St. Patrick's Day isn't as big of a celebration in the South as in other parts of the world, but most of us do wear a bit of green on March 17 - maybe for luck, and maybe to avoid getting pinched. This early springtime holiday seems like the perfect time to add a bit of green to our homes as well, doesn't it?

February's birth flower is the violet and the birthstone is amethyst. As a February baby, I've grown up loving these dainty little purple flowers .... and collecting them in a variety of items including dishes. Next to roses, violets might be the most popular design on vintage dishes, so let's take a peek at some of these pretty patterns.

We'll take a cup o'kindness yet...for auld lang syne. It's that time of year when we celebrate the season and ring in the next one. So what kind of vintage cup or mug do YOU raise? Let's explore the wonderful world of handled drink cups and what goes in them. From  sweet winking Santa mugs - perfect for serving hot cocoa to the non-imbibing crowd, to frothy nutmeg dusted eggnog and hot Irish coffee, to pa-rum-pum-pum hot buttered rum, there's a cup or mug for every drink....and a drink for every type of cup.