I am deeply enthusiastic to introduce Rachel, from the visually and gastronomically delicious Heart of Light, who will share with us a few of her favorite vintage things.  Beyond the creative projects and fun crafts she creates, many of us have already enjoyed the tremendous tastes of the recipes she graciously shares.   From her beautiful food photography, I am always inspired to instantly run into the kitchen to try her recipes, which she explains in amazingly accessible terms to even inexperienced bakers such as myself.

Rachel, who is currently on a respectable shopping hiatus, shares her treasure hunting philosophy, “My approach to vintage shopping is to only purchase pieces that resonate with me, that fit in my home, and that will be useful. I love that my kitchenwares are functional display pieces, and I use them all the time.”

My mid century Dansk dishes are definitely some of my very favorite vintage pieces. It started with the little blue dish, which I found at my favorite local thrift store for just $3. Later, I found the larger pieces at the Fairfax flea market and snapped them up. They were incredibly dirty, but a really good cleaning restored them. I love the delicate curved handles, and the bright primary colors make me happy. I couldn’t bear to leave them in the cupboard so I display them on my living room wall and just take them down when I need to use them. (pH Note: How can you not admire a lady who can turn dishes into the perfect installation of mid-century modern art?)

I adore cake stands, and this is the piece that started it all. It’s a vintage pressed glass cake stand that I picked up at an antique mall in my
hometown for $9. I was in the midst of designing a dessert buffet for my sister’s wedding, so I was on the lookout for beautiful pieces that would pop on the table. I later found two more at the Rose Bowl flea market in this exact pattern, so I now have a trio. I’ve since bought quite a few cake stands, both vintage and modern, but this is still my sentimental favorite.

My jadite batter bowl was another Fairfax flea market steal. The vendor was asking $20, but when he saw how much I loved it, he quickly lowered the price to $5 – I was shocked! It’s a heavy, Anchor Hocking piece and I love using it when I’m baking.

Vintage tea cups are a relatively recent obsession although I’ve always loved tea. I was out at a Santa Monica flea market and I found a Wedgwood tea cup and saucer that got me started. Recently, I purchased an amazing fortune telling tea cup from Etsy shop ThorwaldHome.  I’ve been keeping the cups in a little stack on my dining room table so that I can enjoy them even when I’m not drinking out of them.

Thank you kindly Rachel for inviting us over for tea, baked goods, and the joy of using cookery as art! Isn’t it such a delight to see how beautifully her favorite vintage things accentuate her gracious cooking and baking?