The third time's the charm …

It's a phenomenon I've observed for years now: When a hostess breaks an item, consequently breaking up a set of four place settings or four snack sets, she donates the other three sets to charity. That's why I bought this set of three snack sets and this set of three bone china trios recently. And my third set of three? It was three clear glass snack sets I found at a thrift store in Carrollton a few weeks ago.

Curiously, I don't believe I've ever had glass snack sets. That's probably because they're so easy to find, and if I needed twenty or so, I could probably pick them all up tomorrow at any of our area antique malls.

But the floral shape of these was just too charming to pass up at a mere $3 per set. They definitely remind me of sunflowers, which play a role in my next Silver Sisters mystery, so for that reason alone, I "needed" these. I believe they're by Hazel-Atlas, although I've seen the pattern referred to online as sunflower, daisy, and cosmos, so I'll continue to look for an "official" name. When I was at the thrift store, which benefits a local ministry, I was mulling over the fact that there were just three of the sets when the clever store manager suggested I could invite the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to tea. (At the risk of sounding like a total heathen … but where's my set?)

And since today is what I consider the first day of Psychological Fall (September = Fall, even with 90-degree temperatures here in Georgia), I've begun pulling out some fall linens. With colorless plates like these, I think colorful linens would be a must, don't you?