the day would come that they would break, but we'd only had the plates for 12 years - surely I could get another 12 out of them before I had to give them up.

I have included pictures of the top, sides, bottom and signature of the original potter. Since a blog is such a great place to make a plea, I'm making a plea!! I would love to have two plates, in the same shape and style and of course, I'd love to have them from the original potter. The art studio where I purchased the plates has been out of business for a very long time - and the pieces were not made in the studio, so I have no idea where in the world the potter hails. If you recognize the signature, recognize the pattern, anything! talk to me. The signatures are different on the bottom of each plate - but they are the same potter. Please see the photos.

The pattern doesn't need to be the same, they don't need to be the same colors, they don't even need to be a pair of look alikes - but I would like them to stack nicely and be as similar in shape and style as the ones I love so dearly. If you are a potter or know one that does a similar type of work, please comment and we'll talk.


(I don't know why these photos are so yellow lol That should probably be a part of my 101 Things to Do list -- Learn how to take Photos.)

Have a Great Day!

Kristin