Creating a Modern Buffet with Vintage Platters
Today I wanted to share my favorite tips for creating a super easy modern buffet table using beautiful vintage platters. Entertaining with vintage platters is my happy place. Mixing and matching and showing off beautiful old items in a modern setting is exactly what I love to do.
For me, it is all about layers and height. It adds such a level of visual interest and helps everyone see the food better (or what I really care about...it shows off the vintage serving pieces better). Here is a step by step guide to building this buffet.
What is a Caviar Spoon?
Caviar (sturgeon eggs) is a such a delicacy it requires its own spoon. The spoon is usually small (about 6 inches or smaller) and has an oval or shallow bowl to serve the caviar. But, you will also find some spoons larger and more ornate.
However, the material of the spoons is what is most important. Grabbing your silver teaspoon to serve caviar is considered a real faux-paus. Instead, caviar spoons are made of materials that won't taint the delicate taste of this luxury.
Are you a coup or a flute?
There are three kinds of people in this world...those that prefer champagne flutes, those that prefer champagne coupes and those that would rather a bourbon out of the bottle.
It doesn't take much of a genius to figure out that the retro charm of the coupe has my heart. It was one of the first things I registered for when I was engaged, I used them at my wedding and we drink OJ from them on the weekends. It is obvious that I adore them.
The Turkey Platter: A Quick History and Favorite Patterns
If you saw my post on creating a perfect vintage Thanksgiving table then you already know that I think the turkey platter is the star of the show. In my house, the ole gal isn’t allocated to the edge of the table, she’s put in prime location in the center of the table.
Creating a Vintage Thanksgiving Table
I love everything about Thanksgiving. I love waking up and waiting for Santa to make his appearance on the Macy's parade. I love the smell of stuffing. I love the grazing that happens from the beginning of the day to the end of the day. I love being with the ones I love. I love having things in my life to be Thankful for...and I love everything I am thankful for.
I have not been able to stop thinking about my Thanksgiving table. I love mixing textures and items on my table to create an inviting and happy table for my guests. I also love mixing “new” tableware with vintage tableware. Below you will find new and vintage picks for a perfect Thanksgiving table!
How to identify marks on silver
We recently went through and talked about the different types of silver and their marks. Now we are going to learn how to read these marks and go into more details on some of these terms.
As we saw in the first post, there are often all sorts of little designs, numbers and letters on the bottom of a piece of silver. It is a very complicated system that often changes per country and region. The information below is the tip of the iceburg but should at least give you a good place to understand what all the designs represent.
Flatware Finds: What Are Sugar Spoons and How Do You Use Them?
Like any good Southern woman, I love my initials and monogram. I have an EBay saved search for "Vintage SH Initials" and squeal when I get the alert on my phone that something has been listed.
One of my most recent purchases is this adorable Sugar Spoon with "SH" on the handle. (This one got a BIG squeal). I don't even use sugar in my coffee or tea but I have a soft spot in my heart for this piece.
What are the different types of silver and how do you identify them?
One of the first things I learned when I started doing my hard core thrifting and flea gig was the various types of silver. While I am still no expert, I have learned how to better interpret all those crazy stamps on the back of pieces. I thought it would be helpful to go through and really dive in so you can, hopefully, start identifying what you are holding. Let me just say right here that most of this information was collected from Martha Stewart. (Obvs).
What is the difference between china and porcelain?
I thought it might be helpful if we start to explore some variations of products and learn about the basics of terminology.
China, Ceramics, Porcelain and Bone China....all these terms get super confusing. So, let's do a little flow chart here to help.
Jefferson Cups: Versatile Vintage Gems for Entertaining
The vintage Jefferson Cup is the work horse of your entertainment arsenal, folks.
According to Monticello's website, Thomas Jefferson created these in 1810 after melting down silver cups that were given to left to him in the death of a friend. He created a set of 8. This tumbler style was a low round-bottomed cup that had a much thicker base than sides. This extra weight made the cups sturdy helped them from tipping over. They were all the rage at the time and were often used in traveling.