My Pie Server Collection

I got obsessed with pie servers a few years back and started to collect them from flea markets. Here is my collection. Banged up, scratched, and definitely not-gently-used--but all sterling silver.

The second one from the top is my most favorite of all.  When I have a dinner at home and people bring desserts, I get excited because I get to use another old pie server. I don't even know the names of the patterns and I don't get obsessed with provenance. I just pick up what I like.

I even like them monogrammed. I bought this one above with the intention of giving it as a gift to a friend whose family name starts with S, but then decided against it. While I would love to receive something like this, not many people will appreciate receiving a beat up pie-server.

I brought them out the other day and decided to take pictures of them as a way of keeping an inventory.  

Maybe I should look for more.

The Antiques Garage in Chelsea

As if my sister hadn't had enough at Hell's Kitchen, I insisted we go to the Antiques Garage in Chelsea. I've been there a number of times and in the past, have bought a dozen old-fashioned cut-glass liqueur glasses for $40.  My sister also bids for sterling silver on eBay so I knew she'd enjoy this better than Hell's Kitchen.

I read somewhere that there was a $1 shuttle that went from Hell's Kitchen to the Antiques Garage and vice-versa, but when I asked a dealer at Hell's Kitchen about it, she didn't know about it and told me to just take a cab.  Nine dollars later we were at the Antiques Garage. It was a relief to be out of the sun.

The Antiques Garage is a regular parking garage during weekdays. It converts into a flea market venue on weekends.

I didn't have a burning desire for anything in particular. In fact, I find that photographing things I like and having an image is almost like owning it. The practice reduces clutter at home and was an epiphany I had after having my own garage sale at home a couple of months back.

After going aroundt the flea market twice and just biding my time, my sister came to me and whispered enthusiastically "I think I just saw Lucy Liu!"  It was her turn to drag me to a stall, where we pretended to look at old crocheted doilies, but were really trying to get a better look at a woman wearing a rose-gold Rolex (my jewelry-loving sister was admiring the watch and then realized it was attached to the wrist of Lucy Liu)

"Lucy" was being low-key under a hat, but those unusual almond eyes and freckles were just  too...Lucy Liu-ish.  It definitely was her! She was looking at miniature musical instruments inside a glass case. The vendor looked like a friend of hers. My niece, who was probably bored by now, got into the action and started stalking her too, trying to build up the courage to ask for a snapshot.

We left without buying anything, and without a Lucy Liu snapshot. I was happy and content having "window-shopped" the flea market. My sister and niece were happy with their celebrity sighting. It was a good Sunday.

 

The one that got away...

Antiques Garage
112 West 25th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
Saturday and Sunday 6:30 am to 5:00 pm

Collecting Candlesticks

I love these sterling candlesticks I got on Ebay. I like setting the table with candles when I entertain but the kids get mesmerized and play with the melting wax leaving the coffee and dining table in a big mess! Instead of nagging them to stop playing with the wax every time we have guests, I decided to solve it at the source and keep melting wax out of reach.