Turn Cherished Objects Into Meaningful Match Holders
Today I’m sharing decorating with meaning, like creating match holders out of cherished objects and wall decor with curated plate collections. And there is more like homemade pizza and a kitchen makeover television show by our son-in-law, Luca’s cousin that I loved.
It’s Sunday Faves time with Annie and Cindy.
Match Holders Out Of Cherished Objects
The other day when I was cleaning out a cabinet, I was thinking about how I’d like to see some of my small cherished objects in use more often…like a sterling silver cigarette holder my parents used (I remember seeing it in our childhood home before they quit smoking) and a tiny pitcher that I bought in Paris.
I don’t like having the clutter of lots of little items out but…
How about having one hold wooden matches placed conveniently near a candle on the coffee table or console!?
So, I ordered adhesive match strikers with sandpaper texture and 4″ wooden matches on Amazon.
Other small meaningful containers to use as match holders: a silver baby cup, demitasse or espresso cups, shot glass from your travels, small glass vases, etc.
The dimensions just need to be about 2 to 3″ wide and 2 or 3″ deep. You could peruse Etsy, thrift stores and flea markets if you don’t have anything already.
Simply place the adhesive striking paper on the bottom of the vessel.
I love this Fig & Citrus scented candle. The Astier de Villatte’s ‘Octave’ handmade pitcher was a splurge that I bought at the store in Paris on Rue St. Honoré. The pitcher was easy to bring home and now I have the memories.
You may also like PARIS Shopping.
The vintage cigarette holder (I polished it) is now on display in the entry with another fresh smelling candle, Lafco Lemon Verbena.
If you can bear to part with your cherished match holder, it would make a great gift with a seasonal candle. Let me know your inspiration for a small vessel to use as a match stick holder in the comments.
The match holders will be removed when the grandchildren visit (but then so are a lot of things 🙂
Hand-Painted Italian Plates To Decorate The Patio
This week, I spent a little time adding to the hanging plates we have collected over the years in Italy. Some of them were packed away.
It makes me happy to remember the times along the Amalfi Coast, and in Tuscany and Umbria, Italy.
I will take them down at the hint of a threat of a hurricane though.
I let my sister borrow the Della Robbia from Florence (on the top left) for her garden while we we living in an apartment in San Francisco. And she gave it back when she moved to her new condo.
Mark and Mercedes gave us the ceramic lemon plaque. They bought it in Limone sul Garda.
The memories are making me want to take Italy another trip!
You may also like: Villa On The Coast Of Tuscany, A Week in Sicily, and Stay In An Authentic Old Farmhouse In Cortona, Tuscany and Hideaway In Puglia On The Italian Adriatic Coast.
Another thought I had was to collect oyster plates that we could use serving oysters and to decorate the dining room. What do you think? I know I don’t need more stuff, but they would also be useful, too.
What To Cook: Homemade Pizza–Our Secret
There has been a REAL learning curve for us with the pizza oven that Howard got last year for Father’s Day. As in…a lot of flops…drippy burned pizzas. Until finally…
Tip: now we cook the rolled out pizza dough very briefly in the oven on high heat for about 30 to 45 seconds (we use rough corn meal on the bottom to help the dough slide into the oven).
Then we take it out to put on the toppings (in this case Rao’s pizza sauce, pepperoni slices, grated mozzarella, Greek pitted olives and grated Romano cheese. But we mix it up with the toppings.
Ooni Portable Wood and Gas Fired Pizza Oven with Pizza Stone You can use wood or electricity with this but we use it with gas.
It goes back into the oven so quickly you can’t take your eyes off of it! Then we serve it with arugula lightly tossed with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper on top of the slice.
Annie has a homemade pizza dough that she insists is super easy to make but Howard buys ours from Publix (they have a great bakery and it’s made fresh daily).
This is a good way to cook pizza in the summer when you don’t want to heat up the oven inside.
What To Read: Three Days In June by Anne Tyler
“NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter’s wedding.”
I enjoyed this light book. You begin to really feel attached to the mother. It’s like getting to know strangers quickly and wanting the best for them.
What To Watch: “Giada In My Kitchen” On Amazon Prime
Giada De Laurentiis is our son-in-law, Luca’s first cousin. They are very close and I can tell you that she is as kind as she is talented. We watched her show last night and really liked it!
“Star chef Giada De Laurentiis has cooked in countless kitchens worldwide. To her, the kitchen is the heart of the home. Giada teams up with A-List designer Erick Garcia to surprise a deserving family with the kitchen makeover of their dreams.”
We gave it a thumbs up on Amazon and please give it one, too, so that we can see more episodes. Thank you!
If you would like to receive this series every week, please sign up HERE.
Let’s see what my friends have discovered this week:
Cindy Hattersley Design
Most Lovely Things
Mary Ann, I am a person that loves to have “clutter” not a lot but as you say, special meaningful items out and about the house that bring back happy memories.
I could not bear to part with my special items so perhaps if I were to make these I would thrift a few fun things to gift to friends and family along with a special candle.
We had the same problem with out pizza oven, Bill my husband would get so mad because more often than not it was his little pizza that burned. Mine somehow turned out perfect. I cannot wait to try this tip!
Love Giada, she has such an interesting family history with her director grandfather. I will check out the series. Make sure to check out her “store.” We received several food gifts from her Giadazy including pasta, sauces, herbs, cheese, etc and they were all scrumptious.
Have a wonderful week.
MA … I love what you did with the cigarette holder and pitcher. Love! Also seriously smitten with your fig and citrus candle … I think I’ll click the link as soon as I’m done pontificating. Oh and also just ordered that book. Your patio spaces just get better and better … I wouldn’t have thought to hang those beautiful plates outside. Brilliantly done under Chief’s supervision. Excited about Giada’s new show on Netflix … needed something to watch tonight. Cheers! xo
The plates are beautiful. My sister collected jugs on her travels, she has a beautiful rooster one from Italy. Love the connection to Giada, her shows are very informative.
Should have used the word pitchers, not jugs.
I have a couple of hand-painted pitchers and those aren’t easy to bring back! One I use in my Ladies Loft to water the plants…so I have it on display.
Fun post, Mary Ann! We are in Italy at our apartment (same building where my husband grew up and his family still lives). You are likely better-traveled here than us, given the many visits that we spent with my inlaws. We hope to finally get to Puglia next Spring, as my father-in-law was from there and my husband hasn’t visited since his 20’s. We can now visit ‘pre-season’ when it is cooler, now that he is retired. I watched Giada’s new show last week — how fun to learn that she is your son-in-law’s cousin! I have long used many of her great recipes and she offers excellent travel and destination tips on her Giadzy website. I haven’t read Anne Tyler since ‘Breathing Lessons’ but will check out your recommendation.
I will check out Giada’s travel sites, Joan. Enjoy you time in Italy!
Hi Mary Ann,
What a fun connection you’ve shared about Giada! She seems warm and friendly and her show is very good. Very cool!
Debbie
Thanks, Debbie!
Hi Mary Ann, I have used both my mom’s silver/glass cigarette holder and fun shot glasses to hold toothpicks.
Love this post! What a great idea to have matches at the ready! What do you strike them on? I have so many little treasures like that. I am going to try it! The pizza oven is a learning curve. Steve still hasn’t mastered it!!
The sandpaper stickers from Amazon that I mention above, Cindy.
Dear MaryAnn, many years ago I went into the Astier de Villatte store and bought a mug, my dear sweet husband said, you paid that for a mug. I really don’t use it because it being so frail. Do you have an idea
for a mug? I love good memories.
How about as a pencil holder? I would line the bottom to protect it though. My friend, Debbie collects Astier de Villatte and serves me tea in her mugs…it’s special.
I feel your pain with the pizza oven! There is definitely a learning curve. We hadn’t found a pre-made dough we liked (no Publix near us) so I tried the Ooni New York Style pizza dough and that one was a winner! Everyone liked it as well as the fire roasted tomato pizza sauce from Safeway.
Oh good to know, Lisa!
I have a pair of silver holders exactly like yours, but I’ve only used them for toothpick holders so I think it’s time to try something new! Also thinking it’s time to get out all the baby cups – thanks for the great ideas!
You are so welcome!
Love the match stick holder idea. I also use saki cups for holding Q-tips or other small things.
Good idea. I was thinking limoncello cups but I think I gave them to my daughter.
Mary Ann! I love that idea of taking something meaningful and making it into a match stick holder! Everytime you strike a match it brings memories of meaningful moments! Like the Italian plates! Your home is filled with so many meaningful and beautiful things from your travels, your family and your friends! That’s why your home feels so good when you are in our even see it in photos! You can feel the warmth!
Xx
Thank you sweet, Annie!
Hi Mary Ann,
I love the Italian plates that you’ve added to your outdoor space. Do you use traditional plate holders or the kind that stick on the back? I am adding my great grandmother’s plates to my dining room and would like to avoid the plate hangers that clip around the plate for a cleaner look but I’m afraid the sticky kind will lose their grip.
Thank you!
I actually hammered nails in to the siding…which wasn’t easy as it’s made of a concrete “Hardy Boy” type material.
Mary Ann,
The placement of your Italian plates in perfect!!!
As for the matches in reused “memories”, I’m stealing that idea!! Perfection, again.
My husband makes pizza but without any pizza oven; either on the BBQ grill with a pizza stone or the oven with the same stone, which all dependent on the season. His trick is to roll out the pizza with toppings on parchment. Slides pizza & parchment onto the preheated stone and waits 20 to 30 seconds depending on the temperature. At that time, he lifts the pizza (with peel) and pulls the parchment out very easily. It works every time.
Wow. The parchment sounds interesting. I hope it wouldn’t burn up but we could try it!
We just place our pizza directly on a preheated stone and have never had it stick. You do have oil your stone when you first purchase it. After years of making home made pizza and cooking in pizza pans, I would say the stone is the way to go. Besides, it makes great crispy nachos. No more soggy bottom ones.
I love plates/stones/plaques on a wall. You have great memories to look at every day.
I would borrow your idea for the match holders but I react to scents, so no candles in my house. Nice to be able to display and enjoy treasures.
I wish you could come cook a couple of pizzas at our house, Joanna.
A very nice idea to use meaningful keepsakes for various purposes. I like it. I have inherited so many things from my family and I don’t want to part with them. Thinking of Anne Tyler, I have not read the new one but recently picked up a copy of her Pulitzer Prize winner, Breathing Lessons. It’s one I will not forget. Also, love the plates display on your patio.
I liked Breathing Lessons too!
Mary Ann, very cool to learn of Luca’s connection to Giada. I’ve enjoyed watching her and some of her recipes for years. Her kitchen antics with her daughter are also fun to watch on Insta. I’ll have to check out the new show you mentioned!
I think her daughter Jade is so cute!
Mary Ann, for years I have used my husband’s baby cup as a Q-tip holder in our bathroom. Love your posts! Susan
That is how we were actually using the cigarette holder! Now I tossed them in with the cotton ball canister.