Pulling out all the bowls...

So, I got off work a little early today, and I got home to a quiet house...everyone was either at work or at school. I sat down to veg out for a while, and the girls decide it's time to parade every squeaky toy they own in front of me. Then they decided it was great fun to play keep away from each other-all the while barking, and squeaking like crazy-so much for peace and quiet and being still!

I remembered that I had in the back of my mind to do a post about one of my favorite kitchen items...BOWLS! I love bowls. Don't ask why, because I don't know! Maybe it goes back to my childhood and one of my strongest memories is of me carrying my mom's giant red friendship Pyrex bowl in the back door at my grandma's house (filled with homemade potato salad for the family get together).

Why would I remember just carrying a bowl in the back door? Because the step was really high and my little legs really struggled to reach it when I was empty handed-sometimes I crawled up it-that's how high it was...even more so when my arms were full of a giant bowl of potato salad (you can see where this is going can't you?).

Yes, I tripped and fell and dropped the bowl. It broke and my mom's dish to pass was ruined. She didn't care about the bowl-but she wasn't happy about the potato salad! I think I would be just the opposite! I'd be more worried about the bowl than the contents!

Another memory I have from childhood, is of my mom and I on the couch on Friday nights watching the Dukes of Hazzard with a giant pink spatter Texasware bowl filled with hot popcorn. A bowl I would LOVE,LOVE, LOVE to have today, but she SOLD it in a garage sale!

So maybe those two things sparked my interest in bowls and from there my interest in kitchen things...who knows. Maybe it happened when my dad was young and a new father and decided to pick me up by the front of my little jammies and dropped me on my head-ha!

Whatever the reason, I am in love with bowls, and very highly addicted to kitchenware of all kinds. Old, new, modern, vintage, antique, run of the mill, rare, odd-you name it-I am fascinated by it!

Do you have anything that you are obsessed with or drawn to whenever/where ever you see them? Don't get me wrong, I like a LOT of things-maybe too many things. but whenever I go to sales, I start in the kitchen!

Here are some of my bowls...

Warning! Do not attempt to adjust your screen...the appearance of dust and clutter are REAL, and cannot be removed from the photos! ha! Seriously, since the township's bombshell, dusting has taken a back seat around here-so view at your own risk! :)

 My very first primary Pyrex set-bought slowly piece by piece.

 This set has seen better days-rescued from a roadside flea market for pennies!

 Second set of primary Pyrex-a couple of these were gifts from a junking buddy.

 Fiesta covered casserole bowls-missing the lid on the red/orange one-been trying for a few years to get one, but they are few and far between and usually three times or more what I paid for the bowl!

 Stacking Fiesta refrigerator bowls minus the lid-the ever elusive lid again!

 Got the orange bowl at Grenmead flea market. Saw it one year, didn't want to pay the price and walked away-regretted it for 8 months-went back again and it was there again-so I snapped it up!

 A couple big Fiesta vegetable bowls hiding on top of my kitchen cabinets.

 New Fiesta prep bowl in red.

 A wedding present almost 25 years ago from my grandma! I used these every day...now I don't want them to get any worse (I put them in the dishwasher-gasp!) so I try not to use them.

 Although they look brown-ish in the picture they are the cranberry line which is more purple than brown.

 There is a full set of the clear-the two bowls that are missing are probably , A. stashed somewhere by my youngest son-hidden so they can't be used-so he won't have to wash them or B. downstairs in my oldest son's bedroom/apartment type place-because he took food down there and was too lazy busy to bring the bowls back upstairs to be washed and put away.

 More in the cranberry color. Only the two-not a full set-not planning to collect any more. Use these all the time.

 Dark purple small bowls with a little iridescence-I use these for salad toppings so everyone can make their own salads to their own liking. The dishwasher hasn't been kind to them either.

 Small "hammered" look amethyst bowl -used for salad toppings too.

 A vintage covered leftover dish-great for cream cheese salsa dip!!

 I actually forgot that I had these! They are on the top shelve of the corner cupboard in my kitchen behind some other things-they are from my plum phase-when everything had to be PLUM and only PLUM!

 6 Salad bowls-I have serving platters and a big salad bowl to math in my catering bins...somewhere.

 Trifle bowl-bought at Salvation Army-several years ago-LOVE the scalloped edge!

 Savannah by Anchor Hocking trifle bowl...I have 4 Savannah punch bowls and 4 giant serving bowls, as well as place settings for 12 in the Savannah pattern-including tumblers and goblets-I was on a Savannah kick for a while and it was at Walmart-and very cheap, very heavy, and very durable. It is discontinued now, but a lot of people still collect it.

 This sad little casserole bowl is from an old co-worker. Her grandma gave it to her, and she didn't want it. She offered it to me, and I gladly gave it a home-it was in like new condition when I got it. She didn't want it because it was brown. We use it all the time-as you can see. It is just the right size and it has survived in my house for over 20 years!

 These were all wedding presents-so I guess they are now vintage! There are two more larger bowls in the fridge right now with homemade chicken noodle soup in one and mashed potatoes in the other-they will both be empty by morning-my guys seem to clean out the fridge after I go to bed!

 I don't even remember where I got this giant bowl. It is huge and a challenge to store! I can mix up 4 batches of cheesy potatoes in it at one time and still have room to stir-I could probably do 5 or 6 batches.

 Cheap plastic bowls-for chips and munchies outside or when my guys have their friends over.

 Fiesta Gusto bowls-we use these every day!

 More Gusto bowls and cereal bowls-missing 5 cereal bowls...probably in the dishwasher!

 Two ginormous Tupperware bowls-mostly used for cookie dough, potato salad, greek pasta salad and popcorn.

 Plum Fiesta!

 Amethyst mayo bowl and spoon.

 Plum Fiesta pedestal bowl.

 Chartreuse Fiesta not Lemongrass.

 Older Fiesta salad bowl.

 Fire King tulip bowl-need the other three smaller bowls to compete the set.

 I believe these are California pottery-but they

 Homer Laughlin Riviera Casserole with lid and under plate.

 More wedding presents-used every day-have two more individual size dishes in the fridge with stuff in them.

 Just one of several that are too hard to get at right now.

 One complete set of 7, and two sets of 6-still searching for 2 #7 bowls--patience grasshopper!

 Kitchen Kraft casserole bowl with lid bought recently at Goodrich Flea Market-the dealer told me I was "spoiled" when I talked him down an extra dollar...if he only knew!

 Two more sets of vintage Fiesta-bought mostly from the Junk Shop in Naubinway in the Upper Peninsula while on vacation at my parents house-I LOVE that little shop-it's filled with all kinds of junk!

 New set of red Fiesta prep bowls-bought at the tent sale-and two mixing bowls bought at a resale store-for dirt cheap!

 Harlequin nut cups-they are bowls too...even though they are called cups.

 Yellow and white striped Pyrex #403-still needing the #402 and #401.

 Bought this to sell...still have it...I wonder if there was another bowl that stacked with these two...

 Glassbake-rare to find (around here anyways) with a lid!

 The start of my dotty bowl obsession! I still LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these bowls after all these years!

 My newest obsession-really having a HARD time finding the rest of the set!

 This set started with the blue dotty bowl. I saw it in a picture for an estate sale in Flint. Drove all the way there one Sunday after church-and it was still there...of course, I just had to finish the set!

 The bottom one has the finial on the lid, I just turned it upside down so they would stack.

 So, it's called a grease jar, but it's still a bowl in my eyes

 Salt jar/bowl...

 Fire King, red dot grease jar/bowl.

 The two middle bowls in a 4 bowl set of Fire King red dot splash proof bowls. Hoping to someday find the other two, and maybe add a set of black dot bowls too!

 Turquoise/Aqua Pyrex #401-#404.

 Fire King Sealtest cottage cheese bowls-hoping to add the green, aqua and purple bowls sometime in my travels.

 The big one just came in the mail today!!! Set of #401-#404 White Opal Pyrex mixing bowls.

 Set of #401-#404 pink Pyrex mixing bowls.

 Two #401's and a #403 in pink Pyrex and a #401 and #402 in the pink and white striped Pyrex.Been looking for the #403 pink and white striped bowl for a while now-the thrill of the hunt!!

 Fire King Colonial Band mixing bowl set-I also have the grease jar/bowl with lid and a set of salt and pepper shakers to match.

 Cat tails pattern grease jar/bowl thing-got it for fifty cents!

 Don't these just scream F-U-N!?!?

How can anyone have a bad day when they have this vintage goodness to look at?!?!

There are a lot more bowls that I didn't get to. Some from my catering days-so they really weren't "collected" but they were used and used a lot. Some from dish sets packed away-gifts from family or friends that I can't/won't part with, etc.

I should attend a 12 step program-huh? This collection started 25 years ago, and most of the pieces have come in the last 13 years as I've fallen more and more in love with vintage kitchenware. I'm thankful I have a husband who is handy and willing to build me beautiful display cabinets-and thankful for my lovely sun room where I can see them every day. I hope our new house has room for me to display them!

Whew! This whole idea started with a conversation with my friend Marie...O.K....Marie, now I want to see your bowls! :) Just kidding! Anyone else out there obsessed with bowls? Send me pictures or a link to your blog post about your bowls-I'd love to meet a kindred spirit! ;)

Doesn't look like I'll be getting to any sales this weekend...slow times around here for good junk! How are sales in your area? I keep hearing the birds chirping when I go in to work in the morning, so I know spring is on its way and that means more sales!!

Have a great weekend!!! Happy Hunting Mary (and everyone)! ;)