Some of you may see this photo and ask, "Jen, did you just get your forearm tribal tattoo removed?" No I did not. And no I do not have a tribal tattoo on my forearm. But if I did it would probably be the ancient Chinese symbol for "Ok." Really. "Passion" or "wish" or "longevity" are all too much. On a really, really good day, I aim for "ok." Now back to the photo...
The other some of you may see this photo and ask, "Jen, is that the unmistakable pattern 'Flutes and Pearls' by fine pewter maker Wilton Armetale?" Why, yes, it is. Now, I'm not sure how much Southern belle street cred I get for actually having my serving piece design detail branded on my forearm, but my guess is a lot. (My friend E. has the same pattern, and I'm pretty sure she'll be pretty jealous when she sees my new arm art.)
And there's a valuable lesson to learn from this photo: When you take a pewter serving bowl out of a 400 degree oven, it's safe to assume that the aforementioned bowl is actually close to 400 degrees in its super hotness. And you may want to keep that in mind when reaching across the bowl to remove hot items from it. Just a suggestion.
My question to all of you: What is your absolute favorite pattern of china or serving piece and why? (Think about it. Your absolute favorite. As in, "Oh, dear, I just branded myself with this, but at least it's a pattern that's my absolute favorite.")
I was scrolling through the Facebook updates and spotted your lovely new body art and just had to read the story. I will hold the wisdome you have imparted close to my heart as I prepare meals for the near future...and then I'll likely become brave, foolhardy, or forgetful and burn myself good.
ReplyDeleteJonathan and I spent ages and ages picking out the perfect china, crystal, flatware, and serving dishes before we were married. So, I do have an answer to your inquiry. Although I adore my china pattern, my absolute favorite things are our casual flatware. It's a set by Gourmet Settings (a small-ish Canadian company) that was discontinued (they update their patterns regularly). The stainless flatware has impeccable balance and just the right heft, not too light but not impedingly heavy. The design is plain yet elegant as the bowl of each piece (other than knives) has a recognizably different than standard curvature.
My absolute favorite utensil from the set is the salad fork (or baby fork as I like to call it). It's a bit smaller than your average salad fork, but something about its shape fits my hand perfectly and the more scooped shape of the tines is just fun to eat off of. I've noticed that most of my girl friends who hang out or eat at my place regularly also seem to prefer the smaller fork.
The company is just great. They have interesting designs and are very affordable. You should check out their wares. I contacted them a few years back shortly after we were married to see if it would be possible to get another set or two of our flatware (since I couldn't find more like it anywhere) and was told that it had been discontinued, but they appreciated my love of the small fork and searched their warehouse and shipped me everything they had in the pattern floating around back there for free with a nice letter about how pleased they were that I liked noticed their design details and quality.
your header is so so sweet! i absolutely love it, you need no liscensing fees! your own mind and hand have it all...thanks be to God, of course.
ReplyDeleteI loved the "street cred" part. LMAO.
ReplyDelete-Forrest
Donan, I checked out Gourmet Settings, and I think I cried a little bit looking at their stuff. So great! And I know how it feels to have your stuff discontinued. Our china pattern was discontinued two years after we married. I felt robbed. Luckily I've found lots of it at replacements.com, so that's soothed the pain a bit. Maybe they have your stuff too? That you for sharing your happy, then sad, then uplifting, and finally triumphant story! Love you!
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