crystal clear

as much as summer is synonymous with the beach and baseball and family vacations, it is known in the collecting circle as tag sale season. if i had to put it into hard numbers, i would say a good 85 to 90 percent of what is sold at tag sales is just junk - not "one person's junk, another person's treasure" kind of junk, just literal junk. but once in a while, you get the original owner of an old house being sold, or adult children selling the contents of their parents' estate or someone whose tastes have simply changed and are looking to make room for new.

if i stop at a tag sale or antique fair these days, i am interested in crystal and china, which i didn't register for when i got engaged. although i briefly wished i had, i quickly fell in love with the idea of collecting my own over time, with one restriction - i have to love each and every piece i buy, not just add pieces i don't love in the interest of building my collections.

this past weekend, i had two great finds. i love how crystal clear these plates are (pictured above) and how they look pretty and fluted from the side. they're a great addition to my eclectic collection of crystal and i haven't added anything in a while so i was excited to find these.

i was drawn to this platter because i love the color and width, and i knew it would be a nice complement to my favorite vase, pictured here.

grand total for both purchases - $5. great success!

for that kind of satisfaction, i'll make my latte at home and spend my $5 on the tag sale circuit, thank you very much.