Around the Kitchen Table...

Our kitchen table is a sanctuary, where we end our day as a family, not everyday, but as often as we can.

Our farm table provides the perfect surface for enjoying morning coffee while catching up on the news, emails and writing my blog. Oh, it sees many uses from craft projects, to homework, jigsaw puzzles to board games. But for me, the table’s best use is as the setting for a casual family dinner of simple home cooked food. It is worth the effort to slow down, connect with my children and husband, and just be together for a short time. Once dinner is over, we sometimes(but not often enough) linger over tea and dessert, sharing in love, laughter and conversation until the sighs begin and off we go to resume our busy schedules.

Years ago, my sister-in-law gave me a beautiful book entitled Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions, by Sarah Ban Breathnach. I have referred often to this book when trying to make special holidays and events, especially the Christmas season, even more memorable for my children. Simple ideas, such as bringing back the ritual of a Sunday meal, I took to heart. I serve a special brunch for my family and an ever-changing guest list. I’ve tried any number of recipes for French toast, quiche and omelettes over the years, but the children love “The Big, Fluffy Pancake” best. Remarkably, they still get excited as it comes out of the oven, puffed up like a soufflé. Some have gotten absolutely enormous!

If you’d like to try this pancake, CLICK HERE for the remarkably simple recipe. Be sure to let me know how yours comes out and how it is received. Even better, send me a photo as it emerges from the oven!

This blog isn’t about simple nostalgia for a time past, but a forum for thinking about how to renew traditions that seem almost lost, but which updated to suit our contemporary lives, could enrich our families enormously. It’s about creating new traditions that help bind family and friends – and maybe even live on in the lives our children make for themselves.

Welcome to "The Art of Gracious Living"

This is my first post on our new

 “The Art of Gracious Living” forum. I am looking forward to our sharing ideas about holiday traditions, celebrations and bringing civility and graciousness back into our daily lives.

Perhaps, like me, you feel the world has gotten a little coarse, a little too rushed and way too anxious. Maybe you would like to reflect on what our mothers, grandmothers and great aunts did to create sanctuaries for their families despite the challenges of the world outside.
When I was a child, I was always eager to help my mother set the table for a holiday meal, birthday or any other occasion. I loved taking out the Limoges china, only used for these special gatherings, and arranging each place setting with the crystal wine goblet, water goblet and the silver plate flatware, polished to a high sheen. I arranged two to three different forks, placed on a carefully folded linen napkin and the knife and teaspoon carefully around each plate. The gravy ladle, butter knives, flowers, candles, sparkling crystal condiment dishes and salt and pepper shakers, gravy boat, covered vegetable dishes to keep those mashed potatoes and creamed, pearl onions warm. The olives even had their own special fork!

With a gleaming setting like this, you couldn’t help but dress up a bit and remember to place your white crisp linen napkin on your lap before the first bite! Children, including me when I was small, were always on their best behavior, careful not to drop food on the brilliant white tablecloth and asking for dishes to be passed rather than using the “boarding house reach.”

I love this time of year at my shop, because our customers are as interested as I am in setting a beautiful table. Cut glass pitchers, wine glasses and water goblets; silver platters and vintage linens are purchased almost daily to take a star turn during a holiday gathering. I know these elegant vintage treasures will be cherished for years and meals to come.

I don’t think holidays should be all about the menu, do you? Please tell me your stories of holiday table settings. Do you have a special item that you lovingly take out for special occasions? What are your fondest memories of family dinners? Help us celebrate the holidays with your comments and photos that tell the story of how you express The Art of Gracious Living.

I hope that you, no matter your age or experience, will share in this conversation.

Become a Wrentham Antiques FAN on FaceBook

Working It Everyday to Bring You the BEST!

We have been in the salt mines for days on end. Beating the bushes, scowering the landscape and leaving no stone unturned! Ok, so maybe we have been a bit more proactive in our effort to find, process and present to you a lot of great, primarily vintage (early 1900's) decorative accessories.


The idea is to make available to you the very decorative, as well as very useful, items to help you with this entertaining season...oh, and of course...at a very good price!

We have all of your favorites in decorative accessories and china including:

Noritake China
Fitz & Floyd
Waterford
Franz
Tiffany
Spode
Wedgewood
Belleek
Limoges
Elegant Glass

Sterling & Silverplate Flatware and Serving Pieces

We look forward to helping you to make this holiday & entertaining season the very best!