It's *her*. You know who. That woman we hate to love. Fastidious. Organized. Creative to the nth degree. Fabulous cook. Amazing gardener.
Personally, I hate to love her because she's so darn creative and I'm, well... not so much.
Yes. It's Martha.
She's introduced a gorgeous Delphite blue line of kitsch-en items.
The kitschy little recipe box screams retro. Love it, but we love the original vintage ones better! Why? For a number of reasons - for the history, for the sheer beauty of the design, for the quality which has contributed to their longevity and for the variety of colors. Oft times we'll find a vintage recipe box chucky jam packed with time tested recipes, many of which might appear to be handed down over generations; "Nana's fried chicken", "Betty-Anne's amazing shortbread" and the like.
Delphite kitsch-enware, manufactured during the depression era by makers such as Jeanette, Fire King and Pyrex, have a beauty all their own which simply cannot be replicated. Sure, Martha's blue bowls in ceramic are pretty. But they are not the real deal. Let's have a looky-loo!
The modern ceramic blue bowls appear chunky and heavy and have definitive country style. The glass Fire King Delphite blue set (in the ChiChi House at the time of posting) seems to have more of a modern edge and flair. The color appears to be deeper... richer... There is simply something about the lines and color which tug at us. Our Fire King Delphite set is in near pristine condition, showing very little wear. Delphite is harder to find than many other Depression era glassware items and it is not often one will find pieces in such great condition. The former owner must have loved these bowls dearly and took great care with them. We believe their future new home will be a safe and loving place as well.
Also in the store, at time of posting... I feel an urge to digress here... I say 'at time of posting' as I'd hate for someone to pop into the store, ready to adopt something we've featured here, and feel tremendous disappointment if they find it gone. That, however, is the nature of the vintage and collectible world. Here today may be gone tomorrow. If there's something specific we have featured on the blog, and you believe you simply *must* have it, please give us a ring. If you can make it in lickety split - well, at least on the same day that you've called, we can reserve it for you. We cannot, however, place items on indefinite hold. It just wouldn't be fair to everyone else.
Now, where was I? Right about... here...
Nestled on the Kitsch-en countertop, in the ChiChi House, you can find (at time of posting!) a set of three lidded Pyrex Delphite refrigerator dishes. Pretty, pretty and again, pretty! The bodies of these dishes are a gorgeous Delphite blue and the lids are clear. They aren't without some blemishes but that doesn't mean they weren't loved. It simply means they saw more service. The clear glass lids were somewhat less durable than the bodies and were often the first parts to chip or break. Being more durable, you may find lidless bodies of refrigerator dishes mislabeled as 'loaf pans'. These pieces came to us as a set but are priced individually as they vary in condition, one of the smaller dishes is a little rough, but still serviceable. The largest piece is in the best condition. I often refer to blemishes as 'beauty marks' or 'patina'. You simply cannot collect vintage and expect perfection. If you look at them carefully bruises will tell a story of eras gone by. Of a simpler time. Of family gatherings over dinner. Of mother-daughter bonding while mixing up a batch of cookies.
There are simply so many things we take for granted in this modern world. Every day things we use with nary a thought beyond what we use them for. Back in 'the days' there was no such thing as cling or press and seal wrap. Leftovers and other refrigerated items required a different method of storage. In their time refrigerator dishes were a modern convenience. In this time perhaps we could all do well to embrace a vintage lifestyle. Using refrigerator dishes instead of the throw away plastics of today is one way to get 'green' and reduce our individual and/or family carbon footprint. It's the ChiChi thing to do.
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