Favorite Things Friday: Salt & Peppa!

http://crookgolfclub.co.uk/en-CA/30-mega-moolah-tips Ta-da! A representative sample.

I tend to be a bit of a curator… it’s about both the hunt and the trophy. I don’t collect things primarily for quantity, but for uniqueness or charm. This week’s object of my affection is atmospherically salt and pepper shakers. They hit all my sweet spots: they’re kitchen-y, useful, kitschy; they don’t take up a lot of room, they’re relatively common and pretty affordable, as long as you are patient. They are compact to store which means I can easily rotate my collection when whimsy strikes. And I *do* love to make a window display…

My favorites are vintage (surprise!) but I’m not attached to a particular era. Right now I’ve got art deco and forties and mod and seventies on display. I like a variety of materials, too…Bakelite, Pyrex, plastic, aluminum, iron, ceramic. And I am not particular about the subject, it just has to be cute. (Tiny furniture and fake fruits and vegetables happen to be cuter than average, it seems.)

these strawberries' caps make them look French, no?

I don’t mind if the shakers are gently (or not so gently) used…it adds to their appeal. I like imagining the homemakers (male or female) who originally owned them. I picture these people’s kitchen colors and fixtures and imagine the meals the shakers were honored guests at.

I’m a fan of evolving design, and there are a few spots in my house that I redecorate pretty frequently: the mantel, the dining room cabinet, a couple of shelves in my office and bedroom. I might combine natural materials and and beloved knickknacks, for example.  A pair of salt & pepper shakers is often just the right icing on the display cake, as in the Japanese boy and girl shakers in the picture below. I don’t have many knickknacks from beloved, now departed relatives, but I like the idea that I am a good custodian for somebody’s grandma’s salt & pepper sets.