Collections often start with regrets and missed opportunities.  This collection began with one simple little jug.  It matched some cups I already had.  My godmother lovingly packed it and sent it from Scotland for me.  It was beautiful.  It still is beautiful, but in transit a small shard broke from the rim.  And so the collection began.
I started to look through trade-me to find another one, with it's pale blue interior and curved belly.  Feeling a little like goldilocks the collection grew in no particular order,

Together they look beautiful.  I feel temptation should be spelt P-O-O-L-E to match the china I keep gravitating towards.  Sometimes they hold milk and little teaparties.   But best of all, they hold flowers, spilling over the top, hiding the little shard that started the whole process.

This weeks thrifty find isn't mine.  It's my daughter's.  She spotted the little pirate toby mug and exclaimed "just like Mum's!".

The shopkeeper carefully wrapped it for her and added "It's always good to have collections," before handing it to my beaming 6 year old.

Their providence is nothing exceptional.  A simple "Japan" back stamp. They both have little chips.  However, they make me smile and they make my daughter beam.

*Linking in with Op Shop Show Off

Spring comes at the other end of the year in New Zealand, but it is celebrated just the same.  We could lay claim to fields of Wordsworth's daffodils.  But we often forget have our own poetry too.  What better way to celebrate a spring in full flight, than with a little Baxter, wrapped around a teacup.

Blow Wind of Fruitfulness

Blow, wind of fruitfulness,
 Blow from the buried sun:
Blow from the buried kingdom
 Where heart and mind are one.

Blow, wind of fruitfulness,
 The murmuring leavers remember;
For the deep in doorless rock
 Awaits their green September .


Blow from the wells of night:
 The blind flower breathes thy coming
Birds that are silent now
 And buds of barren springing.

Blow from beyond our day.
 The hill-borne streams complain:
Hear from their stony courses
 The great sea rise again.

Blow on the mouth of morning
 Renew the single eye:
And from remembered darkness
 our immortality.

James K. Baxter

I love the out of season inspiration of northern hemisphere blogs.  As sewers start to show off their winter wardrobes, I start to weave my dream projects.  So few of them happen but it is nice to dream.  However, garden blogs are where the 6 month difference is incredibly inspirational.  So often, just as their flowers are coming out in the northern hemisphere, it is time to prepare and plant here.

I have been admiring the winter roses over at Saipua. They seem to be the perfect plant for the beginning of spring.  I can imagine them in strange blooms from below the straggly bare hydrangeas come spring time.

I even found some china ones at a school gala on the weekend.  They were hidden at the back of a stall, still wrapped in newspaper.  I offered to help unwrap only to find this beautiful Crown Lynn set - cups, sugar bowl and 2 coordinating jugs.  The little winter rose pattern is called "Saphire" and it has me thinking it is time to plant some real ones.

The Finel teapot is growing on me.  It followed me home one day when I was really searching for a retro coffee percolator (pehtoori).  I initially thought I would swap this little soul it in a heart beat, if a blue one ever came along.  Now it is just so jolly cheerful on the kitchen windowsill, sitting and keeping the cornishware company, that it may have won its reprieve.  You can see it edging its way into the frame along side the soap dispensers too.


linking in over here at Blackbird has Spoken

 Ready?  It's time to picnic under the blossoms again. 

 Spring has been kind  and the blossoms are ready a whole two weeks earlier than usual.  This year we missed the initial flushes of new pink blossoms, but they were just as nice.






 As we left we saw a memorial of paper cranes left by other visitors.  It is nice to see all 48 cherry blossoms still standing in remembrance of this former POW site.