"Granny's" Collection

When I was a little girl, my mom and granny would drag me around from fabric stores to antique markets on sunday afternoons, and I HATED it!! In the past few years, however, my ideas of a fun sunday afternoon have obviously changed. I now work with fabrics every day for my job, and frequently go to antique malls on my lunch break and days off. Maybe it is because doing these things reminds me of my family that I miss being around all the time, or maybe some things really are genetic, but the fact of the matter is, I am turning into my mother and grandmother, and I LOVE it! Recently, I have decided to start a collection of milk glass pieces. (James says that is such a "granny thing" to do; I'm taking that as a compliment!) The majority of milk glass you can find is super cheap (but super cute), because it is actually a replica of older pieces. I started loving the milk glass because it is so versatile. You can pair it with any other color you like. And it has such a feminine, vintage feel. Yesterday, I purchased a milk glass chip and dip platter for $12. I later researched to see the value of the piece, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was appraised for $45. Not too shabby!
So, I began researching the origin of milk glass further, and found out that it began being produced in Venice, Italy in the 16th century, and became really popular in France in the 19th century. At the turn of the 20th century, it became increasingly popular in the United States, and was associated with prosperity and wealth. Since milk glass is still in production today, it is easy to find at cheap prices. However, because of this fact, it is also possible to find some very old, very valuable milk glass pieces for cheap prices as well, because those selling it may not know just how old the piece really is. Therefore, my search for aged milk glass pieces has turned into an adult version of an easter egg hunt. I know that makes me a HUGE nerd, but, oh well. I'll be a huge nerd!

And if any of you are looking for a gift for me anytime soon, any unique piece of milk glass will do. Milk glass is perfect for decorating. And sets a wonderful palette for entertaining.
*Side note, milk glass isn't always just white. It can come in a variety of colors, such as pink, turquoise, and green.