It’s been a quiet weekend in the city with most New Yorkers still enjoying the last, lazy days of summer before the busy onset of fall. Despite a tempting invitation from my friends Marty and Robin for a long weekend away at their beautiful, working farm in Buck’s County, Pennsylvania, I opted instead to stick around here—maybe do a little painting on the roof—before the weather turns cooler. On Saturday, at the annex to the Antiques Garage on 26th, I was surprised to find quite a full set of one of my favorite old china patterns from Wedgwood. The borders of platters and plates are ribbed, and the color is a beautiful creamy white that mixes well with other styles. With dinner, salad, and bread plates, as well as full tea service, I have plenty to choose from for tomorrow’s Object of the Day, so stay tuned!

At the Garage on 25th, I picked up this great vintage nutcracker. It’s going to be perfect at Thanksgiving time with a big, beautiful bowl of gourmet nuts in the shell.

At the same booth, I found this great zinc flower frog with art deco detailing. It’s just the thing you need to make a professional looking flower arrangement, but for an Object of the Day later on this week, I’m going to use it for something completely unexpected, so be sure to watch.

Upstairs, buried in a pile of dusty linens (and not the kind I like!), I found an old wooden tool caddy that’s going to be great for holiday entertaining. I love its size and shape. Plus, the handle makes it the perfect accessory for carrying all the necessities—plates, napkins, glasses, even food—from kitchen to table.

And speaking of holiday entertaining, I can’t wait to try out the recipes from this old Baker’s Coconut book I found. I love collecting antique cookbooks, especially from companies whose products you can still find in grocery stores today. This one is from 1926, but I’m sure the cakes will taste just as good now as they did then. After I do a little recipe testing at home, I’ll be sure to post the sweet results.

My last find of the day, and another of my favorite collections, are vintage greeting cards. During the holidays, I love scanning them, cleaning them up a bit and reprinting them on good card stock. Just remember, if the card is less than a hundred years old, copyright laws still apply!

Check out the ad for Top Design Jaithan and I found on the walk home! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist…)