What’s your current thing…other than jewelry?

[Ally T]

Well that’s awesome

Except I am obsessed I am constantly looking & updating my online checks, despite having every Estate Agent for miles around fully on the case. I am currently away & I get cross when we are somewhere that I don't have WiFi on my phone in case I miss out. And what if The Dream pops up whilst we are away? I'm like, NOOOO! That just can't happen & if necessary, I'll load us all up & drive us home for a viewing. Madness

 

[Lookinagain]

Except I am obsessed Madness

Well, yes and no. I think anyone who has their dream home ( or any other dream) in their sights would be the same. And think about the person who does, but isn't excited about it. Then what's the point? So I totally understand your excitement and I hope you find that dream house soon ( so you can start to relax a bit ).

 

[FL_runner]

@FL_runner, okay well that food looks amazing but my goodness those are gorgeous roses!

I haven’t tried grilled peaches but we went peach picking recently and I did sauté them in a little butter with some cinnamon for breakfast. Amazing!

Thank you!!! I love peaches so much, and really enjoy in season fruit! The butter and cinnamon sounds great I will try that!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Reading, cooking unhealthy food (as a hobby, once or twice a week). Cooking yummy and relatively healthy food daily. Walking my dog 45-50 min every morning - the only kind of exercise I like to do these days.
Photo of unhealthy food attached. They were fried in oil and have meat and potato/onion filling inside. Street food in the USSR. The taste of childhood both my husband and I love.

knishes?

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

I've finally been able to spend time gardening! I planted a bunch of new plants as groundcover for a section of the yard. Unfortunately, they were killed off by the first heat wave we had.

But I managed to keep my peony, venus flytraps, and pitcher plant alive! I also bought some house plants from a lady off Facebook Hope I can keep these ones alive...



My DH has some plants of his own, mostly peppers and berries.

So it's been nice to do some gardening as a family.

 

[lambskin]

Gardening and collecting oriental hand made carpets.

 

[Ontheblackrock15]

I've started growing tropical flowers, mostly different plumeria, but also gardenia, pikake, puakenikeni, and tuberose.

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

I've started growing tropical flowers, mostly different plumeria, but also gardenia, pikake, puakenikeni, and tuberose.

Your deck looks so clean and organized! I'm so jealous

 

[Lookinagain]

I've started growing tropical flowers, mostly different plumeria, but also gardenia, pikake, puakenikeni, and tuberose.

I don't know where you live, but the view is beautiful!

 

[RosieR]

A gut kitchen remodel has me on jewellery ban island.

 

[Ontheblackrock15]

Your deck looks so clean and organized! I'm so jealous

Thank you! We have to bring the plants in and secure anything on the deck when tropical storms come through, so that forces us to stay organized.

I don't know where you live, but the view is beautiful!

We are in the FL keys - absolutely love it!

 

[Lookinagain]

We are in the FL keys - absolutely love it!

Oh yes. The Keys are beautiful. That ride down with the Gulf on one side and the Atlantic on the other is awesome.

 

[Austina]

@Alex T , with the property market here at the moment, your best bet is probably through a good estate agent.

We’ve just contacted agents to value our house, and they all said the same, they have people actively waiting, and within an hour of them leaving, they rang to say they have buyers begging to come and view.

Our house didn’t even technically ‘go on the market’, it was done purely through the agents (we used 2, and got a really good deal on their commission), they showed people the video walk through we had done, and only after seeing it, could they bring people for an in person viewing. The viewings started on Thursday, and by Saturday, we had 2 firm offers, and 2 other viewers said they were going to put in an offer.

 

[junebug17]

I've started growing tropical flowers, mostly different plumeria, but also gardenia, pikake, puakenikeni, and tuberose.

Beautiful plants, and beautiful view!

 

[VRBeauty]

My Guinness Book of Records attempt!
A single, continuous Granny square. That’s going around and around and around. It’s been a work in progress for 4 years. I’m now nearly there. How big? It has to be at least 12 metres by 12 metres. It now takes 3 x 100 gram balls of wool to go around just once.

Yikes!

At least, at that point, you don’t have endless ends to weave in!

 

[Ally T]

@Alex T , with the property market here at the moment, your best bet is probably through a good estate agent.

We’ve just contacted agents to value our house, and they all said the same, they have people actively waiting, and within an hour of them leaving, they rang to say they have buyers begging to come and view.

Our house didn’t even technically ‘go on the market’, it was done purely through the agents (we used 2, and got a really good deal on their commission), they showed people the video walk through we had done, and only after seeing it, could they bring people for an in person viewing. The viewings started on Thursday, and by Saturday, we had 2 firm offers, and 2 other viewers said they were going to put in an offer.

How amazing! That's such a big relief for you, I expect.

Yes, we have several agents on the hunt for us & have had first dibs on several houses so far, the day before they've gone on the market, but haven't sadly found The One. One was close - house was GLORIOUS with 6 ensuite bedrooms & the most amazing gardens, but the surrounding farmland was all private with no bridle tracks. And if you know me, you know that as much as I love doing my gardens, I love walking in the fields in my wellies just as much. That was a deal breaker for me, which upset the girls quite a bit. We are not marketing our own house until we've moved out, but the 4 agents that came to value said the same as what's happened to yours - it'll be sold within a week. We are very rural but only 10-15 minutes drive from the motorway network, so we're sitting fairly pretty in the desirability aspect, especially in these 'new' times with people relocating to the countryside & working from home. A house in the village went up for sale a few weeks back on the Monday & had 5 firm offers & was sold by the Thursday. The market is crazy! But yes, our agents are definitely on the case & working hard for us, so fingers crossed.

 

[Ally T]

I've started growing tropical flowers, mostly different plumeria, but also gardenia, pikake, puakenikeni, and tuberose.

Can I live on your deck, please? I'll water the plants for you & everything!

 

[Ontheblackrock15]

Can I live on your deck, please? I'll water the plants for you & everything!

Let me know when you are swinging by - I'll set up the hammock and umbrella!

 

[Austina]

Fingers crossed @Alex T , at this end of the market, there’s very little about at the moment.

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

A gut kitchen remodel has me on jewellery ban island.

Do I like or not like this? I mean yay for new kitchen, but boooo to jewellery ban.

 

[RosieR]

Do I like or not like this? I mean yay for new kitchen, but boooo to jewellery ban.

I know I’m a bit of a jewellery nut, but looking back at some the inspiration shots I sent the interior designer, you can really tell I’m craving a VCA Alhambra 5 motif in yellow gold

 

[seafarm]

Reading, cooking unhealthy food (as a hobby, once or twice a week). Cooking yummy and relatively healthy food daily. Walking my dog 45-50 min every morning - the only kind of exercise I like to do these days.
Photo of unhealthy food attached. They were fried in oil and have meat and potato/onion filling inside. Street food in the USSR. The taste of childhood both my husband and I love.

……PiroshkI by chance?

 

[seafarm]

……PiroshkI by chance?

Sorry…Piroshki

 

[Arcadian]

This is the last thing I've sewed. Its too big (except in the shoulders and back) but I HAVE worn it! NewLook 6575 this is an XL. I don't have a lot of chest, so, I wear this one with a tank underneath. The next one I will go with an L though though I will grade the shoulder/upper back as an XL. This wears more like a mini dress on me but makes it perfect for wearing with leggings.

Yes my dress makers dummy has a bra on...lol

 

[VRBeauty]

Cute dress, and I love your label!

 

[VRBeauty]

Vintage silver plate flatware. I currently own a total of 54 place settings in six patterns. That’s not counting the my everyday stuff, which is still at my old house, and my husband’s everyday pattern - another two patterns and at least 10-12 place settings.

I bought my everyday set at a consignment store, maybe 35 years ago. I loved the exquisite art deco design, the heft of the individual pieces, and the warmth of the silver. A few years later I found that whole sets, in very good shape, could be found on eBay - many for very little money. Apparently baby boomers found these sets - many of which had only been used for special occasions, if at all - and practically gave them away because they couldn’t conceive of anyone wanting flatware that couldn’t go in the dishwasher! I was like a kid in a candy store when I discovered the bargains out there and the wonderful array of vintage patterns. I quickly found nice sets for each of my brothers and their wives. I also found a lovely, unused 12 place setting set for my mother, which has since been used for many special family gatherings. That set is now in my collection, and I intend to hold on to it. The others I hope to pass on to my niece and nephews, but they’re being maddeningly slow in terms of settling down.

Last month I passed a very nice set (8 place settings) on to my step-daughter, which immediately caused me to panic that I might not have enough for everybody (LOL). Then, just a week or two later, I found a very nice quality set in a pattern I like at a thrift store - $25 for eight place settings in a wood storage chest! Couldn’t pass it up, even though I’ll have to hunt down a one or two serving pieces. (One, actually…I found and snagged a casserole spoon just today.)

Oh, and did I mention that my other “thing”right now is downsizing? Flatware does take up more room than jewelry, but fortunately it takes up way less space than some other hobbies!

 

[Arcadian]

Vintage silver plate flatware. I currently own a total of 54 place settings in six patterns. That’s not counting the my everyday stuff, which is still at my old house, and my husband’s everyday pattern - another two patterns and at least 10-12 place settings.

I bought my everyday set at a consignment store, maybe 35 years ago. I loved the exquisite art deco design, the heft of the individual pieces, and the warmth of the silver. A few years later I found that whole sets, in very good shape, could be found on eBay - many for very little money. Apparently baby boomers found these sets - many of which had only been used for special occasions, if at all - and practically gave them away because they couldn’t conceive of anyone wanting flatware that couldn’t go in the dishwasher! I was like a kid in a candy store when I discovered the bargains out there and the wonderful array of vintage patterns. I quickly found nice sets for each of my brothers and their wives. I also found a lovely, unused 12 place setting set for my mother, which has since been used for many special family gatherings. That set is now in my collection, and I intend to hold on to it. The others I hope to pass on to my niece and nephews, but they’re being maddeningly slow in terms of settling down.

Last month I passed a very nice set (8 place settings) on to my step-daughter, which immediately caused me to panic that I might not have enough for everybody (LOL). Then, just a week or two later, I found a very nice quality set in a pattern I like at a thrift store - $25 for eight place settings in a wood storage chest! Couldn’t pass it up, even though I’ll have to hunt down a one or two serving pieces. (One, actually…I found and snagged a casserole spoon just today.)

Oh, and did I mention that my other “thing”right now is downsizing? Flatware does take up more room than jewelry, but fortunately it takes up way less space than some other hobbies!

Thats pretty interesting to know! my mom keeps trying to unload all this crazy flatware (none of it is my style, I pass on it) she had 5 sets, which I'm sure some came from my grandparents. One of my nieces took a set, my oldest brother took a set, but no one else is really interested. I'm still sitting on this sterling silver set from his mother's family. Does have the family initials on it. Only thing I even know about it is that it came from France. We never use them and the box that they live in is huge.

 

[VRBeauty]

Thats pretty interesting to know! my mom keeps trying to unload all this crazy flatware (none of it is my style, I pass on it) she had 5 sets, which I'm sure some came from my grandparents. One of my nieces took a set, my oldest brother took a set, but no one else is really interested. I'm still sitting on this sterling silver set from his mother's family. Does have the family initials on it. Only thing I even know about it is that it came from France. We never use them and the box that they live in is huge.

OOOH! That’s fascinating!

Actually, I do understand your reluctance to accept your mother’s gift. The vast majority of vintage silverplate patterns don’t appeal to me at all - my sweetie’s included! Fortunately he has no sentimental attachment to his set and he understands that we’ll be switching sets at some point.

I am curious about which patterns she has, though - LOL.

I also have some French sterling, though just a few pieces, and technically I’m just keeping it safe until my brothers and I figure out/agree on how to divvy it up. Does your husbands set have the letters as part of the raised design, as opposed to being engraved into a flat area? That’s how ours is. It came from my father’s side of the family. They lived in Asia, but my great- and great-great grandfathers loved to travel. We know one of them went to the 1989 world’s fair - Exposition Internationelle - in Paris thanks to a lovely pocket watch engraved to commemorate the event. The silver could well have been purchased then since its maker, Emile Puiforcat, started his business in 1820 (and his descendants are still making fine silver today.)

If you’re interested in learning more about your husband’s heirloom set, this is a good place to start. (The makers mark on my silver was very difficult to find, BTW. The makers marks and hallmarks both are on the front side of the bowls, and so small that they almost look like pock marks or blemishes. It took a jeweler’s loupe to make them out - fortunately I have one or two of those handy!)

French Makers' Marks Illustrated - A - Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks

French Silver Marks - Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks

www.925-1000.com

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Lockdown crocheting continues

Baby Croc, wombat, octopus, Xiao long bao, chicken

 

[Dee*Jay]

Vintage silver plate flatware. I currently own a total of 54 place settings in six patterns. That’s not counting the my everyday stuff, which is still at my old house, and my husband’s everyday pattern - another two patterns and at least 10-12 place settings.

I bought my everyday set at a consignment store, maybe 35 years ago. I loved the exquisite art deco design, the heft of the individual pieces, and the warmth of the silver. A few years later I found that whole sets, in very good shape, could be found on eBay - many for very little money. Apparently baby boomers found these sets - many of which had only been used for special occasions, if at all - and practically gave them away because they couldn’t conceive of anyone wanting flatware that couldn’t go in the dishwasher! I was like a kid in a candy store when I discovered the bargains out there and the wonderful array of vintage patterns. I quickly found nice sets for each of my brothers and their wives. I also found a lovely, unused 12 place setting set for my mother, which has since been used for many special family gatherings. That set is now in my collection, and I intend to hold on to it. The others I hope to pass on to my niece and nephews, but they’re being maddeningly slow in terms of settling down.

Last month I passed a very nice set (8 place settings) on to my step-daughter, which immediately caused me to panic that I might not have enough for everybody (LOL). Then, just a week or two later, I found a very nice quality set in a pattern I like at a thrift store - $25 for eight place settings in a wood storage chest! Couldn’t pass it up, even though I’ll have to hunt down a one or two serving pieces. (One, actually…I found and snagged a casserole spoon just today.)

Oh, and did I mention that my other “thing”right now is downsizing? Flatware does take up more room than jewelry, but fortunately it takes up way less space than some other hobbies!

VR, I am amazed over and over again when I come across these beautiful sets of flatware, usually also in beautiful boxes, that no one has an appreciation for any more. At the estate sales and auctions I go to every weekend I see them. They are so tempting -- but I have to limit myself to glass and the occasional set of dishes (if they are not super common). If I started stocking flatware I'd need to rent the house next door! As it is the dining room is so filled with boxes of dishes and glass waiting to be listed that I have to turn sideways to sit at the dining room table and take photos for listings! But All those gorgeous forks and knives and spoons... Oh My!