Monday, September 19, 2011

A Bunny and My Bunnykins


I've always had a passion for Bunnykins!
While on vacation in Colorado my husband along with my cousin, Norma Jean and her husband made the rounds of some great antiques malls. I already had a few Bunnykins  plates and a cup. Somewhere in the land of unpacked boxes
from a move is my first set of Bunnykins plate, bowl and cup. But we won't go there at this time...
Not familiar with Bunnykins?

The chinaware line originated with artwork by Mary Barbara Bailey, the daughter of Cuthbert Bailey, general manager of Doulton during the 1930s. Unbeknownst to the public, Mary Barbara Bailey was not a professional illustrator, but a nun in the Augustinian Canonesses of the Lateran.[1] Introduced in 1934, Bunnykins tableware depicted Mr. and Mrs. Bunnykins and other rabbits dressed in human clothing, in colourful rural and small-town English scenes, transfer-printed on white china. The earliest pieces, signed by Vernon, are quite rare and highly prized. Bunnykins china was used by Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret and thus became a popular present given as christening and birthday gifts in middle-class English homes. -- Wikipedia

I was so thrilled to find a little over half of these dishes. They were easy to spot in these malls. I do not see them often in the malls in Texas around Houston and Austin. Interesting...

The rabbit lamp just seems to want to be there with these dishes. I found him at South Padre Island this past weekend at Tuesday Morning.

There are no new babies on the horizon in our family but surely there will be some day. These dishes and lamp will set the theme for the nursery in our home or perhaps in their parents' home. It's fun to dream...

AND...

This absolutely has nothing to do with dishes or the lamp, but when I mention my cousin Norma, then I have to share with you she and I are more like sisters.
Our mothers, even though they were aunt and niece, were much like sisters. Our mothers had a tradition of laughing it up, especially in the kitchen and then seeing who could kick the highest. Yes, they did!
Well, now Norma and I are carrying on the tradition.



So here we are... it's the crack of dawn and we are
getting ready to make the early morning drive to the airport... hence the not-so-high kick.. well, that's our excuse and we're stickin' to it!!

I've had such a good time with this post and I am linking to Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday


and

A Stroll Through Life for Table Top Tuesday




Make sure you visit both of these blogs.
They're wonderful!!


13 comments:

The French Hutch said...

I love your Bunnykins collection. I think the lamp is perfect with it. What a great start for a nursery, wherever it is. I think you have a great blog .

Emily
The French Hutch

Colleen - the AmAzINg Mrs. B said...

Well,m I had not heard of this collection, but they are wonderful! And, I think you two look like sisters and hae fun like sisters..so that makes you sisters :-)

Zuni said...

Hi, Karen. You touched my heart with your Bunnykins post. As a matter of fact, in my post today I have a picture of our boys' that I now keep in the china cabinet and use for our grandbabies. What a treasure that is, to now be using them again, with grandbabies! Thank you for the background information on them too. Please visit me too!

Hearts Turned said...

How wonderful, Karen! I've always loved those Bunnykins dishes, too...my mother has a number of them saved from when she was a little girl...

Love the picture of you and your cousin--how wonderful you could get together!

Hope you're having a lovely evening...

Julie

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Both my son and daughter were given a set of Bunnykins dishes when they were born. I passed my son's set on to his two boys. Hopefully in a few years I'll be able to do the same for my daughter when she has a baby! :)

I love the lamp -- that was a fabulous find!

Celestial Charms said...

I'm a big fan of the Bunnykin collection. I used to pick up a few pieces, on my frequent trips to England. I always found them more reasonably priced, compared to the Wedgwood Peter Rabbit Collection, and there is something more of an "old world charm" to Bunnykins too. Great collection of yours...
Maureen

Sanghamitra Bhattacherjee(Mukherjee) said...

What a lovely collection! Great space you got here. Thanks for sharing.
Hope to see you on my blog:)

Anonymous said...

Oh, what a wonderful display of your little Bunnykins! I love your sweet lamp too! We were never blessed with any of those. I do have a little grand daughter now. Maybe I should start a new collection! :)
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Theresa said...

Sweet display of your Bunnykins! You will certainly have a little one to share them with someday:) You and your cousin are looking mighty good on that early morning:) Have a blessed day my friend, HUGS!

Sue McPeak said...

Hi Karen...replying to your comment left on CITexas Gal...I'm assuming you are talking about a photo on my 'Tracks of My Texas Ancestors' Blog in The Photo Album. If so, he is the brother of my Great Grandmother. All of the photos in The Photo Album are of my relatives. They were from Gail, Texas in Borden County...north of Tom Green County and San Angelo. A Great Uncle and his family settled in Eastland County in Santa Anna and one of his daughters lived in San Angelo. Her last name was Price...she and her husband owned an Antique/Second Hand Shop in San Angelo.

I've added alot to my Family Heritage Blog in just the last month. Glad to hear you are enjoying it...thanks for visiting.

PAINTORDIG.blogspot.com said...

What a sweet collection,I hope their are babies to pass them to.

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

Bunnykins is a very sweet pattern for sure. And the bunny lamp couldn't be more perfect! Adorable.

Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving your comment today. I am hoping I will start to feel better tomorrow :)

Nancy's Notes said...

Karen, your Bunnykins collection is just precious and I love that rabbit lamp, perfect! You and Norma are a hoot!

Hugs,
Nancy