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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Dutch Treats!

I'm having fun going through my pictures, and this morning when I made myself a cup of tea, I thought I needed to share with you what I brought home with me!

Lucy hasn't even seen these.....but these are the tall coffee mugs I found at the AIRPORT! I was trying to find a way to use up all my left over euros.. :cD My only regret is that they didn't have FOUR different designs. They had 3 on the shelf. So I bought 3. I could have bought SIX...then I would have had 2 of each. My family loves them for hot chocolate. They are now my favorite mugs. The designs are based on traditional delft tiles. One of them is the same pattern pretty much to an antique tile that Lucy gave me years ago. I just LOVE these. Maybe I can twist Lucy's arm to bring me more when she comes stateside again?? (6 mugs would have been a pain as a carry on, I had enough as it was)

Limited baggage space, and the cost of things in Europe makes things a challenge. And my favorite thing to do? Thrift shops! So we were able to find some goodies at dutch thrift shops!!

Aren't these tins great? I think the most expensive one was .50 cents SERIOUS! Thrifting is the way to go! I can see the red rectangular one with the hinged lid as a sewing caddy. And it is OLD!

Of course the big thing when shopping in the Netherlands for us Touristas.....DELFT BLUE! This would have been expensive anywhere else,but I found it...at the thrift shop! It is now hanging in my kitchen. And what is more fun is that I have the memory of junk hunting with a good friend to add to the memories. Anyone can shop in a store....but treasure hunting with a friend? Priceless!

One of the funny things while in the thrift shop....hearing "grandma got run over by a reindeer" over the speakers! It was like..what's WRONG with this picture! I wanted to hear Christmas Carols in Dutch :c)

But instead, I found this hand embroidered table cloth! Someone put HOURS into stitching this, it's lovely! I only show 1/4 of it, but the design is repeated all the way around. And it was easy to pack and bring home. I had it on my table for Christmas.

No, they are not minature samurai swords...they are antique wooden ice skates!! These were also at the thrift store. We were headed to Spakenburg, and Lucy knew of this little thrift store. We saw a table of ice skates,but no wooden ones. So she asked the guy...and these were in the back! I guess he thought no one would want these...but I do! Now they are hanging off a rack that also has a quilt on it in my front hall.

Licorice! Or Drop, if you are dutch. I love this stuff....it is AMAZING! And yes, I had twice as much,but Jeff and I have eaten it half gone already (including the Apekoppen that is Jeff's favorite...(Apekoppen means MONKEY HEADS!)

Tonya, the sweetie...found these wonderfully fun BUG dish towels in Amsterdam and gifted one to me. It's shown here hanging on my oven door. I LOVE it! It's just not the normal thing you expect to see in a kitchen. I love textiles, and these are all thread woven into this wonderful pattern. Thanks Ton!

The most touching gift of all:


After the workshops, the shop staff,friends,and others had a small reception upstairs in the classroom area. Treats and everything! I was presented this lovely hard cover book, and it is signed inside by all the shop staff,and the shop owner. I was speechless. Believe me, it isn't often that words fail me,but they did. I love this book of antique dutch quilts SO much. Thank you ladies, I'll treasure it as I treasure all of you!

16 comments:

  1. Wow what great treasures. I'd love to visit Amsterdam someday.

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  2. Neat stuff! You scored at the thrift stores! Glad you are back safely and had such a great time teaching and sightseeing. Sounds like the ultimate quilters vacation. I am really looking forward to seeing the mystery quilt unfold.

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  3. I love your thrift store finds! The skates are wonderful. My favorite things from England are from the auctions, charity shops and the "boot" sales...

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  4. Oh what lovely treasures and memories.

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  5. I love the coffee cups - how neat, certainly a different design then you find here in the states.
    Karen
    http://karensquilting.com/blog/

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  6. Oh Bonnie! What great finds! I love everything you found! and those mugs are wonderful! Wait till you see what I got today for a xmas present from my friend who bought it in Selma SC!

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  7. Anonymous6:21 PM EST

    You can't buy memories can you?
    Thanks for sharing.

    cheers
    Christine

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  8. What great memories to go with your treasures... being with friends makes all the difference.
    Cheers!

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  9. This is actually in response to your previous post- Holiday Inn is also a favorite movie of mine, and it's just recently come out in a colorized version! For $14.99 or so at Target you get the B&W version, the colorized version, and a CD of music!

    Holly
    hsg@comcast.net

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  10. Gosh Bonnie hon, what a wonderful time you had, and such amazing treasures you've brought home with you. I think you and I have the same experience when we come home from visiting with our friends - I always pine for Linda, and have to remember that time spent apart makes our time together more special.
    Be sure to have the very best New Years Bonnie - 2009 is going to be an entirely wonderful year.
    *hugs*
    Tazzie
    :-)

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  11. I loved seeing all your treasures! How lucky to find a Delft Blue plate in a thrift shop! And those antique skates - are they really that old? I used to have a pair just like them when I was a young girl in Holland! And dropjes! Yum! But the book of antique Dutch quilts is the best! What a lovely gift.

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  12. Love the goodies you found on your trip to Amsterdam. Those are the best things. Meaningful too.

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  13. That was so sweet of the gals to give you the Dutch Antique Quilt book. you found some great thrifty things too. Happy New Year!

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  14. You found some great things in our little country. I learned to skate on look a likes of the ones you have found. They were a pain, never stayed nice on your feet and tying the laces tighter was hard with frozen fingers.

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  15. What a lot of cool stuff! I especially love that plate, I have a collection of blue and white plates hanging in my kitchen too. My favorite is a Guiness plate I found at a garage sale. I've tried to quit going as I have too much stuff, but you can find some great finds. Love your quilts too!!

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  16. Oh, that book...maybe you could scan some of the quilts inside sometime and post? Love love love all the thrift finds. Especially the edging pattern on the delft plate. And the wooden skates.

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