rustic redefined. mexican pottery

i wanted to do a little post on something i love even though i dont have too many pieces of it in my house. ok truth be told i only have one piece. a big white tea cup painted with luscious deep blue flowers. i like it because it crosses a line for me between the formality of english china with the casual but inspired folk painting of scandinavian and mexican pottery. also it feels amazing in my hand in the morning.

but there are tons of beautiful examples of mexican pottery. If you haven't guessed by now i love folk painting. my grandmother was a tole painter (ill be doing a post around thanksgiving on some of her work) and i think my appreciation of it came at an early age also the colors are typically vibrant and full of life. there is an effortlessness to all folk painting that attracts me but something else attracts me more. it is a style passed down through generation and generations of a culture. it adapts and changes while still adhering to traditional rules or guidelines.

here are some of my favorites from etsy.

the shapes are all irregular and weight and (typically) terra cotta materials give the pieces rustic feel. the brush strokes are honest but confident and there is a flow to the designs that are painted.

casadeoro

madeforfun

destash4u

get your wobble on

im having a little love affair right now ...with these beautiful gelatin moulds. this is not the jello you remember

- ok it is sort of but its sophisticated and looks well good enough to eat! gelatin and aspic moulds have fallen a bit of out of favor but they used to be a crowing achievement to any meal and elaborate moulds were made to produce them. I love these little salt glazed fish molds made from something called flummery or sweet cream.

The history of these lovelies is actually quite interesting. to nerd out go here

I first became interested in this idea when i found this mould in one of my thrifting excursions. Here are a few other vintage moulds on etsy.

ethanollie anoddlittleparty

Moulds have been made for a long time and in many many different types of materials, some of you may be used to seeing the ceramic or tin moulds, but ive been thinking about making them more than just a vaseThe glass moulds were used mainly in the 1920's and 30's.

yellowgoatdesign

I want to have a Jelly Party - all on pretty cake stands in different glossy colors. think im gonna try this recipe i found on apartment therapy...rumor is they can even be made with a little vodka or champagne. care to join me??

unless otherwise noted all images curtsey of marth stewart living

day tripping - angel island

i took a little outing this weekend - a very short but pleasant ferry ride from pier 41 to angel island. a strange vestige of american military history ranging from the civil war to the late 1960 - i HIGHLY recommend packing a picnic lunch and spending the day!

a little civil war era chapel -
the old hospital - i have a little dream that this would make a perfect B&B - its such a shame that all these old buildings are going unused because they are truly beautiful

i want to live here - look at that view!! hope you enjoyed this little virtual tour of angel island for more info click here

by the way i got to fire that cannon up at the top while out there! haha