Fall into Winter

The end of the year certainly has a lot going on!  Between Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's, the mundane parts of life seem to have taken over.  I'm also starting to wonder if my focus here on ceramics is too limiting, and if that's why my updates here have been so sparse of late.  As I look around my house, I realize there are Scandinavian influences everywhere - so, I think in the new year I'm going to start sharing a little bit more than just ceramics (well, I'm going to make it official...I've already had a few non-pottery posts).  

About these pictures:  We used a few different Dansk candleholders for the first time - the brass candlesticks in early December, and the taper crown for Christmas dinner.  

We also completed our collection of Lisa Larson Advent candleholders.  The marks on the bases are not all the same:  the boys have the original Gustavsberg marks, but the girls are marked Rörstrand.  

Christmas Eve dinner was at my parents' house on their lovely Porsgrund Hearts and Pines.

Porsgrund Bowl

A Porsgrund bowl at my parent's house, filled with saltwater taffy.  According to the Porsgrund website, the pattern is called Maxistrå (Big Straw).

Porsgrund Pia Myrvold - Juli

This is the cup and saucer for July designed by Pia Myrvold for Porsgrund.   Pia is from Stavanger and was one of my cousin's piano students when she was younger - my cousin gave me this set of cups and saucers (July through December).

Porsgrund Seljord Vase

I found this Porsgrund vase in the Seljord pattern this weekend for only $10... which I hope is a bargain!  The bottom is marked with the Porsgrund logo and the year of manufacture: 1966.

Konrad Galaaen Wall Hanging

This big Konrad Galaaen wall plaque was a recent eBay purchase that we finally received from Germany this week (it took a month to get here) - and it arrived unbroken!  After looking at it closer we noticed that the porcelain is actually two pieces - there is a seam right above the blue block with the black circle.  The front of the board has K. Galaaen, but unlike our other Princess plaque, this one is unmarked on the back.

 

Porsgrund Platter

One of my grandma's Porsgrund platters.  The back is marked with the year (1966) and Handmåla T. Rønjom (Hand painted T. (I think Torstein) Rønjom).

Porsgrund Troll Mug

To go along with my Porsgrund troll plate, I also had this little mug when I was a baby.

Pineapple Upside-down Cake

I made my first pineapple upside-down cake today... it was good, if I do say so myself!  The Porsgrund Farmers Rose plates and Tostrup silver were my grandma's.

1967 Porsgrund Bowl

This bowl, dated 1967, belonged to my grandma.  It has great vibrant colors that would be at home with many of the traditional Mediterranean ceramics.  I don't know the pattern name, but it is similar to the Telemark pattern, which is apparently exclusive to the US market (and our local Scandinavian shop says it's being discontinued).

Porsgrund Coffee Mugs

More snow today!  We had some post-shoveling hot cocoa.  The Porsgrund mugs in the Farmers Rose pattern were my grandma's.

It's Christmas week, so things will probably be different.  This is my favorite of the wrapping paper from Ikea this year.

Porsgrund Nisse Mugs

 

My mom gave us these Porsgrund mugs with nisser on them.  The little guy on the handle says "God Jul."

Porsgrund Compote

This old Porsgrund footed bowl was an antique show find.

Porsgrund Troll Plate

My plate when I was young.  Marked Porsgrund, 1967.

Porsgrund Trivet

This Porsgrund trivet was my grandma's.  It has a poem by John Herman Wessel about sandwiches and love... I think some of the meaning is lost in the online translations, though.

Pia Myrvold - Desember

The December cup and saucer by Porsgrund, designed by Pia Myrvold.

Black Friday Finds

Our day-after-Thanksgiving shopping is much more low-key than the crazy 4:00 AM sales.  Since I was little (sometime in the 1970s), we have gone to a warehouse sale put on by a Scandinavian importer.  When it first started, their shop was in an old building near downtown, and the basement was filled with boxes of goods - Porsgrund, tomten, candles, straw ornaments - and I remember often being the only people there. They have since moved to larger buildings in the suburbs and their sales are attended by many more people.  The tradition lately has us starting at the warehouse sale, and then going to our local Scandinavian gift shop, Ingebretsen's, so look for anything else we might "need," and to see what kind of deals we got.  My grandma always used to buy little wood and fabric tomten to give to us kids, and every year I still buy one for myself in her memory.  Here's this year's:

And this is one of our impulse bargains.  A Porsgrund pitcher with the Freia chocolate company logo.  The date on the bottom looks like 1994.

Happy Thanksgiving

Pia Myrvold - November

My cousin in Stavanger gave us six wonderful Porsgrund cups and saucers with designs by Pia Myrvold.  This is the design for November - we have July through December, and each month is different.