Bright Enamelware for a Rainy Day

We have tropical storm Hermine visiting us in Central Texas today, and we are very grateful for the abundance of rain. However, when it is dark and gloomy like this it does make me crave a bit of light and color. So when I was looking around the warehouse and saw a big brown box marked "enamelware" this morning, I got quite excited. And here's what I found.

It's a motley bunch of various ideas of enameled cookware. The blue bowl is a lovely large salad bowl by Catherinholme of Norway. The dark green is a wonderful Dansk Paella pan (sold but looking for more!) and in case you don't have one, here is a good recipe for that wonderful Spanish dish (leaving out the snails!). The yellow pan at the base of my leaning tower is shaped liked a wok and would be an easy pan for a simple stir-fry. I have also included a couple of saucepans made in Japan with a playful floral design. Not strictly enamelware (not enamelware at all actually), they just happened to fit with the look I was going for in this picture.

Also found and listed at So Dishy were these 2 Le Creuset sauce pans (sold, but keeping our eyes peeled for more.) The difference here is that they are only enamelled on the outside, it's teflon on the inside. The colorful pot on top is an enamelware covered dish I would use for green beans or fruit salad, or to serve hot scones with butter (that sounds pretty good right now!)

All these dishes are available to bring some light into your next rainy day. Browse our entire store and buy here.

The rain is still falling as strongly as it was when I started working this morning. And after spending all day with these lovely pieces bringing some color into my day as I prepared them for their close ups, I don't mind one bit.

What's on your Coffee Mug?

Some coffee mugs send the message loud and clear- "World's Greatest Dad", "I Heart the Minnesota Twins", "Golf or Die", "The 93rd Annual Proctology Conference of North America". Others are more subtle, a glamor shot of your cat Poochie, a school portrait of your kids, a glamor shot of yourself. (Come to think of it, they do say a picture is worth 1,000 words and these probably work to prove that saying.) Among the millions of coffee mugs used every day in workplaces across the world, these are just a few of the corny, cheesy and cute variations that you may encounter.What better way to get the scoop on new workmates than by hanging out in the break room and seeing what ideas they align themselves with on the side of their coffee mugs!

I love the variations available in coffee mugs. And I have just filled the kitchen cabinet of So Dishy with almost 100 mugs that I have collected over the past couple of years. Some of my favorites include these Royal Copenhagen mugs which were issued with a different design for every year of the 1970's.

I just love the geometric artwork. In fact, I think of these mugs as being usable art. The designs really help me get going in the morning (especially when I don't want to get going). Not only does the caffeine wake me up, but the design works its way into my brain and, I believe, it makes me more creative. (These mugs have sold since writing this blog post, but I will try and get more!)








Of course, we can't mention coffee without talking about Starbucks.

Everybody loves their Starbucks. Right? Well, in case you haven't heard, Starbucks coffee mugs are a hot commodity. The company is constantly designing new mugs and cups including limited editions. We have a few in stock, but they go fast, but I always keep my eyes open for more. So if you find it essential to pay tribute to your favorite coffee chain; check back often! Here's what we currently have in stock.

We have at least another hundred to add to our inventory, so keep checking back at So Dishy over the next week or so. With the vast selection we have, I bet there's a mug just your style, and if not- next time you are in town- the joe's on me!

We Would Be Nothing Without...

Amy K Brown Photography!

The wonderfully talented Ms Brown is responsible for most of the beautiful photographs you see on our blog. She has a way of putting pieces side by side and making them look like they were born to be together.

If you are in Central Texas, schedule a portrait session with Amy, and check out her gallery of photos at www.amykbrownphoto.com. She is also prepared to travel to exotic locations to photograph your children, cats, dogs, etc. (Prices and fees may vary!)

The Little Blue Flower in Everyone's Kitchen

Corning Ware is known for its indestructibility, as evidenced by the plethora of Corning dishes, petite pans, menu-ettes and casseroles you will still find in the back of your Mother’s (and Grandmother’s) kitchen cabinets. And, while at times the 1960's and ’70s suffered a lapse in judgment when it came to color in the kitchen (avocado green refrigerator anyone?), the people at Corning stayed in their own class (and a much classier one as well) when they released their signature Cornflower Blue line in 1959.

While other white dishes yellow over time, Corning Ware stays as white as the day it came off the assembly line, and rarely will you find a piece with a faded flower, as the design was baked in, not painted over. When developed, Corning called this product ”Pyroceram” and it was used as the nose cone material for missiles before being gifted to the American kitchen in the form of Cornflower Blue, Spice O’ Life, Floral Bouquet, French White, Black Trefoil, and many others.

So raise your menu-ette and toast Corning for choosing peace over war, and to celebrate the 51st birthday (can it really be that old?) of the little blue cornflower. More people than ever are discovering the charms (and practicality!) and so can you, visit our Corning Ware section at So Dishy to browse or start your collection! We have a large collection of casseroles and baking dishes n excellent condition that we will be adding to the store over the next few days. And remember fill your shopping cart and the most shipping you will pay is $14!! (within the US).

The Colorful Kitchen.

The greatest tragedy of kitchen design, in my opinion, is the cabinet door. Of course you have to have at least a few cabinets with doors to hide the nasty stuff, but the upper cabinets in my kitchen have always been an extension of the interior design of the room. We spend so much time in the kitchen that I want to be surrounded by my favorite colors and styles.


If you love country style then perhaps you opt for open whitewashed shelves with blue and white Myott Finlandia dinner plates (sold, but on the lookout for more!), large blue glass tumblers, and a pile of Hall's blue ramekins. If you love color, perhaps it is a mix-match of Bauer and Fiesta's beautiful bright primary and secondary colors on display.


Right now I am displaying my vintage Pyrex collection. I have a combination of pink, blue and (believe it or not)- black snowflake dishes scattered on open shelves amongst my dinner ware. Casseroles, mixing bowls and refrigerator dishes in these colors sit alongside less attention-craving plates and mugs. It's an understated look, but every time I have friends over they just gush!

The great thing about Pyrex is that it is still relatively inexpensive to decorate with and use. This won't be the case for long. In the past 10 years of collecting I have seen a huge change in availability and price. Anyone who holds onto their dishes for another 10 years will see the prices skyrocket. Now is definitely the time to start stockpiling your vintage Pyrex, while it is affordable and commonly found. We have a number of pieces in our store, just ready for a new home, this eye-catching Pyrex Daisy & Blue Scroll (this one is sold!) Mixing Bowls and many other pieces ready for display.

Check out our full collection of Pyrex items for sale at So Dishy here or by clicking the link at right. We cap shipping at just $14 no matter how much you buy! So stock up, then get back into the kitchen and rip off those cabinet doors!